273 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



A BAIDAR. 



Tlic shores of Bering Sea are nuked and bleak, and tlic numerous volca- 

 noes of the Aleutian chain pour out their lava-streams over unknown wilder- 

 nesses. But the waters of the sea are teeminij with life. Gigantic al^JC, such 

 as are nt^ver seen in llie torrid zone, form, round the rocky coasts, vast sub- 

 marine forests. A host of fislies, whales, walruses, aiid seals, fill the sea and 

 its shores, and innumerable sea-birds occupy the cliffs. But these treasures 

 of the ocean, Avhich for ages furnished the Aleuts and other wild tribes with 

 the means of existence, have also been the cause of their servitude. Had tlie 

 sea-otter not existed, the wild children of the soil might possibly still be in 

 possession of their ancient freedom ; and but for the sea-bear and the walrus, 

 the whale and tlie seal, the banners of the Czar would scarcely have met the 

 flag of P]ngland on the continent of America. 



A.S the Avhole fur-trade of the Hudson's Bay Territory is concentrated in 

 the liands of one mighty company, thus also one powerful association enjoys 

 the exclusive commerce of the eastern possession of Russia. The regions un- 

 der the authority of the Russian Fur Company* occupy an immense space, as 

 they comprise not only all the islands of Bering 8ea, but also the American 

 coasts down to 55° N". lat. The extreme points of this vast territory are situ- 

 ated at a greater distance from each other than London from Tobolsk, but the 

 importance of its trade bears no proportion to its extent. 



The company, which was founded in the year 1799, under the Emperor 

 Paul, had, in 1839, thirty-six hunting settlements on its own territory (the 

 Kurile Islands, the Aleutic chain, vVliaska, Bristol Bay, Cook's Inlet, Norton 

 Sound, etc.), besides a chain of agencies from Ochotsk to St. Petersburg. Its 

 chief seat is Kew Archangel, on Sitka, one of the many islands of King 

 George IIT.'s Archipelago, first accurately explored by Vancouver. Tlie mag- 

 nificent Bay of Norfolk, at the head of which the small town is situated, 

 greatly resembles a Norwegian Qord, as we hero find the same steep rock- 



* Since last year [18G7] (lie TJnssinn flovprnmpnl has sold her Amorican possessions to the United 

 States, l)nt as it is not yet known liow far tlic interests of the Russian Fur Company have been affected 

 by the chant,'c, I may be allowed to sprak of her in the present tcnee. 



