58 COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



accuracy of expression of the passage, as it stands, becomes 

 clearly apparent on following its description with the aid 

 of a Map. 



THE PROPOSED CHARTER WOULD HAVE PUT THE COASTS 

 SOUTH OF BEHRING^ SEA ON THE SAME FOOTING AS 

 THOSE OF BEHRING SEA ITSELF. 



The passage shows that, so far from asserting exclusive 

 rights " to the region about Behring >S'efl," the writer actually 

 proposed to abolish the exclusive privilege of the Company 

 upon the eastern shores of that sea, and treated those 

 coasts and the coasts of the Pacific to the eastward and 

 southward of the Alaskan Peninsula, including Sitka, as 

 subject in precisely the same manner and to the same 



British Case, extcut to the jurisdictlou of Eussia. 



pp. 79-83. The correspondence in respect to the " Lor lot" further 



shows that in the year 1837 the United States maintained, 



in accordance with the present contention of Her Majesty' s 



Government, that the 1st Article of the Treaty of 18U4 



Ibid., p. 80. was in itself sufficient to entitle the subjects of the [Jnited 

 States " to fish in these seas, and to resort to the coast for 

 the prosecution of their lawful commerce upon points not 



Ibid., p. 61. already occupied." It was moreover claimed on the part 

 of the United States that such rights applied to " any part 

 of the unoccupied coast of North America"; and though 

 the North-west coast is several times mentioned, it is not 

 in any way defined or restricted to any special meaning, 

 but obviously includes the whole coast of the conti- 

 05 nent to the north of latitude 54° 40'. It is a matter 

 of history, that in the years immediately succeeding 

 the "Loriot" incident, and subsequently, the vessels of 

 various nations, but more particularly those of the United 

 States, began to resort to and frequent the shores of the 

 Aleutian Islands and the continental shores of Behring Sea, 

 so soon as the exigencies of the whale fishery rendered it 



TTnited States couveuient for them so to do. 

 Case, pp. 60-6/. rpj^^ remainder of the evidence upon whicli the Case for 

 the United States depends, in respect of the period now 

 under discussion, consists of extracts from the correspond- 

 ence of the Russian -American Company. 



EXCEPT IN INTERPOLATIONS, LETTERS OF RUSSIAN- 

 AMERICAN COMPANY DO NOT EXPRESS EVEN THE 

 INTENTION TO EXERCISE MARITIME CONTROL. 



For example, at p. 61, the following passage from a letter, 

 dated the 18th August, ]824, written by Count Nesselrode 

 to the Minister of Finance, is quoted: 



United States ' ^ 



Case, p. 61. .... it is His Majesty's firm determination to protect the Com- 

 ti'n.slation '^see P^i^j's interests [iN THE CATCH AND preservation OF ALL MARIXE 

 Appendix, Vol. i, ANIMALS, AND TO SECURE TO IT ALL THE ADVANTAGES TO WHU 11 IT 

 I*' ' IS ENTITLKI) rXDKR THE UHAKT KR AND PHI VILKt JF.S] . 



It is now admitted that the words within brackets are 

 interpolated. 



No comment is required upon the extract above quoted, 

 as the interpolated pasvsage has been withdrawn j but when 



