XL VI FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OP ALASIiA. 



poiuted as their Plenipotentiaries, the President of the United States, 

 William H. Seward, Secretary of State; and His Majesty the Em|ieror 

 of all the liussias, the Privy Counsellor Edward de Stoeckl, his Envoy 

 Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States; 



And the said Plenipotentiaries, having exchanged their full powers, 

 which were found to be in due form, have agreed upon and signed the 

 following articles : 



Art. I. His Majesty the Emperor of all the Eussias agrees to cede to 

 the United States, by this convention, immediately upon the exchange 

 of the ratifications thereof, all the territory and dominion now possessed 

 by his said Majesty on the continent of America and in the adjacent 

 islands, the same being contained within the geographical limits herein 

 set forth, to wit : The eastern limit is the line of demarcation between 

 the Eassian and the British possessions in ISTorth America, as estab- 

 lished by the convention between EussiaandGrreat Britain, of February 

 28-lG, 1825, and described in Articles III and IV of said convention, in 

 the following terms : 



Commencing from the southernmost point of the island called Prince of Wales Isl- 

 and, which point lies in the parallel of 54° 40' north latitude, and between the one 

 hundred and thirty-first and one hundred aud thirty-third degree of west longitude, 

 (meridian of Greenwich,) the said line shall ascend to the north aloug the channel 

 called Portland Channel, as far as the point of the continent where it strikes the 

 fifty-sixth degree of north latitude ; from this last-raeutioned point, the line of demar- 

 cation sball follow the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast, as far 

 as the point of intersection of the one hundred aud forty-first degree of west longi- 

 tude, (of the same meridian ;) and finally, from the said i)oiut of intersection, the 

 said meridian line of the one hundred and forty-first degree, in its prolongation as far 

 as the Frozen Ocean. 



IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the preceding article, 

 it is understood — 



1st. That the island called Prince of Wales Island shall heloug wholly to Russia, 

 (now, by this cession to the United States.) 



2d. That whenever the summit of the mountains which extend in a direction par- 

 allel to the coast from the 56th degree of north latitude to the point of intersection of 

 the 141st degree of west longitude shall prove to bo the distance of more than ten 

 marine leagues from the ocean, the limit between the British possessions and the line 

 of coast which is to belong to Russia as above mentioned, (that is to say, the limit to 

 tlie possessions ceded by this convention,) shall be formed by a line parallel to the 

 winding of the coast, aud which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine 

 leagues therefrom. 



The western limit within which the territories and dominion con- 

 veyed are contained passes through a point in Behring's Straits on the 

 parallel of sixty-five degrees thirty minutes north latitude, at its inter- 

 section by the meridian which i^asses midway between the islands of 

 Krusenstern or Ignalook, and the island of Eatmauoff, or Noonarboot, 

 and proceeds due north without limitation, into the same Frozen Ocean. 

 The same western limit, beginning at the same initial point, proceeds 

 thence in a course nearly southwest, through Behring's Straits and 

 Behring's Sea, so as to pass midway between the northwest point of 

 the island of St. Lawrence and the southeast point of Capo Choukot- 

 ski, to the meridian of one hundred and seventy-two west longitude: 

 thence, from the intersection of that meridian, in a southwesterly^ di- 

 rection, so as to pass midway between the island of Atcou and the 

 Copper Island of the Kormandorski couplet or group, in the jS'orth 

 Pacific Ocean, to the meridian of one hundred aud ninety-three degrees 

 west longitude, so as to include in the territory conveyed the whole of 

 the Aleutian Islands east of that meridian. 



Art. II. In the cession of territory and dominion made by the preced- 

 ing article are included the right of property in all public lots and squares, 

 vacant lands, and all public buildings, fortifications, barracks, and other 

 edifices which are not i^rivate individual property. It is, however, un- 



