XLVIII FUR SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



Russia. — Convention hetween Great Britain and Russia. Signed at St, 

 Petersburg, February 28-lG, 1825. 



[Translation.] 



In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity. 



His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Eassias, being desirous 

 of drawing still closer the ties of good understanding and friendshii) 

 which unite them, by means of an agreement which may settle, upon 

 the basis of reciprocal convenience, different points connected with the 

 commerce, navigation, and fisheries of their subjects on tlie Pacific 

 ocean, as well as the limits of their respective possessions on the norih- 

 west coast of America, have named plenipotentiaries to conclude a con- 

 vention for this purpose, that is to say : — His Majesty tbe King of the 

 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Bight Hon. Strat- 

 ford Canning, a member of His said Majesty's most honorable privy 

 Council, &c. and His Majesty the Emi)eror of all the Russias, the ISieur 

 Charles Robert Count de Nesselrode, His Imi)erial Majesty's privy coun- 

 cillor, a member of the council of the Empire, secretary of state for the 

 department of foreign affairs, &c. and Sieur Pierre de Poletica, His Im- 

 X)erial Majesty's councillor of state, &c. Who, after having communi- 

 cated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due 

 form, have agreed upon and signed the following articles : 



Art. I. It is agreed that the respective subjects of the High Con- 

 tracting Parties shall not be troubled or molested, in any part of the 

 ocean, commonly called tbe Pacific ocean, either in navigating the same, 

 in fishing therein, or in landing at such parts of the coast as shall not 

 have been already occupied, in order to trade with the natives, under 

 the restrictions and conditions specified in the following Articles. 



Art. II. In order to prevent the right of navigating and fishing, ex- 

 ercised upon the ocean bj^the subjects of the High Contracting Parties, 

 from becoming the i^retext for an illicit commerce, it is agreed that the 

 subjects of His Britanic Majesty shall not land at any place where there 

 may be a Russian establishment, without the permission of the Gov- 

 ernor or Commandant; and, on the other hand, that Russian subjects 

 shall not land, without permission, at any British establishment, on the 

 north-west coast. 



Art. III. The line of demarcation between the possessions of the 

 High Contracting Parties, upon the coast of the Continent, and the 

 islands of America to the north-west shall be drawn in the manner fol- 

 lowing : 



Commencing from the southernmost point of the island called Prince 

 of Wales island, which point lies in the parallel of 54 degrees 40 min- 

 utes, north latitude, and between the 131st and the 133d degree of west 

 longitude (Meridian of Greenwich), the said line shall ascend to the 

 north along the channel called Portland Channel, as far as the point of 

 the continent where it strikes the 56th degree of north latitude ; from 

 this last mentioned point, the line of demarcation shall follow the sum- 

 mit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast as far as the point 

 of intersection of the 141st degre of west longitude (of the same niL. Id- 

 ian); and, finally, from the said point of intersection, the said meridian 

 line of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as far as the Frozen ocean, 

 shall form the limit between the Russian and British possessions on the 

 continent of America to tUe north west. 



