450 THE ALASKAN BOUND AR Y 



tions of the war. This fact is shown by the Alaska archives and 

 by the testimony of Sir George Simpson before the Parliament- 

 ary committee.* 



About the time of the cession of Alaska to the United States 

 gold was discovered in the Cassiar region of British Columbia, 

 reached through the Stikine river, and the passage of miners 

 made it desirable to have the eastern boundary of the strip where 

 it crosses that river more accurately marked, and this led to a 

 movement, in 1873- '4, on the part of the British and United 

 States governments, for a joint survey of the boundary. In a 

 conference at Washington, February 15, 1873, between Secretary 

 Fish and the British minister, Sir Edward Thornton, it was 

 stated by Mr Fish that a survey of the entire boundary, as esti- 

 mated by the engineers, would cost, for the United States alone 

 about $1,500,000, and it was suggested that it would be found 

 sufficient to fix the boundary at certain determined points, and 

 there were named the head of Portland canal, " the point where 

 the boundary line crosses the Rivers Skoot, Stakine, Taku, Isel- 

 cat. and Chiikaht, Mount St. Elias," etc. The legislative assembly 

 of British Columbia, in petitioning the Canadian government 

 for a survey, refers to it as " the boundary of the 30-mile belt of 

 American territory." Sir Edward Thornton communicated to 

 the Foreign Office the resuLt of his conference with Secretary Fish, 

 and it was then submitted through the Colonial Office to the 

 Canadian government, by whom it was referred to the surveyor 

 general, Dennis, who reported favorably upon the plan. He 

 restated the points to be determined and enumerates the rivers 

 " Skoot, Stakine, Taku, Iselcat, and Chiikaht," and says that in 

 his opinion "it is unnecessary at present (and it may be for 

 all time) to incur the expense'' of any other survey than that 

 named. It was thereupon determined that such a joint survey 

 should be made, the total cost of which the British boundary 

 commissioner, Major Cameron, estimated might reach $2,230,000. 

 The plan was not at that time carried into execution because of 



♦Report, etc,, p. 140: 



"1738. During the late war which existed between Russia and England, I believe 

 that some arrangement was made between you and the Russians by which you agreed 

 not to molest one another ? Yes ; such an arrangement was made. 



" 1739. By the two companies? Yes ; and government confirmed the arrangement. 



" 1740. You agreed that on neither side should there be any molestation or interfer- 

 ence with the trade of the different parties? Yes. 



" 1741. And I believe that that was strictly observed during the whole war? Yes. 



" 1742. Mr. Bell, which government confirmed the arrangement, the^ Russian or the 

 English, or both? Both governments." 



