10 
moderate size, resembling the silver salmon in Puget Sound. 
In the Frazer, Sticknine and other rivers on the main-land, very 
large salmon are found in shoals. “Fish and other game, 
salmon and other good fish abound at the mouth of the Stickine. 
When the salmon ascend the river in June and July, the Indians 
follow and catch them in great numbers. They split them along 
the back removing the back-bone, cut them in long strips, and 
dry and smoke them; when well cured they are very fine and 
convenient in camp.” — Davidson. 
Acquisition Of Alaska. From what has been demonstrated 
in the foregoing pages touching the supply of cod and mackerel 
along the north-west coast, the impoverished fishing grounds 
and the sterility of our commercial nursery appeared rather 
dreary. The author having devoted several years to the fishing 
industry in British America and New England, and appreciating 
the lively impulse that that industrial school imparted to the 
colonial commerce, directed our earnest attention to this prolific 
business on the north-west coast. In the season of 1859, (as 
before stated), we made a voyage to the southern coast in search 
of mackerel which we found in shoals in the warm waters of 
Santa Barbara channel, but of such poor quality as not to justify 
any extensive preparation or profit. 
In the winter of 1859-60, the governor of Russian America 
visited San Francisco and tarried there for weeks. The writer 
obtained an audience with him through the friendship of the 
Russian Consul, and earnestly solicited of him the privilege of 
prosecuting the salt fisheries for a term of years on the peninsula 
of Alaska. The consul was a partner in our enterprize, and he 
urged our claims most earnestly; for days and weeks we lavished 
every conceivable blandishment on the imperial nabob to secure 
the desired franchise* He very cooly refused to comply with 
our requests, and with an emphatic “ No! ” politely withdrew 
his august presence, and thus our first attempt on Alaska “ died 
of a rose in aromatic pain,” and the enterprize was abandoned 
With sore regrets. In our perplexity we addressed Secretary 
Cass at Washington, imploring governmental assistance to the 
end that we might Obtain a foothold near the fishing grounds 
margining Russian America. The venerable secretary replied 
that the troubles then in prospect in the South precluded any 
effort on the part of the Federal government in our behalf, and 
that our franchise in those regions must “ wait for a more 
