0 
subsist as they may deem proper. This class forms the bone 
and sinew in Siberia; they have consummated nearly all the 
development in that country, and have obtained valuable fran¬ 
chises through friends at St. Petersburg to work the rich mines ; 
large fortunes have thus been acquired. This vast coast, rich in 
minerals and other resources, far from the Russian capital, 
beyond the power of the imperial government, and within the 
influence of our country, with a population nurtured in liberal 
ideas and cultivating higher aspirations for freedom, this ro¬ 
mantic domain, with its liberty-loving exiles, long buried in 
despotic darkness, are now casting longing looks and affectionate 
glances across the sea towards our great Republic. A vast trade 
from San Francisco has been inaugurated there; about a hun¬ 
dred American vessels fish in those waters and trade in the 
harbors ; our canvas whitens the seas, sounds, bays and coves, 
and the stars and stripes may be seen in every creek and cove, 
reviving the hopes and stimulating broader and higher emulation 
among the “ exiles of Siberia.” 
Temperature. The temperature of the waters bathing the 
shores of Siberia is much warmer than on the coast of Alaska 
on corresponding parallels. The currents are regular, and their 
directions and strength are reliably ascertained; the needle 
moves with gradual motion; the variation is extremely high, 
being 30 ° in some localities ; barometer, thermometer and chro¬ 
nometer perform their respective functions regularly, and enjoy 
the confidence of navigators. The winds in those seas prevail 
in the summer and autumn very regular from the southwest; 
during the winter months southeast winds with rain are ex¬ 
perienced; cold snaps are invariably accompanied with north 
and westerly winds. The north-easterly gales are disagreeable, 
being in most cases tempered with snow and sleet. Hurricanes 
are seldom met; the winds when free from mountain influence 
are steady, tempests are seldom experienced, and little damage 
to vessels is recorded from this element; the waves are of mod¬ 
erate elevation, and run with regularity. Mountain swells are 
unknown, and the wear of vessels is much less than in the west- ' 
era ocean. The loss of vessels employed in the whaling and 
salt fishing around the northwest coast for the past five years, 
are few; two of the cod fleet are missing, while half a dozen of 
the whaling vessels have been crushed by the action of the ice, 
the heroic masters of those ships choosing to remain late in 
