242
ALASKA
confided to a semi-official corporation called the RussianAmerican Company for a term of twenty years, afterward twice renewed for a similar period. Alexander Baranoff, one of the early administrators, became famous through the successes he achieved as governor. He founded Sitka, the present capital, in 1804, after the massacre by the natives of an earlier settlement at an adjacent point. In 1821 Russia attempted by ukase to exclude navigators from Bering Sea and the Pacific Coast of her possessions, which led to immediate protests from the United States and Great Britain. This led to a treaty with the United States in 1824 and one with Great Britain in 1825, by which the excessive demands of Russia were relinquished and the boundaries of the Russian possessions were fixed as at present. The last charter of the Russian-American Company expired 31st December 1861, and Prince Maksutoff, an imperial governor, was appointed to administer the affairs of the territory. In 1864 authority was granted to an American company to make explorations for a proposed Russo-American telegraph line overland from the Amur river in Siberia to Bering Strait, and through Alaska to British Columbia. Work was begun on this scheme in 1865 and continued for nearly three years, when the success of the Atlantic cable rendered the building of the line unnecessary and it was given up, but not ixntil important explorations, especially of the Yukon region, had been made by Kennicott, Ketchum, Kennan, arid Dali. In 1867 negotiations with the Russian Government resulted in the purchase of Russian America by the United States for the sum of $7,200,000, and on 18th October 1867 the formal transfer of the territory was made in Sitka. In 1870 the fur seal industry of the Pribiloff Islands was leased for twenty years to the Alaska Commercial Company under certain restrictions, producing for that period an average revenue to the Government of $317,000. After the expiration of the lease in 1890 a renewal of the monopoly was secured by the North American Commercial Company at an increased rental. Pelagic sealing, which began to be of importance about 1882, made great inroads on the herds during their migrations ; and it was contended that, owing to the killing of female seals in the waters of Bering Sea during the breeding season, the total destruction of this commercially valuable industry was imminent. After protracted negotiations between the United States and Great Britain the subject was referred to arbitrators, who met at Paris in 1893 and decided that the seals were ferce naturce, but, in view of the interests involved, formulated regulations in the belief that they would mitigate the evils complained of. In 1895 the discovery of rich deposits of gold on the Klondike tributary of the Yukon induced a vast immigration of prospectors, not only into British territory but into every part of Alaska, with the usual concomitants of hardship to those involved. Over 50,000 people are believed to have been engaged in this search for the precious metal, and a vigorous exploration of the territory by the United States Government was one of the results. Numerous placers were discovered in the gold belt, which extends in a general line from old Fort Selkirk on the Yukon to Bering Strait, with an average width of about 100 miles. The gold-bearing gravels are chiefiy on the smaller tributaries of the Yukon, where numerous mining camps have sprung up with a fluctuating population. In 1898 gold was discovered on the north shore of Norton Sound at Cape Nome, and a year later the settlement of Anvil City in this district was reported to contain a population of 5000, and to have produced during 1899 nearly two millions of dollars. Alaska may be divided climatologically and topographi-
cally into several districts. The Sitka district takes its shore water mainly from the Japanese current or Kuro Siwo, which performs for the Pacific such Distnctsa function as does the Gulf Stream for the Atlantic; but owing to the much greater breadth of the Pacific, the heat and energy' of the Kuro Siwo are greatly depleted before it reaches America. It crosses the ocean far south of the Aleutian Islands in about lat. 45° N. and impinges on the American coast near Queen Charlotte Islands. Thence one portion turns southward and the other northward and westward along the coast, becoming finally dissipated among £he Fox Islands. To the warmth and moisture brought by this means the Sitkan district owes its fog and rain (80 to 103 inches per annum), its high mean temperature (43°‘28), and its dense vegetation, chiefly of spruce, hemlock, and cedar. The narrow, deep channels, precipitous wooded slopes, multitudinous islands, and mainland glaciers make this district remarkably picturesque and characteristic, attracting thousands of tourists. It is inhabited by Indians of the Haida and Tlinkit stocks, who live chiefly by fishing and hunting. The principal settlements are Sitka on Baranoff Island, the capital of Alaska, where the chief officials are stationed; Douglas, on Douglas Island, a town grown up about the mines of the Treadwell lode, an enormous mass of low grade ore, reduced by mills of 800 stamps and producing nearly $1,000,000 per annum ; Juneau, on the mainland opposite, another mining town fed by the precious metals of the I Silver Bow basin adjacent; and Skagway, at the head of Lynn Canal, the port of entry for the Yukon, which is reached by the Yukon and White Pass Railway from Skagway to Lake Bennett, in Canadian territory. A missionary colony on Annette Island, under the direction of the Rev. Mr Duncan, contains about 900 Indians of the Tsimpsyan stock from British Columbia, and is famous for its thrift and successful influence upon these people. Agriculture is difficult in this district, but potatoes and many garden vegetables are successfully grown. The Kadiak district includes Cook’s Inlet, the peninsula of ! Alaska, and the Kadiak islands. It is less densely wooded, with more sunshine, less rain, and greater seasonal extremes of temperature. There is more arable land and the possibilities of agriculture are greater, but the mining resources apparently less. The district exists by its salmon fisheries, the waning fur trade, a few placer and quartz mines, and a little agriculture. There are large deposits of tolerably good Eocene lignite. The principal settlements are Sunrise City, a placer mining camp at the head of Turnagain arm of Cook’s Inlet; St Paul, on Kadiak Island; and Unga, on the island of the same name, largely supported by the Apollo Mine, the second best quartz mine in Alaska, producing over $200,000 in gold annually. The Aleutian district derives its name from traditions of islands beyond the Oliutorsk Cape of Kamchatka, which related to the Diomedes. When the Russians explored Bering Sea and found the Catherina Archipelago they transferred to it and its people the name of the long-sought Oliutorski Islands. The islands are destitute of trees but covered by a luxuriant growth of herbage, and have a foggy, somewhat boisterous, but less rainy climate than that of Sitka, with about the same mean temperature, very free from extremes. They are inhabited by the Unungun (long known as Aleuts), a rapidly-decreasing race, half civilized, with many virtues and the usual aboriginal weaknesses. Their chief resource, the sea otter, is nearly exterminated, the fur seal industry in a state of decline, and the people live chiefly by fishing. There are no native land animals larger than the blue fox ; but sea fowl are remarkably abundant, cod and other sea fish plentiful, and salmon obtainable in moderate quantity.
