La limite Occidentale des territoires cédés passe par un point au détroit de Behring sous la parallèle du soixante-cinquième degré trente minutes de latitude Nord à son intersection par le méridien qui sépare à distance égale les îles Krusenstern ou Ignalook et l'île Ratmanow ou Noonarbook et remonte en ligue directe, sans limitation, vers le Nord jusqu'à ce qu'elle se perde dans la mer Glaciale. Commençant au même point de départ, cette limite Occidentale suit de là un cours presque Sud-Ouest, à travers le détroit de Behring et la mer de Behring, de manière à passer à distance égale entre le point NordOuest de l'île Saint Laurent et le point Sudest du cap Choukotski jusqu'au méridien cent soixante-douzième de longitude Quest; de ce point à partir de l'intersection de ce méridien, cette limite suit une direction Sud-Ouest de manière à passer à distance égale entre l'île d'Attou et l'ile Copper du groupe d'ilots Komandorski dans l'Océan Pacifique Septentrional jusqu'au méridien de cent quatre-vingt-treize degrés de longitude Ouest, de manière à enclaver dans le territoire cédé, toutes les îles Aléoutes situées à l'est de ce méridien. ARTICLE II. Dans le territoire cédé par l'article précédent à la Souveraineté des Etats Unis, sont compris le droit de propriété sur tous les terrains et places publics, terres inoccupées, toutes les constructions publiques, fortifications, casernes et autres édifices qui ne sont pas propriété privée individuelle. Il est toutefois entendu et convenu que les églises construites par le Gouvernement Russe sur le territoire cédé, resteront la propriété des membres de l'Eglise Grecque Orientale résidant dans ce Territoire et appartenant à ce culte. Tous les archives, papiers, et documens du Gouvernement ayant trait au susdit territoire, et qui y sont maintenant déposés, seront placés entre les mains de l'agent des Etats-Unis; Mais les Etats-Unis fourniront, toujours quand il y aura lieu, des copies légalisées de ces documens au Gouvernement Russe, aux officiers ou sujets Russes qui pourront en faire la demande. ARTICLE III. Il est réservé aux habitans du territoire cédé le choix de garder leur nationalité et de rentrer en Russie dans l'espace de trois ans; mais s'ils préfèrent rester dans le territoire cédé, ils seront admis, à l'exception toutefois des tribus sauvages, à jouir de tous les droits, avantages et immunités des citoyens des Etats-Unis, et ils seront maintenus et protégés dans le plein exercice de leur liberté, droit de propriété et religion. Les tribus sauvages seront assujéties aux lois et réglements que les Etats-Unis pourront adopter, de tems en tems à l'égard des tribus aborigènes de ce pays. ARTICLE IV. Sa Majesté l'Empereur de toutes les Russies nommera, aussitôt que possible, un agent ou des agens chargés de remettre, formellement à l'agent ou aux agens nommés par les Etats-Unis, le territoire, la Souveraineté, les propriétés, dépendances et appartenances ainsi cédés et de dresser tout autre acte qui sera nécessaire à l'accomplissement de cette transaction. Mais la cession, avec le droit de possession immédiate, doit toutefois être considérée complète et absolue à l'échange des ratifications, sans attendre la remise formelle. ARTICLE V. Immédiatement après l'échange des ratifications de cette Convention, les fortifications et les postes militaires qui se trouveront sur le territoire cédé seront remis à l'agent des Etats-Unis et les troupes Russes qui sont stationnées dans le dit territoire seront retirées dans un terme praticable et qui puisse convenir aux deux parties. ARTICLE VI. En considération de la susdite cession, les Etats-Unis s'engagent à payer à la Trésorerie à Washington, dans le terme de dix mois, après l'échange des ratifications de cette Convention, sept millions deux cent mille dollars en or, au Représentant diplomatique ou tout autre agent de Sa Majesté l'Empereur de toutes les Russies dûment autorisé à recevoir cette somme. La cession du Territoire avec droit de Souveraineté, faite par cette Convention, est déclarée libre et dégagée de toutes réservations, privilèges, franchises ou possessions par des compagnies Russes ou toute autre; légalement constituées ou autrement, ou par des associations, sauf simplement les propriétaires possédant des biens privés individuels, et la cession ainsi faite transfère tous les droits, franchises et privilèges appartenant actuellement à la Russie dans le dit territoire et ses dépendances. ARTICLE VII. Lorsque cette Convention aura été dûment ratifiée par Sa Majesté l'Empereur de toutes les Russies d'une part, et par le Président des Etats-Unis, avec l'avis et le consentement du Sénat de l'autre, les ratifications en seront échangées à Washington dans le terme de trois mois, à compter du jour de la signature ou plus tôt si faire se peut. En foi de quoi les plénipotentiaires respectifs ont signé cette Convention et y ont apposé le sceau de leur armes. Fait à Washington le 18-30 jour de Mars de l'an de Notre Seigneur mil-huit cent-soixante-sept. L. S. [L. S.] EDOUARD DE STOECKL. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMPANY.' PART I.-ILLUSTRATING RUSSIA'S EXERCISE OF JURISDICTION OVER BERING SEA. No. 1. Abstract of letter from the Minister of Finance to the Minister of Marine. Written from St. Petersburg April 9, 1820. The committee of Ministers appointed by His Majesty on the 8th day of July, 1819, instructed the Minister of Internal Affairs to collect all information obtainable relating to the determination of the future rights and privileges of the Russian American Company. Subsequently, upon highest request, the Department of Manufac tures and Internal Commerce, together with the Russian American Company, submitted statements on this subject supported by the annual reports of the board of administration and by the testimony of the commanders of ships sailing in those regions, from which I learn that the foreigners, especially the citizens of the North American States, come to our Colonies in their ships and carry on both openly and secretly a trade with the native inhabitants, doing thereby great injury and wrong to our settlements in their traffic, and also endangering the general interests by furnishing the islanders with various arms and ammunitions. In view of the recent establishment at these Colonies, and of the absence of forces required to prevent such irregularities, and of the small number of Russians scattered over an area of nearly 4,000 versts, the Company finds it impossible to occupy all localities in sufficient numbers to prevent the foreigners from maintaining their illegitimate intercourse with the native inhabitants, and from exercising their pernicious influence upon them. In this connection I have taken into consideration that the interests of the Company, its establishments and objects are inseparable from the interests of the Government, and it appears of the most imperative necessity for the preservation of our sovereignty in the northwestern part of America and on the islands and waters situated between them to maintain there continuously two ships of the Imperial fleet. This object will, in my opinion, be most readily accomplished in the following manner. Starting in the month of August or September of the present year, one of these armed ships can sail for the island of Sitka, and the other for the harbor of Petropavlovsk, arriving there in the month of April or May, 1821. The first having discharged at Sitka any cargo which may be intrusted to the commander, should sail to the northward along 1 Fac-similes of the original documents will be found at the end of this volume. the American coast to Kadiak; should the commander receive at any of these places no special information as to foreign contrabandists from the manager of the Russian American Company's Colonies, he may pursue his course to the westward, and having thoroughly examined the shores of the Aleutian Islands, the coast of Kamchatka, the Kurile Islands, and the intervening waters, he may return for the winter to the harbor of Petropavlovsk. The other ship, however, having examined the eastern coast of the Kamchatka peninsula up to 62° of northern latitude and the west coast of America from this latitude to the island of Unalaska, and the intervening waters, should proceed to Kadiak and from there to Sitka for the winter. The object of the cruising of two of our armed vessels in the localities above mentioned is the protection of our Colonies and the exclusion of foreign vessels engaged in traffic or industry injurious to the interests of the Russian Company, as well as to those of the native inhabitants of those regions. If in the following year, 1821, two similar ships are dispatched from our Baltic ports they could in May or June of the year 1822 relieve the ships sent out in 1820, and the latter could return to their home ports by the middle of 1823. In this manner two ships of war would always be present in the Colonies, and the Company would be assured of their protection. In addition to the other advantages resulting from this arrangement it would afford a most excellent opportunity for the officers of the Imperial navy to perfect themselves by practice in the science of navigation. In submitting this proposition to your Excellency, I consider it unnecessary to enumerate in detail the advantages resulting therefrom, but you must not omit to take into consideration the expenditure involved in such an undertaking. It therefore becomes necessary to know how much the fitting out of such ships and the maintenance of their crews would cost the treasury. We should also know whether it be possible for such ships to take in addition to provisions and stores for their own use during a period of three years any other supplies which may be needed in Kamchatka and Okhotsk, and how much of their tonnage could be devoted to the latter object. This information would be useful also for other purposes. The Governor-General of Siberia, in his report on the impoverished condition of the Yakutsk country, points out as the principal reason for this condition the burdens imposed upon the people through transportation of Government and commercial cargoes overland from Yakutsk to Okhotsk. If by means of the vessels of the Imperial fleet to be dispatched to those shores the Yakutsk people are relieved from this service, they may devote their energies to cattle-breeding, already established among them them and thus better their deplorable condition. If your Excellency should find an annual dispatch of two such vessels, as suggested above, practicable, and if the two vessels, or one, as the case may be, could take in addition to their own supplies a certain quantity of arms and ammunition for Okhotsk and Petropavlovsk, Such a measure would relieve the suffering Yakutes and at the same time afford a partial reimbursement of the Government's expense. A force of soldiers and sailors should also be stationed at the two ports mentioned above in order to fill all vacancies caused by death or otherwise in the commands of the cruising vessels. In thus laying before you my thoughts on the subject I am permitted to state that they have received the highest consideration of His Impe rial Majesty, and I can assure your Excellency that the proposition meets with the highest approval, and this matter is submitted to you now to enable you to consider the arrangements necessary to be made for the purpose of taking in due time action looking toward a renewal of the privileges and rights now enjoyed by the Russian American Company under Highest protection. True copy. No. 2. Letter from the Minister of Finance to the Board of Administration of the Russian American Company. Written from St. Petersburg, April 10, 1820. [Confidential.] The report of your board, dated November 14, 1819, has, up to this time, remained unanswered, because the necessary information concerning the contracts concluded with the Englishman Pigott had not been received. Of this the board spoke in its report. The information is now at hand, having been received on the 3d ultimo. At the same time I also received detailed statements of the appointment by the Government of Court-Councilor Dobello as resident agent on the island of Manilla, and of the propositions of this officer to dispatch a vessel from there to Kamchatka with provisions in order to convince the Government how cheaply the country may be supplied from the Philippine Islands. Mr. Dobello also requested permission to dispatch from Manilla to Cronstadt two ships with tea and other Chinese goods. All these propositions were duly submitted to His Majesty the Emperor, and I have now received the following highest decision of His Imperial Majesty: 1. That the contract entered into with the Englishman Pigot can not be sustained by the Government; but since the whaling industry may be of use as a means of securing subsistence to the inhabitants of Kamchatka and Okhotsk in case of failure in the fisheries, and as a basis for establishing a new branch of trade from which the Russian American Company may derive considerable profit, His Imperial Majesty has most graciously deigned to turn his attention to this subject and has expressed the opinion that for this purpose a ship should be employed, furnished with all necessary implements and instruments and manned with the very best officers and sailors. To enable the Company to secure skilled masters for inaugurating this enterprise, Mr. Dobello has been instructed to endeavor to obtain such with the understanding that in addition to their salaries they shall be entitled to certain rewards and premiums, including one poud of oil from every whale or other marine animal killed by them. 2. The commander of the Government of Irkutsk is hereby instructed to forbid all foreigners except such as have become Russian subjects to enter the mercantile guilds or to settle in business in Kamchatka or Okhotsk; also to entirely prohibit foreign merchant vessels from trading in these localities and from anchoring in any port of Eastern Siberia, except in case of disaster. (In such cases great care should be taken |