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SETTLEMENT OF THE BOUNDARY.

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done, and on the 16th the new treaty was transmitted by the Executive, and passed on the 18th. By this instrument, the boundary is the 49° of north latitude, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, and thence through Queen Charlotte's Sound and the Straits of Fuca to the Pacific-thus giving England the whole of Vancouver's island. The Hudson's Bay Company, during the continuance of their charter, are authorized to navigate the Columbia to the 49°.

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REENLAND is a large country stretching from latitude 59° 49' north, northward to an unknown distance. It appears to be separated from the continent by Baffin's Bay. The population is estimated at six thousand, of whom only a hundred and fifty are Europeans. The northern regions are locked in

perpetual ice, and support no living creature.

This country was visited as early as 982, by Eric Rauda, a Norwegian, whose adventures are narrated in the first chapter of the present work. He established a settlement at Brattalid, near an inlet, which he denominated Eric's Sound. His companions founded Heriulfsness, Rafn, and other places names which are still extant in Greenland. Eric remained three years in his colony, and, on returning to Iceland, published a pompous and false account of the new-found region, naming it Greenland. Many adventurers were induced to settle, and in the eleventh century Christianity was introduced by two British missionaries. In 1121, the color.y had

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SETTLEMENTS IN GREENLAND.

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flourished to such an extent that a hundred and twenty hamlets were stretched along the eastern coast, and one hundred and ten on the western-covering altogether a region of about five hundred miles.

But though this colony commenced under such favourable auspices, it was destined to a mournful fate. Long before the time of Columbus, all traces of European civilization had disappeared from Greenland; and the settlement itself seems to have been almost entirely forgotten. The cause of this disaster is unknown; but for some time after it became known, the Danes attempted to reach Greenland and ascertain the fate of the sufferers. After the re-discovery and settlement of America, the subject was again agitated in Northern Europe. In 1708, a Danish clergyman, named Hans Egede, determined to visit Greenland, in order, if possible, to discover some traces of the lost colony, and especially to attempt the conversion of the natives. After ten years' labour and opposition, he was intrusted by the King of Denmark with a vessel, which he named the Hope. He sailed May 2, 1721, carrying with him two hundred and forty settlers, besides his wife and four children. They landed in Ball's river, and began immediate preparations for a permanent settlement. They soon gained the esteem of the natives, and began to instruct them in Christianity. They were liberally encouraged by the king, who sent not only provisions and other necessaries, but also artificers and soldiers to build a garrison and fort. On the death of King Frederick, government grew negligent of the distant settlement, and finally ordered its return. Egede, with ten others, remained, and two years after, the new monarch, having relaxed his opposition, sent out fresh provisions and three Moravian missionaries. These settled New Hernhutt, on Ball's river, and with Egede commenced, with renewed vigour, the instruction of the natives. Their labours were attended with success; and in 1747, they erected the first church ever built in Greenland. From this time, their own number, as well as that of their converts, steadily increased, and the colony finally assumed commercial importance. In 1837, West Greenland contained thirteen colonies, fifteen commercial establishments, and ten missionary stations. The principal of the latter are Lichenfels, Lichtenau, and New Hernhutt. Uppernavic, latitude 72° 30', is the most northern station. The principal exports are whale oil, eider down, and the skins of reindeer, seal, and bear.

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HE extensive region known as Russian America, is a country of ice, rocks, islands, barrens, and forests. It includes the Peninsula of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Its condition in 1837 is

thus described by an officer of the Hudson's Bay Company:-"The Russian Fur Company's principal establishment on the north-west coast is named New Archangel, formerly Sitka, and situated in Norfolk Sound, in north lati

tude 57°, west longitude 132° 20′. It is maintained as a regular military establishment, garrisoned by about three hundred officers and men, with good natural defences, mounting sixteen short eighteens, and twelve long nine-pounders, and is the head-quarters of the governor of the Russian army. The Russians have other establishments on the coast and islands to the north of New Archangel, and one fort, Ross, in the Bay of Brogeda in all, ten establishments on the north-west coast of America. They have moreover twelve vessels, from a hundred up to four hundred tons burden, armed with ten guns each, of different calibre. All the officers, and most of the people employed in their sea and land service, belong to the Russian army and navy, receive pay from the Russian government, and their services, while attached to the Rus

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sian Fur Company, entitle them to the advantages of promotion, pension, etc., in like manner as if employed in active service in the army and navy. They have, moreover, attached to these settlements a number of Indians of the Kodiac tribe, who are usually employed in hunting and fishing, but are under no fixed engagement, being considered as slaves. Their annual returns in furs are in value from £80,000 to £100,000."

This country was discovered and settled almost entirely by the Russians. As early as 1648, an expedition of seven vessels, under the Cossack Semoen Deshniew, sailed from Kolyma, and after four being wrecked, the remainder pushed forward as far as Behring's Strait, and through to the mouth of the Anadir. In 1710, three men, who had been sent by the Russians to exhort the Tchuktzki Indians to submission, received information of the Great Country, (America,) and also of the Aleutian islanders, who, among other peculiarities, built their houses under ground, extending them on all sides, so that numerous families could live in one. These subterraneous mansions were lighted by lamps, and divided into as many apartments as they contained families-all disgustingly filthy and desolate.

The ardent ambition of Peter the Great induced him to second all these efforts. Only a few days before his death, he authorized the

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