s have embarked from Ochotsk, and rounding
Kamtschatka, have discovered the Aleutian Islands, and attained to the
north-west coast of America. Year after year, in more numerous parties,
they repeated these expeditions, tempted by the beautiful furs which
were procured in the newly-discovered countries. Many of their vessels
were lost,--many of those who ventured in them were attacked and
murdered by savages; yet still new adventurers were found yearly
encountering all these risks, for the sake of the profitable traffic in
these furs, especially that of the sea-otter. By degrees they formed
themselves into commercial societies, which obtained a firmer footing on
the Aleutian Islands, and even on the northern parts of the western
coast of America, carried on a regular trade to Siberia, but lived in a
state of continual violence and dissensions.

Superior to the natives by the possession of fire-arms, they became
overbearing, treated the timid Aleutians in the most cruel manner, and
would perhaps have quite exterminated them, had not the Emperor Paul
interposed. By his order, in 1797, a Russian-American mercantile company
was established, which was to supersede the trading societies hitherto
existing, and possess the exclusive privilege of carrying on trade and
founding settlements in these regions. The directors, in whose hands was
vested the administration of the affairs and appointment of the governor
of these settlements, were to reside in Petersburg, under the control of
the government, to which they were responsible.

At first the sea-otters were plentiful, even on the coast of
Kamtschatka; but the unlimited pursuit of them diminished their numbers
so rapidly, that the Company was obliged to extend their search for them
over the Aleutian Islands, and even to the island of Kodiack, lying on
the American coast, where they had fixed their chief settlement.

From thence the chase was continued to the bay of Tschugatsk and Cook's
river. The poor otters were severe sufferers, for the beauty of the skin
nature had bestowed on them. They were pursued in every possible
direction, and such numbers annually killed, that at length they became
scarce, even in these quarters, having already almost wholly disappeared
from Kamtschatka and the Aleutian Islands.

The Company therefore resolved to extend their settlements farther
south; and thus, in the year 1804, arose the colony on the island of
Sitka, whose natives call themselve