nimals now become, even here, that the numbers caught only
suffice to cover the expenses of maintaining a force sufficient for
protection against the savages. For this reason, the Company have
contemplated the necessity of entirely abandoning the settlement at New
Archangel, and making Kodiack once more their capital. It were,
however, a pity this plan should be adopted, as it would afford
facilities to other nations, by settling in these regions, to disturb
the trade of the Company. But the Company may possibly be compelled to
give up New Archangel, by their resources not permitting them to retain
it, unless they should receive some assistance from Government.

The climate of Sitka is not so severe as might have been expected from
its latitude. In the middle of winter the cold is not excessive, and
never lasts long. Agriculture notwithstanding does not appear to be
successful here. There is not perhaps a spot in the world where so much
rain falls; a dry day is a perfect rarity, and this would itself account
for the failure of corn; the nature of the ground is however equally
inimical to it.

There are no plains of any extent; the small valleys being every where
surrounded by high steep rocks of granite, and consequently overshadowed
the greater part of the day. Some vegetables, such as cabbages, turnips,
and potatoes, prosper very well: the latter are raised even by the
Kalushes, who have learned from the Russians the manner of cultivating
them, and consider them as a great delicacy. Upon the continent of
America, the climate, under the same latitude, is said to be
incomparably better than on this island, although the cold is rather
more severe. Great plains are there to be met with, where wheat could
probably be successfully cultivated.

The forests of Sitka, consisting principally of fir and beech, are lofty
and thick. Some of their trees are a hundred and sixty feet in height,
and from six to seven feet in diameter. From these noble trunks the
Kalushes form their large canoes, which sometimes carry from twenty-five
to thirty men. They are laboriously and skilfully constructed; but the
credit their builders may claim for this one branch of industry is
nearly all that belongs to a barbarous and worthless race of men.

Wild and unfruitful as this country appears, the soil is rich, so that
its indigenous plants, of which there are no great variety, attain a
very large growth. Several kinds of berries, particularly ra