Collector Berry then wrote the following letter:

CUSTOM-HOUSE, SITKA, ALASKA, Collector's Office, September 19, 1876. SIR: In accordance with instructions received at this office from the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, under date of July 14, 1876, it becomes my duty to notify you to remove all of the foreign goods, wares, and merchandise in your possession and kept for sale or trade by you within the jurisdiction of the United States, beyond the limits of Alaska Territory, or pay the legal duties on the same.

I am further instructed by department letter of date above referred to, that, should you decline to remove such foreign goods, wares, and merchandise in your possession on receipt of this notice of removal, that I fix a time for such a removal to be consummated, and that after the expiration of the time so fixed and specified that I proceed to search for and make seizure of any and all such goods, wares, and merchandise found in your possession and remaining within the limits of the Territory of Alaska upon which the duties due the United States have not been paid.

In consideration of the difficulties to be expected from the early closing of the navigation of the river Stickeen, I shall fix the time for your removal to be completed or made at two weeks after the opening of the river for canoe or steamer navigation in the spring of the year A. D. 1877, provided that you decline to and have not paid the duties above referred to. M. P. BERRY,

Mr. A. CHOQUETTE,

Collector of Customs, District of Alaska.

Merchant, Stickeen River, Alaska Territory.

Subsequently a second letter was written Choquette from Wrangel, a copy of which is not available, but I learn it was to the effect of suspending the order of removal above given by Major Berry. There were some reasons for this which do not appear of record, and I believe the American customs authorities thought it better to permit Choquette to remain at his post without molestation until this question of the boundary line was determined by higher power. And here I think they were quite right, and displayed commendable prudence, for nothing is to be gained by unnecessary irritation when either party may be right or wrong in the premises assumed. The trader, Choquette, still retains his trading post at the disputed point.

Major Berry subsequently wrote the following pointed letter to the department:

CUSTOM-HOUSE, SITKA, ALASKA,
Collector's Office, May 21, 1878.

SIR: For the information of the department I have the honor to lay before you the following, viz:

One Mr. Hunter, civil engineer, has by the authority of the Canadian Government made survey of the Stickine River with the following result, viz: Commencing at what he settled upon as the true mouth of the river, he has meandered the same up to the old Hudson's Bay post, distance he did not inform me. From which point he took observations and located monument showing the eastern end of the ten marine leagues to be some 74 miles down the river below the said abandoned house, and about 25 miles above Choquette's store, situate on the bank of the river.

Returning, the engineer then selected what he designates as the summit of the Coast range, the same being 233 miles from the mouth of the river, by its meanders, and only 16 miles on air line from the same point, and some 12 miles below the store of Choquette.

The twenty-third-mile monument is erected just below the site surveyed for a town last year by the provincial gold-commissioner and other officers of British Columbia. In connection herewith you will permit me to say that every representation will be made to our government of the worthlessness of the strip of country lying between the sixteen-mile monument and that one at the end of the ten leagues. To persons passing along the river it does not look at all desirable; nevertheless, if it is considered of no value by our neighbors, why have they not only surveyed a town, but their citizens have applied to the land board of British Columbia for entry of many quartersections of land (their squatter system being somewhat different from that of ours, giving them privilege of entry before settlement), proves that the country is held in more estimation than their citizens and newspapers represent. Therefore, from my standpoint, having some knowledge of the present and future value of the country to

the government, would ask that nothing less than the ten leagues be considered as the boundary line.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. JOHN SHERMAN,

Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C.

M. P. BERRY,

Collector.

Mr. Hunter is connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway survey. He is a gentleman of repute, and is represented to be well versed in his profession. This survey was made early in the spring of 1877, Mr. Hunter having ascended the Stikine on the ice, the river not being open to navigation that year until May 27. I met him subsequently in Victoria, and conversed with him in reference to the nature and result of his survey. He was unable in advance of making his report to his government to place me in possession of any facts I could put to public use.

Hon. Amor De Cosmos, member of the House of Commons of Canada from Victoria district, at the last session of Parliament called for the Hunter report, but it has not been published, and Mr. De Cosmos, in a letter to myself, dated at Victoria, October 1, says: "Mr. Hunter's report has not yet come to hand-possibly will not until after Parliament shall have met. As soon as I receive a copy I will forward it."

This is no new question. Brig. Gen. O. O. Howard, U. S. A., in his report of a tour of inspection of Alaska, made to the headquarters of the Military Division of the Pacific June 30, 1875, used the following language:

EXPEDITION UP THE STICKEEN-CUSTOM-HOUSE; ITS LOCATION-BOUNDARY-LINE IN DOUBT-GLACIERS, ETC.

The next day, by the courtesy of Captain Irving, the owner of the small river steamer Glenora, having arranged to pay merely the extra expense of fuel, I took our party up the Stickeen River as far as the boundary between our territory and British Columbia. No building is yet erected for the custom-house. The place for the English custom-house officers' tents is supposed to be selected within the British line. Some of our shrewd frontiersmen say that it is not ten marine leagues from the sea, as it should be, there being really doubt as to the summit of the Coast range of mountains. I took a copy of the statement of the boundary line as published in an English journal. It seems now to an observer of little consequence among these rough mountains where the exact line of division really is; but remembering the trouble the settlement of the channel question gave us at Vancouver Island, I deem it of sufficient importance to recommend that the attention of the proper department be called to the existing doubt, not plainly settled by the treaty, that the line may be definitely fixed.

I submit a tracing of a map (illustration 4) of the line as we understand it, copied by permission of General Howard from the official files at the headquarters of the Department of the Columbia.

Our provincial friends in British Columbia are deeply interested in the prompt settlement of this vexed matter, and their representatives in Parliament have more than once debated the question. Inserted now will be found the report, as copied from the Hansard, of a debate in the House of Commons at Ottawa in 1875, which is peculiarly interesting, showing the lively interest taken by those cognizant of the principal facts:

Mr. ROSCOE moved an address to his excellency the governor-general, praying him to call the attention of Her Majesty's Government to the necessity of having the boundary line between British Columbia and Alaska as soon as possible defined and surveyed.

Mr. ROSCOE said if he was to move the resolution, of which he had given notice, merely with the remark that the commercial and other interests of British Columbia required the boundary line between that province and Alaska to be defined and settled as soon as possible, he did not suppose there would be any opposition to the motion; but he thought he might fairly assume that the house would wish, if not expect, to

be informed, firstly, as to the nature of any questions which may arise or have arisen concerning that boundary line, and, secondly, as to what had occurred which, in his opinion, rendered an immediate settlement of that question necessary. If the map of North America be referred to, it will be seen that the territory of Alaska consists chiefly of that part of the continent lying to the west of the 141st degree of west longitude, and also of a narrow strip of the coast extending from the 60th to the 56th degree of north latitude. As the 60th degree is the boundary line between British Columbia and the Northwest Territory, the only part of the boundary line of Alaska to which his motion had reference is the boundary line of this narrow strip. This was settled by the treaty between Great Britain and Russia of 1825. Previous to that date there had been endless disputes between the various fur companies, which represented the interests of their respective countries in this part of the world, and when a settlement was made in 1825, it was found that, while the Russian-American Fur Company had made various settlements along the coast, the British companies had acquired the whole interior of the country. A settlement of the boundary line was therefore made on the understanding that Russia should keep a narrow strip of the coast, the boundary of which was defined to be the range of mountains running parallel to the coast, but it is further stipulated that wherever this range of mountains is at a greater distance than ten leagues from the coast, then the boundary line shall run at this distance. In 1867 this territory was sold by Russia to the United States, but of course in any question concerning the boundary line, we have to go back to the original treaty of 1825. It is doubtful, however, whether this question would have arisen but for the discovery of gold in this part of the Dominion. As long ago as 1862 gold was found in the Stikeen River, and since that time there have been prospecting parties in search of diggings in this region, and two years ago these were discovered at a place called Deas Lake, situated about 80 miles east of the head of navigation on Stikeen River.

Last year upwards of 2,000 miners were engaged in these diggings, which were found to be both rich and extensive, and in future we may look forward to a large immigration to this region. The only practicable way of getting to these new diggings was by ascending the Stikeen River, of which we have free navigation, and in regard to this I would remark on what appears to me a somewhat remarkable fact. By the treaty of 1825 we had given to us forever the free navigation of all rivers which may cross the line of demarkation referred to, yet in the treaty between the United States and Russia no reference whatever is made to this clause, and I fail to understand how Russia could have sold this territory to the United States unless subject to any rights acquired by any third parties, and, if this was so, he also did not understand why it was thought necessary in the treaty of Washington to concede the navigation of the rivers Stickeen, Porcupine, and Yuckon in the British territory, in return for the free navigation of these rivers while flowing through the United States territory, if we possessed this right before. As soon as the trade up the Stikeen began to assume some proportion the officer commanding at Fort Wrangel, in whom it appears is invested the government of the Territory, measured a distance of 10 leagues from the coast, and placing a post there, declared this to be the boundary between British Columbia and Alaska. In consequence of the windings of the river, it seems that this point is between 60 and 70 miles up the river. Now, if the statements of the traders and others going up the Stikeen are correct, it appears that the range of mountains which really defines the boundary line crosses the Stikeen at a point only 15 miles from the coast. He would point out how important the possession of the river between these points would be, especially to his constituents, the merchants of Victoria. It appears that above the present boundary line the Stikeen is so shallow that no steamers which could go there could go out to sea. Goods, therefore, have to be sent from Victoria to Fort Wrangel, and transferred there to the river steamer, and it has been found that this has been accompanied with much annoyance, risk, and expense; and after the goods are placed on the steamer, a custom-house officer is placed on board, who accompanies the steamer as long as she is in American waters, or what the officer commanding at Alaska is pleased to consider American waters, the expense being borne by the steamer.

There was also another grievance which he was sure the honorable member for Vancouver will appreciate. As soon as he comes on board this officer locks up the bar, puts the key in his pocket, and during the voyage the unfortunate diggers cannot get a drink. Now, if the boundary line were placed where we conceive it ought to be, a steamer would probably be able to run from Victoria to a point on the river above the boundary line, or, at all events, a steamer which could run there would also be able to run out to sea to Fort Simpson, and goods could therefore be transferred on British territory. The great annoyance and expense of transferring goods on United States territory would thus be obviated. These were the reasons why this boundary should be fixed as soon as possible. It was said that important discoveries of silver and gold bearing quartz mines have been made in the disputed territory, and until it is settled in which country these mines are, these sources of wealth will probaby remain undeveloped. There may also arise some unpleasant complications in consequence of per

sons settling in what they consider British territory and resisting by force any attempt made to remove them. Since he had put his motion on the paper he noticed in the estimates a sum of $100,000 for this survey, but from what he had stated it would be seen that this was not merely a question of theodolites, but that an important question as to the interpretation of the treaty had to be settled first. The honorable member concluded by moving adoption of motion.

Mr. DE COSMOS rose to concur in the remarks of his honorable colleague, who had explained the difficulties interposed by the American authorities to our trade in that part of the Dominion, but he believed that the wiser course would be, if the Governments of the Dominion and Great Britain could agree with the United States Government on the subject, to sell to Canada that portion of Alaska stretching from the 141st meridian west to the 131st meridian west. There was a territory there including an archipelago, 11,000 islands running along the main land of the territory three or four hundred miles, the strip measuring in English statute miles from the coast about 34 miles. The whole of this territory measures about 25,000 geographical miles; if our government would pay a reasonable sum for this territory, we would obviate all the difficulties now existing, and which must continually exist in the future if that region were habitable. So far as the population of that belt was concerned there were about 6,000 Indians; and not more, he believed, engaged in the fur business along that coast than two or three hundred persons, perhaps less. The United States has bought the Alaska Territory, containing 580,000 square miles, for about $7,200,000, and he saw no reason why, considering what the United States itself had given, we should not be able to induce them to cede that portion of their territory to Great Britain for a million dollars.

Hon. Mr. BLAKE. Hear, hear.

Hon. Mr. DE COSMOS said the honorable gentleman from South Bruce, who had recently pronounced in favor of nationality and a new departure, ought to be willing to make a new departure in the interest of Canada to enlarge our dominion and get more land by which the nationality could be extended.

Hon. Mr. BLAKE. What about the people?

Hon. Mr. DE COSMOS said the people would soon be added, if we had the land. By the plan he proposed there would be no divided sovereignty. He believed, when we looked at the mountainous character of this belt, that it would cost nearly as much to make a survey of it, to both governments, as it was practically worth at present. When they came to ascend mountains 3,000, 5,000, and 14,000, feet high to form a boundary, it would be found most expensive. With reference to the convention between Russia and Great Britain of 1825, and the subsequent treaty of Washington giving the free navigation of the Stikeen River, he would remark that there were two other rivers, the Yako and Chilcot, which might yet be found useful as a means of carrying the mineral wealth of British Columbia north of the 300-mile belt out to sea. And it will be necessary in the interest of British Columbia to enter into further negotiations with the United States in order to define our rights. In addition to that, if mineral discoveries should be made in any part of this belt, and from the geological formation there seemed to be no doubt such would be made, it would be found that American claims on the Alaska side would run into Canadian territory, causing endless disputes. He moved in amendment to the resolution before the house that all after the word "survey" be struck out, and the following added: "and the desirability of acquiring that portion of the territory of Alaska extending northwestwardly from 54° 40′ north latitude to the meridian of Mount Saint Elias."

Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said it was all very well for his honorable friend to bring the subject up. It was one of very great interest, and had engaged the attention of the government for some time. Negotiations had already been had through the proper official channel with the Government of the United States on this subject. It was one, however, that would not be promoted by the passage of his honorable friend's motion here, and the amendment by the honorable member behind him (De Cosmos) was, of course, entirely inadmissible. A motion of that kind could not seriously be proposed in the house. He (Mr. Mackenzie) was quite aware that the real difficulty at present was simply the Stikeen River. Under the convention of 1825 the boundary had in the plans exceeded a distance of ten leagues from the coast, and the real difficulty existed in taking these ten leagues from the mouth of the river instead of following the ridge of hills to a point where it strikes the river. If that point were once determined no serious inconvenience would arise anywhere else, and to get that point determined at as early a period as possible the government had already been directing their attention. He hoped his honorable friend would be satisfied with this explanation and withdraw his motion. As for the amendment it was quite inadmissible.

Mr. BUNSTER said that having heard a good deal from the miners with regard to that region, he claimed to have some knowledge on the subject before the house. He was sorry to see the honorable gentleman from Victoria move an amendment which the premier had declared to be inadmissible, because the honorable gentlemen (De Cosmos) considered him a constitutional authority. He claimed that this vexed question

which interfered with the development of the rich mines of that country, should be settled. The hardy miners had discovered and developed exceedingly rich mines at Cassiar. They had been badly treated by unprincipled American officers, who had taken and seized their boats while sailing under the Dominion flag. They had been obliged to pay heavy tolls, amounting to four or five thousand dollars, for which tolls no returns were made to the American Government. That was a matter which required to be looked into by the administration of the day and which should be brought under the notice of the American authorities. The official to whom he had alluded was now undergoing a trial in Oregon for fraud on the American Government, which, he thought, was sufficient proof that he had wronged those Canadians who had gone to the expense of constructing a boat for the navigation of the Stikeen River. The sooner this vexed question was settled the better.

Mr. THOMPSON (Cariboo) did not wish to make any remarks after what had been said by the premier. He was well aware of the great importance of having this question settled as soon as possible. During the ensuing season, perhaps, a much larger number of miners would go to the Stikeen River than the two thousand spoken of by the mover of this resolution, and should these vexatious annoyances continue to be imposed, the more excitable among them, though they might be generally peaceable, might resent such interference, and thus bring about complications between the two countries. There was another question which had recently been brought before his notice. The Indians did not understand the divided jurisdiction. They were very numerous, and spent the winter months on the coast, and during the summer fished in the Skeena River, working also for the miners. These Indians had been accustomed to roam at large over that country, whether by water or by land, and they could not understand the divided jurisdiction when told by American officers they were on American soil and by British officers they were on Canadian soil. In order to prevent collision with those Indians who are usually peaceable, but when under the influence of liquor were very excitable and disposed to quarrel with the whites. Although the liquor traffic was nominally prohibited by the American authorities, the Indians could get all they wanted in Alaska, and if they could not they were ingenious enough to make it themselves. They made rum from molasses with nothing but a tin kettle and a coil of sea-weed. By fastening the sea-weed to the spout of the kettle, they were able to distill liquor. This proves the advancement of civilization among the untutored savages on that coast. He had no doubt the resolution and amendment would be withdrawn. At the same time he thought it had done good by bringing this question before the notice of the house and opening the eyes of members to the vast capabilities of our great Northwest.

Hon. Mr. DE COSMOS withdrew his amendment.

Mr. ROSCOE. As the government have stated that they intend to do all that is necessary in this matter, I will willingly, at the request of the honorable premier, withdraw my motion.

The resolution was withdrawn.

But the subject was not permitted to lie dormant subsequently; hence we find the following proceedings, which are taken from the Port Townsend Weekly Argus of May 3, 1878:

MORE ABOUT ALASKA-WHAT OUR COVETOUS BRITISH NEIGHBORS THINK.

We quote the following from the last issue of the Victoria Weekly Standard. It is from the proceedings of the House of Commons, and shows that the ideas we have heretofore expressed relative to Alaska's real value are indorsed and shared by others to whose opinions a great deal of weight must be attached:

"Mr. DE COSMOS moved for a copy of the report, with accompanying map, of the engineer who was employed last year in determining the probable boundary line between British Columbia and Alaska, and also a copy of his instructions, with a copy of the treaty or convention between Great Britain and Russia respecting the said boundary. He said he considered that his information ought to be placed in the sessional papers, to give every honorable member of this house a clear idea of our relation with the United States, so far as the boundary line of Alaska was concerned. It was necessary that this boundary should be defined to prevent a conflict in the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the two countries. There was at this moment a great excitement in British Columbia with respect to mining, and valuable quartz lodes had been found on the Alaska side of the boundary. If, at any time hereafter, quartz lodes were found near the supposed boundary, it might create more or less excitement of an unpleasant character between the two countries. It was necessary that, in connection with the boundary, on the Stickeen River more particularly, an arrangement should be made between the two governments to determine a certain point as the limit of their respective jurisdictions. He was assured that at the American town of Wrangel, situated S. Ex. 59- -4