USA > Alaska > History of Alaska : 1730-1885 > Part 33
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On the 10th of August 1790, Baranof sailed from Okhotsk on the ship Trekh Sviatiteli, commanded by Master Bocharof, who was then considered the most skilful navigator in those waters.17 When only a few days from port it was discovered that the water-casks were leaking. The ship's company was placed on short allowance, but disease made its appearance, and it was thought impossible to sail direct to the settlement at Kadiak as had been the intention. On the 28th of September the vessel was turned into the bay of Kos- higin, Unalaska, to obtain a supply of fresh water, but on the 30th, when about to leave again, a storm threw the ship upon the rocky shore. The men escaped with belongings, but only a small part of the cargo was saved. Within five days the wreck broke in pieces, and a messenger was sent to Kadiak to report the loss, but failed to reach that place.18
15 Davidof was deeply impressed with this leader of men who controlled not only the hostile savage but the vicious and unruly Russian, and rose supreme to every hardship and danger in advancing affairs in this remote corner. 16 Id., 194; Tchitchinof, Adv., 2-4; Markof, Ruskie no Vostotchnom, 52.
17 Bocharof was at Okhotsk in 1771, at the time of the insurrection headed by the Polish exile, Count Benyvovski. The latter compelled Bocharof to go with him, and finally took him to France. Thence he was returned to St Petersburg by the Russian embassador at Paris, and the empress ordered him to resume his duties at Okhotsk. To this involuntary circumnavigation of the world Bocharof was indebted for much of his proficiency in nautical science. Khlebnikof, Shizn. Baranova, 5.
18 A man named Alexander Molef was sent upon this errand with a num-
319
BARANOF IN ALASKA.
Thrown upon his own resources, Baranof distributed his men, fifty-two in number, over the island to shoot seals and sea-lions and dig edible roots, the only food the island afforded during the winter. The leader labored with the men and lived with them in the un- derground huts which they constructed. The dried salmon and halibut obtained occasionally from the Aleuts were a luxury, and on holidays a soup was made of rye flour of which a small quantity had been saved. The winter was not wholly lost to Baranof, who seized this opportunity to study the people, both Russians and natives, with whom he had thrown his lot for so many years to come, and whom he was to rule without a shadow of actual or apparent support from the government. It was here that he formed plans which were afterward of great service to the company.19
Spring coming, three large bidars were made in which to push on to Kadiak, with two of which Bocharof was to explore and hunt along the northern coast of the Alaska peninsula. Twenty-six men were assigned to this expedition while Baranof took a crew of sixteen in the third boat, leaving five at Unalaska to guard what had been saved from the cargo and rigging of the wrecked ship. Toward the end of April 1791 the three bidars put to sea, and on the
ber of Aleuts. When only a hundred miles from Kadiak the party was attacked by the natives of the Alaska peninsula, on which occasion five of the Aleuts were killed. Molef, though severely wounded, managed to launch his bidarka and make his way to Unga, where he remained until picked up by Baranof the following year. Id., 7.
19 Baranof's letter written at this time presents a vivid picture of life there. 'I passed the winter in great hardships,' he says, 'especially when the weather was bad. Sometimes two months passed by without a possibility of going any distance, but I made use of every clear day to go out with my gun in search of some addition to our larder. On one of these excursions I fell into one of the traps set for foxes and was slightly wounded .. . I boiled salt of very good quality, as white as snow, and used it for salting fish, and seal, and sea- lion meat. As far as cooking with oil is concerned we were fasting all the time, and the week before Easter we were compelled to fast altogether, but on Easter Monday a dead whale was cast ashore and furnished us a feast. In the same week we killed three sea-lions, and the famine was at an end. I had become accustomed to think no more of flour or bread.' Khlebnikof, Shizn. Baranova, 8. Only three men died of scurvy.
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ORGANIZATION OF MONOPOLY.
10th of May they separated in Issanakh Strait, at the southern end of the peninsula. After an absence of five months Bocharof rejoined his comrades at Ka- diak by a portage route across the peninsula, bringing not only furs but a number of good charts.20 During his whole journey Baranof was prostrate with fever; nevertheless he insisted that the party should not only advance but explore, being unwilling to lose the calm weather so essential for a safe passage from island to island or from cape to cape along the coast of the mainland. He arrived at Three Saints, Kadiak, the 27th of June.
Baranof at once assumed command of all the estab- lishments of the Shelikof-Golikof Company, relieving Eustrate Delarof.21 At this time the company was in actual possession of Kadiak and a few of the smaller adjacent isles; the principal settlement being still at the bay of Three Saints. The superficial pacification of the natives by Shelikof had been com- pleted by Delarof so far as Kadiak and vicinity were concerned, though they remained in their primitive condition. The opinion of all but Delarof was that they could be held in subjection only by force of arms or fear, and that upon the first sign of weakness or relaxation of vigilance on the part of the Russians they would rise and destroy them. As much system had been secured as lay in the power of one right- minded, intelligent man, surrounded by an unruly band of individuals but little if any above the crim- inal class. I have said of Delarof that he was strict in his sense of justice and of fair administrative ability. The contemplation of this amiable Greek's
20 Bocharof intended to extend his explorations to the coast of the Aglegmutes, but his skin boats were found to be waterlogged from incessant use, and it was concluded to make a portage across a narrow part of the peninsula. This was accomplished in three days. The bidars were then repaired and the party crossed to Kadiak, reaching Three Saints on the 12th of September.
21 Delarof remained manager of the company until July 1791. Tikhmenef, Istor. Obos., i. 27, 28.
321
CHARACTER OF DELAROF.
character affords a pleasant relief from the ordinary conduct of the Russians in America. Had there been more such men, I should have less to record of out- rage, cruelty, and criminal neglect; had Delarof been bad enough to please his directors Baranof might have remained at home.
From his head-quarters at Kadiak, Delarof had de- spatched expeditions to the mainland, at the entrance of Cook Inlet, or the gulf of Kenaï, as the Russians always persisted in calling it, and there he had estab- lished a permanent station which he named Alexan- drovsk. Otherwise the whole of this inlet was occu- pied by Lebedef-Lastochkin, who also held the islands discovered by Pribylof. The people of the Alaska peninsula had not yet permitted any Russians to settle among them, and were held to be hostile. The ad- joining Prince William Sound was also occupied, and on the Aleutian isles three private trading companies were still doing business, under the management of Orekof, Panof, and Kisselef respectively.
Thus on every side rival establishments and traders were draining the country of the valuable staple upon which rested the very existence of the scheme of colonization. To the east and north there were Rus- sains, but to the south-east the ships of Englishmen, Americans, and Frenchmen were already traversing the tortuous channels of the Alexander archipelago, reaping rich harvests of sea-otter skins, in the very region where Baranof had decided to extend Russian dominion in connection with company sway. Al- though they could not expect to succeed so well further north, here these traders had every advantage. They enjoyed comparatively easy communication with home points; they were skilled navigators, and came in large well equipped vessels laden with goods far superior to anything the Russians could afford to bring by sled or on the backs of horses across Siberia. They could also be more lavish with their low-priced articles since they were under no expense in main- HIST. ALASKA. 21
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ORGANIZATION OF MONOPOLY.
taining permanent forts or establishments or a large retinue of servants. As occasional visitors only, with- out permanent interests in the land, they could deal out fire-water, risk occasional cheatings and open acts of violence, while Baranof, with his few men of per- manent residence, among warlike tribes, must be con- stantly on his guard against acts provocative of hostilities.
It was necessary that he should bestir himself to widen the operations of the company ere the field was exhausted, and this had been his determination, but he did not as yet possess the necessary vessels, men, and supplies to do much. The loss of the Trekh Sviatiteli was indeed a formidable hindrance; skin boats alone could well be used, and to these the men had more than one objection, the risks of sea voyages, and the disadvantages in point of defence, carrying capacity, and convenience. These objections were the more serious in view of the greater stubbornness and hostility of the mainland tribes as compared with the docile Aleuts. Another trouble was that for several years no supply-ships had arrived from Siberia, and the Russian hunters and laborers were reduced to the necessity of sharing the scanty sub- sistence of the natives. Dissatisfaction was there- fore general among the employés, including the na- tives, and this together with the sight of want among the conquering race served to rouse the insolence and hostility of tribes around.
Some of these troubles Baranof managed to over- come by his own energy and strength of will; for others he must obtain the cooperation of the com- pany. Among other measures he urged Shelikof most eloquently to labor for a consolidation of the various trading companies, and thereby to secure to the new corporation the large number of valuable sea- otter skins then scattered throughout the small rival establishments of the mainland. At the same time he approved of a suggestion made before his departure
323
BARANOF'S LETTERS.
to build ships in America, and urged that no delay be allowed in forwarding material to him from Kam- chatka. He saw the advantage to the company of exhibiting vessels built in their colony and the neces- sity of making himself independent of the vessels for- warded at long and irregular intervals from the Asiatic ports. This would ensure not only supplies but the means of cruising down the coast.
Without having seen or met any of the English or American traders then operating in the Sitka region he conceived the plan of obtaining from them not only provisions but trading goods, and asked Shelikof for authority to do so; he knew that in the Pribylof Islands, then recently discovered, he had a treasury from which he might draw the means to purchase whatever he wanted of the foreign traders, and that he would thus be enabled to buy from them with one class of furs the means of battling with them on their own ground for the purchase of sea-otter skins, then the most valuable fur in the market. This plan of operation, though temporarily delayed, was finally adopted and successfully carried out under Baranof's supervision.
Knowing that his letters in some form would fall under the eye of the government, Baranof worded his communications with great care, and with respect to the well seeming plan to introduce missionaries he wrote to the directors of the company: "Send me a well informed priest, one who is of a peaceable dis- position, not superstitious, and no hypocrite." With the same view of impressing upon the authorities the humane disposition of the company's traders, he re- quested Shelikof to send him numerous articles not included in the invoices of the firm, but suitable as gifts to the natives, at the same time explaining that he wished to conquer the savages with kindness. He asked to have the articles purchased and forwarded at his own expense so that " should he give them all away, the company would suffer no loss, while, on
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ORGANIZATION OF MONOPOLY.
the other hand, any profit made on the consignment. should be transferred to the firm." 22
During the autumn and winter of 1791 Baranof made himself thoroughly acquainted with the wants and capabilities of his new domain under the intelli- gent guidance and instruction of Delarof, who returned to Okhotsk in 1792, and at the same time severed his. connection with colonial matters. The latter took passage in the ship Sv Mikhaïl, which had been in the colonies ever since Shelikof's first arrival, taking with him Bocharof as navigator, many of the promyshleniki whose term of contract had expired, and all the furs collected by him during his administration.
The new manager soon recognized the desirability of removing the principal settlement of the company from Three Saints to Pavlovsk harbor, on the north side of Kadiak, in latitude 57º 36' according to Cap- tain Lissianski's observations. The reasons lay partly in the better harbor, and chiefly in the abundance of forests at the latter place, facilitating the erection of necessary buildings and fortifications.23
In the spring of 1792, however, Baranof was grati- fied by the appearance of a chief from the northern side of the peninsula, whom Bocharof, during his voyage of exploration the preceding year, had pre- sented with a medal bearing the Russian coat of arms. The savage dignitary, who was at the head of one of the most populous tribes of the peninsula, brought with him quite a large following, including six host-
22 ' Such are my plans,' he wrote, 'but their execution depends upon prov- idence. My first steps into these regions were attended with misfortune, but perhaps I shall be permitted to conquer in the end. I will either vanquish a cruel fate or fall under its repeated blows. Want and hardships I can bear with patience and trust in providence, especially when the sacrifice is made for the sake of true friendship.' Khlebnikof, Shizn. Baranova, 10.
23 In 1880 only one dilapidated log-house and one native semi-subterranean hut marked the site of the earliest permanent location of the Russians, and these buildings are perched upon the hillside, overlooking the sand spit, from which floods and tidal waves have long since eradicated all traces of former occupancy. A representation of the settlement as it appeared in 1790 has been preserved in Sauer's Geog. and Astron. Exped., and in Sarychef's de- scription of the same expedition.
325
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE NATIVES.
ages. He assured Baranof that his people desired to live in friendship with the Russians. In return he asked the latter to protect him against certain tribes living farther north in the interior of the country. As a proof of his sincerity, the chief offered to locate himself and all his family in the immediate vicinity of one of the company's establishments. The proposi- tion was evidently the result of fear of his neighbors rather than good feeling toward the Russians, never- theless it was cheerfully accepted as the first indica- tion of the possibility of a better understanding with the independent natives of the peninsula. An alli- ance of this kind was especially desirable on account of the importance at that time placed on the posses- sion of the portage across the narrow neck of land separating the waters of Iliamna Lake from the Koiychak River, and with Russians so few in num- ber and scattered over so broad a region, peaceable relations were essential.
Advantage was at once taken of the proposal to extend operations in this quarter, and other expedi- tions were also despatched, one under Ismaïlof in the only large vessel left to them, the Su Simeon, chiefly for seeking new fields.24 Baranof himself proceeded to the gulf of Chugatschuik, Prince William Sound, with two well manned bidars in order to become acquainted with the inhabitants of that region. Dreading the Russians and a possible state of dependence, the for- bidding Chugatsches concealed themselves from Bar- anof at every point. At last he succeeded in meeting a few of the tribes and obtained from them seven hostages. Hereabout he fell in with the ship Phoenix, Captain Moore, from the East Indies, and obtained information on foreign traffic in the Alexander archi- pelago, which served him greatly in forming plans for future operations. He conceived quite a friendship
24 Baranof wrote concerning Ismaïlof's achievements that 'he went out to make discoveries, but discovered nothing beyond doubtful indications of land.' Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosr., ii. app., 36.
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ORGANIZATION OF MONOPOLY.
for the commander, from whom he received as a 'pres- ent' a native of Bengal.25
Soon after his meeting with Moore, Baranof pro- ceeded to Nuchek Island, near the mouth of Copper River, and encamped within a short distance of the cove where subsequently the Konstantinovsk redoubt was built. Finding the supply of fish limited, he concluded to send a bidar manned by Russians and a part of the Aleut hunters to Sukli (Montagu) Island in search of better fishing-grounds, capable of furnish- ing a winter's supply for his party. On the 20th of June this expedition set out, and Baranof remained on Nuchek Island with only sixteen Russians. He had heard rumors of hostile intentions on the part of the savages, but placed little faith in them. To avoid unnecessary risks, however, he intended to remove his little force to a small island in the bay, on the day fol- lowing the departure of his exploring party. In the middle of the night, which was very dark and stormy, the sentries gave the alarm. Five of the sixteen men had been placed on guard, but the darkness was so dense that a numerous body of armed natives had advanced to within ten paces of the encampment with- out being seen. In a moment the Russians had seized
25 Baranof gives an interesting account of this meeting in one of his letters to Shelikof: 'Being about to establish a station for the winter, I fell in with an English vessel, which had come from the East Indies, by way of Canton and Manila to America in the vicinity of Nootka, and from there he had fol- lowed the coast to Chugatsch, trading with many tribes and collecting a large quantity of furs. He had lost a mast in a gale and replaced it at Chugatsch and for that reason he had concluded to return direct to Canton. The ship, named the Phoenix, was 75 feet long and had two masts. The captain is an Englishman, of Irish extraction, named Moore. He met first with my bidarka fleet, and then came to my anchorage, where he lay five days during stress of weather. I was on board nearly all the time and was entertained at the captain's table. We conversed a great deal on various subjects, and though we did not understand each other very well, we managed to make use of the German language which I had imperfectly learned as a boy, but almost for- gotten since. The captain made me a present of one [East] Indian, who is my private attendant during the winter, but in the summer he serves in the capacity of an able seaman. He understands English well and I have taught him considerable Russian. I did not make any present in return beyond a few fox-skins and some kamtakas of Aleut workmanship and some other trifles. I also heard news of Capt. Coxe from him. He died at Canton. We were on very friendly terms and Capt. Moore visited me several times on shore in my tent.' Tikhmenef, Ist. Obosr., ii., app., 36.
327
BATTLE AT NUCHEK.
their arms and were firing on the savages. Accord- ing to Baranof their fire was for a long time without any visible effect, owing to the wooden armor and shields and helmets of the savages, which were of sufficient thickness to stop a bullet fired at some dis- tance. The movements of the enemy seemed to be guided by one commander, and by shouting to each other they preserved unity of action in the darkness. Their flint and copper-headed arrows and spears fell thick and fast, wounding several of the Russians and many of the Aleuts, several of them fatally. The latter did not even make a show of resistance, but seemed possessed of the one idea of escaping by water in their bidarkas. As the assailants had several large war-canoes not many of these attempts were success- ful. One small cannon, a one-and-a-half-pounder fal- conet, was at last brought into position, and did some execution, at the same time encouraging the Aleuts to rally around the Russians in their encampment. Fortunately Ismaïlof's vessel happened to be at anchor not far off, and a few of those who fled in their canoes at the beginning of the affray, had in the mean time reached it, and obtained a bidar full of armed men for the relief of Baranof. The appearance of this boat caused six large wooden war-canoes to beat a hasty retreat. One explanation, though not very plausible, of this unexpected attack was that the Yakutat tribe of Kaljushes had combined with the Aglegmutes to avenge themselves for injuries received at the hands of the Chugatsches during the preceding year. Know- ing that the Sv Simeon was anchored four versts away, and ignorant of Baranof's presence, they had mistaken the Russian encampment for a Chugatsch village and attacked it in the dark. When the mistake was dis- covered, the savages were induced to persevere in their efforts by hopes of rich booty, only to pay dearly for the attempt and to retreat deeply demoralized.26
26 Baranof wrote to Shelikof as follows: 'We found 12 killed on the spot; the wounded had been carried off, but a wake of blood was visible a verst
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ORGANIZATION OF MONOPOLY.
This affair caused Baranof to change his plans. Instead of wintering in Prince William Sound as had been his intention, he turned to the gulf of Kenaï by the shortest route. He strengthened his outlying stations there and hastened the work of fortification and then proceeded to Kadiak. On his arrival at Pavlovsk harbor, he found that the ship Orel, that is Eagle, had arrived from Okhotsk, commanded by the Englishman Shields, and laden partly with material for new ships, though by no means of the descrip- tion most essential for opening operations. Although despatched in the autumn of 1791, vessels had been compelled to winter in Kamchatka. Shields had learned the art of ship-building in England, but had subsequently entered the Russian military service and obtained the rank of sub-lieutenant.27
At the same time came orders to proceed at once with ship-building. This placed Baranof in an em-
or two behind their canoes. At the very first onset they killed on our side a man named Kotovchikof from Barnaül, and Paspelof from Tumensk died two weeks later. Of the heathen-the Aleuts-9 were killed and 15 wounded. As for myself, God protected me, though my shirt was torn by a spear and the arrows fell thickly around me. Being aroused from a deep sleep I had no time to dress, but rushed out as I was to encourage the men and to see that our only cannon was moved to wherever the danger was greatest. Great praise is due to the fearless demeanor of my men, many of whom were new recruits. I mention among them Feodor Ostrogin and Zakh- milin. One of the Chugatsch hostages brought us four men who had been cap- tured by the Chugatsch people. From these we learned that our assailants had expected 10 canoes full of warriors from the Copper River and that they intended to proceed to the gulf of Kenaï after annihilating the Chugatsch tribe.' Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosr., ii. app. 37-8. Khlebnikof, in his life of Bar- anof, relates this incident in a somewhat different manner as to details, and, strange to say, he quotes as his authority a letter from Baranof to Shelikof. They retreated in 5 canoes while they had arrived in 6. Shizn. Baranova, 16-17. Yet they carried off 4 captives. Tikhmenef, Istor. Obos., i. 38-9, 64-5.
27 Shelikof wrote to Baranof on this occasion: 'We send you now iron, rope, and sail-cloth for one ship which, with the assistance of Shields, you will be able to fit out, and if you succeed you may lay the keel for two or three other vessels of various dimensions. You should endeavor to push their construction far enough ahead to enable you to complete them without further assistance of a shipwright. Everything you need for this shall be sent by the next opportunity. You should teach the Americans to pick oakum, make ropes, sew at the sails, and help the blacksmiths.' Id., i. 39-40. The iron appears to have been forgotten. Shields had formerly served as lieutenant in a Yekaterinburg regiment, but as he was both ship-builder and navigator by profession, Shelikof engaged him for service in the new colonies. The first proof of his proficiency in his business was the packet-boat Orel, which he constructed at Okhotsk. Khlebnikof, Shizn. Baranova, 18.
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