History of California, Volume II, Part 31

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 826

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11 The Indians were friendly and at first came often to the fort; but Potechin, Selenie Ross, 6-7, tells us that gradually the visits, especially of the men, became more and more rare. Alvarado, Hist. Cal., MS., ii. 12, men- tions an attack on the settlement by a Sotoyome chief soon after the coming of the Russians, easily repelled by a few discharges of musketry. This writer thinks the Russians entitled to some credit for having helped to keep the northern Indians in check.

300

RUSSIANS IN CALIFORNIA.

bors, dwellers in another country, California, sepa- rated from New Albion by San Francisco Bay. The latter, however, were by no means ignorant of what was being done at Bodega, though in no condition to interfere. In July Comandante Argüello noticed bidarkas in the bay, and sending out native scouts, learned that a vessel was on the beach north of Bo- dega. On August 25th Moraga was sent with seven men to investigate. He came back September 1st and

Black Pt.

Mt.St.Helena

Rocky Pt

ROSS-

Khlebnikof

R. Slavianky

Kostromitinof

Arr. Verde

Sta.Rosa

Gorgy's

American

Est.

Bodega B

B.Rumiantzof

Petaluma

Tamales

Arr. S. Antonio

Arr.Novato

B. S. Pulllo

Drake B

S.Rafaelo

Pta Reyes

BODEGA AND ROSS.

reported that the vessel was a small schooner stranded, or beached for repairs, eight leagues above Bodega, and that she was in bad condition. Kuskof's eighty men were in great want of food; the Russians who had been in the country for five months, had built a fort protected by artillery, and apparently intended to remain. Moraga, whose visit was just before the dedication of the fort, was courteously received, but communication for want of an interpreter was difficult.

301

MORAGA VISITS ROSS.

On his return he was sent to Monterey with a letter from Argüello, and to report in person to the gov- ernor; but of the additional information thus imparted we only know of Kuskof's desire to trade for grain, meat, and tallow.12 Russian authorities say nothing of the difficulty of communication, but state that Mo- raga made a complete inspection of the settlement, received full explanations of the company's plans, was shown the instructions of the chief directory, and promised to use his influence in favor of the desired trade.13 There was no further intercourse between the Russians and Spaniards in 1812, except that early in December a flag was noticed across the bay from San Francisco, and a sergeant crossing in a launch brought back three Russians found on the beach in a state of starvation. They had deserted from Ross in consequence of the great want experienced there. Their vessel was still aground, they said; and Kuskof was hard at work on his buildings; but they claimed to know nothing whatever of the object of the settle- ment.14

Moraga went back to Ross late in January 1813, where he conferred with Kuskof about trade, was shown a copy of the proclamation of 1810, and ac- quainted himself with the details of the plans of the strangers. He returned January 27th, and four days later was sent to report at Monterey the Russian de- sire for traffic, bearing also a letter in which the des- titution of the troops was vividly described, doubtless as the strongest argument in favor of the proposed trade. Arrillaga communicated to the viceroy the result of Moraga's two visits. 15 There is not a word

12 July 31, 1812, and Sept. 7th, Argüello to Arrillaga. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 322-6; Prov. Rec., MS., ix. 128-9.

13 Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 212-13; Potechin, Selenie Ross, 7. These writers seem to make the date of Moraga's visit October.

14 Dec. 16, 1812, Arguello to Arrillaga. Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xliii. 8-9.

15 Jan. 31, 1813, Argüello to Arrillaga. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 343-4. Jan. 25th, Moraga at 'Nova Rosa, six leagues north of Bodega,' certifies to a

302

RUSSIANS IN CALIFORNIA.

in the Spanish record to indicate that the governor or commandant had consented or would consent to any trade without the viceroy's permission; yet the Russians state that Moraga on this second visit brought not only twenty cattle and three horses as a gift, but also the verbal announcement, as welcome as unexpected, that Arrillaga had consented to an ex- change of commodities on condition that pending the viceroy's decision, the company's vessels should not enter the ports, but transfer goods in boats. Accord- ingly Kuskof at once despatched his clerk Slobod- chikof to San Francisco with a cargo which, in the manner prescribed and to the value of $14,000, was exchanged for bread-stuffs. Trade was thus continued for some time, but no particulars are given. That this traffic was allowed, considering the urgent needs of California, is not strange; nor is the silence of the Spanish record to be wondered at, since the trade was illicit. There is no good reason to doubt the ac- curacy of the Russian statement.16

The viceroy in the mean time learned indirectly through the authorities of Lower California and New Galicia that the Russians were at Bodega, and on July 9th he wrote to Arrillaga instructing him to ob- serve closely the movements of the strangers, and ascertain their designs. He did not apprehend any hostilities on the part of Russia in view of friendly international relations, but he feared the intruders might be other than they seemed and connected with Anglo-American designs upon California.17 Three weeks later, having learned the true state of affairs from the governor's letter, the viceroy wrote again

copy of the proclamation of March 15, 1810, shown him at that date by Kuskof, or Coscof, as the Spaniards called him. Id., 344. Feb 4th, Arrillaga to viceroy. Prov. Rec., MS., ix. 128-9.

16 Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 213; Potechin, Selenie Ross, 7.

11 July 9, 1813, viceroy to governor. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 333-5. Manuel Varela, commanding the Bostones, told the commandant of San Blas that he had seen a communication of Arrillaga to the governor of Lower Cal- ifornia on this subject. From San Blas the news went to Gen. Cruz of New Galicia, who forwarded it to the V. R. in a letter of May 26th.

303

THE RUSSIANS MUST GO.

enclosing the treaty of July 20, 1812, between Spain and Russia. Kuskof was to be notified at once that the company's occupation of Spanish territory was a clear violation of the treaty; reminded that it was a duty of the subjects of friendly powers not to embroil their respective courts; and requested to remove his establishment before the matter was brought to the attention of the national authorities. Meanwhile the Russians were to be closely watched, and the military authorities of the peninsula and the western Interior Provinces were to be ready to furnish aid in case of an emergency.19

These communications reached California early in 1814, and in April Moraga, with Gervasio Argüello and an escort, was sent a third time to Ross bear- ing letters in which Arrillaga made known to Kus- kof the viceregal instructions.19 The Russian com- mander was thus placed in a difficult position, and he thought it best to make no definite answer until he could hear from Baranof and Luis Arguello. Accord- ingly he waited until June 20th before he answered the governor's letter, which even with Moraga's ex- planations he claimed not to understand sufficiently to justify official action. It was always with great difficulty that either Russians or Spaniards could be made to understand an unwelcome message in a for- eign language. Having thus disposed of the main subject, Kuskof proceeded to offer Arrillaga as a gift a tent formerly left at San Francisco, and closed his letter by making a formal demand for the return of certain Kadiak captives who it was claimed had en-

18 Aug. 3d, viceroy to Arrillaga. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 330-1.

19 Khlébnikof, Zapiski, i. 214. Arrillaga's letter as quoted by Potechin, Selenie Ross, 8-10, calls only for a circumstantial statement for the viceroy's information of all that the company had done or proposed to do, and of the authority under which the settlement was formed; therefore it is possible that only the V. R.'s first letter had been received and was sent up by Moraga; yet had this been the case and an explanation only been demanded, Kuskof would naturally have furnished it as he had done before, and would hardly have been obliged to fall back on his ignorance of Spanish.

304

RUSSIANS IN CALIFORNIA.

tered the bay to escape the storm with no evil inten- tion, and of certain others who had deserted from Fort Ross. To Argüello in a letter of the same date he sent back a Spanish letter to be interpreted, and repeated his demand for the release of captives. These letters were carried down to San Francisco by the agent Slobodchikof, who went after grain still due and with a small cargo of goods for traffic.20 It was hoped that the trouble caused by the viceroy's orders would blow over and that trade might proceed. It was the company's policy to keep its affairs in Cali- fornia as quiet as possible at St Petersburg and Mad- rid, and by no means to cause a quarrel between the two courts, an easy task on account of the disturbed condition of Spain, and to trust for the permanence and prosperity of Fort Ross to the revolutionary con- dition and consequent weakness of Mexico, and to the good will and needs of the Californians. The pre- tence of an equitable right to any part of the Califor- nian territory was an idea of later growth.21 Moraga on July 30th made out from his recent observations a full report on the establishment of Ross, particularly on the strength of its defences. 22

The capture of the American smuggler Mercury, Captain Ayres, in the preceding year, though she had been for years in the service of the company, if not still in that service, seems not to have had any bearing on the Russian question. This year, however, another

20 June 20, 1814, Kuskof to Arrillaga and Argüello (written in Russian). Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 365-7. It is perhaps worth noticing that the tent offered to the governor and which Kuskof took pains to represent as having been left at San Francisco by carelessness, was really sent down from Ross with the letters.

21 Raynal, Ilist. Philosophique, xii. 705-6, tells us of secret negotiations at the Vienna congress of 1814 between the ministers of Russia and Spain as a result of which some part of California was ceded to Russia. England pene- trated the secret but did not reveal it. I suppose this to be without founda- tion. Zavalishin, Delo o Koloniy Ross, 6, says that Capt. Black (of the English ship Raccoon), who refitted at San Francisco in 1814, hinted to Slobodchikof, as shown by Kuskof's report of July IS, 1814, that the occupation of Ross was a violation of English rights to New Albion which 'as the very name shows' belongs to England and not to Spain.

22 Moraga to governor, July 30, 1814. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 366-7.

305

ARGÜELLO TO KUSKOF.

vessel was captured, the American Pedler, Captain Samuel Northrop, which was taken by Cavenecia of the Spanish vessel Tagle in August. Investigation showed, or perhaps more properly was made to show, that, though she had a Russian contract and passport, she had merely brought a cargo of supplies to Fort Ross, part of which was still on board to be transferred to a Russian vessel for which the Tagle had been mis- taken; and as there was no evidence of contraband trade, the only plausible pretext for the detention of an American craft, she was released with a warning to leave Spanish waters forthwith.23 Arrillaga had died in July, and José Argüello was now governor ad interim. The change was not favorable for the Russians, for Argüello, either from natural inclina- tions, or more likely on account of his temporary power and future political aspirations, was much less friendly to the foreign colony than had been his de- ceased friend or his own son Luis.24

Early in 1815 Argüello wrote a peremptory letter to Kuskof, stating that by the viceroy's orders the settlement of Ross must be abandoned if friendly relations were to be maintained between Spain and Russia, and also expressing great surprise that Arri- llaga's letter of inquiry had not yet been answered. Kuskof's only reply was that he could do nothing without instructions from his superior, Baránof.25 Yet

23 The capture was between the 13th and 26th of August, and the governor ordered the release Sept. 10th. Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xlv. 3-6; Arch. Arzob., MS., ii. 101. March 5, 1815, viceroy's approval of the release. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 383; Prov. Rec., MS., ix. 136. Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 213-14, says that the vessel was released as soon as it was known that the cargo and most of the crew belonged to the company. The Pedler went back to Ross before continuing her voyage round Cape Horn.

24 ' With the death of Arrillaga,' writes Tikhmnenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 214, ' the Russian colonies lost a true friend. His general good feeling toward the Russians and his compliance with all their wishes so far as possi- ble, in spite of the uncertainty of Spanish politics and his limited power, continued since the time of Rezánof.'

25 Potechin, Selenie Ross, 10, 11; Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 215. As I have before implied, it is possible that the viceroy's orders of August 1813 had only just arrived and were the cause of Arguello's peremptory communi- cation.

HIST. CAL., VOL. II. 20

306

RUSSIANS IN CALIFORNIA.

trade continued, and on August 20th the Surárof, Captain Makarof, arrived at San Francisco. She had been despatched from St Petersburg for Lima, and her ostensible business at San Francisco was to get water and fresh food. Yet she had on board a proclamation similar to that of 1810 addressed by the directory of the company to " our good friends and neighbors, the noble Spaniards," in which the advan- tages of mutual trade were again set forth. It does not appear that the authorities consented to any traf- fic beyond the furnishing of necessary supplies; but the people could by no means resist the temptation to exchange their products for goods, and there is no reason to doubt the Russian statement that a large part of the Surarof's cargo was sold. The proclama- tion brought out a new letter from Argüello, or per- haps from Sola, to Kuskof, in which he expressed his surprise at the presumption shown in addressing such a document to the people or even the provincial authorities of California, since as a matter of course only the king could act in the matter. He would not reply to the proposition for traffic, but had sent the papers to the viceroy. This communication, like the former, received no definite answer. Trade, however, was by no means suspended, for the Chirikof and the Ilmen both came to San Francisco this year and ob- tained large quantities of grain which was shipped to Sitka on the Chirikof. Kuskof came down in person on the latter vessel, and with the other agents exerted himself to the utmost to avert the threatened troubles. He still labored to conciliate California and keep the controversy from Madrid, there being no fear of Mex- ican action. The Americans were seizing every opportunity to work against Russian interests and warn the Spaniards of their ambitious designs to

seize San Francisco Bay. The company in turn uttered warnings against the Anglo-Americans; rep- resented its settlement as the best possible protection for the Spanish frontier; disclaimed all desire for ter-

307

SOLA'S POLICY.

ritorial possessions south of Fuca; urged that the king of Spain would have made known his displeasure long since, had he felt any, the foundation having been known at Madrid before the news reached St Peters- burg; and finally pictured in brightest colors the evi- dent advantage of trade to the neglected soldiers of the presidios and their families.26

Governor Sola had arrived in August, and his dis- position was not at first more favorable toward the Russians than Argüello's had been, since he was more freshly imbued with Mexican feeling and knew less of California's needs. He at once called upon Luis Argüello for a report on past visits of Russians to San Francisco, the supplies furnished, and how they had been paid for. He also seems to have sent orders to Ross forbidding the illegal entry of all foreign ves- sels into Californian ports.27 The affair of the Ilmen about this time gave the new governor a chance to show his devotion to Spanish laws. This vessel, sail- ing under the American flag as the Lady, was pur- chased by Baránof in 1813 and sent down to Ross under an American master.28 She had on board a band of Aleut hunters under Boris Tarakánof, and a cargo of goods for traffic in charge of Juan Eliot de Castro as agent of the company, who is said to have been in California before. Of his proceedings down to the middle of 1815 we only know that he visited

26 Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 376, 392-8; xx. 5, 6; Id., Ben. Mil., xlvi. 37; Potechin, Selenie Ross, 8-11; Tikhmenef, Ixtor. Obosranie, i. 215; Khlebnikof, Zapiski, 146; Baránof, Shizneopissanie, 147; Zavulishin, Delo o Koloniy Ross, 7. The captain of the Suvárof is also called Lazaref, and the supercargo was Herman Molvee. She was of 500 tons. Tikhmenef alludes to the detention of a vessel sent to San Francisco and the seizure of her cargo and papers. It is not clear what vessel is referred to. Potechin says Argüello's first letter was sent in March and the second in July, which latter may be an error if the Suvarof with the proclamation came in August. Kuskof is said to have shipped 6,000 pounds of grain to Sitka; Eliot, of the Ilmen, bought in June and August $5,371 worth; and a schooner in September brought $2, 818 in effects for the troops. The proclamation was dated July 13, 1813, and is preserved in the archives.

27 Sept. 26, 1815, Sola to Argüello. Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xlvi. 33; Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 215-16.

28 He is called Vasdrash, Wosdwit, Wodwit, and Wilson Wodwarck. Nikoforof was clerk, or supercargo.

308

RUSSIANS IN CALIFORNIA.

most of the places on the coast, made many friends, and was very successful both in trade and hunting, sending to Sitka a large quantity of grain, 400 otter- skins, and $10,000 in money. Success made him reck- less, or perhaps he was not fully aware of Sola's strict orders against contraband trade; at any rate on Sep- tember 19th Tarakánof, having paid no attention to warnings to quit the coast, was captured with over twenty Aleuts at San Pedro by Comisionado Cota and put in the jail at Los Angeles. Six days later Eliot himself, landing from his vessel at El Cojo, near San Luis Obispo, was also arrested with another American, four Russians, and an Aleut. The Ilmen escaped and sailed for the Sandwich Islands by way of Ross. The captives were sent to Santa Bárbara and Monterey in October, the officers being treated with every attention and the rest obliged to work for their rations like Spanish prisoners. The protestations of Kuskof were for a time of no avail; but some of the Aleuts, whom the Spaniards foolishly sent out to catch otter for their new masters, made their escape to Ross; while a few embraced the catholic faith and prepared to remain in the country.29

29 Baranof, Shizneopissanie, 135-6; Khlebnikof, Zapiski, 11; Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 213, 216. This author accuses the Spaniards of cruelty to the captives, stating that according to Kuskof's report one Aleut who refused to become a Catholic died from ill-treatment received from the padre at San Francisco. The Spanish records are somewhat voluminous on this affair, but not very important, being largely repetitions of the same statements by dif- ferent officials or minor details respecting the transportation or examination of the captives. Eliot de Castro, Papeles tocantes a su arrestacion y la de otros Contrabandistas del bergantin ruso 'Ilmen'; Prov. Rec., MS., ix. 135-6; xi. 23-6; Prov. St. Pap., MS., xix. 362, 379-81, 384-7, 390-1; Id., Ben. Mil., xlvi. 3-4, 33, 41-2. Sept. 15th, Sola, in an original letter, speaks of a boat cap- tured at San Luis on July 27th. S. Antonio, Doc. Sueltos, MS., 73-4. The vessel is often called Herminia, Armina, or Ilmenia. Eliot is also spoken of as an Englishman. Two American deserters from the Ilmen are said to have come to Monterey in November. Several Aleuts were wounded in a skirmish at their capture. An armed reconnoissance of the Sta Bárbara Islands was ordered in the hope of finding a deposit of otter-skins; but no result is re- corded. It is amusing to read the transparent excuses the Russian prisoners always made when taken redhanded at smuggling or poaching. They were 'driven in by stress of weather,' or had 'lost their way,' and if suddenly cornered by cross-examination they suddenly became profoundly ignorant of every language but the simplest Russian. Tarakánof had some silk goods in his bidarka when captured, which he had the impudence to declare were

309

A CONFERENCE.

So far as the records show nothing was accom- plished by the Russians in the way of trade during 1816, a condition of things made more endurable to the Spaniards by the arrival of the supply-ship for the first time since 1810. The leading event of the year so far as the present matters are concerned was the visit of Lieutenant Otto von Kotzebue on the Rurik in command of a Russian scientific expedition, who spent the month of October at San Francisco as elsewhere related.30 Sola came up from Monterey to welcome Kotzebue and profited by the occasion to complain of his nation's grievance at the hands of Kuskof and the company which he represented. Kot- zebue, of course, said he had no authority in the matter, but promised to bring the subject to the at- tention of his government; and finally he consented to summon Kuskof to a conference. Accordingly Gervasio Argüello was sent to Ross with the sum- mons or request,31 and Kuskof came down the 25th of October. During three following days a conference was held at the presidio, the result of which is ·preserved in a documentary record signed by Kot- zebue, Kuskof, Chamisso as interpreter, and Luis Argüello and José María Estudillo as witnesses.32 In this paper are narrated the circumstances under which the conference was held; Sola's complaint that Kuskof had settled in Spanish territory and neglected to obey the viceroy's orders to depart, or even to give any definite answer to the governor's letters; Kuskof's declining to make any argument on the merits of the

intended for his own use! When asked if he had not been warned to quit the coast he could not understand the question.

30 See chap. xiii. of this volume.

31 The messenger on his return made a report on the condition of the Rus- sian settlement. Argüello (Gervasio), Observaciones hechas por el Cadete .. . en el Establecimiento que tienen los rusos como á las 7 leguas al Norte de Bodega, 1816, MS. Dated Oct. 21st.

32 Conferencia celebrada en el Presidio de San Francisco entre el Gobernador Sola, el Comandante del bergantin ruso 'Rurick,' Sr Kotzehuc y Coscoff, gefe del Establecimiento ruso arriba de Bodega. Octubre de 1816, MS. Chamisso, who translated the document, says Sola had the whole document re-written to agree with some of his, Chamisso's, suggestions.

310

RUSSIANS IN CALIFORNIA.

case, or to abandon the settlement without orders from Baránof; and Kotzebue's declaration that he had no au- thority to act but would submit the case to his sovereign.

It is evident enough, and in fact Chamisso so states, 83 that Kotzebue recognized the entire justice of the Spanish claim; and it is equally certain that Kuskof was by no means pleased with the turn things were taking. He wanted to be let alone to deal with the Californians after his own manner. He was thinking more of the present than of the future, more of his company than of his nation. It is doubtful if the idea of Russian rights under international law to any territorial possessions in California had yet been conceived; but even if there was a vague hope of future conquests based on the occupancy of Ross, the company did not want the question submitted yet to the home governments, since such a submission must needs unfavorably affect for a time their smuggling operations on the coast. A later Russian writer blames Kotzebue not only for meddling in an affair that did not concern him, but also for signing a docu- ment which virtually admitted the Spanish title to all south of Juan de Fuca. 34

The archives contain a few slight references to the Aleut and Russian prisoners in California, some of the former having been attached to the southern missions. 35 Eliot de Castro and Tarakánof were sent

33 Chamisso, Reise, i. 132, 134, 137-9. He says the document found its way into the proper minister's office at St Petersburg without being acted upon; that Sola was to receive a Russian decoration; and finally that while the conference was being held, Kuskof, with Kotzebue's consent, sent out two bidarkas to catch otter in the bay !

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History of California, Volume II, Part 31

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe Publication date: 1885 Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers Number of Pages: 826

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 826