CHAPTER II.

BOUNDARIES AND SUPERFICIAL AREA.

The boundaries of Alaska as defined by the treaty of cession are: Commencing from the southernmost point of the island called Prince of Wales Island, which point lies in the parallel of 54 degrees 40 minutes north latitude, and between the 131st and 133rd degree of west longitude (meridian of Greenwich), the said line shall ascend to the north along the channel called Portland Channel as far as the point of the continent where it strikes the 56th degree of north latitude; from this last mentioned point the line of demarkation shall follow the summit of the mountains situate parallel to the coast as far as the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west longitude (of the same meridian); and finally, from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as far as the frozen ocean (Arctic), which constitutes the northern boundary. The treaty declared it as being understood that the Prince of Wales Island should belong wholly to the United States, and that whenever the summit of the

mountains, which extend in a direction parallel to the coast from the 56th degree of north latitude to the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west longitude, shall prove to be at a distance of more than ten marine leagues from the ocean, the limit between the British possessions and the line of coast which is to belong to the United States shall be formed by a line parallel to the winding of the coast, which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues therefrom.

The western boundary passes through a point in Bering Strait on the parallel of 65 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, at its intersection by the meridian which passes midway between the islands of Kruzenstern, or Ignalook, and the Island of Ratzmanoff, or Noonarbook, and proceeds due north, without limitation, into the Frozen Ocean. The same western limit, beginning at the same initial point, proceeds thence in a course nearly southwest through Bering Strait and Bering Sea, so as to pass midway between the northwest point of the Island of St. Lawrence and the southeast point of Cape Choukotski, to the meridian of 172 west longitude; thence, from the intersection of that meridian, in a southwesterly direction, so as to pass midway between the Island of Attu and the Copper Island of the Kormandorski couplet or group in

the North Pacific Ocean, to the meridian of 193 degrees west longitude, so as to include in the territory surveyed the whole of the Aleutian Islands east of that meridian.

The superficial area of the territory is generally, and erroneously, stated at 577,390 square miles, or less. These figures are based on computations made at or about the time of the transfer of the country to the United States, when Fort Yukon, occupied by the Hudson Bay Company, was believed to be within the western boundary of the British Northwest Territory, and have never since been changed by the compilers of school geographies and encyclopedias. Fort Yukon is at the mouth of the Porcupine River, on about the 147th meridian of longitude, and the mistake in computation of area is due to the fact that it was made before the 141st meridian, which constitutes the boundary line, had been definitely determined. In 1869 a party of engineers sent out by the War Department, ascertained, by astronomical observation, that Fort Yukon was within United States territory, and the Hudson Bay Company, under threat or fear of compulsion, vacated that post and removed to a point on the Porcupine River believed to be within British jurisdiction, and which is designated on the later maps as Rampart House. Here the post remained until 1890,