Page:Alaskan boundary tribunal (IA alaskanboundaryt01unit).pdf/115

 ‘They saw that there were mountains shown along the coast. and that there were other mountains between those rising wp from the water dine, and the mountains depicted as a continnons chiin front the northeast of the head of Porthind Canal around the head of Lynn Canal.

It also appeared that along these seaward mountains there wis uot uny crest of mountains parallel to the coast from Portland Canal to the 141 of longitude. They deseribed a particular crest of moun- tains that was in their mind's eye, for they sid:

Que purtout of ia eréte des montagnes qui sétendent daus me direction paralléle a la Céte.” ete.

It was on the divergence of these particular inountiins more than ten marine leagues from the ocean. that the line was to be tixed ly distance. The negotiators contemplated that these mountains might be more than ten marine leawues from the coast, a hypothesis which coukl not have been possible in respect of the irreguliur mountains shown to he along almost the entire coast, down to the very water's edge. In further demonstration of what mountains they meant, the reason for referring the boundary line to the mountains must he con- sidered. It had previously been understood that wherever the dividing line of the coast to be agreed on, should strike the coast, all of the coust to the north of that line was to belong to Russia, und it was understood by the negotiators that this was to be a strip on the continent for the pro- tection of Russian establishments from encroachinents by the subjects of Great Britain from the interior. The mountuins, therefore, were nota primary, but n secondary consideration, ‘Chey were a subsidiary and not a dominant feature of the Treaty, They were to strengthen and not to weaken. ‘They were introduced to more certainly detine the /és/re and not as a factor to disintegrate and destroy it. The moun- tains were not inveked by the Russians to bea Frankenstein, to destroy that which had been already conceded, and which they were called on Lo protect.