Page:Alaskan boundary tribunal (IA alaskanboundaryt01unit).pdf/117

 This showed the direction the line was expected to take, to attain the mountains referred to, and that it was to he prolonged iv the same direction up to the mountains. To reach the mountains proposed by Great Britain the Jine runs almost at right angles to this, The British proposal does not complete the line of demarcation and render it ax distinct ux possible. On the contrary, it constantly disrupts the line and is so uncertain that it depends for the identification of noun- tains fulfilling the terms of the treaty, upon the most labored, intri- vate and elnsive demonstration,

The only mountains on the map that in any way fll these condi- tions, are those which are depicted as a continuous chain extending from the northeast‘of the head of Porthmd Canal. parallel with the coast. around Taku Inlet and Lynn Canal, to the Latth degree of longitude. The language exactly describes the picture shown hy the maps, the word “sinuosittes” being used to denote a weneral and not uminute confornouition, It wasa most attractive and natural boundary, and this isa persuasive argument in favor of the conclusion that it alone was meant.

The reason given by the Russian plenipotentiaries for running the line along the mountsins appears in the succeeding paragraph of the contre-projet as follows:

The principal motive which constrains Rossia to insist apon sovereignty over the above-indicated lisiére (strip of territory) upon the mainland (terre ferme) from Portland Channel to the point of intersection of 60° Latitude with 139° longitude ix that, deprived of thi= territory, the Rossian-Ameriean. Company would lave no means of sustaining its establisiments, whieh would therefore be without any sup- port (point d’2ppui) and could have no solidity.

That Sir Charles Bagot understood exactly what the Russian nego- tiators had in mind in referring to the mountains is plain. for. in his amended proposal, he says:

Since it has been decided to take as a basis of negotiation the muutoal adyantae of the two countries, it shoukl be noted, in answer to the proposal made by the Russian plenipoteitinries, that a line of demarcation drawn from the southern extremity of Prince of Wales Island to the month of Portland Channel, thence up the middle of this channel nntil it tonches the mainland (terre ferme), thence to

the mountains bordering the coast, and thence alony the mountains as fur ax the 139° degree longitude, etc.

«U.S.C. App., 158. U.S. C. App., 156.