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.21 And what is more, the rac s resuming hunting sea otters in the Tlingit22 kwans territorial waters in 1809 and 1810 again resulted in Indians dissatisfac-[149], (59)23 tion.The Indians hindered the hunting parties in their attempts to procure sea24 otters in every area.During skirmishes with the Tlingit in the summer of 180925 several Russian promyshlenniki were wounded and several partovshchiki were26 killed (Golovnin 1961:336; Khlebnikov 1985:46).In the spring of 1810 Baranov27 again sent out a hunting party from Novo-Arkhangel sk under the direction28 of his assistant Kuskov.The baidarka flotilla was convoyed by two ships: the29 Yunona, under Benzeman s command, and the American ship O Cain, with30 whose captain, J.Winship, Baranov was well acquainted.The party s voyage31 along the Alexander Archipelago s southern coasts was not especially successful32 because of clashes with the Tlingit, particularly in the region of Chatham33 Strait, during which eight Native partovshchiki where killed.Several Rus-34 sian promyshlenniki who accompanied the party were wounded (Khlebnikov35 1835:134 135).Finally, Kuskov decided to leave the Alexander Archipelago and36 move south with the party along the American mainland.However, near37 Dundas Island the baidarka flotilla was nearly attacked by the local Indians38 (Tlingit or Tsimshian).The American captain, Samuel Hill, who was located39 near Dundas Island on the brig Otter, unequivocally let Kuskov know that heHistory of Tlingit Relations in Russian America 149 1 would side with the Indians if there were an open clash with the Russians.352 The head of the party decided not to tempt fate, and on August 3 returned3 to Novo-Arkhangel sk with 1,400 sea otter skins.On the return trip, armed4 Tlingit lay in wait everywhere for the party, ready to attack at the slightest5 blunder (Khlebnikov 1985:46).6 The Natives strong resistance compelled Baranov to reject conducting an7 extensive hunt around the Alexander Archipelago.In a letter to Kuskov on8 January 20, 1811, he noted that near and surrounding places turned out to9 be insecure and dangerous for the hunt, so it is necessary to direct attention10 farther away, where attempts have already been made, that is the Albion shore,11 where the people are peaceful (or gbl, f.204, k.32, ed.khr.no.12, l.1 1ob.).12 The attempts that Baranov spoke of occurred as early as 1803, when a[150], (613 hunting party led by T.N.Tarakanov and A.Shvetsov procured sea otters14 along the shores of New Albion (Upper California) escorted by the AmericanLines: 5815 ship Eclipse (Khlebnikov 1985:46).36 This and subsequent successful hunting16 expeditions to the California shores led to Kuskov s founding Fort Ross there 17 in 1812.Sea otter furs that were procured on California s shores comprised a 0.0pt 18 substantial portion of the furs taken during these years in Russian America.Normal19 Thus, the hunt in California was able to compensate partially for the loss ofPgEnds:20 the hunts in the straits of the Alexander Archipelago.21 The Russians were not able to conduct a hunt immediately to the south of22 the Alexander Archipelago since all the Northwest Coast (to 40 north latitude)[150], (623 was occupied by warlike Koloshi, to whom American traders had provided24 arms.37 This was also the reason that the next Russian colony to the south of25 Novo-Arkhangel sk was founded in California, where the local Indians were26 peaceful, as correctly pointed out by Istomin (1980:57 58).In the scholarly27 literature climatic conditions favorable to developing agriculture and stock28 breeding are usually given as the reason for founding the Russian settlement29 in California.30 From 1810 to 1820 the tension in Russian-Tlingit relations, compared with31 the previous decade, had diminished somewhat, though during these years re-32 lations were periodically strained.Thus, in 1813, according to Tikhmenev, Sitka33 people accumulated arms and arranged a joint attack on Novo-Arkhangel sk34 with the Tlingit of neighboring kwans.However, the plot was uncovered in35 time and Baranov took precautionary measures that forced the Sitka people to36 give up their plans (Tikhmenev 1861:1:240).38 The Indians were dismayed that37 they had not succeeded in killing the Russians who were saved during the sloop38 Neva s wreck by Sitka Island in January 1813.As naval cadet M.I.Terpigorev, an39 eyewitness to the events, attested, the savage inhabitants of this place where150 History of Tlingit Relations in Russian America 1 the Neva wrecked tore their hair with frustration that they did not know of2 this incident.They said clearly: we would have killed all the people and seized3 the cargo and things cast off so that Baranov would never know (AGO, razr.4 99, op.1, d.7, l.17ob.).However, in the following year the Indians succeeded5 in killing two riflemen of the rac near Novo-Arkhangel sk.6 Nevertheless, from time to time the Russians tried to trade with the Tlingit7 in the straits of the Alexander Archipelago.For this purpose the ship Otkrytie8 was sent out in 1815, commanded by Ya.A.Podushkin, who succeeded in9 acquiring 486 sea otter skins from the Indians.This was dangerous work and10 therefore extreme precautions were taken against possible attack by the Natives11 during the trading.The deck of the ship was enclosed by boarding nets and12 sail screens; on the forecastle were weapons loaded with case shot; and the[151], (61)13 whole crew was armed and ready (Litke 1834:1:108).The least inattentiveness14 and thoughtlessness could have sad consequences: during the voyage amongLines: 58915 the islands of the Alexander Archipelago the navigator of the ship Otkrytie16 went ashore to gather berries, and not being armed, was taken captive by the 17 Tlingit.The latter took the navigator to the ship and, pressing a dagger to his 0.0pt Pg 18 breast, demanded a ransom from Podushkin half the ship s cargo, to which,Normal Pag19 of course, he could not agree.He devised a method of rescuing his subordinatePgEnds: TEX20 from Indian captivity in the style of the best pirate novels: Podushkin set off21 south to the Queen Charlotte Islands and lured two chiefs of the local Haida22 Indians onto his ship, then exchanged them for his careless navigator.Later,[151], (61)23 reporting the details of this episode to Second Lieutenant Litke, Podushkin24 coolly continued: Having gotten back the navigator, I ordered my marksman25 [Nikolai Zenchin] to shoot the toion who had captured him, who was then26 sitting on the shore quite near, but, unfortunately [emphasis by Litke], the rifle27 misfired (rga vmf, f.15, op.1, d.8, l.185).It would be interesting to know28 how many such episodes in Russian America s history remain unknown.29 In 1818 the Baranov era in the history of Russian America ended.After30 more than 25 years of service the Lord of Alaska, as he is called in Amer-31 ican literature, left the Russian colonies.The chiefs of many Tlingit kwans32 gathered to say good-bye to Baranov.To one of them his old friend, chief of33 the Auk kwan the now-former governor gave his chain mail, which he had34 worn for many years under his clothing and which had repeatedly saved his35 life (this relic is now located in the National Museum, in Washington, DC)36 (Miller 1967:156).In the words of one of Kan s contemporary Kaagwaantaan37 informants, the Tlingit respected Baranov as the Russian shaade haani, that38 is, the chief of high rank, and grieved at his departure from Alaska
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