running from the head of Portland Canal northward, and to the interior of all the waters. They tight well so descend near the leads of inlets. and might be expected there to approuch ly an imper- ceptible declivity to the very edge of the coast, The mountains nenrest to the sea would not be expected to do anything else, What would be one of the possibilities in one case, would be the rule in the other case.
In his letter of explanation to Mr. Canning of Aug. 12, Lsz4, Sir Charles Bagot, in discussing the negotiations, differences. propositious and counter-proposition, never made any allusion whatever to the mountains, although in the Contre Draft of the Russian Plenipoten- tiuries.” which he transmitted, all reference to the mountains had heen eliminated, und they went back to his original proposition of a line following from its intersection with the 56° of lutitude, ‘cette eéte parall@lement a ses sinvosités.” They were unwilling to risk the base of the mountains, and hence professed to abandon the mountains altogether, in order to seeure a strip of uniform width, as England had proposed. “
Count Nesselrode, in his letter to Count Lieven of Aug. 31. 1824, referring to his counterdraft, says:
It abolishes the establishment of the monntains as the boundary of the strip of mainland which Russia would possess on the American Continent, and Jimits the wilth of this strip to ten marine leagues, in accordance with the wishes of England.
The third explanation with regard to the contre projet is as follows:
In the first paragraph of this article, az in Article II, we have suppressed all mention of the mountains which follow the sinnosities of the coast, It became neeless fron the momeut that one (of the articles} fixed the width of the strip of nenniand which wonld belong to Russia in marine leagues. ¢
This explanation is not entirely consistent with the previous contention of Russia. a= to the desire fora natural mountain barrier. aid manifestly they wanted then, to get away from the demand of Great Britain, for the line to run along the base of the mountitins. fearing Chat it might come at points too near the voust.
- UL S.C. App., 190-192, SUL C. App, 204. 2D. Si Ue Wis}h, S08.
