Russia was fully informed of the terms of this lease and sanctioned it. as appears from the recital in Art. | of the lease. and also front the reports of the Russian officials printed in the record. There ean be no doubt. therefore, as to the Russian understanding that the southern boundary of her possessions on the coust extendect to 54% 407 and her intention to express that understanding in this lease,
It is eqtially clear that the attention of the British Government was (lirected to the muking of the Jease and to its terms. ‘The lease was the divect outcome of the Drynd claim, for the settlement of which the British Government was vivorously pressing, wad it is not to he presumed that the settlement, through the medium of this lease, was agreed to without a full understanding and approval of the cireum- stances on the part of Great Britain, Furthermore. the Hudson’s Bay Company had full knowledge of how the lease was mderstood by Russia and the testimony of Sir G. Simpson, the Goyernor of that compuny, quoted above is itself suflivient to show that that company aequiesced in such understanding and that knowledye of the lease, and its bearing on the question of the boundary at 54° 4 was brought home to the British Government. Further evidence of ofticial knowl- edge of this lease on the part of Great Britain is furnished hy the neutrality agreement with Russia, which was made expressly because ot the existence of this lease.
In view of these considerations, therefore, even if Creat Britain should plead oflicial ignorance of the lease prior to the detinite infor- nittion brought home to her as shown above, there certainly can be no doubt as to her notice at that time, and her acquiescence in the lease and her action with respect to it impute to her full knowledge of all that it involved,
Reference is also made to the numerous other specilic instances referred to elsewhere in the argument and in the United Stutes Case and Counter Case in connection with the lease of the /éeye which show that this mutual understanding as to the coincidence of 54 40 and the Portland Channel of the treaty received general aceeptation and con- firmation in the maps and the public and private writings emanating from British sources.
TONG des ISLAND STATION,
On page $ of the British Counter Case stress is laid on the location in 1835 by the Russian-Americin Company of a stition on Tongass
