For these reasons the plenipotentiaries of Rusein have propoted as limite open the coast of the continent te the south, Porta Channel, the head of which lies about (pau) the S6th degree of north latitude.
It is important to pote that this is the first time in the nego- tiations that any reference is made to mouutains, and const, and to the sinnosities of the coast. None of these words lad before heen used, ‘The reference is distinetly to the mountiins which border the coast at Vorthind Channel. and from this point ‘la limite rentonteroit le long de ces montaynes parallélement aux sinuosités de in edte.”?
It was thus plainly indicated to Grent Britnin that the head of Porthand Channel was regarded by them as “coast.” From that point the houndary would ‘ascend along those mountains parallel to the sinnosities of the coast.” Unquestionably this ineant pxuallel to all the coast throughout its oxtent. which bad been chamed hy Russia, parallel to the coast of waters similar to Porthind Channel, and parallel. not to a iminland or weneral coast, but to a sinuous conist,
This proposition was never materially departed from) by Russia. Tt was, in all of its essential qualities, embodied in the treaty, The purpose and. sieniticamee of the words ** coast and) ‘mountains ” were never modified.
JANENDED PROVGSAL LV SIR CHARLES Band
In his amended proposal Sir Charles Bagot offered to accept a line “along the middle of the channel which separates Prince of Wales and Duke of York Islands from all the ishuids situated te the north of the said ishinds until it touches the nininkind (frre Jevoe)y thence extending in the same direction on the mainland to 2a point ten marine lergues from the coast the line world run from this point toward the north and northwest parallel with the sinuos- ities of the vonst, and always at a distunce of ten marine leagues from the shore, as fur as the 140th degree of lougitude (Greenwich), the prolongation of which it would then follow to the Polat Sea.*° Thus after reaching a point in the interior ten marine leagues from the coast the Tine was to ran * parulel with the sinosities
og. S.C. App..ael. eU, B.C. App, 1th
OC. 5. C. App, 158.
