Promotion of CANCER in California
After NP Rezanov visited California on the Juno and established diplomatic contacts with the Spaniards, the Russians continued to move south. Baranov continued mutually beneficial cooperation with the Americans. In 1806, three American ships fished for sea otters off the coast of California, using the Kodiak hunters, whom Baranov had singled out.
At the same time, the third ship "Peacock" by Oliver Kimball received under the contract for fishing in New Albion a small batch of 12 kayaks led by T. Tarakanov. Unlike previous expeditions, Bodega Bay to the north of San Francisco, outside of the territory colonized by the Spaniards, was chosen as the base. The stay of Tarakanov's party in Bodega Bay in 1807 marked the beginning of preparations for the Russian colonization of this area. It was then that the first geographical information was obtained about him, the first experience of colonization (temporary) was made and, apparently, the first contacts with local Indians were established.
Thus, by concluding such contracts with the Americans, Baranov took an initiative not sanctioned by the Main Board of the Russian-American Company, and took a certain risk.
Later, being actually recognized by the Main Board of the RAC, the practice of joint fishing expeditions, beneficial to both Baranov and the Americans, became common. The initiators were the Americans. The presence of Aleut hunters gave them the opportunity to create, at a distance from the Spanish settlements, a line of fishing bases where seals and sea otters were caught. Although in 1808 Baranov began to send his own ships to California, he did not abandon the contract system, which was beneficial to the RAC. It was only after the founding of Ross that the contract system, which brought significant benefits to both parties, gave way to the independent fishery of the RAC.
As a result, the fishing expeditions of O'Kane - Shvetsov (1803-1804), Winship - Slobodchikov and Kimball - Tarakanov (1806-1807) became the prologue of the Russian colonization of California, providing the Russians with the necessary information about the distant land and the first experience of living there. contacts with natives, economic activities in California.
Ruler of Russian America Alexander Andreevich Baranov
Expedition I. A. Kuskov 1808-1809
When the Russians first visited California, the area was not yet considered the primary target of Russian expansion in the south. Initially, the RAC hoped to colonize the northwestern coast, at least some of its parts, or to create strongholds. But in the extensive expansionist plans of N. P. Rezanov, which he presented to the directors of the RAC in 1806, already clearly draws attention to California. The most important in these plans is assigned to the mouth of the river. Colombia, which was seen as a "central place", a springboard for further expansion to the north (Prince of Wales Island, Juan de Fuca Strait) and south to San Francisco. The next object of expansion was considered Spanish California, approximately to Santa Barbara (34 Β° N), whose annexation to Russia "at the slightest coincidence of happy circumstances in favor of our political in Europe" saw Rezanov as a relatively easy thing, given the weakness of the Spaniards there. Rezanov was in a hurry, believing that the Russian Empire did not manage to occupy California before Spain because of the insufficient attention of the government to this region: βNow there is still an unoccupied interval, which is just as profitable and very necessary for us, and if we miss it, then what will he say offspring?"
The prospects for the development of agriculture in California were her second, after the sea otter fishing, dignity for the Russians. Rezanov considered the development of his arable farming and cattle breeding in New Albion "the most reliable means" of providing Russian America with food. In agriculture, the main labor force was to be either imported Chinese or natives, whom Rezanov mentions more often in this capacity, noting their "populousness". "Having caressed the wild", he hoped to exploit them in the manner of the Spanish religious missions: "by expelling the Jesuits there and establishing a mission to take advantage of the uncountable number of Indians of the local inhabitants, and to develop arable farming β¦"
The boldness and breadth of Rezanov's projects could seem like adventurism, which he himself was fully aware of. However, it was these people who laid the foundation for the great Spanish and British colonial empires. It was such ascetics who mastered Siberia for the Russian state, and went to the Pacific Ocean, and then created Russian America. And it was in Rezanov's projects that the idea of Russian California, the granary of the Russian colonies, was partly realized in the Ross colony.
The success of the first joint expeditions to California inspired Baranov, the head of Russian America. The information provided in 1807 by Tarakanov and Slobodchikov was especially interesting. During the expeditions, both of them made some maps ("plans"). Based on them, Baranov planned an expedition to New Albion. The place of her wintering was to be Bodega Bay or the Humboldt Bay in Northern California, discovered by the Winship-Slobodchikov expedition (originally the bay was called "Slobodchikovsky" or "Slobodchikov"). over this bay for Russia.
Baranov, despite his bad health, even wanted to lead an expedition himself, to which the ruler of Russian America attached great state and geographical importance. However, circumstances did not allow Baranov to leave Novo-Arkhangelsk at this time, and the command of the expedition, as an opportunity "to distinguish oneself with a famous β¦ feat", was entrusted to Baranov's closest assistant and comrade-in-arms - Ivan Aleksandrovich Kuskov (1765-1823).
In September 29, 1808, a fishing expedition was sent under the general leadership of IA Kuskov, consisting of the ships of the small schooner "Saint Nicholas" navigator Bulygin and the ship "Kodiak" navigator Petrov. The ships left the Novoarkhangelsk Bay (Alaska) and headed for the shores of California. The ships sailed separately because of their different speeds and delays in the exit of the Kodiak. Each ship had its own mission. The head of the expedition, Kuskov, and a fishing party consisting of Kodiak and Aleuts followed on the Kodiak. The main research load fell on "Nikolai". His main task was to describe the shores of New Albion from the Juan de Fuca Strait to Drake Bay all the way to San Francisco. Particular attention should be paid to the fishing and other resources, the way of life and customs of the local natives. The purpose of the expedition was deep exploration, but not colonization, which did not exclude the creation of temporary settlements.
The ship "St. Nikolay "under the command of navigator Bulygin could not complete the task. On November 1, 1808, the schooner was wrecked in the area of Cape Juan de Fuca (Flutteri). Having landed on the shore, the crew and passengers (21 people in total) were forced to confront the local Indians, at the risk of falling into slavery. Cockroaches call them "thorns", thus referring to the cultural type common to the northwest coast. As it was later established, the shipwreck and the wanderings of people from "Nikolai" took place on the ethnic territory of the Quiliut and Khokh Indians, and the main events took place in the area of the river. Hoh.
The shipwrecked people, suffering from hunger, wandered, pursued by the Indians. The natives were able to capture several people, including Bulygin's wife Anna Petrovna (she came from the indigenous population of America). Then the navigator, broken by the ordeal that fell to his lot, handed over command to Tarakanov on November 12. Russian travelers were able to take control of the upper reaches of the river. Khokh, where we spent the winter safely, having βplenty of foodβ. In February 1809, they began their descent along the river, planning to move to the river. Colombia.
Power in the detachment again passed to the navigator Bulygin, who tried to free his wife, taking a noble aboriginal woman hostage. But when the Indians brought Anna Bulygina for ransom, she, to the surprise and indignation of her compatriots, flatly refused to return, saying that she was satisfied with her condition, and advised her to voluntarily surrender to the tribe with which she ended up. Unafraid of her husband's threats, Anna declared that it would be better for her to die than to wander through the forests, where you can get to the "fierce and barbaric" people, while now she lives "with kind and benevolent people." Interestingly, Tarakanov decided to follow her advice. He took command and decided to surrender to the Indians. Tarakanov urged his comrades to believe Anna's arguments: "It is better β¦ to surrender to them voluntarily than to wander through the forests, incessantly fight against hunger and the elements, and fighting the wild, exhaust yourself, and finally get caught up in some brutal generation." It was a bold and extraordinary decision, which most of his companions did not accept, with the exception of Bulygin and three other people. However, the remaining travelers soon also fell to the Indians. They smashed the boat on rocks and were captured anyway.
The decision of Tarakanov and Bulygin, apparently, was the most correct in this situation. The victims of the crash did not know the local conditions and, due to their small number, could not survive in a hostile environment. As it happened more than once during the development of America, the condition for the survival and development of new lands was peace with the natives, at least at the initial stage. By surrendering, the travelers were given a chance to survive.
Tarakanov, Bulygin and their companions ended up in the "Kunischatsky village" near Cape Flutteri in slavery among the people of "kunishats", headed by the leader Yutramaki. The leader himself, who had Tarakanov, treated the prisoners really well. However, this was real patriarchal slavery: the captives were sold, exchanged, given away, etc. The Bulygins' spouses died. Tarakanov, on the other hand, was able, using his talent as a craftsman, and carving wooden dishes for the owner (for which he forged tools with stones from nails), won great authority among the Indians. In May 1810, 13 people from the "Nikolai", including Tarakanov, were bought and delivered in June to Novo-Arkhangelsk by the American captain Brown on the ship "Lydia". Another one was bought out a year earlier on the river. Colombia, 7 people died, one remained in slavery.
The Kodiak team was more fortunate. The Kodiak with Kuskov delayed its departure from Novo-Arkhangelsk until October 20, 1808. Due to bad weather, it could not approach Grace Harbor and headed for Trinidad Bay, which it reached on November 28th. However, here, too, the weather prevented the implementation of the plans. A fishing party headed by the same S. Slobodchikov was sent to Slobodchikovsky Bay (Humboldt), but because of the wind and waves at sea, it was impossible to approach the entrance to the bay. Then Kuskov and Petrov decided to follow to the south, erecting, in accordance with the instructions, a cross in the Trinidad Bay and giving the local aborigines a note for Bulygin.
Leaving Trinidad on December 7, the Kodiak arrived on December 15 at Bodega Bay, where, doing repairs and fishing, unsuccessfully awaiting the Nikolai. Fishing here was not successful due to the small number of sea otters (the animal was already heavily knocked out by the previous fishing parties), and then because of the weather. The badly battered ship was under repair until May 1809.
During the stay of the Kodiak in Bodega, at least five people escaped from the crew. They were attracted by the freedom and fertile conditions of California, especially in comparison with the harsh conditions of Alaska. For Kuskov, this came as a surprise, which forced him to restrict the activities of the entire expedition. In this situation, he tried to implement a minimum of tasks, moving to Trinidad and leaving a fishing party in Bodega under the command of Slobodchikov. But this plan also failed, because when everything was already ready, the Kodiaks fled in two more boats. Fearing that in the event of a ship accident on the way along these unfamiliar shores, others might also escape, Kuskov abandoned the original plan and remained in Bodega.
Here contacts were established with local Indians. The Indian chief informed the Russians about the "great bay with beavers" in the north, apparently referring to the Humboldt Bay. Kuskov sent a fishing detachment headed by Slobodchikov to the north. The detachment, having passed a dangerous path, was near Cape Mendocino, but did not reach the bay. During the search for the fugitives, kayaks surveyed Bodega and Drake Bay and the northern part of San Francisco Bay, where most of the fishing was carried out.
Besides. the expedition confirmed the presence of Russia in the new lands. This was done in the traditional way for Russians in America: by laying numbered metal boards with the inscription "Land of Russian possession." One board (No. 1) was laid in 1808 by S. Slobodchikov in Trinidad Bay, the other (No. 14) - by I. Kuskov himself in 1809 in the βMaliy Bodego Bayβ, the third board (No. 20) - by him in The "mouth" of Drake Bay. At the same time, during this expedition, the Indians were handed out gifts and silver medals "Allied Russia".
Leaving Bodega on August 18, the Kodiak arrived in Novo-Arkhangelsk on October 4, 1809. Thus, this first major Russian expedition along the western coast of North America, combining research, fishing and commercial purposes, was completed. Kuskov's expedition became an important link in the chain of events that marked the beginning of the Russian colonization of California. The founding of a colony on the territory of California was extremely necessary for the existence of all Russian settlements in America. And California was to become a food supply base for Russian America in the future. However, this still required the approval of St. Petersburg and the establishment of an outpost in California.
