— 7 — the period of a month, whether or not they desire to return to Russia, and it should be made clear that, in the second case, they will be forfeiting their right to • a free return passage. From the number of persons who will be willing to return to Russia as many as possible shall be gathered in New Archangel, and one part of them shall be embarked on the Company1s ships for the journey around-the-world to Kronstadt, the others shall be transported, also by the Company, to the Amur Region. Among the passengers sailing to the Amur Region will be also the lower ranks of the Siberian battalions who remained in the service of the Company after having obtained, in 1853 and 1856, His Majesty1s consent to their transfer to the 46th Navy crew. In May 1866, the colonies had one chief-officer and 8 men. The 4th § of the Treaty demands that all forts and military posts in the ceded territory shall be turned over to the agent of the United States, and that the Russian troops who were stationed there, shall leave the country as soon as it becomes possible without affecting the interests of both parties. For this reason the Committee prefers to have the servicemen transferred from the colonies in the shortest time to the Amur where they will be taken over by the local military command.