12
" Comparing the geographical features of the two countries, he believes the American part of the country as rich in minerals as the Asiatic part, and is sure that gold might be found in all the rivers and valleys."
Mr. WASHBURN, of Wisconsin. " Might be found."
Mr. BANKS. I refer also to the statement of Mark Whiteman, who with other miners traveled over that country, visiting the tribes, resting and working with them, speaking the Cherokee, the Polish, the Russian, the English languages, and thus finding some one everywhere to give him some knowledge of the mineral resources of the country, which was the object of his visit. He found the precious metals himself, and brought them away with him; among others, platina in large quantities, the nature and value of which he did not understand until the specimens which he brought home were analyzed in California.
M. Roche also mentions platina, although it has not been mentioned by any of the officers of the Coast Survey, or by any of the correspondents, trappers, or natives, until the letter of Mark Whiteman brought it to light. Roche declared fifteen years ago that platina, lead, silver, diamonds, and other minerals found in Siberia would be discovered in the mountains of Russian America. In fact, he says that jet, kaolin, opal, black lead, gypsum, galena, porphyry, iron, carbonates, amber, sulphur, f)etroleum, variegated marble, iron ore, &c, lave been brought to light. Many beds of bituminous coal have been discovered on the coast and in the Aleutian Islands. The Russian steamers have long taken coal from the mines of Kodiak, which can furnish it for future commerce for many years yet.
In support of this testimony of Roche, we have received within a few days a carefully prepared and elaborate statement of Professor Davidson, whose opinions cannot be discredited, who says that in this territory is to be found the purest and the best coal upon the Pacific coast.
Mr. WASHBUEN, of Wisconsin. Will the gentleman be kind enough to refer to the page of Professor Davidson's testimony ?
Mr. BANKS. I will give the statement hereafter in Professor Davidson's own words. Pure copper is found in large cubic masses. Copper plates, hanjmered out by the natives, and with hieroglyphics engraved upon them, the history of their tribes and families, have been found. Silver is also found in many places ; also quartz, with sulphate of iron and lead. Gold has been reported at Cook's inlet, on the Stikine river.
Mr. WASHBUEN, of Wisconsin. "Reported."
Mr. BANKS. Reported by men who have been there. There is no doubt whatever about the existence of large quantities of gold on the Stikine river, and also on other streams wash-
ing down from the mountains which extend through the whole of this territory. A correspondent of the LaCrosse Republican, writing in excellent spirit, and, I have no doubt, in entire good faith, states the evidences which he saw of the existence of deposits of quicksilver-----
•[Here the hammer fell,]
'Mr. WASHBURN, of Wisconsin. This is a very important question: and I desire, as I have no doubt the House does, that both sides shall be fully heard. I move, therefore, that the time of the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Banks] be indefinitely extended. I possibly may ask for myself a similar favor. ^ The CHAIRMAN. If there be no objection, the time of the gentleman from Massachusetts will be indefinitely extended.
There was no objection.
Mr. MILLER. Before the gentleman from Massachusetts resumes his remarks, I desire to ask him to explain what quantity of the land embraced in this purchase is susceptible of cultivation.
Mr. BANKS.    I will do so.
Mr. MILLER. I have examined the gentleman's report very carefully, and I do not find anything on this point.
Mr. BANKS. The territory between the forty-fifth and sixtieth parallels of north latitude, west of the Rocky mountains, on the Pacific coast, embraces three hundred thousand square miles of cultivable, arable land, according to the statement of the land commissioner, based upon the authority of Mr. Blodgett, the climatologist, a gentleman of Pennsylvania, whose character is perfectly well known and highly appreciated in this country. There are three hundred thousand square miles of cultivable and arable land between the forty-fifth and sixtieth parallels, the greater portion of which is in Russian America—that part between the forty-fifth and fifty-fourth degrees above Vancouver's Island to the Russian possessions, west of the mountains^ being narrow and unimportant—according to Mr. Blod-fett' s statement. The Commissioner of Public /ands says there are twelve million eight hundred thousand acres—twenty thousand square miles—of land which can be brought into cultivation by actual settlers under the present land system of the United States.
The correspondents of the Alta Californian and Journal say there are twenty thousand square miles of cultivable and arable lands in the vicinity of Cook's inlet, which they call the garden of Alaska. There is more arable land in Alaska, according to the official statement of the Land Office, than there was estimated to be in California when we purchased that country from Mexico.
The testimony of newspaper correspondents and of our own officers and scientific men show that in many portions of this territory herds-grass, of excellent quality, grows wild without