Note 68 — Chapter IX
J. V. (Jedediah Vincent) Huntington translation
Russian explorations of the Northwest Coast of America began early in the eighteenth century, under the lead of Vitus Bering. In 1781 a company was formed to exploit the fur-trade; but because of its cruelty to the natives this was dissolved, and the Russian-American Company organized in 1799. The headquarters of the latter were established at New Archangel, or Sitka (Chitka), built 1799.—Ed.