Fish and deer-meat, with berries, formed the food of the natives, while furs were their only articles of trade.
[Illustration: VIEW OF SITKA] Russian America is of great extent, superficially.

It is agreeably diversified with mountains, hills, rolling country, and table land, with a liberal amount of _pereval_ or undulating swamp.

In the northern portion there is timber scattered along the rivers and on the mountain slopes; but the trees and their quantity are alike small.

In the southern parts there are forests of large trees, that will be valuable when Oregon and Washington are exhausted.

Along the coast there are many bays and harbors, easy of access and well sheltered.
Sitka has a magnificent harbor, never frozen or obstructed with ice.
Gold is known to exist in several localities.