When Mr. Resanof was preparing for his journey he addressed letters to many of the leading men of St. Petersburg, soliciting their contribution of books to promote the beginning of education in the far off possession of the Czar. Many sent a response in writing accompanied by one or more volumes, and the letters so sent were richly bound in a separate volume and placed with the library in the building at Sitka. Among the patrons were the Metropolite Ambrosia, Count Rumiantzof, Count Stroganof, Admiral Chichagof, Minister of Justice Dimitrief, Senator Zakarof and others. The sentiments were varied, but many agreed in voicing the desire to "sow the seed of science in the breasts of the peoples so far outlying from the enlightenment of Europe." Some of them reflected the personal character of the donors: The Metropolite Ambrosia sent books for church services; the Minister of Marine sent plans of ships; and Count Rumiantzof contributed works on husbandry.[7] Mr. Kyril Khlebnikof, the accountant of the Company, who was in charge of the counting house at Sitka from 1818 to 1832, to whom we are indebted for many valuable writings relating to the early history of the settlements, tells us that when Mr. Baranof left the colony the buildings had become badly decayed and much new construction had to be done. In 1827 there had been built, three sentry houses, a battery of thirty guns on the kekoor, and below them magazines, barracks and other buildings, a bakery, wharf, arsenal, etc. In the shops were blacksmiths, coppersmiths, locksmiths, coopers, turners, rope spinners, chandlers, painters, masons, etc. At the Ozerskoe Redoubt, on Deep Lake, were barracks and a fort, a flouring mill, a tannery, and other buildings. A zapor, or fish trap, in the stream took sixty thousand fish each year. [Illustration: The Bakery and Shops of the Russians--Later the Sitka Trading Co.'s Building.] The workmen got out timber from the forest for the building of ships, they cut fuel and burned charcoal in large quantities; kept the buildings in repair and did other duties required on the factory. The work of the gardening was chiefly done by the Aleuts, who were paid a ruble a day for their services. The Russian Captain Lutke came to Sitka about this time and he tells us that there were many pigs and chickens raised by the inhabitants, and that a pig might be had for 5 to 7 rubles, a hen for 4 to 5 rubles, and eggs at from 3-1/2 to 10 rubles per dozen. The chief drawback to the chicken industry was the presence of the great black ravens that carried away the young chicks and sometimes even the old hens. The ravens were such successful scavengers that they were called the New Archangel police, and he says they even bit the tails off the young pigs, so that all the hogs of the place were tailless.