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",''...♦•'•■•*.......... •. • •. ■......• +* i j i,;,;,. i,| • • • *~> • • A-»_J ^ ^ ^f^r^tr i^iim wiwii iii 11 ^ i.....liw'.i ; i r if ynjfMf^ir i I in j1' " I —■ ■ ■■■ > • '*■*•?••... • •»■. ......*■....( ^F"' -q*" -4* ^k: ^ '-^€. -fi *»*fc»?jff *iiii ' ji'* %tV lili#i *m«*ni» ■ ■•■■■'I ^fc ; ^l0-*ftmm -4*-i* -t* -yt 4* 4* -** i* -<«■ '"-f* -4* WW^ii;« 1 ijij ^ii, i n < ill ill o Si 1 1 / 1 ul k) 1 iff 1 t Gb x s n A l Ad A /' JL of the* /aV// //dftfa/kf i?J\',> ir<*<' c",',' \ \--V=^F '/'■' f\/'Mt/'/t St>//.'S<'r////,, // ACCOUNT OF THE RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES BETWEEN ASIA AND AMERICA. x; m TO WHICH ARE A D D E Dj LTCRA T THE CONQUEST OF SIB > >c i; AN D THE HISTORY OF THE TRANSACTIONS AND COMMERCE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND CHINA. By WILLIAM C O X E, A* M. Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and Chaplain to his Grace the" Duke of Maryborough. L O N D O .N, PRINTED BY J. NICHOLS, i'OR T- CADELL, IN THE STRAND. MDCC LXXX. T O JACOB BRYANT, ESQ, AS A PUBLIC TESTIMONY O F THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR HIS DISTINGUISHED LITERARY ABILITIES, THE TRUEST ESTEEM FOR HIS PRIVATE VIRTUES, AND THE MOST GRATEFUL SENSE OF MANY PERSONAL FAVOURS, THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE INSCRIBED, BY HIS FAITHFUL AND AFFECTIONATE HUMBLE S E R VAN T, WILLIAM COXE. Cambridge, Match 27, 1780. PREFACE. HPhE late RvLfTian Difcovcrles between AM and America have, for fome time, engaged the attention of the curious; more efpecially fince Dr. Robertfon's admirable Hiftory of America has been in the hands of the public. In that valuable performance the elegant and ingenious author has communicated to the world, with an accuracy and judgement which fo eminently dif-tinguifh all his writings, the moft exact information at that time to be obtained, concerning thofe important difcoveries. During my flay at Petersburg, my inquiries were particularly directed to this interesting fub-jec~t, in order to learn if any new light had been thrown on an article of knowledge of fuch confequence to the hiftory of mankind- For this purpofe I endeavoured to colled the refpective journals of the feveral voyages fubfequent to the expedition of Beering and Tfchirikoff in 1741? with which the celebrated Midler concludes his account of the firft Ruflian navigations.. During During the courfe of my refearches I was informed, that a treatife in the German language, publifhed at Hamburg and Leipfic in 1776, contained a full and exact narrative of the Ruffian voyages, from 1745 to 1770 * As the author has not prefixed his name, I fhould have paid little attention to an anonymous publication, if I had not been allured, from very good authority, that the work in queltion was compiled from the original journals. Not refling howrever upon this intelligence, I took the liberty of applying to Mr. Muller himfelf, who, by order of the Emprefs, had arranged the fame journals, from which the anonymous author is faid to have drawn his materials. Previous to my application, Mr, Muller had compared the treatife with the original papers; and he favoured me with the following ftrong teftimony to its exadlnefs and authenticity : " Vous feres bien de traduire pour l'ufage de vos com-" patriotes le petit livre fur les ifles fituees entre le Kamt-" chatka et l'Amerique. II n'y a point de doute, que " Tauteur n'ait ete pourvu de bons memoires, et qu'il ne " s'en foit fcrvi fidelement. J'ai confronte le livre avec les * The title of the book is, Ncuc Nachrichten von denenNeucndeck ten Infuln in der Seq .zwifchen Afia und Amerika aus mitgetheilten Ur-kundcn und Aufzucgen verfaffet von J. L. S. " originaux.'' " originaux." Supported therefore by this very refpec-table authority, I confidercd this treatife as a performance of the higheft credit, and well worthy of being more generally known and perufed. 1 have accordingly, in the firft part of the prefent publication, fubmitted a translation of it to the reader's candour; and added occafional notes to fuch paflages as feemed to require an explanation. The original is divided into fections without any references. But as it feemed to be more convenient to divide it into chapters ; and to accompany each chapter with a fummary of the contents, and marginal references; I have moulded it into that form, without making however any alteration in the order of the journals. The additional intelligence which I procured at Peterfburg, is thrown into an appendix: It con-fifts of fome new information, and of three journals-, never before given to the public. Amongft thefe I muft particularly mention that of Krenitzin and LevafhefT, together with the chart of their voyage, which was communicated to Dr. Robertfon, by order of the Emprefs of Ruflia ; and which that juftly admired hiftorian has, in the politeft and moft obliging manner, * The journals of Krenitzin and LevafhefT, the fhort account of Synd's voyage, and the narrative of ShalaurofTs expedition, N° I. IX. XI. 4 permitted permitted me to make ufe of in this collection. This voyage, which redounds greatly to the honour of the Sovereign who planned it, confirms in general the authenticity of the treatife above-mentioned ; and aScertains the reality of the discoveries made by the private merchants. As a farther illuftration of this Subject, I collected the beft charts which could be procured at Peterfburg, and of which a lift will be given in the following advertisement. From all theSe circumftancesy I may venture, perhaps, to hope that the curious and inquilitive reader will not only Sind in the following pages the moft authentic and circumftantial account of the pro-greSs and extent of the Ruffian diScoveiies, which has hitherto appeared in any language; but be enabled here-after to compare them vvith thole more lately made by that great and much to be regretted navigator, Captain Cooke, when his journal fliajl be communicated to the public. As all the furs which are brought from the New 'Discovered Iflands are Sold to the ChincSe, 1 was naturally led to make enquiries concerning the commerce between Ruffia rand China; and finding this branch of traffic much more important than is commonly imagined, J thought that a general Sketch of its preSent ftate, 3 together together with a Succinct view of the transactions between the two nations, would not be unacceptable. The conqucft of Siberia, as it firft opened a communication with China, and paved the way to all the in-terefting difcoveries related in the prefent attempt, will not appear unconnected, 1 trull, with its principal deiign. The materials of this Second part, as alfo of the preliminary obfervations concerning Kamtchatka, and the commerce to the new-difcovcred iilands, are drawn from books of eftablifhed and undoubted reputation. Mr. Muller and Mr. Pallas, from whofe interesting works theSe hiftorical and commercial Subjects are chiefly compiled, are too well known in the literary world to require any other vouchers for their judgement, exactnefs, and fidelity, than the bare mentioning of their names. I have only farther to apprize the reader, that, befides the intelligence extracted from thefe publications, he will find Some additional circumftances relative to the Ruffian commerce with China,, which 1 collected during my continuance in Ruffia. b I CAN- f x ] I CANNOT clofe this addrefs to the reader without embracing with peculiar Satisfaction the jure occafion, which the enfuing treat iScs upon the Ruffian difcoverics and commerce afford me, of joining with every friend of fcience in the warmeft admiration of that enlarged and liberal fpirit, which fo ftrikingly marks the character of the prefent Emprefs of Ruffia. Since her acceffion to the throne, the inverTigation and diSco-very of ufeful knowledge has been the conftant object of her generous encouragement. The authentic records of the Ruffian Hiftory have, by her expreSs orders, been properly arranged ; and per million is readily granted of inspecting them. Themoftdiftant parts of her vaft dominions have, at her expence, been explored and deScribed by per-fons of great abilities and extenfive learning; by which means new and important lights have been thrown upon the geography and natural hiftory of thofe remote regions. In a word, this truly great princefs has contributed more, in thecompaSs of only a few years, towards civilizing ami informing the minds of her Subjects, than had been effected by all the Sovereigns her predeceffiors Since the glorious aera of Peter the Great. In In order to prevent the frequent mention of the full title of the books referred to in the courie of this performance, the following catalogue is Subjoined, with the abbreviations. 1 » Muller's Samlung Ruffifchcr Gefchichte, IX volumes, 8vo. printed at St. Peterfburg in 1732, and the following years ; it is referred to in the following manner : S. R. G. with the volume and page annexed. From this excellent collection I have made ufe of the following treatifes : vol. II. p. 293, &c. Gefchichte der Gegenden an dem FlufTe Amur. There is a French translation of this treatife, called Hiftoire du Fleuve Amur, i2mo, Amftcrdam, 1766. vol. III. p. I, &c. Nachrichtcn von Sec Rcifen, Sec. There is an Englifh and a French tranflation of this work ; the formed is called " Voyages from Afia to America for completing the Difcoveries of the North Weft Coaft of America," &c. 4-to, London, 1764. The title of the latter is Voyages et Decouvertes faitcs par les Ruffes, &c. i2mo, Amfterdam, 1766. p.413. Nachrichtcn Von derHanlung inSibirien. Vol. VI. p. 109, Sibirifche Gelhichte. Vol. VIII. p. 504, Nachricht Von der Ruffifchcn Handlung nach China. Pallas Rcife durch verfchicdenc Provinzen des Ruflifchen Reichs, in Three Parts, ^to, St. Peterfburg, 1771, 1773, and 1776, thus cited, Pallas Rcife. Georgi Bemerkungcn ciner Rcife im Ruflifchen Reich in Jahre, 1772, III volumes, 4to, St. Peterfburg, 1775, cited Georgi Rcife. Fifcher Sibirifche Gefchichte, 2 volumes, 8vo, St. JPeterfburg, cited Fif. Sib. Gef. r Gmelin Reife durch Sibirien, Tome IV. 8vo. Gottingcn, 1752, cited Gmelin Reifc. b 2 There There is a French tranflation of this work, called Voyage en Siberie, &c. par M. Gmelin. Paris, 1767. Neuefte Nachrichten von Kamtchatka aufgefetft im Junius de$ I773'un Yahren von dcm dafigen Bcfehls-haber Herrn Kapitain Smalew. Aus dem abhandlungen der freyen Ruflifchen Gefellfchaft Mofkau. In the journal of St. Peterfburg, April, 1776.—cited Journal of St. Pet. Explanation of fome Ruffian words made ufe of in the following work. Baidar, a fmall boat, Guba, a bay. Kamen, a rock. Kotcbe, a veffel. Krepoji, a regular fortrefs. Nofs, a cape. OJlrog, a fortrefs furrounded with palifadoes. Ojlrqff, an ifland. Oflrova, iflands. .Quafs, a fort of fermented liquor. lleka, a river. The Ruffians, in their proper names of perfons, make ufe of pa* tronymics; thefe patronymics are formed in fome cafes by adding Vitch to the chriflian name of the father; in others Off or Eff: the former termination is applied only to perfons of condition; the latter to thofe of an inferior rank. As, for inflance, Among perfons of condition-Ivan Ivanovitcb, 1, , _ ¥ & r .. _ . . . ,r t tvan the fon of Ivan, ol interior rank, Ivan ivanoff J Mchael Alexievitch,~) Michael the fon Michael AUxeeff, J of Alexey. Sometimes a furnamc is added, Ivan Ivanovitcb Romanoff. 1 Table Table of Ruffian Weights, Meafures of Length, and Value of Money. WEIGHT. A pood weighs 40 Ruffian pounds = 36 Englifh. MEASURES OF LENGTH, 16 verfhocks = an armeen. An arfhecn as 28 inches. Three arfheens, or feven feet = a fathom *, or fazfhen. 500 fazlhcns = a verff. A degree of longitude comprises £04! verfts = 69^ Englifli miles. A mile is therefore 1,515 parts of a verft ; two miles may then be cfti-matcd equal to three verfts, omitting a fmall fraction. VALUE OF RUSSIAN MONEY. A rouble = 100 copecs. Its value varies according to the exchange from 3s. 8d. to 4s. 2d. Upon an average, however, the value of a rouble is reckoned at four ihillings. * The fathom fo* meafuring the deptb of water is the fame ai the Englifh fathom = 6 feet. I E R ERRATA. T. 33, Reference,for Appendix I. N° I. rcadW II. 24, /or Appendix I. N° II. read N° III. 30, for Rogii >-iW Kogii. 46, /'or Rik£a Kifka. 96, /br Koroviti read Korelin, 186, Note—-for Tobob read Tobol. 154, Note—Line 2, «/i with a fmall chart of the Bear-Iflands, P~323* View of Maimatfchin, p. 21 r» Communicated by a gentleman who has been upon the fpot. CON- CONTENTS. Dedication p, ill. Preface, p. v. Catalogue of booh quoted in this work, p. xi. Explanation of fome Ruffian words made ufe of, p. xlii. Table of Ruffian Weights, Meafures of Length, and Value of Money^ p. xiv. Advertifement, p. xv. Lift of Charts, and Directions for placing them, p. xvi. PART L Containing Preliminary Obfervations concerning Kamtchatka, and Account of the New Discoveries made by the Russians, p. 3—16. Chap. I. Difcovery and Conquefl of Kamtchatka—Prefent Jlate of that Peninfula—Population—Tribute—Produce tions, ckc. p. 3. Chap. II. General idea of the commerce carried on to the New Dij(covered Iflands—Equipment of the veffels—Rifks of the trade, profits, &x. p. 8. Chap. III. Furs and fkins procured from Kamtchatka and the New Difcovered Iflands, p. 12. Account of the Russian Discoveries, p. 19. Chap. I. Commencement and progrefs of the Ruffian Dif- coveries in the fea of Kamtchatka—General divifwn of the New Dif covered Iflands, ibid. c Chap. Chap. II. Voyages in 1745 — Firft difcovery of the Aleutian Ifles, by Michael NevodfikofF, p. 29, Chap. III. Succeffive voyages, from 1747 to 1753, to Beering's and Copper Ifland, and to the Aleutian Ifles—-Some account of the inhabitants, P- 37- Chap. IV. Voyages from 1753/0 1756, Some of the further Aleutian or Fox Iflands touched at by Serebrani-korT's veffel—Some account of the natives, p. 48. Chap. V. Voyages from 1756/0 1758, P* 5 4 Chap. VI. Voyages in 1758, 1759? and 1760, to the Fox Iflands, in the St. Vladimir, fitted out by Trapef-nikofl—and in the Gabriel, by Bethfhevin—The latter, under the command of Pufhkareff, fails to Alakfu, or Alachfhak, one of the remotefi Eafiern Iflands hitherto vifited—Some account of its inhabitants, and productions, which latter are different from tbofe of the more Weflern iflands, p. 61. Chap. Vri. Voyage o/Andrean Tolftyk,7/2 the St.Andrean and Natalia—Difcovery of fome New Iflands, called AndreanofFsky Ottrova—Defcription of fix of tbofe iflands, p. 71. Chap. VIII. Voyage of the Zacharias and Elizabeth, fitted out by KulkofF, and commanded by Daufinin—They fail to Umnak and Unalafhka, and whiter upon the latter ifland—The veffel defiroyed, and all the crew, except, four, murdered by the iflanders—The adventures of thoje four Ruffians, and their wonderful efcapc, p. 80. Chap, Chap. IX. Voyage of the veffel called the Trinity, under the command of Korovin—Sails to the Fox Iflands— Winters at Unalaihka—Puts to fea the fpring following—The veffel is flranded in a bay of the ifland Umnak, and the crew attacked by the natives—Many of them killed—others carried off by ficknefs—They are reduced to great flreights—Relieved by GlottofT, twelve of the whole company only remaining—Defeription of Um-nak and Unalafhka, p. 89. Chap. X. Voyage of Stephen GlottofT—He reaches the Fox Iflands—Sails beyond Unalafhika to Kadyak— Winters upon that ifland—Repeated attempts of the natives to deflroy the crezv—They are repulfed, reconciled, and prevailed upon to trade with the Ruffians—Account of Kadyak—Its inhabitants, animals, productions— GlottofT fails back to Umnak—winters there—returns to Kamtchatka—Journal of his voyage, p. 106. Chap. XI. SoloviofFs voyage—He reaches Unalafhka, and paffes two winters upon that ifland—Relation of what paffed there—fruiilefs attempts of the natives to deflroy the crew—Return 0/Solovioff to Kamtchatka—Journal of his voyage in returning—Defcription of the iflands of Umnak and Unalafhka, productions, inhabitants, their manners, cufloms, Sec. &:c. p. 131. Chap. XII. Voyage of Otcheredin—He winters upon Umnak—Arrival of LevafhefT upon Unalafhka—Return of Otcheredin to Ochotfk, p. 156. c 2 Chap. Chap. XIII. Goncluflon—General pojition andfituathn of the Aleutian and Fox Iflands—their diflance from each other—Further defcription of the drefs, manners, and cuflom of the inhabitants—their feafls and ceremonies, p. 164. PART II. Containing the Conqueft of Siberia, and the Hiftory of the Tranfaelions and Commerce between Russia and China, p. 175. Chap. I. Firfi irruption of the Ruffians into Siberia—fecond inroad—Yermac driven by the Tzar of Mufcovy from the Volga, retires to Orel, a Ruffian fettlement—Enters Siberia, with an army of Coffacs—his progrefs and exploits—Defeats Kutchum Chan—conquers his dominions —cedes them to the Tzar—receives a reinforcement of Ruffian troops—is furprized by Kutchum Chan—his defeat and death—veneration paid to his memory—Ruffian troops evacuate Siberia—re-enter and conquer the whole country—their progrefs flopped by the Chinefe, p. 177. Chap. II. Commencement of hoflilities between /^Ruffians and Chinefe—dif put es concerning the limits of the two empires—treaty 0/Nerfhinsk—embaffies from the court of Ruffia to Pekin—treaty of Kiachta—ejlablifhment of the commerce between the two nations. p. 197. Chap. III. Account of /^Ruffian and Chinefe fettleme?2ts upon the confines of Siberia—defcription of the Ruffian frontier town Kiachta—of the Chinefe frontier town Maitmatfchin—its buildings, pagodas, 8cc, p. 211. Chap. Chap. IV. Commerce between the Chinefe and Ruffians— lift of the principal exports and imports—duties—average amount of the Ruffian trade, p. 231. Chap. V. Defcription 0/Zuruchaitu—and its trade—tranf-port of the merchandize through Siberia. p. 244. PART III. Appendix I. and II. containing Supplementary Accounts of the Russian Discoveries, 8cc. Sec. Appendix I. Extract from the journal of a voyage made by Captain Krenitzin and Lieutenant LevafhefT to the Fox Hands, in 1768, 1769, by order of /^Emprefsof Ruffia ~—tbey fail from Kamtchatka—arrive at Beering's and Copper Iflands—reach the Fox Iflands—Krenitzin winters at Alaxa—LevafhefT upon Unalafhka—productions of Unalafhka—defcription of the inhabitants of the Fox Iflands—their manners and cujloms, Sec. p. 251. N° II. Concerning the longitude of Kamtchatka, and of the Eafiern extremity of Alia, as laid down by the Ruffian geographers. p. 267.. N° III. Summary of the proofs tending tofiew, that Beering and TfchirikofT either reached America in 1741, or came very near it. p. 277* N° IV. Lift of the principal charts reprefenting the Ruffian-Difcoveries. p. 281. N° V. Pofition of the AndreanofTiky Ifles afcertained— number of tbe Aleutian Ifles.. p. 288. 5 N° N° VI. Conjectures concerning the proximity of the Fox 1 Hands to the continent of America. p. 291. N° VII. Of the Tfchutfki—reports of the vicinity of America to their coafl,firfl propagated by them, feem to be confirmed by late accounts from tbofe parts. p. 293. N° VIII. Lift of the New Difcovered Iflands, procured from an Aleutian chief—catalogue of [/lands called by different names in the account of the PuifTian dif cover ies. p. 297. N° IX. Voyage of Lieutenant Synd to the North Eafi of Siberia—he dif covers a clufier of iflands, and a promontory, which he fuppofes to belong to the continent of America, lying near the coafl of the Tfchutski. p. 300. N° X. Specimen of the Aleutian language. p. 303. N° XI. Attempts of the Ruffians to difcover a North Eafi paffage—voyages from Archangel tozvards the Lena— from the Lena towards Kamtchatka—extract from Midler's account of DefhnefT's voyage round Tfchukot-skoi Nofs—narrative of a voyage made by ShalaurofF from the Lena to Shelatskoi Nofs. p. 304. Appendix II. Tartarian rhubarb brought to Kiachta by the Bucharian merchants—method of examining and pur* chafing the roots—different [pedes of rheum which yield the finefl rhubarb—price of rhubarb in Ruffia—expor-■ lation—fuperiority of the Tartarian over the Indian rhubarb. p. 332. Table of the longitude and latitude of the principal places -mentioned in this work. p. 344. 7 PART PART I. CONTAINING I PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA, and II. ACCOUNT OF THE NEW DISCOVERIES MADE BY THE RUSSIANS. C 3 1 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS KAMTCHATKA, &c. Dijcovery and Conquefl of Kamtchatka—Prefent ftate of that Peninfula—Population—Tribute—Productions, &c. H E Peninfula of Kamtchatka was not difcovered RrftDifawery by the Ruffians before the latter end of the laft ka* century. The firft expedition towards thofe parts was made in 1696, by fixteen Cofiacs, under the command of Lucas SemsenofF Morofko, who was fent againft the Koriacks of the river Opooka by Volodimir Atlaflbff commander of Anadirfk. Morofko continued his march until he came within four days journey of the river Kamtchatka, and having rendered a Kamtchadal village tributary, he returned to Anadirfk *. concerning CHAP. I. * S. R. G. V. III. p. 72. B z V U E LI M I N A $ Y -OBSERVATION S The following year AtlafTofF himfelf at the head of a larger body of troops penetrated into the Peninfula, took poffefhon of the river Kamtchatka by creeling a crofs upon its banks; and built fome huts upon the fpot, where Upper Kamtchatkoi Oifrog now Hands. , „ . r. ;Thefe expeditions.were continued during the following ZSdbyad years : Upper and Lower Kamtchatkoi Dffrogs and BoK e ao», c^ieret^ were built ; the Southern diftricl conquered and colonifed ; -and in 17 11 the whole Peninfula was finally reduced under the dominion of the Ruffians. During fome years the poneffion of Kamtchatka >.brought very little advantage to the crown, excepting the final 1 tribute of furs exacted from the inhabitants. The Ruffians indeed occafionally hunted in that Peninfula foxes, wolves, ermines, fables, and other animals, whole valuable lkins form an exteniive article of commerce among the Saltern nations. .But the fur trade carried on from thence was inconfldcrablc ; until the Ruffians difcovered the iflands Unrated between Ana and America, in a fcries of voyages, the journals of which will be exhibited in the fubfequent tranflation. Since thefe difcoverics, the variety of rich furs, which are procured from tbofe Iflands, has greatly encreafed the trade of Kamtchatka, and rendered it a very important branch of the Ruffian commerce. The Peninfula of Kamtchatka lies between 51 and 62 degrees of North latitude, and 173 and 182 of longitude from the Iile of Fcro. It is bounded on the Eaft and South by the Sea of Kamtchatka, on the Weft by the Seas of Ochotfk and Penfhinfk, and on the North by the country of the Koriacs. It is divided into four diftricls, Bolchereik, TMlfltaia f^L, 7 ' ° Snte of Kamt- Krepoft, Verchnei or Upper Kamtchatkoi Oftrog, andclialka' Nifhnei or Lower Kamtchatkoi Oftrog. The govern- Government, ment is vefted in the chancery of Bolchereik, which depends upon and is iubjedt to the infpedion of the chancery of Ochotfk. The whole Ruffian force ftationed in the Peninfula confifts of no .more than three hundred men*. The prefent population of Kamtchatka is very fmall, Population, amounting to fcarce four thoufand fouls. Formerly the inhabitants were more numerous, but in 1768, that country was greatly depopulated by the ravages of the fmall-pox, by which diforder five thoufand three hundred and fixty-eight perfons were carried off. There arc now only feven hundred and fix males in the whole Peninfula who are tributary, and an hundred and fourteen in the Kuril Hies, which are fubjecl: to Ruffia. • Journal of St. Peterfburg for April 1777. Tribute, The fixed annual tribute confifts in 279 fables, 464 red foxes, 50 fea-otters with a dam, and 38 cub fea-otters. All furs exported from Kamtchatka pay a duty of 10 per cent, to the crown ; the tenth of the cargoes brought from the new difcovered iflands is alio delivered into the cuHorns. Vokanos. Many traces of Volcanos have been obferved in this Peninfula ; and there are fome mountains, which are at prefent in a burning flare. The moft confiderable of thefe Volcanos is fituated near the Lower Oftrog. In 1762 a great noife was heard ifTuing from the infide of that mountain, and flames of fire were feen to burft from different parts. Thefe flames were immediately fucceed-ed by a large ftream of melted fnow water, which flowed into the neighbouring valley, and drowned two Kamt-chadals, who were at that time upon an hunting party. The afhes, and other combuftible matter, thrown from the mountain, fpread to the circumference of three hundred verfts. In 1767 there was another difcharge, but lefs confiderable. Every night flames of fire were obferved ftreaming from the mountain ; and the eruption which attended them, did no fmall damage to the inhabitants of the Lower Oftrog. Since that year no flames have been feen; but the mountain emits a conftant fmoke. The fame phaenomenon is alfo obferved upou another mountain, called Tabaetfhinfkian. The face of the country throughout the Peninfula is Production., chiefly mountainous. It produces id fome parts birch, poplars, alders, willows, underwood,' and berries of different forts. Greens and other vegetables are raifed with great facility ; fuch as white cabbage, turneps, radifhes, beetroot, carrots, and fome cucumbers. Agriculture is in a very low ftate, which is chiefly owing to the nature of the foil and the fevere hoar froits ; for though fome trials have been made with refpecf. to the cultivation of corn, and oats, barley and rye have been fown ; yet no crop has ever been procured fufficient in quality or quality to anfwer the pains and expence of railing it. Hemp however has of late years been cultivated with great fuccefs*. Every year a veflel, belonging to the crown, fails from Ochotfk to Kamtchatka laden with fait, provifions, corn, and Ruffian manufactures; and returns in June or July of the following year with fkins and furs. * Journal of St. Peterfburg. C II A P. C II A P. IL General idea of the commerce carried on to the New Dif-covered Iflands.—Equipment of the v.effels.—Rijks of. the trade, profits, Q INCE the conclufion of Beering's voyage, which was made at the expence of the crown, the profeevb-tion of the New Difcoveries began by him has been aL molt entirely carried on by individuals. Thefe perfons were principally merchants of Irkutfk, Yakutfk, and other natives of Siberia, who formed themfelves into fmall trading companies, and fitted out vefTels at their joint expence. Equipment ot ' Mod of the vefTels which are equipped for thefe ex pe- the vetfeH. x rir, i ditions are two mailed : they are commonly built without iron, and in general fo badly conftrudtcd, that it is wonderful how they can weather fo flormy a fea. They are called in Ruffian Skitiki or fewed vefTels, becaufe the planks are fewed together with thongs of leather. Some few are built in the river of Kamtchatka; but they are for the moil part conilructed at the haven of Ochotfk. The largeft'of thefe vefTels are manned withfeventy men, and the fmalleft with forty. The crew generally coniifls of an equal number of Ruffians and Kamtchadals. The 5 latter latter occaiion a ■ confiderable faving, as their pay is. fmall; they alio refill, more cafily than the former, the attacks of the fcurvy. But Ruffian mariners are more enterprising and more to be depended upon in time of danger than the others; fome therefore are unavoidably ncceifary. The expences of building and fitting out the vefTels JJEXf* are very confiderable : for there is nothing at Ochotfk"ac" but timber for their conftruclion. Accordingly cordage, fails, and fome provifions, muff be brought from Ya-kutfk upon horfes. The dearnefs of corn and flour, which muft be tranfported from the diftricts lying about the river Lena, renders it impoffible to lay-in any large quantity for the fubfiftcnce of the crew during a voyage, which commonly lafts three or four years. For this reafon no more is provided, than is neceflary to fupply the Ruffian mariners with quafs and other fermented liquors. From the exceffive fcarcity of cattle both at Ochotfk and * Kamtchatka very little pro virion is laid in at either of thole places : but the crew provide themfelves • In 1772 there were only 1570 head of cattle upon the whole Peninfula. A cow fold from 50 to 60 Roubles, an ox from 60 to 100. A pound of freih beef fold upon an average for i2|- copecs. The exceffive dearnefs of this price will be cafily conceived, when it is known, that at Molcow a pound of beef fells for about three copecs. Journ. St. Peterfb. ' with a large ltore of the flefh of fea animals, which are caught and cured upon Beering's Ifland, where the vefTels for the moff. part winter* After all expences are paid, the equipment of each veffel ordinarily cofts from 15,000 to 20,000 Roubles. And fometimes the expences amount to 30,000. Every velTel is divided into a certain number of fhares, generally from thirty to fifty ; and each lhare is worth from 300 to 500 Roubles. The rifle of the trade is very great, as fhlpwrecks are common in the fea of Kamtchatka, which is full of rocks-and very tempefluous. Befides, the crews are frequently furprifed and killed by the iflanders, and the vefTels Fwfits. deflroyed. In return the profits arifing from thefe voyages are very confiderable, and compenfate the in-conveniencies and dangers attending them. For if a fhip comes back after having made a profitable voyage, the gain at the mofl moderate computation amounts to cent, per cent, and frequently to as much more* Should the veffel be capable of performing a fecond; expedition, the expences are of courfe confiderably lefTened, and the fhares are at a lower price. Some notion of the general profits arifing from this trade (when the voyage is fuccefsful), may be deduced from the fale of a rich cargo of furs, brought to to Kamtchatka, on the 2d of June, 1772, from the new-difcovered iflands, in a veffel belonging to Ivan Popoff. The tenth part of the fkins being delivered to the cuftoms, the remainder was diftributed in fifty-five fhares. Each fhare confifled of twenty fea-otters, fixteen black and brown foxes, ten red foxes, three fea-otter tails ; and fuch a portion was fold upon the fpot from 800 to 1000 Roubles: fo that according to this price the whole lading was worth about 50,000 Roubles * Georgi Reife Tom. I. p. 23, & feq. Journal of St. Peterfburg. C H A P. chap. nr. Furs and fkins procured from Kamtchatka and the Ne^ Dif covered Iflands. Furs and Skins brought from Kamtchatka and tht New Discovered f § a h E principal furs and fkins procured from the Peninfula of Kamtchatka and the New Difcovered Iflands are fca-otters, foxes, fable's, ermines, wolves,, bears, &x,—Thefe furs are transported to Ochotfk by fea, and from thence carried to * Kiachta upon the frontiers of Siberia; where the greateft part of them are fold to the Chinefe at a very confiderable profit.. Sea-otter*. of all thefe Turs the fkins of the fea-ottcrs are the richeft and moft valuable. Tbofe animals refort in great numbers to the Aleutian and Fox Iflands: they arc called by the Ruffians Bobry Morfki or fea-beavers, and fometimes Kamtchadal beavers, on account of the re-femblance of their fur to that of the common beaver* From thefe cir cum fiances feveral authors have been led into a miitake, and have fuppofed that this animal is of the beaver fpecies; whereas it is the true fea-otter f. * See Part II. Chap. III. f S. R, G. III. p. 5 ;o. The female are called Matka or dams ; and the cubs till five months old Medviedki or little bears, becaufe their coat refemhles that of a bear ; they lofe that coat after five months, and then are called Kofchloki. The fur of the fined fort is thick and long, of a dark colour, and a fine gloffy hue. They are taken four ways; Ifruek with darts as they are Sleeping upon their backs in the fea, followed in boats and hunted down till they are tired, furprifed in caverns, and taken in nets. Their fkins fetch different prices according to their quality. At Kamtchatka- the beft fell for per fkin from - - - 30 to 40 Roubles. Middle fort 20 to 30 Worfl fort 15 to 25 At Kiachta! the old and middle-aged fea-otter fkins are fold to the Chinefe per fkin from So to 100 The word fort 30 to 40 * Journal St. Peterfburg. -j^ Pallas Reile. Part III. p. 137. As As thefe furs fetch fo great a price to the Chinefe, they are fcldom brought into Ruffia for fale : and feveral, which have been carried to Mofcow as a tribute, were purchafed for 30 Roubles per fkin; and fent from thence to the Chinefe frontiers, where they were difpofed of at a very high intereft, Different fpe- There are feveral fpecies of Foxes, whole fkins are cics of Foxes. fent from Kamtchatka into Siberia and Ruffia. Of thefe the principal are the black foxes, the Petfi or Arctic foxes, the red and flone foxes. The fined black foxes are caught in different parts of Siberia, and more commonly in the Northern regions between the Rivers Lena, Indigiika, and Kovyma : the black foxes found upon the remotefl Eaitern iflands difcovcred by the Rullians, or the Lyflie Oltrova, are not fo valuable. They are very black and large; but the coat for the moll: part is as coarfe as that of a wolf. The great difference in the finenefs of the fur, between thefe foxes and thofe of Siberia, arifes probably from the following circuniftances. In thofe iflands the cold is not fo fevere as in Siberia ; and as there is no wood, the foxes live in holes and caverns of the rocks ; whereas in the abovementioned parts of Siberia, there are large tradls of forefts in which they find flicker. Some black foxes how- * S. R. G. V. III. Pallas Reife. 7 ever ever are occafionally caught in the remoteft Eaftem Iflands, not wholly deftitute of wood, and thefe are of great value. In general the Chinefe, who pay the deareft for black furs, do not give more for the black foxes of the new-difcovered iflands than from 20 to 30 Roubles per fkin. The arctic or ice foxes are very common upon fome of the New-Difcovered Iflands. They are called Petri by the Ruffians, and by the Germans blue foxes. Their natural f colour is of a bluifli grey or afh colour ; but they change their coat at different ages, and in differerent feafons of the year. In general they are born brown, are white in winter, and brown in fummer; and in fpring and autumn, as the hair gradually falls off, the coat is marked with, different fpecks and crofTes. At Kiachta* all the feveral varieties fell upon an average to the Chinefe per fkin from 50 copecs to - - - 2 j Roubles. Stone Foxes at Kamtchatka per fkin from - - - - 1 to % i Red Foxes from 80 copecs to - 1 80 copecs. At Kiachta from 8 q copecs to 9 Common wolves fkins at per fkin 2 Beft fort per fkin from - 8 to 16 Sables per ditto - - - 2 £ to 1 o • Pallas Reife. A pood P R £ LIMIMARY OBSERVA TI ON 8 A pond of the bell fea-horfc teeth * fells At Yakutfk for - - 10 Roubles. Of the middling - 8 Inferior ditto - - from 5 to 7. Four, five, or fix teeth generally weigh a pood, and fometimes, but very rarely, three. They are fold to the Chinefe, Monguls, and Calm ties. * S. R. G. V. III. c H A P. ACCOUNT OF THE NEW DISCOVERIES MADE BY THE RUSSIANS IN THE EASTERN OCEAN, BETWEEN KAMTCHATKA AND AMERICA. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN. WITH NOTES BY THE TRANSLATOR. D [ i9 ] A C o u N T of the RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. Commencement and progrefs of the Ruffian Difcoveries in the fea of Kamtchatka—General divifion of the New Dif covered I/lands. \ Third after riches was the chief motive which excited the Spaniards to the difcovery of America; and which turned the attention of other maritime nations to that quarter. The fame paffion for riches occafioned, about the middle of the fixtecnth century, the difcovery and conquer! of Northern Afia, a country, before that time, as unknown to the Europeans, as Thu'le to the ancients. The firft foundation of this conqueft was laid by the JjjJJjJ celebrated Yermac #, at the heard of a band of adventurers, lefs civilized, but at the fame time, not fo inhuman as the conquerors of America. By the acceffion of this vaft territory, now known by the name of Siberia, the Ruffians have acquired an extent of empire never before attained by any other nation. * The reader will find an account of this conqueft by Yermac in Part II. Chap. I. g h a p. i. Commrnce-ment nf the New Difco-veriti. The firft project * for making difcoveries in that tern-peituous fea, which lies between Kamtchatka and America, was conceived and planned by Peter I. the greateit fovereign who ever fat upon the Ruffian throne, until it was adorned by the prefent emprefs. The nature and completion of this project under his immediate fuccef-fors are well known to the public from the relation of the celebrated Muller. No fooner had t Beering and * There feems a want of connection in this place, which will be cleared up by considering, that, by the conqucft of Siberia, the Ruffians advanced to the fhores of the Eaftern Ocean, the fcene of the difcoveries here alluded to. ■f Beering had already made feveral expeditions in the fea of Kamtchatka, by orders of the crown, before he undertook the voyage mentioned in the text. In 1728, he departed from the mouth of the Kamtchatka river, in company with TfchirikofT. The purport of this voyage was to afcer-tain, whether the two Continents of Afla and America were feparated; and Peter I. a fliort time before his death, had drawn up inflruclions with his own hand for that purpofe. Beering coafled the Eaftern fhore of Siberia as high as latitude 670 18'; but made no difcovery of the oppofite Continent. In 1729, he fet fail again for the profecution of the fame deiign ; but this fecond attempt equally failed of fuccefs. In 1741, Beering and TfchirikofT went out upon the celebrated expedition (alluded to in the text, and which is fo often mentioned in the courfe of this work) towards the coafls of America. This expedition led the way to all the important difcoveries fince made by the Ruffians. Beering's vcfiel was wrecked in December of the fame year; and TfchirikofT landed at Kamtchatka on the 9th of October, 1742. S. R. G. III. Nachrichtcn von See Reifen, &c. and Robertfon's Hiftory of America, Vol. I. p. 273, & Icq. I TfchirikofT, TfchirikofT, in the profecution of this plan, opened their way to iflands abounding in valuable furs, than private merchants immediately engaged with ardour in fimilar expeditions; and, within a period of ten years, more im-| portant difcoveries were made by thefe individuals, at their own private coft, than had been hitherto effected by all the expenflve efforts of the crown. Soon after the return of Beering's crew from the ifland where he was fhip-wrecked and died, and which is called after his name, the inhabitants of Kamtchatka ventured over to that ifland, to which the fea-otters and other fea-animals were accuftomed to refort in great numbers. Mednoi OftrofT, or Copper Ifland, which takes that appellation from large manes of native copper found upon the beach, and which lies full in fight of Beering's Ifle, was an eafy and fpeedy difcovery. Thefe two fmall uninhabited fpots were for fome time the only iflands that were known ; until a fcarcity of land and fea-animals, whofe numbers were greatly diminifhed by the Ruffian hunters, occafioned other expeditions. Several of the vefTels wiiich were fent out upon thefe voyages were driven by flormy weather to the South-eafl ; and difcovered by that means the Aleutian Ifles, fituated about the 195th* degree of longitude, and but moderately peopled. From * The author reckons, throughout this treatife, the longitude from the From the year 1745, when it feems thefe iflands were firft vifited, until 1750, when the firft tribute of furs was brought from thence to Ochotfk, the government appears not to have been fully informed of their difcovery. In the laft mentioned year, one Lebedeff was commander of Kamtchatka. From 17 5 5 to 1760, Captain Tflieredoff and Lieutenant Kafbkareff were his fucccflbrs. In 1760., Feodorlvanovitch Soimonoff, governor of Tobolfk, turned his attention to the abovementioned iflands ; and, the fame year, Captain Rtiftfheff, at Ochotfk, inftructed Lieutenant Shmaleff, the fame who was afterwards commander in Kamtchatka, to promote and favour all expeditions in thofe feas. Until this time, all the difcoveries fubfe-quent to Beering's voyage were made, without the inter-pofition of the court, by private merchants in fmall vef-fels fitted out at their own expence. The Emprefa *pilc prefent Emprefs (to whom every circumftance which promotes all 1 *■ * * SScwDif- contributes to aggrandize the Ruffian empire is an object of attention) has given new life to thefe difcoveries- The mer-chants engaged in them have been animated by recom-pences. The importance and true poiition of the Paviliau the firfl meridian of the ifle of Eero. The longitude and latitude, wliicb he gives to the Fox Iflands, correfponds exaftly with thole in which they are laid down upon the General Map of Rufiia. The longitude of Beering's, Copper Ifland, and of the Aleutian .Ifles, are fomewhat different. See Advertifemcnt relating to the Charts, and alio Appendix L N° IV. iflands iilands have been afcertained by an expenfive voyage made by order of the crown ; and much additional information will be derived from the journals and charts of the officers employed in that expedition, whenever they fhall be publifhed. Meanwhile, we may reft afTured, that feveral modern-geographers have erred in advancing America too much to the Weft, and in queftioning the extent of Siberia Eaft-wards, as laid down by the Ruffians. It appears, indeed, evident, that the accounts and even conjectures of the. celebrated Muller, concerning the pofition of thofe diftant regions, are more and more confirmed by facts; in the fame manner as the juftnefs of hisfuppofition concerning the form of the coaft cf the fea of Ochotfk t has been lately eftablifhed. With refpect to the extent of Siberia, it appears almoft beyond a doubt from the moft-recent obfervations, that its Eaftern extremity is fituated beyond J 200 degrees of longitude. In regard to the Weftern coafts of America, all the navigations to the New Difcovered Iflands evidently fhew, that, between 50 * The author here alludes to the fecrct expedition of Captain Krenitzin and LevabefF, whofe journal and chart were fent, by order ot the Emprcfs of Rufiia, to Dr. Robertfon. See Robertfon's Hiftory of America, Vol. I. p. 276 and 460. See Appendix I. N ' J. •\i Mr. Muller formerly conjectured, that the coaft of the fea of Ochotfk ftretched South-weft towards the river Ud ; and from thence to the mouth of the Amoor South-eaft : and the truth of this conjecture had been fince confirmed by a coafting voyage made by Captain Synd, X Appendix L N« I. and and 60 degrees of latitude, that Continent advances no where nearer to Alia than the * coafts touched at by Beering and TfchirikofT, or about 236 degrees of longitude. As to the New Difcovered Iflands, no credit muft be given to a chart publifhed in the Geographical Calendar of St. Peterfburg for 1774; in which they are inaccurately laid down. Nor is the antient chart of the New Difcoveries, publiihcd by the Imperial Academy, and which feems to have been drawn up from mere reports, more deferving of attention f. The late navigators give a far different defcription of the Northern Archipelago. From their accounts we learn, that Beering's Ifland is fituated due Eaft from Kamtchatkoi Nofs, in the 18 5th degree of longitude. Near it is Copper Ifland; and, at fome diftance from them, Eaft-fouth-eaff, there are three fmall iflands, named by their inhabitants, Attak, Scmitfhi, and Shemiya : thefe are properly the Aleutian Ifles; they ftretch from Weft-north-weft towards Eaft-fouth-eaft, in the fame direction as Beering's and Copper Iflands, in the longitude of 195, and latitude 54. * Appendix I. N° II. •f Appendix I. N* IV* To To the North-eaft of thefe, at the diftance of 600 or 800 verfts, lies another group of fix or more iilands, known by the name of the AndreanofFfkie Ofcrova. South-eaff, or Eaft-fouth, of thefe, at the diftance of about 15 degrees, and North by Eaft of the Aleutian, begins the chain of Lyftie Oftrova, or Fox Iilands: this chain of rocks and illes ftretches Eaft-north-eaft between 56 and 61 degrees of North latitude, from 211 degrees of longitude moft probably to the Continent of America ; and in a line of direction, which croffes with that in which the Aleutian ifles lie. The largeft and moft remarkable of thefe iflands are Umnak, Aghunalafhka, or, as it is commonly Ihortened, Unalafhka, Kadyak, and Alagfhak. Of thefe and the Aleutian Ifles, the diftance and pofi-tion are tolerably well afeertaincd by ihips reckonings, and latitudes taken by pilots. But the fituation of the Andrcanofffky Ifles * is ftill fome what doubtful, though probably their direction is Eaft and Weft ; and fome of them may unite with that part of the Fox Iflands which are moft contiguous to the oppofite Continent. The main land of America has not been touched at by any of the veffels in the late expeditions ; though poflibly * Thefe are the fame iflands which are called, by Mr. Stachlin, Ana-dirfky Iflands, from their fuppofed vicinity to the river Anadyr. See Appendix I. N° V. the time is not far diftant when fome of the Ruffian adventurers will fall in with that coaft *. More to the North perhaps, at leaft as high as 70 degrees latitude, the Continent of America may ftretch out nearer to the coaft of the Tfchutfki; and form a large promontory, accompanied, with iilands, which have no connection with any of the preceding ones. That fuch a promontory really exiits, and advances to within a very fmall diftance from Tfchukotfkoi Nofs, can hardly be doubted; at leaft it feems to be confirmed by all the lateft accounts which have been procured from thofe parts-f*. That prolongation, therefore, of America, which by Delille is made to extend Weftward, and is laid down juft oppolite to Kamtchatka, between 50 and 60 degrees latitude, muft be entirely removed ; for many of the voyages related in this collection lay through that part of the ocean, where this imaginary Continent was marked down. It is even more than probable, that the Aleutian, and fome of the Fox Iflands, now well known, are the very fame which Beering fell-in with upon his return ; though, from the unfteadinefs of his courfe, their true pofition could not be exactly laid down in the chart of that expedition J. As * Appendix I. n° VI. ■f- Appendix I. n" VIL ;|; This error is however fo fmall, and particularly with refpccT to the more Eaftcm coafts and iflands, as laid down in Beering's chart, fuch as Cape Hcrmogcnes, Toomanoi, Shumaghin's Ifland, and mountain of Sr., Dolmat, As the Tea of Kamtchatka is now fo much frequented, thefe conjectures cannot remain long undecided; and it is only to be wifhed, that fome expeditions were to be made North-eaft, in order to difcover the neareft coafts of America. For there is no reafon to expect a fuccefs-ful voyage by taking any other direction ; as all the vef-fels, which have fteered a more foutherly courfe, have failed through an open fea, without meeting with any figns of land. A very full and judicious account of all the difcoveries hitherto made in the Eaftern ocean may be expected from the celebrated Mr. Muller *. Meanwhile, I hope the following account," extracted from the original papers, and procured from the belt intelligence, will be the more acceptable to the public; as it may prove an inducement to the Ruffians to publifh fuller and more circumftantial relations. Befides, the reader will find here a narrative more authentic and accurate, than what has been pub- Eolmat, that if they were to be placed upon the general map of Rufiia, which is prefixed to this work, they would coincide with the very chain of the Fox Iflands. * Mr. Muller has already arranged and put in order feveral of the journals, and fent them to the board of admiralty at St. Peterfburg, where they arc at prcient kept, together with the charts of the re-fpeclive voyages. E a lifted lifhed in the abovementioned calendar*; and feveral mistakes in that memoir are here corrected. * A German copy of the treatife alluded to in the text, was fent, by its author, Mr. Stsehlin Counfellor of State to the Emprefs of Rufiia, to the late Dr. Maty; and it is mentioned, in the Philofophical Tranfaclions for 1774, under the following title: "A New Map and Preliminary *' Defcription of the New Archipelago in the North, difcovered a few " Years ago by the Ruffians in the N. E. beyond Kamtchatka." A tranilation of this treatife was publifhed the fame year by Heydinger. CHAP. CHAP. II. Voyages in 1745.—Firft difcovery of the Aleutian Ifles by Michael NevodtfikofF. \ Voyage made in the year 1745 by Emilian BaflbfF is fcarce worth mentioning; as he only reached Beering's Ifland, and two fmaller ones, which lie South of the former, and returned on the 31 ft of July, 1746. The firft voyaee which is in any wife remarkable, was Voyage of undertaken in the year 1745. The veflel was a Shitik m 1745* named Eudokia, fitted out at the expence of Aphanaflei Tfebaefskoi, Jacob TfiuprofFand others; flie failed from the Kamtchatka river Sept. 19, under the command of Michael NcvodtfikofFa native of Tobollk. Having dif-covered three unknown iflands, they wintered upon one Difcoven the Aleutian of them, in order to kill fea-otters, of which there was 1{lailtls-a large quantity. Thefe iflands were undoubtedly the neareft * Aleutian Iflands : the language of the inhabi- * The fmall group of iflands lying S. E. of Beering's Ifland, are the real Aleutian ifles : they are fometimes c tiled the Neareft Aleutian Iflands and the Fox Iflands the Furtheft Aleutian Ifles. rants tants was not undcrftood by an interpreter, whom they had brought with them from Kamtchatka. For the purpofe therefore of learning this language, they carried back with them one of the I flinders ; and prcfented him to the chancery of Bolcheretlk, with a falfe account of their proceedings. This iflander was examined as foon as he had acquired a flight knowledge of the Ruffian language ; and as it is faid, gave the following re^ port. lie was called Tcmnac, and Att was the name of the ifland of which he was a native. At fome diftance from thence lies a great ifland called Sabya, of which the inhabitants are denominated Rogii: thefe inhabitants, as the Ruffians underftood or thought they under-flood him, made croffes, had books and fire-arms, and navigated in baidars or leathern canoes. At no great dillance from the ifland where they wintered, there were two well-inhabited iflands : the firft lying E. S. E. and S, E. by South, the fecond Eaft and Eaft by South. The above-mentioned Iflander was baptifed under the name of Paul, and fent to Ochotfk. As the mifconduc"t of the (hip's crew towards the natives was fufpected, partly from the lofs of feveral men, and partly from the report of thofe Ruffians, who were not concerned in the diforderly conduct of their companions, a ftrict examination took place ; by which the following circumftances relating to the voyage were brought to light. According According to the account of fome of the crew, and*;-;";; particularly of the commander, after fix days failing they came in fight of the firft iiland on the 24th of September, at mid-day. They failed by, and towards evening they difcovered the fecond ifland ; where they lay at anchor until the next morning. The 25th feveral inhabitants appeared on the coaft, and the pilot was making towards fliore in the fmall boat, with an intention of landing ; but obferving their numbers incrcafc to about an hundred, he was afraid of venturing among them, although they beckoned to him. He Contented himfelf therefore with flinging fome needles amongft them: the iflanders in return threw into the boat fome fea-fowl of the cormorant kind. He endeavoured to hold a converfation with them by means of the interpreters, but no one could undcrftand their language. And now the crew endeavoured to row the veffel out to 'fea; but the wind being contrary, they were driven to the other fide of the fame ifland, wheic they eaft anchor. The 26th, Tfiuproff having landed with fome of the crew in order to look for water, met feveral inhabitants : he gave them fome tobacco and fmall Chinefe pipes; and received in return a prefent of a flick, upon which the head of a feal was carved. They endeavoured to wreft his 4 hunting hunting gun from him; but upon his refufing to part with it and retiring to the fmall boat, the iflanders ran after him ; and feized the rope by which the boat was made faft' to fliore. This violent attack obliged TfiuprofF to fire ; and having wounded one perfon in the hand, they all let go their hold ; and he rowed off to the fhip. The Savages no fooner faw that their companion was hurt, than they threw off their cloaths, carried the wounded perfon naked into the fea, and warned him. In confe-quence of this encounter the (hip's crew wTould not venture to winter at this place; but rowed back again to the other illand, where they came to an anchor. The next morning TfiuprofF, and a certain Shaffyrin landed with a more confiderable party : they obferved feveral traces of inhabitants; but meeting no one they returned to the fhip, and coafled along the ifland. The following day the Coflac Shekurdin went on fliore, accompanied by five failors : two of whom he fent back with a fupply of water; and remained himfelf with the others in order to hunt fea-otters. At night they came to fome dwellings inhabited by five families : upon their approach the natives abandoned their huts with precipitation, and hid themfelves among the rocks. Shekurdin no fooner returned to the fhip, than he was again fent on fliore with a larger company, in order to look out for a proper place to lay up the veffel during winter : In their way they obferved fifteen iflanders upon an height; a and and threw them fome fragments of dried fifh in order to entice them to approach nearer. But as this overture did not fucceed, TfiuprofF, who was one of the party, ordered fome of the crew to mount the height, and to feize one of the inhabitants, for the purpofe of learning their language : this order was accordingly executed, notwithstanding the refiilance which the iflanders made with their bone fpears; the Ruffians immediately returned with their prifoner to the fhip. They were foon afterwards driven to lea by a violent florin, and beat about from the 2(1 to the 9th of October, during which time they loft their anchor and boat; at length they came back to the fame ifland, where they paffed the winter. Soon after their landing they found in an adjacent hut "the dead bodies of two of the inhabitants, who had probably been killed in the lafl encounter. In their way the Ruffians were met by an old woman, who had been taken prifoner, and let at liberty. She was accompanied with thirty-four iflanders of both fcxes, who all came dancing to the found of a drum ; and brought with them a present of coloured earth. Pieces of cloth, thimbles, and needles, were diflrihuted among them in return ; and they parted amicably. Before the end of October, the fame perfons, together with the old woman and feveral children, returned dancing as before, and brought birds, fifh., and other provilion. Having paffed the night with F the the Ruffians, they took their leave. Soon after their departure, TfiuprofF, Shaffyrin, and NevodfikofF, accompanied with feven of the crew, went after them, and found them among the rocks. In this interview the natives behaved in the moft friendly manner, and exchanged a baidar and fome fkins for two fliirts. They were obferved to have hatchets of fharpencd itone, and needles made of bone : they lived upon the flefh of fea-otters, feals, and fea-lions, which they killed with clubs and bone lances. So early as the 24th of October, TfiuprofF had fent ten perfons, under the command of Larion Belayeff, upon a reconnoitring party. The latter treated the inhabitants in anboftile manner; upon which they defended them-felves as well as they could with their bone lances. This refiftance gave him a pretext for firing; and accordingly he fhot the whole number, amounting to fifteen men, in order to get at their wives. Shekurdin, fhocked at thefe cruel proceedings, retired unperceived to the fhip, and brought an ao unt of all that had paffed. TfiuprofF, inftead of punifhi; thefe cruelties as they defervcd, was fccretly plcafed with /hem; for he himfelf was affronted at the iflanders for having: refufed to give him an iron bolt, which he faw their poffeflion. He had, in confcquence of thei: fufal, committed feveral acts of hoflilities againft them; and had even formed the horrid defign of | iibning them with a mixture of corrofive fublimate. In order however however to preferve appearances, he difpatched Shekur-din and NevodfikofF to reproach BclayefF for his diforderly conduct; hat fent him at the fame time, by the above-mentioned perfons, more powder and ball. The Radians continued upon this ifland, where they caught a large quantity of fea otters, until the 14th of September, 1746 ; when, no longer thinking them-felves fecure, they put to fea with an intention of looking out for fome uninhabited iflands. Being however overtaken by a violent ftorm, they were driven about until the 30th of October, when their vefTcl ft ruck upon a rocky fliore, and was fhipwrecked, with the lofs of al-moft all the tackle, and the great eft part of the furs. Worn oat at length with cold and fatigue, they ventured, the firft of November, to penetrate into the interior part of the country, which they found rocky and uneven. Upon their coming to fome huts, they were informed, that they were eaft away upon the ifland of Karaga, the inhabitants of which were tributary to Rufiia, and of the Koraki tribe. The iflanders behaved to them with great kindnefs, until Belayeff had the imprudence to make propofals to the wife of the chief. The woman gave immediate intelligence to her hufoand; and the natives were incenfed to inch a degree, that they threatened the whole crew with immediate death: but means were found to pacify them, and they continued to live with the Ruffians upon the fame good terms as before. F 2 - The The 30th of May, 1747, a party of Olotorians made a* defcent upon the ifland in three baidars, and attacked the natives; but, after fome lofs on both fides, they went away. They returned foon after with a larger force, and were again forced to retire. But as they threatened to come again in a fhort time, and to deflroy all the inhabitants who paid tribute, the latter advifed the Ruffians to retire from the illand, and affifled them in building two baidars. With thefe they put to fea the 27th of June,, and landed the 2iff of July at Kamtchatka, with the reft of their cargo, confining of 320 fea-otters, of which they paid the tenth into the cuftoms. During this expedition twelve men were loft.. CHAP. G II A P. Ill- SucceJJive voyages, from 1747, to 17535 Beering'j" and Copper Ifland, and to the Aleutian Ifles.—Some account of the inhabitants. Tn the year 1747 * two vefTels failed from the Kamt-chatka river, according to a permiffion granted by the chancery of Bolckeretfk for hunting fea-otters. One was fitted ©ut by Andrew Wfevidoff, and carried forty-fix men, befides eight Coffacs : the other belonged to Feodor Cholodiloff, Andrew Tolftyk, and company ; and had on board a crew, confiiling of forty-one Ruffians and Kamtchadals, with fix Coffacs. The latter veffel failed the 20th of October, and was forced, by ftrefs of weather and other accidents, to winter at Beering's Ifland. From thence they departed May the 31ft, 1748, and touched at another fmall ifland, in.order to provide themfelves with water and other neceffaries. They then fleered S. E. for a confiderable way without * It may be neeeffary to inform the reader, that, in this and the two following chapters, fome circumitances are occasionally omitted, which are to be found in the original. Thefe omiflions relate chiefly to the names of fome of the partners engaged in the equipments, and to a detail of immaterial occurrences prior to the actual departure of the vefTels. difcovering discovering any new iflands; and, being in great want of provifions, returned into Kamtchatka River, Augufl 14, with a cargo of 250 old fea-otter-fkins, above 100 young ones, 148 petfi or arctic fox-fkins, which were all flain upon Beering's Ifland. We have no fuflicient account of WfevidofPs voyage. All that is known amounts only to this, that he returned the 25th of July, 1749, after having probably touched upon one of the neareft Aleutian Ifles which was uninhabited : his cargo confided of the fkins of 1040 fea-otters, and 2000 arctic foxes. EmiiifnYu. Emilian Yugoff, a merchant of Yakutfk, obtained from the fenate of St. Peterfburg the permiffion of fitting out four vefTels for himfelf and his afTociates. He procured, at the fame time, the exclufive privilege of hunting fea-otters upon Beering's and Copper Ifland during thefe expeditions; and for this monopoly he agreed to deliver to the cuftoms the tenth of the furs. October 6, 1750, he put to fea from Bolcherefk, in the floop John, manned with twenty-five Ruffians and Kamtchadals, and two Coffacs : he was foon overtaken by a ftorm, and the veffel driven on fliore between the mouths of the rivers Kronotfk and Tichafminfk. October 17.51, he again fet fail. He had been commanded to take on board fome officers of the Ruffian 2 navy; navy ; and, as he difobeyed this injunction, the chancery of Irkutfk iffued an order to confifcate his fhip and cargo upon his return. The fhip returned on the 2 2d of July, 1754, to New Kamtchatkoi Oftrog, laden with the fkins of 755 old fea-otters, of 35 cub fea-otters, of 447 cubs of fea-bears, and of 7044 arctic fox-fkins : of the latter 2000 were white, and 1765 black. Thefe furs were procured upon Beering's and Copper Ifland. Yu-goff himfelf died upon the laft-mentioned ifland. The cargo of the fhip was, according to the above-mentioned order, fealed and properly fecured. But as it appeared that certain perfons had depofited money in Yugoff's hand, for the purpofe of equipping a fecond veffel, the crown delivered up the confifcated cargo, after referving the third part according to the original ftipulation. This kind of charter-company, if it may be fo called, being foon diffolved for mifconduct and want of fufficient flock, other merchants were allowed the privilege of fitting out veffels, even before the return of YugofPs fhip ? and thefe perfons were more fortunate in making new difcoveries than the above-mentioned monopolift. Nikiphor Trapefnikoff, a merchant of Irkutfk, pb- V6y*g* ofti« Boris aiul tained the permiffion of fending out a fhip, called theGlcbb* Boris and Glebb, upon the condition of paying, befides the tribute which might be exacted, the tenth of all the furs. The Coffac Sila Sheffyrin went on board this venel ACCOUNT OF THE veffel for the purpofe of collecting the tribute. They failed in Augufc, i 749, from the Kamtchatka river ; and reentered it the 16th of the fame month, 1753, with a large cargo of furs. In the fpring of the fame year, they had touched upon an unknown ifland, probably one of the Aleutians, where feveral of the inhabitants were prevailed upon to pay a tribute of lea otter fkins. The names of the iflanders who had been made tributary, were Igya, Oeknu, Ogogoektack, Shabukiauck, Alak, Tutun, Ononuflian, Rotogei, Tfchmitu, Vatfeh, Afhagat, Avyjanifhaga, Unafhayupu, Lak, Yanfhugalik, Umgali-kan, Shati, Kyipago, and Olofhkot *; another Aleutian had contributed three fea-otters. They brought with them 320 belt fca-ottcr fkins, 480 of the fecond, and 400 of the third fort, 500 female and middle aged, and 220 medwedki or young ones. wa'omvk" Andrew Tolityk, a merchant of Selenginfk, having ■s^^^13" obtained permilTion from the chancery of Eoliherctik¥ refitted the fame fhip which had made a former voyage; he failed from Kamtchatka Auguit the 19th, 1749, anc^ returned July the 3d, 1752. According to the commander's account, the fhip lay at anchor from the 6th of September, 1749, to the 20th * The author here remarks in a note, that the proper mimes of the iflanders mentioned in this place, and in other parts, bear a furprifing rcfemblancc, both in their found and termination, to.thofe of the Greenland ers. of of May, 1750, before Beering's Ifland, where they caught only 47 fea-otters. From thence they made to thofe Aleutian Iflands, which were * firft difcovercd by Ne-vodfikoff, and flew there 1662 old and middle-aged fea-otters, and 119 cubs ; befides which, their cargo conlift-ed of the fkins of 720 blue foxes, and of 840 young fea-bears. The inhabitants of thefe iflands appeared to have never before paid tribute ; and feemed to be a-kin to the Tfchuktfki tribe, their women being ornamented with different figures fewed into the fkin in the manner of that people, and of the Tungufians of Siberia. They differed however from them, by having two fmall holes cut through the bottom of their under-lips, through each of which they pafs a bit of the fea-horfe tufft, worked into the form of a tooth, with a fmall button at one end to keep it within the mouth when it is placed in the hole. They had killed, without being provoked, two of the Kamtchadals who belonged to the fhip. Upon the third Ifland fome inhabitants had payed tribute ; their names were reported to be Anitin, Altakukor, and Alefh-kut, with his fon Atfchclap. The weapons of the whole ifland confifted of no more than twelve fpears pointed with flint, and one dart of bone pointed with the fame; and the Ruffians obferved in the poffeffion of the natives two figures, carved out of wood, refcmbling fea-lions. • See Chap. II. G Auguft SSEJjf Auguft 3, 1750, the veffel Simeon and John, fitted out by the above-mentioned Wfevidoff, agent for the Ruilian merchant A. Rybenfkoi, and manned with fourteen Ruffians (who were partly merchants and partly hunters) and thirty Kamtchadals, failed out for the difcovery of new iflands, under the command of the Coffac Vorobieff. They were driven by a violent current and tempeftuous weather to a fmall defert ifland, whofc pofition is not determined ; but which was probably one of thofe that lie near Beering's Ifland. The fhip being fo fhattered by the ftorm, that it was no longer in a condition to keep the fea, Vorobieff built another fmall veffel with drift-wood, which he called Jeremiah ; in which he arrived at Kamtchatka in Autumn, 1752. Upon the above-mentioned illand were caught 700 old and 120 cub fea-otters, 1900 blue foxes, 5700 black fea-bears, and 1310 Kotiki, or cub fea-bears. A voyage made about this time from Anadyrfk der-ferves to be mentioned. Novikofl-Lci Auguft 24, 1749, Simeon Novikoff of Yakutik, and Syr^'°in Ivan Bacchoff of Uftyug, agents for Ivan Shilkin, failed from Anadyrfk into the mouth of the Kamtchatka river. They afligned the infecurity of the roads as their reafon for coming from Anadyrfk to Kamtchatka by fea ; on this account, having determined to rifk all the dangers ' * of of a fea voyage, they built a veffel one hundred and thirty verfts above Anadyr, after having employed two years and five months in its conftruction. The narrative of their expedition is as follows. In nn^mc of tt Voyage. 1748, they failed down the river Anadyr, and through two bays, called Kopeikina and Onemenfkaya, where they found many fand banks, but paffed round them without difficulty. From thence they fteered into the exterior gulph, and waited for a favourable wind. Here they faw feveral Tfchutfki, who appeared upon the heights fingly and not in bodies, as if to reconnoitre; which made them cautious. They had defcended the river and its bays in nine days. In pairing the large opening of the exterior bay, they fleered between the beach, that lies to the left, and a rock near it ; where, at about an hundred and twenty yards from the rock, the depth of vvater is from three to four fathoms. From the opening they fteered E. S. E. about fifty verfts, in about four fathom water ; then doubled a fandy point, which runs out directly againft the Tfliuktfhi coaft, and thus reached the open fea. From the 10th of July to the 30th, they were driven about by tempeftuous winds, at no great diftance from the mouth of the Anadyr; and ran up the fmall river Katirka, upon whofe banks dwell the Koriacs, a people G 2 tributary tributary to Ruffia. The mouth of the river is from fixty to eighty yards broad, from three to four fathoms deep, and abounds in full. From thence they put again, to fea, and after having beat about for fome time, they shipwreck ur-at length reached Beering's Illand. Here they lay at on Beering's ifland. anchor from the 15th of September to the 30th of October, when a violent florm blowing right from the fea, drove the veffel upon the rocks, and dallied her to pieces* The crew however were faved : and now they looked out for the remains of Beering's wreck, in order to employ the materials for the conftructing of a boat. They found indeed fome remaining materials, but almoft en*-tirely rotten, and the iron-work corroded with ruff. Having felected however the beft cables, and what ironwork was immediately neceffary, and collected drift-wood during the winter, they built with great difficulty a fmall boat, whofe keel was only feventeen Ruffian ells and.an half long, and which they named Capiton. In this they put to fea, and failed in fearch of an unknown ifland, which they thought they faw lying North-cafe ; but finding themfelves miftaken, they tacked about, and flood far Copper Ifland : from, thence they failed to Kamtchatka, where they arrived at the time above-mentioned.. The new conltructed veffel was granted in property to Ivan Shilkin as fome compenfation for his loffes, and with the privilege of employing it in a future expedition to to the New Difcovered Iilands. Accordingly he failed therein on the 7th of October, 1757, with a crew of twenty Ruffians, and the fame number of Kamtchadals: he was accompanied by Studentzoff a Colfac, who was fent to collect the tribute for the crown. An account of this expedition will be given hereafter Auguft, 1754, Nikiphor Trapefnikoff fitted out ^he ^« Shitik St. Nicholas, which failed from Kamtchatka under ° **' the command of the Coffac Kodion Durneff. He firft touched at two of the Aleutian Ifles, and afterwards upon a third, which had not been yet difcovered. He returned to Kamtchatka in 1747. His cargo confuted of the fkins of 1220 fea-otters, of 410 female, and 665 cubs; beiides which, the crew had obtained in barter from the iflanders the fkins of 652 fea-otters, of 30 female ditto, and 50 cubs. From an account delivered in the 3d of May, 1758, ^\oy^ by Durneff and Sheffyrin, who was fent as collector of the tributes, it appears that they failed in ten days as far as Ataku, one of the Aleutian Iflands ; that they remained there until the year 1757, and lived upon amicable terms with the natives. The fecond ifland, which is neareft to Ataku, and ?fc?j*!°nof * 7 the Akuuan. which contains the greateft number of inhabitants, is ifics* * See Chap. V. called. called Agataku; and the third Shemya: they lie from forty to fifty verfts afunder. Upon all the three iilands there are(exclufive of children) but fixty males, whom they made tributary. The inhabitants live upon roots which lniwwlats. grow wild, and fea animals: they do not employ themfelves in catching fifh, although the rivers abound with all kinds of falmon, and the fea with turbot. Their cloaths are made of the fkins of birds and of fea-otters. TheToigon or chief of the firft ifland informed them by means of a hoy, who underftood the Ruffian language, that Eaft-ward there are three large and well peopled iflands, Ibiya, Rickfa, and Olas, whole inhabitants fpeak a different language. Sbcffyrin and Durneff found upon the ifland three round copper plates, with fome letters engraved upon them, and ornamented with foliage, which the waves had eaft upon the fliore : they brought them, together with other trifling curioiities, which they had procured from the natives, to New Kamtchatkoi Oftrog. Another fhip built of larch wood by the fame Trapef-nikoff, which failed in 1752 under the conduct of Alexci Drulinin a merchant of Kurfk, had been wrecked at Beering's Ifland, where the crew conftructed another veffel out of the wreck, which they named Abraham, In this vcifel they bore away for the more diftant iflands; but being forced back by contrary winds to the fame ifland, and meeting with the St. Nicholas upon the point of failing for the Aleutian Ifles, they embarked on that fhip, after having left the new conftructed veffel under the care of 1 four four of their own failors. The crew had Rain upon Beering's Ifland five fea-otters, 1222 arctic foxes, and 2500 fea-bears: their (hare of the furs, during their expedition in the St. Nicholas, amounted to the fkins of 500 fea-otters, and of 300 cubs, exclufive of 200 fea-ottcr-ikins, which they procured by barter. c ii a p. G Ii A P. IV. Voyages from 1753 to 1756. Some of the further Aleutian or Fox Iilands touched at by SerebranikofPs veffel.—Some account of the Natives. ' I * HREE vefTels were fitted out for the iilands in I753> one DY Cholodiloff, a fecond by Serebrani-koff agent for the merchant Rybenfkoy, and the third by Ivan Kraflilnikoff a merchant of Kamtchatka. cwoi.iofrs Cholodiloff's fhip failed from Kamtchatka, the 19th of Kamtchatka Auguft, manned with thirty-four men ; and anchored the 28th before Beering's Ifland, where they propofed to winter, in order to lay-in a ftock of provilions : as they were attempting to land, the boat overfet, and nine of the crew were drowned. June 30, T754, tney ftood out to fea in queftof new difcoveries : the weather however proving ftormy and foggy? ana the fhip fpringing a leak, they were all in danger of perifhing : in this fituation they unexpectedly reached one of the Aleutian iflands, were they lay from the i$th of September until the 9th of July, 1755. In the the autumn of 1754 tnev were joined by £ Kamtchadal, and a Koriac : thefe perfons, together with four others, had deferted from TrapefnikofPs crew; and had remained upon the ifland in order to catch fea-otters for their own profit. Four of thefe deferters were killed by the iflanders for having debauched their wives: but as the two perfons above-mentioned were not guilty of the fame diforderly conduct, the inhabitants fupplied them with women, and lived with them upon the belt terms. The crew flew upon this ifland above 1600 fea-otters, and came back fafe to Kamtchatka in autumn 1755. SerebranikofPs veffel failed in July 1753, manned alfo with thirty-four Ruffians and Kamtchadals : they difcovered feveral new iflands, which were probably fome of the more diftant ones; but were not fo fortunate Depwtureof Screbranikoff's in hunting fea-otters as Cholodiloff's crew. They fleered VelTcL S. E. and on the 17th of Auguft anchored under an unknown ifland ; whofe inhabitants fpoke a language they did not underftand. Here they propofed looking out for a fafe harbour; but were prevented by the coming on of a fudden ftorm, which carried away their anchor. The fhip being toll about for feveral days towards the Eaft, they difcovered not far from the firft ifland four others : ftill more to the Eaft three other iflands appeared in fight; but on neither of thefe were they able to land. The veffel continued driving until the 2d of September, and was confiderahly fhattered, when they fortunately came H near near an ifland and call anchor before it; they were how-shipwreck^ ever again forced from this ftation, the veffel wrecked upon one of SmtTiiami!!" uPon me coaft, and the crew with difficulty reached the fliore. This ifland feemed to be right oppofite to Katyrfkoi Nofs in the peninfula of Kamtchatka, and near it they faw three others. Towards the end of September De-mitri Trophin, accompanied with nine men, went out in the boat upon an hunting and reconnoitring party : they were attacked by a large body of inhabitants, who hurled darts from a fmall wooden engine, and wounded one of the company. The firft fire however drove them back ; and although they returned feveral times to the attack in numerous bodies, yet they were always re-pulfed without difficulty. inhXnam[the Thefe favages mark and colour their faces like the Iflanders above-mentioned; and alfo thruft pieces of bone through holes made in their under-lips. Soon afterwards the Ruffians were joined in a friendly manner by ten iflanders, who brought the flefh of fea-animals and of fea-otters ; this prefent was the more welcome, as they had lived for fome time upon nothing but fmall fhell-fiih and roots ; and had fuffered greatly from hunger. Several toys were in return diftribut- ed RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. 51 ed amonG; the favages. The Ruffians remained until peCrewcon- c> *' Itruct another June, 1754? uPon tHIs illand: at that time they de- ™d parted in a fmall veffel, conftructed from the remains of Kamtc at a' the wreck, and called the St. Peter and Paul : in this they landed at Katyrfkoi Nofs ; where having collected 140 fea-horfe teeth, they got fafe to the mouth of the Kamtchatka river. During this voyage twelve Kamtchadals deferred ; of whom fix were ilain, together with a female inhabitant, upon one of the moft diftant iilands. The remainder, upon their return to Kamtchatka, were examined ; and from them the following circumftances came to light. The illand, where the fhip was wrecked, is about 70 verfts long, and 20 broad. Around it lie twelve other iflands of different fizes, from five to ten verfts diftant from each other. Eight of them appear to be no more than five verfts long. All thefe iflands contain about a thoufand fouls. The dwellings of the inhabitants are provided with no other furniture than benches, and mats of platted grafs^. Their drefs confifts of a kind of fliirt made of bird-flcins, and of an upper garment of interlines ftitched together; they wear wooden caps, ornamented with a fmall piece of board projecting forwards, as it feemed, for a defence again (I the arrows. They are all provided with ftone knives, and a * Matten aus einem gevifTcn Krautgeflocluen. H 2 few few of them poifefs iron ones: their only weapons are arrows with points of bone or flint, which they fhoot from a wooden inltrument. There are no trees upon the illand : it produces however the cow-parfnip% which grows at Kamtchatka. The climate is by no means fevere, for the fnow does not lie upon the ground above a month in the year. Departure of Kraffilnikoff's veffel failed in 17 54, and anchored on KrafTiInikoft s ' 1 VelIel* the i 8th of October before Beering's Ifland ; where all the mips which make to the New Difcovered Iilands are accuftomed to winter, in order to procure a flock of faked provifions from the fea-cows and other amphibious animals, that are found in great abundance. Here they refitted the veffel, which had been damaged by driving upon her anchor; and having laid in a fufficient ftore of all neceifaries, weighed the ift of Auguft, 1754. The 10th they were in fight of an ifland, whofe coaft: was lined with fuch a number of inhabitants, that they durft not venture afhore. Accordingly they flood out to fea, and being overtaken by a ftorm, they were reduced to great diftrefs for want of water ; at length they were driven upon Copper Ifland, where they landed ; and having taken in wood and water, they again fet fail. ?onTotixl Tncv were Dcat Dack however by contrary winds, and MUmi. dropped both their anchors near the fhore ; but the ftorm increafing at night, both the cables were broken, and the fhip dallied to pieces upon the coaft. All the * Heracleum. 4 crew crew were fortunately faved; and means were found to get afliore the fhip's tackle, ammunition, guns, and the remains of the wreck ; the pro virions, however, were moftly fpoiled. Here they were cxpofed to a variety of misfortunes; three of them were drowned on the 15th of October, as they were going to hunt;-. others almoit perifhed with hunger, having no nourilhn^ent but fmall fhcU-nfh and roots. On the 29th of December great part of the fhip's tackle, and all the wood, which they had collected from the wreck, was wafhed away during an !:.';> fea. Notwithstanding their diftreffes, they continued their hunting parties, and caught 103 fea-otters, together with 1390 blue foxes. In fpring they put to fea for Beering's Ifland in two '^S^, baidars, carrying with them all the ammunition, h rC- Baidars. arms, and remaining tackle. Having reached that illand, they found the fmall veffel Abraham, under the care of the four failors who had been left afhore by the crew of TrapefnikoffV fhip : but as that veifel was not large enough to contain the whole number, together with their cargo of furs, they ft aid until Serebranikoff's and Tolftyk's veffels arrived. Thefe took in eleven of the crew, with, their part of the furs. Twelve remained at Beering's Illand, where they killed great numbers of arctic foxes, and returned to Kamtchatka in the Abraham, excepting ( two, who joined Shilkin's crew.. * See the preceding chapter. C H A P;v G H A P. V. Voyage of O E P T E Andrcan Tol- ftvk in i7c6 to k-J XT«*«1: Voyages from 1756 to 1758. I EMBER 17, 1756, the velTel Andrcan and nykin,7?6to k^ Natalia, fitted out by Andrean Tolftyk, merchant the Aleutian Ifles. of Selenginfk, and manned with thirty-eight Ruffians and Kamtchadals, failed from the mouth of the Kamtchatka river. The autumnal llorms coming on, and a fcarcity of pro virions enfuing, they made to Beering's Ifland, where they continued until the 14th of June 1757. As no fea-otters came on fliore that winter, they killed nothing but feals, fea-lions, and fea-cows; whofc flefh ferved them for proviiion, and their fkins for the coverings of baidars. June 13, 1757, they weighed anchor, and after eleven days failing came to Ataku, one of the Aleutian ifles difcovered by Nevodlikoff. Here they found the inhabitants, as well of that, as of the other two iflands, affcmbled ; thefe iflanders had juft taken leave of the •rew of Trapefnikoff's veffel, which had failed for Kamtchatka. The Ruffians feized this opportunity of perfuading them to pay tribute; with this view they 2 beckoned beckoned the Toigon, whofe name was Tunulgafen : the latter recollected one of the crew, a Koriac, who had formerly been left upon thefe iilands, and who knew fomething of their language. A copper kettle, a fur and cloth coat, a pair of breeches, ftockings and boots, were bellowed upon this chief, who was prevailed upon by thefe prefents to pay tribute. Upon his departure for his own illand, he left behind him three women and a boy, in order to be taught the Ruffian language, which the latter very foon learned. The Ruffians wintered upon this ifland, and divided themfelves, as ufual, into different hunting parties : they were compelled, by flormy weather, to remain there until the 17th of June, 1758 : before they went away, the above-mentioned chief returned with his family, and paid a year's tribute. This veffel brought to Kamtchatka the mofl circum-ftantial account of the Aleutian ifles which had been yet received. The two lareeft contained at that time about fifty Account of 0 thole Mamls. males, with whom the Ruffians had lived in great harmony. They heard of a fourth ifland, lying at fome diftance from the third, called by the natives Iviya, but which they did not reach on account of the tempeftuous weather. The The firft ifland is about an hundred verfts long and from five to twenty broad. They efteemed the diftance from the firft to the fecond, which lies Eaft by South, to be about thirty verfts, and about forty from the latter to the third, which (lands South Eaft. The original drefs of the iflanders was made of the fkins of birds, fea-otters and feals, which were tanned ; but the greateftpart had procured from the Ruffians dog-fkin coats, and undergarments of fheep-fkin, which they were very fond of. They are reprefented as naturally talkative, quick of ap-prehenflon, and much attached to the Ruffians. Their dwellings are hollowed in the ground, and covered with wooden roofs refembling the huts in the peninfula of Kamtchatka. Their principal food is the flefh of fea animals, which they harpoon with their bone lances ; they alfo feed upon feveral fpecies of roots and berries : namely * cloud-berries, crake-berries, bilberries, and fer-vices. The rivulets abound with falmon, and other hfh of the trout kind fimilar to thofe of Kamtchatka; and the fea with turbot, which are caught with bone hooks. Thefe iflands produce quantities of fmall oilers and underwood, but no* large trees: the fea however drives afhore fir and larch, fufficient for the conftruction of * Rubus Chamsemorus—Empetrum—Myrtillus—Sorbus. their their huts. There are a great number of arctic foxes upon the firft illand, as well as fea-otters ; and the fliores, during ftormy weather, arc covered with wild geefe and ducks. The Ruffians, according to the order of the chancery of Bolcheretfk, endeavoured to perfuade the Toigon of thefe iflands to accompany them to Kamtchatka, but without fuccefs : upon their departure they diftributed among the iflanders fome linen, and thirteen nets for the pur-pofe of catching fea-otters, which were very thankfully received. This veffel brought to Kamtchatka the fkins of 5030 old and young fea-otters, of 1040 old and young arctic foxes, and of 330 Medwedki or cubs of fea-otters. In the year 1757, Ivan Nikiphoroff, a merchant of Mofcow, fent out a veffel : but we have no further account of this voyage, than that fee failed to the Fox Iflands, at leaft as far as Umnak. The fmall veffel Capiton, the fame that was built voy«r of 1 ' Ivan Slu k iri m. upon Beering's Illand, and which was given to the mer- *ec*pawn chant #Ivah Shilkin, put to fea September 26, 1757, carrying on board the Coffac Ignatius Studentibff, who has given an account of the voyage. * See chap. Ill, I They They had not long failed, before they were driven back to the fhore of Kamtchatka by ftrefs of weather, and the veifel ftranded; by which accident they loft the rudder and one of the crew. This misfortune prevented them from putting to fea again until the following year, with thirty-nine of the original crew, feveral perfons being left behind on account of ficknefs. They made directly1 to Beering's Illand, where they took up two of Krafilni-koff's crew*, who had been fliij>wrecked. They again fet fail in Auguft of the fame year, and touched at the neareft Aleutian Hies, after fuffering greatly from ftorms. They then continued their courfe to the remoter iflands lying between Eaft and South Eaft ; and having palfed by the firft, they anchored before the fecond. A boat being immediately fent out towards the fhore, the crew was attacked by a numerous body of iflanders in fo fud-den a manner, that they had fcarcely time to fecure them-felves by returning to the veflel. They had no fooner got aboard, than a violent gale of wind blowing from the fliore broke the cable, and drove them out to fea. The weather became fuddenly thick and foggy ; and under Shipwrecked thefe circumftances the veffel was forced upon a fmall upon one of iftLSS* i^anc^ at no great diftance from the other, and fliip-wrecked. The crew got to fhore with difficulty, and were able to fave nothing but the fire-arms and ammunition. * See chap. IV, They They had fcarccly got to land, before they were befet by a number of lavages, rowing in baidars from the Weftern point of the ifland. This attack was the more to be dreaded, becaufe feveral of the Ruffians were dif-abled by cold and wet; and there remained only fifteen capable of defending themfelves. They advanced however without hefitation to the iflanders-; and one Nicholas Tiiuproff (who had a flight knowledge of their language) accofted and endeavoured to footh them, but without fuccefs. For upon their approach the favages gave a fudden fliout, and faluting them at the fame time with a volley of darts, wounded one perfon in the hand. Upon this the Ruffians fired, killed two of the affailants, and forced the remainder to retire : and although a frefh body appeared in fight, as if they were coming to the afliftance of their companions, yet no new attack was made. Soon afterwards the favages left the ifland, and rowed acrofs the ftrait. From the 6th of September to the 23d of April, they underwent all the extremities of famine : during that period their be ft fare was mell-fifh and roots ; and they were even at times reduced to ftill the cravings of their appetite with the leather, which the Waves waffled afhore from the wreck. Seventeen died of hunger, and the reft Would foonrhave followed their companions, if they bad not fortunately difcovered a dead whale, which the fea bad call afhore. They remained upon this ifland another I 2 winter, The crew con-winter, where they flew 2^0 fea-otters; and having vi-irci, and arc a fmall veffel out of the remains of the wreck, they again inip- * * put to fea in the beginning of fummcr 1760. They had fcarcely reached one of the Aleutian iflands, where SerebranikofPs veffel lay at anchor, when they were again fhipwrecked, and loft all the remaining tackle and furs. Only thirteen of the crew now remained, who returned on board the above-mentioned veffel to Kamtchatka July I75I* C H A P, C II A P. VI. Voyages in 17 58, 1759, #W 1760—to the Fox Iflands— in the St. Vladimir,////^/ out by TrapefhikofF—and in the Gabriel, by Bctfhevin—The latter under the command of Pufhkarefffails to Alakfu or Alachfkak, one of the re-motefl Eaflem I/lands hitherto vifited—Some account of its inhabitants, and productions, which latter are different from thofe of the more JVeflern Iflands. SEPTEMBER 1758, the merchant Simeon Krafil- X™™*f** 1 ~> ' St. Vladimn, nikoff and Nikiphor Trapefnikoff fitted out two vefTels ^X^U* for the purpofe of catching fea-otters. One of thefe vef-fels, called the St. Vladimir, failed the 28th under the command of Demetri Paikoff, carrying on board the Coifac Sila Shaffyrin as collector of the tribute, and a crew of forty-five men. In twenty-four hours they reached Beering's Ifland, where they wintered. July 16, 1759? they fteered towards the South in order to difcover land, but being difappointcd, they bore away to the North for the Aleutian Ifles: being prevented however by contrary winds from reaching them, they failed flreight towards the diftant iilands, which are known at pre fent under the name of Lyffie Oftrova or the Fox Iflands. Scptem- Arriwi «r r Fox IlUinJ. ber 1, they reached the firft of thefe, called by the natives Atchu, and by the Ruffians Goreloi or the Burnt Illand : 1 but but as the coafts were very fleep and craggy, they made to Amlach, lying at a fmall diftance, where they determined to pals the winter. They divided themfelves accordingly into three parties; the firft, at the head of which was Alexey Drufinin, went over to a fmall ifland called in the journal Sitkin; the Coffac Shaffyrin led the fecond, confifting of ten perfons, to the ifland Atach; and Simeon Polevoi remained aboard with the reft of the crew. All thefe iilands were well peopled; the men had bones thruft through their ears, under lips, and griftle of their nofes; and the faces of the women were marked with blackifh ftreaks made with a needle and thread in the ikin, in the fame manner as a Coffac one of the crew had obferved hefore upon fome of the Tfchutiki. The inhabitants had no iron ; the points of their darts and lances were tipped with bone and flint. They at firft imagined, that Amlach wras uninhabited; but in one of their hunting parties they found a boy of eight years old, whom they brought with them: they gave him the name of Hermolai, and taught him the Ruffian language, that he might fcrve as an interpreter. After penetrating further they difcovered an hut, wherein were two women, four men, and as many bows, whom they treated kindly, and employed in hunting, fiiliing, and in digging of roots. This kind behaviour encouraged others to pay frequent villts, and to exchange fhli and flelli for goafs hair, horfes manes, and glafs beads. They They procured alfo four other iflanders with their wives, who dug roots for them: and thus the winter paffed away without any difturbance. In the fpring the hunting parties returned; during thefe excurfions one man alone was killed upon the ifland Atach, and his fire-arms taken away by the natives. June 1760, the fame parties were fent again to the fame iflands. Shaffyrin, who headed one of the parties, was foon afterwards killed, with eleven men, by the inhabitants of Atach, but for what reafon is not known.— Drufinin received the firft information of this maffacre from fome inhabitants of Sitkin, where he then was; and immediately fet out with the remaining hunters to join their companions, who were left on board. Although he fucceeded in regaining the veffel, their number was by this time fo confiderably reduced that their fituation appeared very dangerous: he was foon however relieved from his apprehenfions by the arrival of the merchant Betfhevin's veffel at the ifland of Atchu The two crewrs entered into partnerfhip: the St. Vladimir received twenty-two men, and transferred eleven of her own to the other veffel. The former wintered at Amlach, and the latter continued at anchor before Atchu. * Atach and Atchu are two names for the fame ifland, called alfo by the Ruffians Goreloi or Burnt Ifland. a This This veffel, fitted out at the expence of Betfhevin, a merchant of Irkutik, was called Gabriel; and put to fea from the mouth of the Bolfhaia Ileka July 3iff, 1760. She was manned with forty Ruffians and twenty Kamt-chadals, and carried on board Gabriel Puflikareff, of the garrifon of Ochotfk, Andrew Shdanoff, Jacob Sharypoff, Prokopei Lobafhkoff, together with Nikiphor Golodoff, and Aphanaffei Ofkoloff, Betfhevin's agents. Having failed through the fecond flrait of the Kuril Ifles, they reached the Aleutian Ifles on the 24th of Auguft. They flood out from thence in order to make new difcoveries among thofe more remote iflands, which lie in one continued chain to the extent of 15 degrees of longitude. Keac^s At- September 25 they reached Atchu, or Burnt Ifland, and dhu, one of the 1 ■ * 7 Fox iflands. fOUIKi the above-mentioned fhip the St. Vladimir, lying twenty verfls from that ifland, before Amlach, in danger of being attacked by the iflanders. They immediately joined crews in order to enable the enfeebled company of the St. Vladimir to continue hunting; and as it is ufual in fuch cafes, entered into a contract for the divifion of the profit. During that winter the two crews killed partly upon Siguyam, about 800 fea otters of different fizes, about 100 medwedki or cubs, fome river otters, above Voyasre rf Puilikmeff, 171*0. above 400 red, greyifh, and black foxes, and collected twelve pood of fea-horfe teeth. In June, of the following year, the two crews were diftributed equally on board the two velfels: Kraflilni-koff's remained at Amlach, with an intention of returning to Kamtchatka, and Rclmcviifs put to fea from Atchu in queft of other iflands. They touched firft at Umnak Depart* from thence, where they met NikiphorofFs veffel. Here they took in wood and water, and repaired their fails: they then failed to the moft remote ifland Alakfu* or Alachfhak, SkE"*" where, having laid up the fhip in a bay, they built huts, and made preparations for wintering. This ifland was very well inhabited, and the natives behaved at firft in a very friendly manner, for they trafficked with the Ruffians, and even delivered up nine of their children as hoftages; but fuch was the lawlefs and irregular behaviour of the crew, that the iflanders were foon irritated and provoked to hoftilitics. In January 1762, Golodoff and Pufhkareff went with a party of twenty men along the fliore; and, as they were attempting to violate fome girls upon the ifland Uny-umga, were furprifed by a numerous body of the natives: Golodoff and another Ruffian were killed, and three were wounded. Not long afterwards the watch of * This is probably the fame ifland which is laid down in Krenitzin's chart under the name of Alaxa. K the the crew was fuddenly attacked by the iflanders; four men were flain upon the fpot, as many wounded, and the huts reduced to afhes. May 3, Lobafchkoff and another Ruffian were killed, as they were going to bathe in the warm fprings, which lie about five verfts from the haven : upon which feven of the hoftages were put to death. The fame month the natives attempted to furprife the Ruffians in their huts; but being fortunately difcovered in time were rcpujfed by means of the fire arms. At length the Ruffians, finding themfelves in continual danger from thefe attempts, weighed anchor, and failed for Umnak, where they took up two inhabitants with their wives and children, in order to fliew them other iflands. They were prevented however by tempeftuous weather from reaching them ; and were driven out to fea Weftward with fiich violence, that all their fails were carried away : at length on the 23d of September they ftruck again ft land, which they took for the peninfula of Kamtchatka; and they found it to be the diftricl: of Stobolfkoi Oftrog. Six men were immediately difpatched in the fmall boat and two baidars to land: they carried with them feveral girls (who had been brought from the new difcovered iflands) in order to gather berries. Mean while the crew endeavoured to ply the fhip to the windward. When the boat returned, thofe on board were fcarcely able, on account of the ftorm, to row to the fhip, and to catch hold of a rope, 3 which which was flung out to them. Two men remained With the baidars, and were afterwards carried by fome Kamt-chadals to New Kamtchatkoi Oftrog. The fhip without one fail remaining was driven along the coaft of Kamtchatka towards Avatcha, and about feventy verfts from that harbour ran into the bay of Kalatzoff on the 25th of September. Their cargo conlifted of the fkins of 900 old and young fea-otters, and of 350 foxes. Pufhkareff and his crew had during this voyage behaved with fuch inhumanity towards the iflanders, that they were brought to trial in the year 1764; and the above-mentioned account is taken from the concurring evidence of feveral witneffes. It appears alfo, that they brought away from Atchu and Amleg two Aleutian men and three boys, Ivan an Aleutian interpreter, and above twenty women and girls whom they debauched. Ivan, and one of the boys whom they called Mofes, were the only perfons who arrived at Kamtchatka. Upon their firft approach to that coaft, fourteen women were fent afhore to dig roots and to gather berries. Of thefe, two ran away, and a third was killed, as they were returning to the fhip by one Gorelin : upon this the others in a fit of defpair leaped into the fea and were drowned. All the remaing Aleutians, excepting the two perfons above-mentioned, were immediately thrown overboard by Pulh-kareff's order. The account which follows, although it is found in the depofitions, deferves not to be entirely credited in all particulars. K 2 The ^"TabitLts The natives of the above-mentioned iilands are very o u. tall ftrongly made. They make their cloaths of the fkins of birds; and thruft bones through their un-der-lips by way of ornament. They were laid to ftrike their nofes until they bled, in order to fuck the blood; but we are informed from fubfequent accounts, that the blood thus drawn from themfelves was intended for other purpofes *. They were accufed even of murdering their own children in order to drink their blood ; but this is undoubtedly an invention of the criminals, who reprefented the illanders in the moft hideous colours, in order to excufe their own cruelties. Their dwellings under-ground are fimilar to thofe of the Kamtchadals ; and have feveral openings on the fides, through which they make their efcape when the principal entrance is befet by an enemy. Their weapons confift of arrows and lances pointed with bone, which they dart at a confiderable diftance. Animus. The ifland Alakfu is faid to contain rein-deer, bears, wild boars, wolves, otters, and a fpecies of dogs with long ears, which are very fierce and wild. And as the greater! part of thefe animals are not found upon thofe Fox Iflands which lie nearer to the weft, this circum- * It appears in the lafl chapter of this tranflation, that the iflanders are accuitomcd to glue on the point of their darts with blood ; and tiiat this was the real motive to the nracf ice mentioned in the text. ft a nee Ranee feems to prove that Alakfu is fituated at no great diftance from the Continent of America. As to red, black, and grey foxes, there is fo large a quantity, that they are feen in herds of ten or twenty at a time. Wood is driven upon the coaft in great abundance. The illand produces no large trees, having only fome underwood, and a great variety of bulbs, roots, and berries. The coafts are frequented by large flocks of fea-birds, the fame which are obferved upon the fliore of the fea of Penfliinfk. Auguft 4, 1759, the Peter and Paul, fitted out at the p^J^fPa^ expence of the merchant Rybenfkoi by his agent An- !?an^ went in four baidars to Kanaga. The firft remained upon that illand, but the two others rowed in two baidars to Tfetchina, which is feparated from Kanaga by a ftrait about feven verfts in breadth : the illanders received them amicably, and promifed to pay tribute. The feveral parties returned all fafe to Kayachu, without having procured any furs. Soon afterwards Tolftyk dif-patched fome hunters in four baidars to Tagalak, Atchu, and Amlach, which lay to the Eaft of Kayachu : none of thefe party met with any opposition from the natives: they accordingly remained with great tranquillity upon thefe feveral iflands until the year 1764. Their fuccefs in hunting was not however very great; for they caught no more than 1880 full grown fea-otters, 778 middle-aged, and 372 cubs. Defcription of The following is Lafaroff *s defcription of the above- the Andrea- 5jftye mentioned fix iflands* which lie in a chain fome what to the North Weft of the Fox Iflands, and muft not be blended with them. The firft certain account wTas brought by this veffel, the St. Andrean and Natalia, * Thefe are the fix Iflands defcribed by Mr. Stsehlin in his defcription of the New Archipelago. See Appendix I. N°. V. I from from whence they are called the Andreanoffikie Oftrova or the Iilands of St. Andrean. * Ayagh is about an hundred and fifty verfts in circum- Ayagh, ference : it contains feveral high and rocky mountains, the intervals of which are bare heath and moor ground : not one forcft tree is to be found upon the whole ifland. The vegetables feern for the moft part like thofe which grow in Kamtchatka. Of berries there are found *crow or crake-berries and the larger fort of bilberries, but in fmall quantities. Of the roots of burnet and all kinds of fnake weed, there is fuch abundance as to afford, in cafe of necellity, a plentiful provifion for the inhabitants. The above-mentioned rivulet is the only one upon the illand. The number of inhabitants cannot fufficiently be afcertained, becaufe the natives pals continually from ifland to ifland in their baidars. Kanaga Hands Weft from Ayagh, and is two hundred &«Mg* verfts in circumference. It contains an high volcano where the natives find fulphur in fummer. At the foot of this mountain are hot fprings, wherein they occaiion-ally boil their provifion. There is no rivulet upon this illand ; and the low grounds are ilmilar to thofe of Ayagh. The inhabitants are reckoned about two hundred fouls. P Empetrum, Vacch\ Ulir;:noI\.ra, Sanguiforba, & Riflorti. L 2 Tfctchina Tfetthtoi. Tfctchina lies Eaft ward about forty verfts from Kanaga, and is about eighty in circumference. It is full of rocky mountains, of which the Bielaia Sopka, or the White Peak, is the higheft. In the valley there arc alfo fome warm fprings, but no rivulet abounding in liih : the illand contains only fjur families. TagaLk. Tagalak is forty verfts in circumference, ten Eaft from Tfetchina : it contains a few rocks, but neither rivulets with fifli, nor any vegetable production fit for nourifh-ment. The coafts are rocky, and dangerous to approach in baidars. This ifland is alio inhabited by no more than four families. Atchu. Atchu lies in the fame pofition forty verfts diftant from Tagalak, and is about three hundred in circumference : near it is an harbour, where fliips may ride fe-curely at anchor. It contains many rocky mountains; and feveral fmall rivulets that fall into the fea, and of which one running Eaft wards abounds in fifh. The roots which have juft before been mentioned, and bulbs of white lilies, are found there in plenty. Its inhabitants amount to about fixty fouls. Amhch. Amlach is a mountainous ifland ftanding to the Eaft more than feven verfts from Atchu, and is alfo three hundred in circumference. It contains the fame num-2 ber ber of inhabitants as Atchu, has a commodious haven, and produces roots in abundance. Of feveral fin all rivulets there is one only which flows towards the North, that contains any fifli. Befides thefe a clufler of other iilands were obferved ftretching farther to the Eaif, which were not touched upon. The inhabitants of thefe fix iflands are tributary to £HXbi' Ruffia. They live in holes dug in the earth, in which they make no fires even in winter. Their clothes are made like fhirts, of the fkins of the *guillinot and puffin, which they catch with fpringes. Over thefe in rainy weather they wear an upper garment, made of the bladders and other dried interlines of feals and fea-lions oiled and Hitched together. They catch cod and turbot with bone hooks, and eat them raw. As they never lay in a flore of provifion, they fuffer greatly from hunger in ftormy weather, when they cannot go out to fifli ; at which time they are reduced to live upon fmall fhell-fifh and fea-wrack, which they pick up upon the beach and eat raw. In May and June they kill fea-otters in the following manner : When the weather is calm, they row out to fea in feveral baidars: having found the animal, they ftrike him with harpoons, and follow him fo clofely, that he cannot eafily efcape. They take fea dogs in the fame manner. In the fevereft weather they make no addition to their ufual cloathing. In order to warm • Colymbu* Troilc, Alca Arctica. tbemfelves 7^ ACCOUNT OF T H E themfelves in winter, whenever it freezes very hard, .they burn a heap of dry grafs, over which they ft and and catch the heat under their clothes. The clothes of the women and children are made of fea-otter fkins, in the fame form as thofe belonging to the men. Whenever they pais the night at a diftance from home, they dig a hole in the earth, and lay themfelves down in it, covered only with their clothes and mats of platted grafs. Regardlefs of every thing but the prefent moment, defti-tutc of religion, and without the leaft appearance of decency, they feem but few degrees removed from brutes. As foon as the feveral baidars fent out upon hunting parties were returned, and the veffel got ready for their departure, the Toigons of thefe iflands (excepting Kanaga) came in baidars to Tolftyk, accompanied with a confiderable number of the natives; their names were Tfarkulini, Tfhunila, Kayugotlk and Mayatok. They brought with them a voluntary tribute, making prefents of pieces of dried falmon, and unanimoufly expreffmg their fatisfaclion upon the good conducl of the Ruffians. Tolftyk gave them in return fome toys and other trifles, and defired them to recommend to the inhabitants of the other iilands the like friendly behaviour towards the Ruffian merchants who fhould come amongft them, if they had a mind to be treated in the fame manner. June 14, 1704, they failed for Kamtchatka, and anchored on the 19th before Shemiya, one of the Aleutian 1 (lands. Iflands. The 2lit they were forced from their anchor by tempeftuous winds, and driven upon a rocky fliore. This accident obliged them to fend the lading afhore, and* to draw the fhip upon land in order to repair the damage, which was done not without great difficulty. On the 18th of Auguft they flood out to fea and made towards Atchu, which they reached on the 20th. Having fprung a leak they again refitted the veffel ; and, after taking on board the crew of a fhip which had been lately eaft away, they failed for Kamtchatka. On the 4th of September they came in fight of that peninfula near JJ^J^L,, Tzafchminfkoi Oftrog ; and on the 18th, as they were en- kLuiUk:* deavouring to run into the mouth of the Kamtchatka river, they were forced by a ftorm upon the coaft. The veffel was deftroyed, and the greater!: part of the cargo loft. C II A P. C H A P. VIII. Voyage of the Zacharias and Elizabeth, fitted out by Kul-koff, and commanded by Drulinin—They fail to Umnak and Unalafhka, and winter upon the latter (/land—The veffel dejlroycd, and all the crew, except four, murdered by the iflanders—The adventures of thefe four Ruffians, and their wonderful efcape. T SHALL here barely mention that a veffel was fitted * out in Auguft, 1760, at the expence of Terrenti Tfebaeffkoi : but I fhall have occafion to be very cir-cumftantial in my accounts concerning feveral others, which failed during the following years : more copious information concerning the Fox Iilands having been procured from thefe voyages, although for the moft part unfortunate, than from all the preceding ones. In 1762 four vefTels failed for the Fox Iilands : of thefe only one returned fafe to Kamtchatka. Druto°inti,e Tlie nrft was tlie Zacharias and Elizabeth, fitted out Elizabeth, by Kulkoff, a merchant of Vologda and Company, under the command of Drufinin, and manned by thirty-four Ruffians, and three Kamtchadals. September RUSSIAN D I S C OVERIES. September the 6th, they weighed anchor from Ochotfk, and arrived October the i ith in the haven of St. FeWf and Paul, where they wintered. June the 24th, 1763, they again put to fea, and having reached, after eleven days failing, the neareft Aleutian Iflands, they anchored before Atach. They ftaid here about fourteen days, and took up feven Ruffians who had been fhipwrecked on this coaft. Among thefe was Korelin, who returned to Kamtchatka, and brought back the following account of the voyage. . July the 17tb, they failed from Atach towards the more diftant iilands. In the fame month they landed upon an ifland, where the crew of the Andrean and Natalia was engaged in hunting ; and, having laid in ^ provifion of water, continued their voyage. In the beginning of September they arrived at Umnak, one of the Fox Iflands, and call anchor about a vcrit from the fhore. They found there Glottoff's veffel, whofe voyage will be mentioned in a fucceeding chapter-. Drufinin immediately difpatched his firft mate Maefnifk and Korelin, with thirty-four of the crew, to land. They palled over to the Eaftern extremity of the ifland, which was diftant about feventy verfts from the veffel; and returned fafe on the 1 2th of September. During this ex- • Chap. X. M pedition, pedition, they faw feveral remains of fox-traps which had been fet by the Ruffians ; and met with feveral natives who fhe wed fome tribute-quittances. The fame day letters were brought by the iflanders from Medvedeff and Korovin *, who were juft arrived at Umnak and Unalafhka in two veffels fitted out by the merchants Protaffoff and Trapefhikoff. Anfwers were returned by the fame meifengers. Winters at t-ktt • r- Vnakthk*. On the 220, Drufinni faded to the Northern point of Unalafhka, which lies about fifteen verfts from Umnak: the crew, having laid up the veffel in a fafe harbour, and brought the lading afhore, made preparation to con-ftrucT an hut. Soon after their arrival, two Toigons of the neareft village brought hoftages of their own accord ; their example was immediately followed by feveral of the more diftant villages. Here they received information of an hunting party fent from TrapefnikofPs fhip. Upon which Maefnyk alfo difpatched three companies upon the fame errand, one confifting of eleven men, among whom was Korelin, under the command of Peter Tfekaleff; a fecond of the fame number, under Michael Kudyakoff; and a third of nine men, under Yephim Kafkitfyn. Of thefe three parties, Tfekaleff's was the only one of which we have received any cir-cumftantial account : for not a fingle perfon of the other two parties, or of the crew remaining on board, ever returned to Kamtchatka. * Sec the following Chapter. Kafkitfyn Kalkitfyn remained near the haven, and the two other companies were difpatched to the Northern point of the ifland. Kudyakoff flopped at a place called Kalaktak, which contained about forty inhabitants ; Tfekaleff went on to Inalok, which lies about thirty verfts from Kalaktak. He found there a dwelling: with about feventy inhabitants, whom he behaved to with kindnefs: he built an hut for himfelf and his companions, and kept a conftant watch. December the 4th, fix of the party being difpatched £ to look after the pit-falls, there remained only five Ruf- ^Sby Natives, fians: namely, Peter Tfekaleff, Stephen Korelin, Dmitri Bragin, Gregory Shaffyrin, and Ivan Kokovin : the iflanders took this opportunity of giving the firft proofs of their hoftile intentions, which they had hitherto concealed. As Tfekaleff and Shaffyrin were upon a viiit to the iflanders, the latter fuddenly, and without any provocation, ftruck Tfekaleff upon the head with a club, and afterwards ftabbed him with knives. They next fell upon Shaffyrin, who defended himfelf with an hatchet, and, though defperatcly wounded, forced his Way back to his companions. Bragin and Korelin, who remained in the hut, had immediate recourfe to their fire-arms ; but Kokovin, who was at a fmall diftance, was furrounded by the favages, and thrown down. They continued ftabbing him with knives and darts, until Korelin came to his affiftance ; the latter having M 2 wounded wounded two iflanders, and driven away the others,, brought Kokovin half-dead to the hut. The Advcn- Soon afterwards the natives furrounded the hut, which tures of the ^on u'Sk-tne Ruffians had taken the precaution to provide with fhooting-holes. The liege lafted four days without in*> termiffion. The iflanders were prevented indeed by the fire-arms from ftorming the hut; but whenever the Ruffians made their appearance, darts were immediately fhot at them from all fides; fo that they could not venture to go out for water. At length when Shaffyrin and Kokovin were a little recovered, they all fallied out upon the iflanders with their guns and lances; three perfons were killed upon the fpot, and feveral wounded; upon which the others fled away and difperfed. During the fiege the favages were feen at a little diftance bearing fome arms and caps, and holding them up in triumph : thefe things belonged to the fix Ruffians, who had been fent to the pit-falls, and had fallen a facrifice to the refentment of the natives. The latter no fooner difappcared, than the Ruffians dragged the baidar into the fea, arid rowed without mo-leftaiion out of the bay, which is about ten verfts broad. They next landed near a fmall habitation : finding it empty they drew the baidar afhore, and went with their fire-arms and lances acrofs the mountains towards Kalaktak, where they had left KudyakofPs party. As they approached RUSSIAN DISC O V E R I E S. approached that place towards evening, they fired from the heights; but no fignal being returned, they concluded, as was really the cafe, that this company had likewife been mafiacred by the inhabitants. They them-felves narrowly efcaped the fame fate ; for, immediately upon the report of the fire-arms, numerous bodies of the iflanders made their appearance, and clofely purfucd the Ruffians : darknefs however coming on, the latter found means to efcape over the fandy fliore of a bay to a rock, where they were fheltered, and could defend themfelves. They here made fo good a ufe of their arms, that the iflanders thought proper to retire : the fugitives, as foon as their purfuers were withdrawn, feized the opportunity of proceeding towards the haven, where their veffel lay at anchor: they ran without interruption during the whole night, and at break of day, when they were about three verfts from the haven, they efpied a locker of the veffel lying on the fliore. Struck with aftonifliment at this alarming difcovery, they retreated with precipitation to the mountains, from whence they defcried feveral iflanders rowing in canoes, but no appearance of their own veffel.. During that day they kept themfelves clofely concealed, and durft not venture again towards the haven before the evening. Upon their arrival they found the veffel broken to pieces, and the dead bodies of their companions lying mangled along the beach. Having collected all the provifion which had been untouched by the favages, they returned to the mountains. The The following day they fcooped out a cavity at the foot of a mountain fituated about three verfts from the haven, and covered it with a piece of a fail. In the evening they returned to the haven, and found there an image of a faint and a prayer hook ; all the tackle and lading were taken away, excepting the fucks for provifion. Thefe facks were made of leather : the natives had ript them up probably to fee jf they contained any iron, and had left them, together with the proyiilon, behind as ufelefs. The Ruffians collected all that remained, and dragged as much as they were able to carry into the mountains to their retreat, where they lived in a very wretched Rate from the 9th of December to the 2d of February, 1764. Mean while they employed themfelves in making a little baidar, which they covered with the leather of the facks. Having drawn it at night from the mountains to the fea, they rowed without waiting for break of day along the Northern coaft of Unalafchka, in order to reach TrapefhikofPs veffel, which, as they had reafon to think, lay at anchor fomewhere upon the coaft. They rowed at fome diftance from the more, and by that means paffed three habitations unperceived. The following day they obferved at fome diftance five iflanders in a baidar, who upon feeing them made to Maknfhinfk, before which hich place the fugitives were obliged to pafs. Darkncfs coming on, the Ruffians landed on a rock, and palled the night alhore. Early in the morning they difcovered the iflanders advancing towards them from the bay of Ma-kuftiinfk. Upon this they placed themfelves in an advantageous poll, and prepared for defence. The favages rowed clofe to the beach : part landing, and part remaining in their baidars, they commenced the affault by a volley of darts ; and notwithftanding the Ruffians did great execution with their fire arms, the fkirmifh continued the whole day. Towards evening the enemy retired, and the fugitives betook themfelves with their canoe to an adjoining cavern. The attack was again renewed during the night; but the Ruffians were fo ad-vantageoufly polled, that they repulfed the affailants without much difficulty. In this encounter Bragen was flightly wounded. They remained in this place three days; but the fea riling at a fpring-tide into the rock, forced them to fally out towards a neighbouring cavern, which they reached without lofs, notwithftanding the oppofition of the iflanders. They were imprifoned in this cave five weeks, and kept Watch by turns. During that time they feldom ventured twenty yards from the entrance ; and were obliged to quench their thirft with mow-water, and with the l"uoifture dripping from the rock. They fuffered alfo 3 greatly greatly from hunger, having no fuftenancc but fmall lhell-flih, which they occafionally found means to collect: upon the beach. Compelled at length by extreme want, they one night ventured to draw their baidar into the fea, and were fortunate enough to get off unper-ceived. •ninrEfcapo Thev continued rowimr at night, but in the day they from Unahfh- ' O O 7 / nilofr'Tvxiin. nM themfelves on the more ; by this means they efcaped unobferved from the bay of Makufhinfk, and reached TrapeihikofPs veffel the 30th of March, 1764. What happened to them afterwards in company with the crew of this veifel will be mentioned in.the fuccecding chapter. Shaffyrin alone of all the four died of iicknefs during the voyage ; but Korelin, Kohovin, and Bragin* returned fafe to Kamtchatka. The names of thefe brave men deferve our admiration, for the courage and perfevcrance with which they fupported and overcame fuch imminent dangers. * Thefe Ruffians were well known to feveral perfons of credit, who have confirmed the authenticity of this relation. Among the reft the celebrated naturalift Mr. Pallas, whole name is well known in the literary world, faw Bragin at Irkutflc : from him he had a narrative of th&X adventures and cfcape ; which, as he atTured me, perfectly tallied with the above account, which is drawn from the journal of Korelin. c ii A p. CHAP. IX. Voyage of the veffel called the Trinity, under the command of Korovin—Sails to the Fox Iflands—JVinters at Unalafhka—Puts to fea the fpring following—The veffel is* Jlranded in a bay of the ifland Umnak, and the crew attacked by the natives—Many of them killed—Others carried off by ficknefs—They are reduced to great freights —Relieved by Glottoff, twelve of the whole company only remaining—Defcription of Umnak and Unalafhka. THE fccond veffel which failed from Kamtchatka in voyage of K.uruvin,i70i the year 1762, was the Trinity, fitted out by the trading company of Nikiphor Trapefnikoff, merchant of Irkutfk, under the command of Ivan Korovin, and manned with thirty-eight Ruffians and fix Kamtchadals. September 15, they failed down the Kamtchatka river, Departs fro* Kauuchatka. and flood out to fea the 29th, when they were driven at large for ten days by contrary winds. At laft upon the 8th of Oitober they came in fight of JSeering's and Copper Ifland, where they call anchor before the South fide of the former. Here they were refolved to winter on account of the late leaibn of the year. Accordingly tbey laid up the veffel in a fecure harbour, and brought N all IZV^ all the lading afhore. They flaid here until the firft of Auguft, 1763 : during that time they killed about 500 arctic foxes and 10 fea-otters; the latter animals re-forted lefs frequently to this ifland, in confequence of the difturbance given them by the Ruffian hunters. Korovin, having collected a fufficient ftore of provifion, feveral fkins of fea-cows for the coverings of baidars, and fome iron which remained from the wreck of Beering's fhip, prepared for his departure. Upon his arrival at Beering's Ifland the preceding autumn, he found there a veffel fitted out by Jacob Protaffoff, merchant of Tiumen, under the command of Dennis Med-vedeff *• Korovin had entered into a formal contract with Medvedeff for the divifion of the furs. Here he took on board ten of Medvedeff's crew, and gave him feven in return. Auguft 1, Korovin put to fea from Beering's Ifland with thirty-feven men, and Medvedeff with forty-nine. They failed without coming in fight of the Aleutian Ifles : on Reaches Una- the i ctli, Korovin made Unalafhka, where Glottoff lav at anchor, and Medvedeff reached Umnak. Korovin received the news of the latter's fafe arrival, firft by fome iflanders, and afterwards by letters ; both veffels * This is the fourth veffel which failed in 1762. As the whole crew was maffacred by the favages, we have no account of the voyage. Short mention of this maffacre is occafionally made in this and the following chapters. lay lay at no greater diftance from each other than about an hundred and fifty verfts, taking a ftreight line from point to point acrofs the firth. Korovin eaft anchor in a convenient bay at the diftance of fixty yards from the fhore. On the 16th he landed with fourteen men, and having found nothing but an empty fhed, he returned to the veffel. After having taken a reinforcement, he again went afhore in order to look for fome inhabitants. About feven verfts from the haven, he came to two habitations, and faw three hundred perfons aifembled together. Among them were three Toigons, who recollected and accofted in a friendly manner one BarnafhefT, a native of Tobolfk, who had been there before with Glottoff; they fhewed fome tribute-quittances, which they had lately received from the Coffac Sabin Ponomareff. Two of thefe Toigons gave each a boy of twelve years of age as an hoftage, whom they paffed for their children ; and the third delivered his fon of about fifteen years of age, the fame who had been GlottofPs hoftage, and whom Korovin called Alexey. With thefe hoftages he returned to the fhip, which he laid up in the mouth of a river, T after having brought all the provifion and ladng.afhore. Soon afterwards the three Toigons came to fee the hoftages ; and informed Korovin, that Medvedeff's veffel rode fecurely at anchor before Umnak. N 2 September September 15, when every thing was prepared for wintering, Korovin and Barnafheff fet out in two baidars, each with nine men and one of the hoftages, who had a flight knowledge of the Ruffian language. They went along the Northern coaft of the ifland, towards its Weftern extremity, in order to hunt, and to enquire after a certain interpreter called Kafhmak, who had been employed by Glottoff ort a former occafion. Having rowed about twenty verfts, they paffed by a village, and landed at another which lay about five verfts further. But as the number of inhabitants feemed to amount to two hundred, they durft not venture to the dwellings, but ftayed by the baidar. Upon this the Toigon of the place came to them, with his wife and fon : he ihewed a tribute-quittance, and delivered his fon, a boy of thirteen years of age and whom Korovin called Stepanka, as an hoftage, for which he received a prefent of corals* They rowed now further to a third village, about fifteen verfts from the former, where they found the interpreter Kafhmak ; the latter accompanied them to> the two Toigons, who gave them a friendly reception, and fhewed their tribute-quittances. A few natives only made their appearance ; the others, as the Toigons pretended, were gone out to fifh. The next morning each Toigon gave a boy as an hoftage; one of the boys Korovin called Gregory, and the other Alexey. The Ruffians iians were detained there two days by a violent ftorm ; during which time a letter from Medvedeff was brought by an Aleutian, and an anfwer was returned by the fame perfon. The ftorm at length fome what abating, they rowed back to the next village, where they continued two nights without any apprehenflons from the favages. At length Korovin returned in fafety with the hoftages to the crew. In the beginning of October they built a winter-hut, JnujT£X?*' partly of wood and partly of feal-fkins, and made all L^win^nng. the neceffary preparations for hunting. On the 14th, two companies, each conlifting of eleven men, were fent out upon an hunting party to the Eaftern point of the ifland; they returned in four days with hoftages. About ftxty verfts from the haven, they had met a party of twenty-five Ruffians, commanded by Drufinin. About the fame time fome Toigons brought a prefent of fturgeon and whale's blubber, and received in return fome beads and provifion. Korovin and his company now thought themfelves fecure ; for which reafon twenty-three men, under the command of the above-mentioned Barnafheff, were difpatched in two baidars upon an hunting party towards the Weftern point of the ifland. Eight mufkets were diftributed to each boat, a piftol and a lance to each man, man, and alio a fufficient flore of ammunition and provifion. The following day two accounts were fent from Barnafheff; and letters were alfo received from the crew of ProtaifofPs veffel. From the 2d of November to the '8th of December, the Ruffians, who remained with Korovin, killed forty-eight dark-coloured foxes, together with an hundred and feventeen of the common fort ; during this expedition one man was loft. Some of the natives came occafionally in baidars, and exchanged fea-otters and fox fkins for corals. On the 8th of December letters were again brought from Barnafheff and alio from the crew of ProtaffofFs fhip. Anfwers were returned by the fame meffengers. After the departure of thofe meffengers, the mother of Alexey came with a meifage from the Toigon her huf-band importing, that a large number of iflanders were making towards the fhip. Upon this Korovin ordered the men to arms, and foon after feventy natives approached and held up fome fea-otter fkins. The Ruffians cried out that no more than ten at a time fhould come over the brook towards their hut: upon which the iflanders left their fkins with Korovin, and returned without attempting any hoftilities. Their apprehenfions were now fome-what quieted, but they were again raifed by the arrival of three Kamtchadals belonging to Kulkoff's fhip, who flew for protection to Korovin : they brought the account that the crew had been killed by the favages, and 4 the the veflel deftroyed. It was now certain that the fevcnty iflanders above-mentioned had come with hoftilc intentions. This information fpread fuch a fudden panic among the Ruffians, that it was even propofed to burn the veffel, and to endeavour to find their companions, who were gone upon hunting parties. That day however paffed without any attack: but towards ]£ec£dbjdw the evening of the ioth of December, the favages af- *0W*' fembled in large bodies, and in veiled the hut on all fides. Four days and nights they never ceafed annoying the Ruffians with their darts; two of the latter were killed, and the furvivors were nearly exhaufled by continual fatigue. Upon the fifth day the iflanders took poll in a neighbouring cavern, where they continued watching the Ruffians fo clofely during a whole month, that none of the latter durft venture fifty paces from their dwelling. Korovin, finding himfelf thus annoyed by the natives, ordered the hut to be deftroyed : he then retired to his veffel, which was brought for greater fecurity out of the mouth of the rivulet to the diftance of an hundred yards from the beach. There they lay at anchor from the 5th of March to the 26th of April, during which time they fuffered greatly from want of provifion, and ftill more from the fcurvy. During During this.period they were attacked by a large body of the natives, who advanced in forty baidars with the hopes of furprihng the veffel. Korovin had been warned of their approach by two of the inhabitants, one of whom was a relation of the interpreter Kafhmak : accordingly he was prepared for their reception. As foon as the favages came near the veffel, they brandifhed their darts and got ready for the attack. Korovin however had no fooner fired and killed one perfon, than they were ftruck with a panic and rowed away. They were fo incenfed at this failure of fuccefs, that they immediately put to death the two good-natured natives, who had betrayed their deiign to the Ruffians. Soon afterwards the father of Alexey came and demanded his fon, who was reftored to him : and on the 30th of March Korovin and his three companions arrived as it is mentioned in the preceding chapter. By this reinforcement the number ot" the crew amounted to eighteen perfons. Korovin )v.ts April 26 Korovin put to fea from Unalafhka with the to Sea. The vdrd 11 :a.Kicd crew aiK| eleven 'hoftages. The veffel was driven until the 28th by contrary winds, and then ftranded in a bay of the ifland Umnak. The ammunition and fails, together with the fkins for the conftruclion of baidars, were brought afhore with great difficulty. During the difembarkation one fick man was drowned, another died as foon as he came to land, and eight hoftages ran away 1 amidft j turiidit the general confufion. There Rill remained the faithful interpreter Kafhmak and three hoftages. The whole number of the Ruffians amounted to only fix-teen perfons ; and of thefe three were fiek of the fcurvy. Under thefe circumftances they fccured themfelves between their baidar and fome empty barrels, which they covered with feal-fkins, while the fails were fpread over them in form or a tent. Two Ruffians kept watch ; and there being no appearance of any iflanders, the others retired to fleep. Before break of day, about an hundred favages ad- ™D^a"f5 I " I ft vancing fecretly from the fea-fide, threw their darts at ed't!y \L B£ cives. the diftance of twenty yards with fuch force, that many of them pierced through the baidar and the fkins ; others fell from above through the fails. By this dif-charge, the two perfons who kept watch, together with the three hoftages, were killed upon the fpot; and all the Ruffians were wounded. The latter indeed were fo effectually furprifed, as to be prevented from having recourfe to their fire-arms. In this diftrefs Korovin fallied out, in company with four Ruffians, and attacked the enemy with lances : two of the lavages were billed, and the others driven to flight. Korovin and Th« Utnr . . rcpullcil, party were fo feverely wounded, that they had Scarcely ftrength lufheient to return to their tent. 0 During During the night the ftorm increafed to fuch a degree, that the veffel was entirely dallied to pieces. The greateft part of the wreck, which was eaft on fhore by the fea, was carried away by the iflanders. They alfo broke to pieces the barrels of fat, emptied the facks of provifion, and deftroyed moft of the furs : having thus fatisfied their refentmenr, th©y wnn away^ and did not again make their appearance until the 30th of April. Upon their retiring, the Ruffians collected the wretched remains which had been left untouched by the favages, or which the waves had eaft on fliore fince their departure. April 30, a body of an hundred and fifty natives advanced from the Eaftern point of the ifland towards the tent; and, at the diftance of an hundred yards, fhot at the Ruffians with fire arms, but luckily without execution. They alfo fet on fire the high grafs, and the wind blew the flames towards the tent; but the Ruffians firing forced the enemy u> flight, and gained time to extinguifh the flames. This was the laft attack which was made upon Korovin; although ficknefs and mifery detained him and his companions upon this fpot until the 21 ft of July. They then put to fea in a baidar eight yards long, which they had conftructed in order to make to ProtaffofPs veffel, with with whofe fate they were as yet unacquainted. Their number was now reduced to twelve perfons, among whom were fix Kamtchadals. After having rowed ten days they landed upon the The Rum™* O * difcover the beach of the fame ifland Umnak; there they obferved jftSfii,. the remains of a veffel which had been burnt, and faw bSbeaTaiui dercd by the fome clothes, fails, and ropes, torn to pieces. At a fmall Names, diftance was an empty Ruffian dwelling, and near it a bath-room, in which they found, to their inexpreflible terror, twenty dead bodies in their clothes. Each of them had a thong of leather, or his own girdle, fattened about the neck, with which he had been dragged along. Korovin and his companions recollected them to have been fome of thofe who had failed in ProtaffofPs veffel; and could diftinguifh among the reft the commander Medvedeff. They difcovered no further traces of the remaining crew; and as none ever appeared, we have no account of the circumftances with which this ca-taftrophe was attended * After having buried his dead countrymen, Korovin Relieved from their Diftrefli-s and his companions began to build an hut: they were ^qJL^Jf**1 prevented however from finifhing it, by the unexpected arrival of Stephen Glottoff-''-, who came to them with a fmall party by land. Korovin and his companions accordingly joined Glottoff, and rowed the next day to his veffel. • See the following Chapter. O 2 Soon Soon afterwards Korovin was lent with a party of twenty men to coaft the illand of Umnak, in order to difcover if any part of Medvcdeff's crew had made their efcape from the general maffaccc : but his enquiries were without fuccefs. In the courfe of this expedition, as he lay at anchor, in September, before a fmall illand fituated between Umnak and Unalafhka, fome favages rowed towards the Ruffians in two large baidars ; and having fhot at them with fire-arms, though without effect, inllantly retired. The fame evening Korovin entered a bay of the ifland Umnak, with an intention of paffmg the night on fliore : but as he came near the coaft, a large number of favages in an hundred baidars furrounded and faluted him with a volley of darts, Korovin fired and foon difperfed them ; and immediately made to a large baidar, which he faw at fome diftance, in hopes of finding fome Ruffians. He was however miftaken ; the iflanders who were aboard landed at his approach, and, after fhooting at him from their fire-arms, retired to the mountains. Korovin found there an empty baidar, which he knew to be the fame in which Barnafheff had failed, when he was fent upon an hunting party. Within were nothing but two hatchets and fome iron points for darts. Three women were feized at the fame time ; and two natives, who refufed to furrender themfelves, were put to death. They R U SSI A N D IS CO V E R I E S. They then made to the dwelling, from which all the inhabitants had run away, and found therein pieces of Ruffian leather, blades of fmall knives, fhirts, and other things, which had belonged to the Ruffians. All the information which they could procure from the women whom they had taken prifoners, was, that the crew had been killed, and this booty taken away by the inhabitants, who had retired to the illand Unalafhka. Korovin gave thefe women their liberty, and, being apprehenfive of frefh attacks, returned to the haven. Towards winter Korovin, with a party of twenty-two men, was fent upon an hunting expedition to the Weft-em point of Unalafhka : he was accompanied by an Aleutian interpreter, called Ivan Glottoff. Being informed by fome iflanders, that a Ruffian fhip, under the command of Ivan Solovioff was then lying before Unalafhka, he immediately rowed towards the haven where fhe was at anchor. On the way he had a fharp encounter with the natives, who endeavoured to prevent him from landing : of thefe, ten were killed upon the fpot; and the remainder fled away, leaving behind them fome women and children. Korovin Raid three days aboard Solovioff's veffeb and then returned to the place where he had been fo lately attacked, The inhabitants however, for this * Chap. XI. time, time, made no oppofition to his landing ; on the contrary, they received him with kindnefs, and permitted him to hunt: they even delivered hoftages; and entered into a friendly traffic, exchanging furs for beads. They were alfo pre vailed upon to reftore feveral mufkets and other things, taken from the Ruffians who had been maffacred. A fhort time before his departure, the inhabitants again fliewed their hoftile intentions ; for three of them came up to the Ruffian centinel, and fuddenly fell upon him with their knives. The centinel however dilen-gaging himfelf, and retreating into the hut, they ran away. The Toigons of the village protefted ignorance of this treachery; and the offenders were foon afterwards difcovered and punifhed. Korovin, as he was returning to Glottoff, was forced to engage with the iflanders upon Unalafhka, and alfo upon Umnak, where they endeavoured to prevent him from landing. Before the end of the year a ftorm drove the baidar upon the beach of the latter illand; and the tempeftuous weather fetting in, they were detained there until the 6th of April, 1765. During this time they were reduced, from a fcarcity of provifion, to live chiefly upon fea-wrack and fmall fhell fifli. On the 2 2d they returned to Glottoff; and as they had been unfuccefsful in hunting, their cargo of furs was very inconfiderable. Three days after his arrival, Korovin quitted Glottoff, and went over with five other Ruffians to SoloviefT, with whom whom he returned the following year to Kamtchatka. The fix Kamtchadals of Korovin's party joined Glottoff. According to Korovin's account, the iilands Umnak and Unalafhka are fituated not much more Northwards u£S&i!i!! than the mouth of the Kamtchatka river; and, according to the fhip's reckoning, about the diftance of 1700 verfts Ea&wattb rume place. The circumfe- rence of Umnak is about two hundred and fifty verfts; Unalafhka is much larger. Both thefe iflands are wholly deftitute of trees ; drift-wood is brought afhore in large quantities. There were five lakes upon the Northern coaft of Unalafhka, and but one upon Umnak, of which none were more than ten verfts in circumference. Thefe lakes give rife to feveral fmall rivulets, which flow only a few verfts before they empty themfelves into the fea: the fifti enter the rivulets in the middle of April, they afcend the lakes in July, and continue there until Auguft. Sea-otters and other fea-animals refort but feldom to thefe iflands J but there is great abundance of red and black foxes. North Eaftwards from Unalafhka two iflands appeared in light, at the diftance of five or ten verfts ; but Korovin did not touch at them. The inhabitants of thefe iflands row in their fmall Account of tlic lnhabi- baidars from one ifland to the other. They are fo t;,lus' numerous, and their manner of life fo unfettled, that their number cannot exactly be determined. Their 1 dwelling AC COUNT OF T H E dwelling caves are made in the following manner. They firft dig an hole in the earth proportioned to the fize of their intended habitation, of twenty, thirty, or forty yards in length, and from fix to ten broad. They then fet up poles of larch, firs, and afli driven on the coaft by the fea. A'crofs the top of thefe poles they lay pinnies, which they cover with grafs and earth. They enter through holes in the top \jy bmm of lad. ders. Fifty, an hundred, and even an hundred and fifty perfons dwell together in fuch a cave. They light little or no fires within, for which reafon thefe dwellings are much cleaner than thofe of the Kamtchadals* When they want to warm themfelves in the winter, they make a lire of dry herbs, of which they have collected a large ftore in fummer, and ftand over it until they are fuf-ficiently warmed. A few of thefe iflanders wear fur-ftockings in winter; but the greater! part go bare-footed, and all are without breeches. The fkins of cormorants, puffins, and fea-divers, ferve for the mens clothing ; and the women wear the fkins of fea-bears, feals, and fea-otters. They fleep upon thick mats, which they twift out of a foft kind of grafs that grows upon the fliore, and have no other covering but their ufual clothes. Many of the men have five or fix wives; and he that is the beft hunter or fiiher has the grcateft number. The women make their needles of the bones of birds wings, and ufe finews for thread. Their Their weapons are bows and arrows, lances and darts, which they throw like the Greenlanders to the diftance of ftxty yards by means of a little hand-board. Both the darts and arrows are feathered: the former are about an ell and an half long ; the fhaft, which is well made confidering their want of inftruments, is often compofed of two pieces that join into each other : the point is of flint, fharpened by beating it between two ftones. Thefe darts as well as the lances were formerly tipped with bone, but at pre lent the points are commonly made of the iron which they procure from the Ruffians, and out of which they ingenioufly form little hatchets and two-edged knives. They fhape the iron by rubbing it between two ftones, and whetting it frequently with fea-water. With thefe inftruments and ftonc hatchets they build their baidars. They have a ftrange cuftom of cutting holes in the under-lip and through the griftle of the nofe. They place in the former two little bones, wrought in the form of teeth, which project fome inches from the face. In the nofe a piece of bone is placed crofsways. The deceafed are buried with their boat, weapons, and clothes ~. * The author repeats here feveral circumstances which have been mentioned before, and many of them will occur again : but my office as, a tninflator would not fufler me to omit them. P g II A p. io* ACCOUNT OFT Ii E CHAP. X. Voyage of Stephen Glottoff—He reaches the Fox Iflands— Sails beyond Unalafhka to Kadyak—Winters upon thai Ifland—Repeated attempts of the Natives to deflroy the Crew—They are reputfea, reconciled, and prevailed upon to trade with the Ruffians—Account of Kadyak—Its inhabitants—animals—productions—Glottoff fails back to Umnak—Winters there—Returns to Kamtchatka—• Journal of his voyage. T T ERE follows one of the moft memorable voyages y ■* yet made, which extended farther, and terminated more fortunately, than the laft mentioned expeditions* voyage of Terenty Tfebacfffkoi and company, merchants of Glottoff in the Andrean and Lalfk, fitted out the Andrean and Natalia under the com- Nataha, »76a. ' mand of Stephen Glottoff, an experienced and fkilful feaman of Yarenfk. This veffel failed from the bay of the river Kamtchatka the iff of October, 1762, manned with thirty-eight Ruffians and eight Kamtchadals. In eight days they reached Mednoi Oftroff, or Copper Ifland, where having fought out a convenient harbour, they Winters upon unloaded and laid up the veffel for the winter. Their Copper ifland. firft care was to fupply themfelves with provifions; and 1 they they killed afterwards a quantity of ice-foxes, and a confiderable number of fea-otters. For the benefit of the crown and their own ufe in cafe of need, they refolved to take on board all the remaining tackle and iron work of Beering's fhip, which had been left behind on Commander's Ifland, and was buried in the beach. For this purpofe they difpatched, on the 27th of May, Jacob Malevinfkoy (who died foon after) with thirteen men in a baidar to that ifland, which was feventy verfts diftant. They brought back with them twenty-two pood of iron, ten of old cordage fit for caulker's ufe, fome lead and copper, and feveral thoufand beads. Copper Ifland has its name from the native copper found on the coaft, particularly at theWeftern point on its South fide. Of this native copper Malevinfkoy brought with him two large pieces weighing together twelve pounds, which were picked up between a rock and the fea on a ftrand of about twelve yards in breadth. Amongft other floating bodies which the lea drives upon the fhores of this Ifland, the true right camphor wood, and another fort of wood very white, loft, and fweet-fcented, are occalionally found. Every preparation for continuing the Voyage being 2.«ile *?*« ; 1 1 ° J O O fox tdandfc made, they failed from Copper Illand the 26th of July, 1763, and fteered for the Iflands Umnak and Aguna- P 2 lafhka, ACCOUNT OF THE lafhka, where GlottofT had formerly obferved great numbers of black foxes. On account of ftorms and contrary winds, they were thirty days before they fetched Umnak. Here they arrived the 24th of Auguft, and without dropping anchor or lofing any time, they refolved to fail further for the difcovery of new iilands: they paired eight contiguous to each other and feparated by ftraits, which were to the beft of their eftimation from twenty to an hundred verfts broad. Glottoff however, did not land-till he reached the laft and moft Eaft ward of thefe iflands, called by the inhabitants Kadyak, from which the natives faid it was not far to the coaft of a wide extended woody continent. No land however was to be feen from a little illand called by the natives Aktunak,which is fitu-ated about thirty verfts more to the Eaft than Kadyak. September Sth, the veffel ran up a creek, lying South Eaft of Aktunak, through which a rivulet empties itfelf into the fea; this rivulet comes from a lake fix verfts long, one broad, and about fifty fathoms deep. During the ebb of the tide the veffel was left aground ; but the return of the water fet her again afloat. Near the more were four large huts, fo crouded with people, that their number could fcarcely be counted : however, foon after GlottofPs arrival, all thefe inhabitants quitted their dwellings, and retired with precipitation. The next day fome iflanders in baidars approached the veifel, and accofted the the people on board : and as Ivan GlottofT, the Aleutian interpreter, did not well understand the language of thefe iflanders, they foon afterwards returned with a boy whom they had formerly taken prifoner from Ifanak, one of the iflands which lie to the Weft of Kadyak. Him the Aleutian interpreter perfectly underftood : and by his means every necclfary explanation could be obtained, from the iflanders. In this manner they converfed with the favages, and endeavoured to perfuade them to become tributary; they ufed alfo every argument in their power to prevail upon them to give up the boy for an interpreter; but all their entreaties were for the prefent without effect. The favages rowed back to the cliff called Aktalin, which lies about three verfts to the South of Kadyak, where they feemed to have habitations. On the 6th of September Kaplin was fent with thirteen men to the cliff, to treat peaceably with the iflanders.. He found there ten huts, from which about an hundred i of the natives came out. They behaved feemingly in a friendly manner, and anfwered the interpreter by the boy, that they had nobody proper for an hoftage ; but that they would deliver up the boy to the Ruffians agreeable to their deiire. Kaplin received him very thankfully, and brought him on board, where he was properly taken care of : he afterwards accompanied Glottoff to to Kamtchatka, and was baptized by the name of Alexander Popoff, being then about thirteen years of age. FOr fome days after this conference the iilanders came off in companies of five, ten, twenty, and thirty: they were admitted on board in fmall numbers, and kindly received, but with a proper degree of circumfpection. On the 8th of September the veffel was brought fur* ther up the creek without unloading her cargo : and on the 9th Glottoff with ten men proceeded to a village on the fliore about two hundred yards from the vefTel, where the natives had begun to refide : it con lifted of three fummer-huts covered only with long grafs : they were from eight to ten yards broad, twelve long, and about four high : they faw there about an hundred men, but neither women nor children. Finding it impoffible to perfuade the favages to give hoftages, Glottoff refolved to let his people remain to* gcthcr, and to keep a ftrong guard. The iilanders vifited them ftill in fmall bodies; it was however more and more viliblc that their intentions were TheNathej bad. At laft on the iff of October, by day break, a attack the RuflUns, tun great number having affembled together in the remote arc defeated. 0 0 parts of the illand, came unexpectedly acrofs the country. They approached very near without being difcovered by the watch, and feeing nobody on deck but thofe on on duty, fhot fuddenly into the veffel with arrows. The watch found refuge behind the quarter boards, and gave the alarm withont firing. Glottoff immediately ordered a volley to be fired over their heads with fmall arms; upon which they immediately returned with great expedition. As foon as it was day there was no enemy to be feen : but they difcovered a number of ladders, feveral bundles of hay in which the favages had put fulphur, likewife a quantity of birch-tree bark, which had been left behind in their precipitate flight. They now found it very neceffary to be on their guard againft the attempts of thefe perfidious incendiaries. Their fufpicions were Rill further increafed by the fubfe-quent conduct of the natives: for though the latter came to the veffel in fmall bodies, yet it was obferved that they examined every thing, and more particularly the watch, with the ftrictefl attention; and they always returned without paying any regard to the friendly propofitions of the Ruffians. On the 4th of October about two hundred iflanders made their appearance, carrying wooden fhields before them, and preparing with bows and arrows for an attack* Glottoff endeavoured at firft by perfuafion to prevail upen them to defift; but obferving that they Rill continued advancing, he refolved to venture a Tally. This intrepidity trepidity difcoaccrtcd the iilanders, and they immediately retreated without making the lcaif. refiiiancc. The 26th of October they ventured a third attack, and advanced towards the veflel for this purpofe by aay-break : the watch however gave the alarm in due time, and the whole crew were immediately under arms. The approach of day-light difcovered to their view different parties of the enemy advancing under the protection of wrooden fcreens.. Of thefe moving breaft-works they counted feven; and behind each from thirty to forty men armed with bone lances. Be fides thefe a croud of armed men advanced feparately to the attack, fome of them bearing whale jaw-bones, and others wooden fhields. Diffuafion proving ineffectual, and the arrows beginning to fall even aboard the fhip, Glottoff gave orders to lire. Natives The fhot from the fmall arms however not being of force .aie finally re- * ESb1 «ythc enouSri t0 pierce me fcreens, the iflanders advanced under their protection with ftcadinefs and intrepidity. Glottoff neverthelefs determined to rifk a fally of his whole crew armed with mufkets and lances. The iilanders in If ant] y threw down their fcreens, and fled with precipitation until they gained their boats, into which they threw themfelves and rowed off. They had about feventeen large baidars and a number of fmall canoes. The fcreens which they left behind were made of three rows'of flakes placed perpendicularly, and bound together with fea-weed and offers; they were twelve feet broad, and above half a yard thick. The The iilanders now appearing to be fufliciently intimi- 3!netefautn,anx dated, the Ruffians began to build a winter hut of floated Ka(I>ak' wood, and waited in a body the appearance of fpring without further annoyance. Although they faw nobody before the 25th of December, yet Glottoff kept his people together; fending out occalionally fmall hunting and nihing parties to the lake, which lay about five verfts from the creek. During the whole winter they caught in the lake feveral different fpecies of trout and falmon, foles, and herrings of a fpan and a half long, and even turbot and cod-filh, which came up with the flood into the lake. At laft, on the 25th of December, two iilanders came to the fhip, and converfed at a diftance by means of interpreters. Although propofals of peace, and trade were held out to them in the moft friendly manner, yet they went off without feeming to put much confidence in thefe offers : nor did any of them appear again before the 4th of April, 1764. Want of fufficient exercife in the mean time brought on a violent fcurvy among the crew, by which diforder nine perfons were carried off. On the 4th of April four iflanders made their appearance, and feemed to pay more attention to the propofals : one of them at laft advanced, and offered to barter two fox-fkins for beads. They did not fet the leaf! va- Q lue arereconcUcd me upon other goods of various kinds, fuch as fhirts, weRul linen, and nankeen, but demanded glafs bead's of different colours, for which they exchanged their fkins with pleafure. This friendly traffic, together with GlottofPs entreaties, operated fo powerfully, that, after holding a confutation with their countrymen, they returned with a folemn declaration, that their brethren woidd in future commit no hoffilities againft the Ruffians. From that time until their departure a daily intercom fe was carried on with the iflanders, who brought all forts of fox and fea-otter ikins, and received in exchange a ftipulatcd number of beads. Some of them were even perfuaded to pay a tribute of fkins, for which receipts were given, Amongft other wares the Ruffians procured two fmall carpets, worked or platted in a curious manner, and on one lide fet clofe with beaver-wool like velvet: they could not however learn whether thefe carpets were wrought by the iflanders. The latter brought alfo for falc well-drefled fea-otter fkins, the hair of which was fhorn quite fhort with firarp ftones, in fuch a manner, that the remainder, which was of a yellowifh brown colour, gllftened and appeared like velvet. Their caps had furprifing and fomctimes very ornamental decorations : fome of them had on the forepart combs adorned with manes like an helmet; others, feemingly peculiar to the females, were made of interlines ftitched together with rein-deer hair and finews in a moft elegant 5 tafle, tafte, and ornamented on the crown with long ftreamers of hair died of a beautiful red. Of all thefe curiofities GlottofT carried famples to Kamtchatka The natives differ confiderably in drefs and language from the inhabitants of the other Fox Iilands : and feveral fpecies of animals were obferved upon Kadyak, which are not to be found upon the other iflands, viz. ermines, martens, beavers, river otters, wolves, wild boars, Animal* of and bears: the laft-mentioned animal was not indeed actually feen by the Ruffians, but the prints of its feet were traced. Some of the inhabitants had clothes made of the fkins of rein-deer and jevras; the latter of which is a fort of fmall marmofet. Both thefe fkins were probably procured from the continent of America -f. Black, brown, and red foxes were feen in greit numbers ; and the coaft abounds with fca-dogs, fea-bears, fea-lions, and fea-otters. The birds are cranes, gecfc, ducks, gulls, ptarmigans, crows, and magpies ; but no uncommon fpecies was any where difcovered. The Vegetable pro- * Thefe and feveral other ornaments of a fimilar kind are prefcrved in the cabinet of curiofitics at the Academy of Sciences of St. Peterfburg : a cabinet which well merits the attention of the curious traveller % for it contains a large collection of the drcifes of the Eailern nations. Amongft the reft one compartment is entirely filled with the dreifes, arms, and implements, brought from the new difcovered iflands. \ Although this conjecture is probable, yet, when the reader recollects that the illand Alakfu is laid to contain rein-deer, he will perceive that the inhabitants of Kadyak might have been fupplied with the /kins J't that animal from thence. See p. 68. 0 2 ductions proUtt&ioot, dubious are bilberries, cranberries, wortleberries, and wild lily-roots. Kadyak likewife yields willows and alders, which circumftance affords the ftrongcft proof that it lies at no great diftance from the continent of America. The extent of Kadyak cannot be exactly afcertained, as the Ruffians, through apprehenfion of the natives, did not venture to explore the country. Accost of the -pile inhabitants, like thofe of the Aleutian and nearer Inhabitants. ' iflands, make holes in the under-lips and through the griftle of the nofe, in which they infert the bones of birds and animals worked into the form of teeth. Their clothes are made of the fkins of birds, foxes, fea-otters, young rein-deer, and marmofets; they few them together with finews. They wear alfo fur-ftockings of rein-deer fkins, but no breeches. Their arms are bows, arrows, and lances, whofe points, as well as their fmall hatchets, are of fharp flint: fome few make knives and lance points of rein-deer bones. Their wooden fhields are called kuyaky, which amongft the Greenlanders fignifies a fmall canoe. Their manners are altogether rude. They have not the leaft difpofition to give a courteous reception to ftrangers : nor does there appear amongft themfelves any kind of deference or fubmiflion from one to another. Their canoes are fome of them fo fmall as to contain only one or two perfons; others are large baidars fimilar I to to the women's boats of the Greenlanders. Their food confifts chiefly of raw and dried fiih, partly caught lit fea with bone hooks, and partly in rivulets, in bagnets made of finews platted together. They call themfelves Kanagift, a name that has no fmall refemblance to Karalit; by which appellation, the Greenlanders and Efqui-maux on the coaft of Labradore diftinguifh themfelves : the difference between thefe two denominations is occasioned perhaps by a change of pronunciation, or by a miftake of the Ruffian failors, who may have given it this variatinn. Their numbers feem very confiderable on that part of the ifland, where they had their fixed habitations. The ifland Kadyak-* makes,with Aghunalafhka, Umnak, and the fmall iilands lying between them, a continued Archipelago, extending N. E. and E. N. E. towards America : it lies by the fhip's reckoning in 230 degrees of longitude ; fo that it cannot be far diftant from that part of the American coaft which Beering formerly touched at. The large ifland Alakfu, lying Northward from Kadyak where Pufhkaref f wintered, muft be ftill nearer the * Kadyak Is not laid down upon any chart of the new difcovered iflands : for we have no chart of GlottofFs voyage ; and no other Ruffian navigator touched at that ifland. f See Chap. VI. continent : continent : and the account propagated by its inhabitants of a great promontory, called Atachtak, ftretching from the continent N. E. of Alakfu, is not at all improbable. Although the conducl of the iilanders appeared more friendly, yet on account of their numbers Glottoff refolved not to pafs another winter upon Kadyak, and accordingly prepared for his departure. lie wanted hoops for repairing his water-calks; and being told by the natives that there were trees on the ifland at no great diffance from the bay, he difpatched on the 25th of April Lukas Ftorufkiu with eleven men for the purpofe of felling wood. Ftorufkin returned the fame day with the following intelligence : that after rowing along the South coaft of the illand forty or fifty verfts from the haven, he obferved, about half a verft from the fliore, a (-onftdcr-able number of alders, fimilar to thofe found in Kamtchatka, growing in vallies between the rocks. The largeft trunks were from two to four verfhocks in diameter. Of this wood he felled as much as he had occafion for; and returned without having met with cither iflander or habitation. fromjeSyak, They brought the veffel down the creek in May ; and, May, ,764. after ta^ing ul all the peltry and ftores, left Kadyak on ■the 24th. Contrary winds retarded their voyage, and drove them near the ifland Alakfu, which they paffed ; their water being nearly exhaufted, they afterwards landed fancied upon another illand, called Saktunk, in order to procure a frefh Rock. At laft on the 3d of July, £ they arrived again at Umnak, and anchored in a bay which Glottoff had formerly vifited. lie immediately went afhore in a baidar, and foon found out his former hut, which was in ruins : near it he obferved another Ruffian dwelling, that- had been built in his abfence, in which lay a murdered Ruffian, but whofe face none of them knew. Glottoff, refolving to procure further information, went acrofs the ifland the 5th of July, accompanied by fixteen of his crew. He difcovered the remains of a burnt veiTel, fome prayer books, images, &c.; all the iron work and cordage were carried off. Near the fpot he found likewife a bathing, room filled with murdered Ruffians in their clothes. From fome marks, he concluded that this was the veffel fitted out by Protaffoff; nor was he miftaken in his conjectures.. Alarmed at the fate of his countrymen, Glottoff returned to the fhip, and ne^a a confutation upon the meafures neceflary to be taken ; and it was unanimoufly refolved that they fhould endeavour to procure more intelligence concerning the veffel. In the mean time feven iflanders came rowing off in baidars, and pretended that they wanted to trade. They fhewed fea-otter fkins at & diftance, but would not. venture on board;. and and denied by the interpreter GlottofT and two of his people to come on fliore and barter. GlottofT however, having fufficient caufe to diftruft the favages, refufed to comply with their demands : upon this they immediately landed, and fhot from the fliore with fire-arms, but without doing any execution. They were even bold enough to get into their canoes a fecond time, and to row near the vefTel. In order if poflible to procure intelligence from them, every'method of perfuading them to peace was tried by means of the interpreters ; and at laft one of them approached the fhip and demanded victuals, which being thrown to him, he came on board. He then related the fate of the above-mentioned veffel, of which the iflanders had made themfelves matters ; and gave likewife fome intelligence concerning the remaining fmall body of fugitives under the command of Korovin. He alfo con felled, that their defign was to entice Glottoff on fliore, and then to kill him ; for which purpofe more than thirty iilanders were polled in ambufh behind the neareft rocks. After cutting off the leader, they imagined it would be an eafy matter to feizc upon the fhip. Upon this information Glottoff detained the iflander on board, and landing with a ftrong party attacked the favages; the latter fhot with arrows, as well as from the mufkets which they had feized, but without effect, and were foon forced to retire to their canoes. July July the 14th a violent ftorm arofe, in which Glut-toff's veffel parted her cable, and was forced on fhore without any other lofs than that of an anchor. The crew like wife, through want of frelh provifions,' began to grow fo fickly, that they were almoft in a defcncelefs ftate. Glottoff however, with ten men, fet out the 28th of July for that part of the ifland, where according to information they expected to find Korovin. They difcovered only parts of the wreck, but none of the crew, fo that they now gave them up for loft. But on the 2d of Auguft, as Glottoff was on his way back, five iflanders approached him in canoes, and afked why the baidar had been out; to which a falfe anfwer being given, they told him, that on the other fide of the ifland he would find Korovin with his people, who were building an hut on the fide of the rivulet. Upon receiving this intelligence, Glottoff and his companions went over land to the place pointed out by the iflanders^ and found every thing agreeable to their information: in this Korovin had not the leaft fharc, not having been made privy to the tranfaction. The circumftances of his joining, and afterwards feparating from Glottoff, have already been mentioned-. * Sec the preceding Chapter. 11 Glottoff Glottoff noW refolved to winter upon Umnak, and accordingly laid up his veffel for that purpofc. On the ad of September Korovin, as is before related, was at his own deflre fent out with a hunting party in two baidars. On his return, in May 1765, they had the firif intelligence of the arrival of SoloviofPs veffel, which lay before Unalafhka, and of which an account fhall be given-. None of the iflanders appeared near the harbour during the winter,, and there were none probably at that time upon Umnak ;. for Glottoff made excurfions on all fides, and went once round the ifland. He likewife looked into the habitations of the iilanders, and found them empty: he examined the country and caufed a Uriel: fearch. to be made after the remains of the plundered veffeh According to his account Umnak is about 300 verfts in circumference. It contains feveral fmall rivulets, which take their rife from lakes, and fall into the fea after a very fhort courfe. No trees were obferved upon the ifland, and the. vegetables were the fame as thofe of kamtchatka.. * Chap. .XI. The The following furnmer fmall parties of the inhabitants were feen ; but they immediately fled upon the approach of the Ruffians. Some of them however were at laft perfuaded to a friendly intercourfe and to pay a tribute : by thefe means they got back part of the arms, anchors, and iron work, of the plundered veffel. They continued to barter with the natives during the furnmer of 1765, exchanging beads for the fkins of foxes and fea-otters. The following winter hunting parties were fent out Dcpartu in Umnak as well as to Unalafhka ; and in July 1766 GlottofT, without meeting with any more difficulties began his voyage homewards. We fhall here conclude with giving a copy of the journal kept dfl board GlottofPs veffel, the Andrcan and Natalia; from which inferences with regard to the fituation of the \flands rnay be drawn. R 2 Journal 124 ACCOUNT OF T H E Journal of GlottofT, on board the Andrean and Natalia. Journal of the I 7 6 2. Voytge, Oct. i. Sailed from Kamtchatka Bay. 2. Wind Southerly, fleered between E. and S. E. three hours. 3. Wind S. E. worked at N. E. courfe, 16 hours. 4. From midnight failed Eafi with a fair wind, 18 hours. 5. At Six o'clock A. M. difcovered Beering's Illand diftant about 18 verfts. 6. At 1 o'clock came to anchor on the South Eaft: point of Copper Illand. 7. At 8 A.M. failed to the South fide of the Ifland, anchored there at 10 o'clock. 1763. July 26. Sailed from Copper Ifland at 5 P. M. 27. Sailed with a fair S.S, W. wind, 17 hours. 28. Made little way. 29. Drove—wind E. N. E.. 30. Ditto. 31. Ditto. Aug. 1. Ditto. 2. At 11 A.M. wind N.E. fteered E. 3. Wind W. S. W. failed 8 knots an hour, 250 verfts. 4. Wind South—failed 150 verfts. 5. Wind ditto—failed 126 verfts. 6. Wind RUSSIAN DISCOV E R 1 E S. 6. Wind ditto, 3 knots, 45 verfts. 7. .Calm. ' 8. During the night gentle S. E. wind fteered, N.E. at 21 knots. 9. Forenoon calm. At 2. o'clock P. M. gentle N. E . wind, fteered between E. N. E. and S. E. at the rate of three knots. 0. Morning, wind E.N.E. afterwards S. S. W. with which fteered N.E. 1. At 5 o'clock the wind S. S. E. fteered E. NT. E, at the rate of three knots. 2. Wind S. fteered E. at 2 T knots, failed 50 verfts. 3. Wind S.S.E. fteered E. at 4 T knots, failed 90 verfts. 4. Wind W. N. W. at 2 knots, failed 30 verfts. 5. The wind frefhened, at 4 knots, failed 60 verfts. 6. Wind N. N. E. fteered E. S. E. at 3 knots, failed 30 verfts. 7. Wind E.S. E. and S. E. light breezes and. changeable. 8. Wind S. E. fteered N.E. at 3 ii knots, failed in 12 hours 22 verfts. 9. Wind S. and light breezes, fteered E. at 3 knots, failed in 8 hours 1 t verfts. o. Before day-break calm ; three hours after fun-rife a breeze fprung up at S. E. fteered E. N.E. at 3 knots, and failed 20 verfts. 22. Calm ]a& ACCOUNT OF T H t 22. Calm. 23. Wind S. S. E. during the night, the fhip failed at the rate of 2 knots ; the wind afterwards came round to the S. S. W. and the fhip failed at 5 to 6 knots thefe 24 hours 150 verfts, 24. Saw land at day-break, at 3 knots failed 45 verfts. 25. Wind W. S. W. failed along the coaft thefe 24 hours 50 verfts. 26. WindN.W. fteered N.E. at 5 j knots, 100 verfts. 27. Wind E. N. E. the fhip drove towards land, on which difcovered a high mountain. 28. Wind N. E. and ftormy, the fhip drove. 29. WindN.W. fteered E. N. E. at the rate of 3 knots. 30. Wind S. S. E. at 6 knots, fleering again towards land. 31. A violent ftorm, WTind weft. Sept. 1. Wind Weft, fteered N.E. at the rate of 3 knots towards land. 2. Wind S. W. fteered N. E. towards land at 5 knots. 3. Wind S. W. drove N. N.E. along the coaft. 4. Wind W. N. W. fteered N. E. at 4 knots, failed 100 verfts. 5. Wind N. W. fteered E.N.E. at 3 knots, and to- wards evening came to anchor off the Ifland Kadyak. 41764. 1764. May 24. Sailed from Kadyak. 25. Wind N. W. and made but little way W. S. W< 26. Wind W. fhip drove towards S. E, 27. Wind W. S. W. fhip drove E. S. E. The fame day the wind came round to the S. when fteered again towards Kadyak. 28 . Wind E.S. E. fell in with the illand Alafka or. Alakfu. 29. Wind S.W. fteered N.W.. 30. Wind W. N. W. the fhip drove under the. fore fail.. 31. Wind W. drove to the Southward. June 1. Wind W. S. W. landed on the Ifland Saktunak, for a fupply of water. 2. Wind S. E. fteered S. W. along the ifland at 3 knots-. 3. Wind N. E. fteered W. S. W. at the rate of 3 to 4 knots, failing in thefe 24 hours 10 o-verfts, 4. Calm. 5. At 8 o'clock A. M. a fmall breeze Si E.. 6. Wind E. afterwards calm. Towards evening the wind S. E. fteered S. W. at 3 knots, and unexpectedly difcovered land ahead, which kept clear of with difficulty. From the 7th to the 10th at anchor off a fmall cliff. xo. A hard gale at S. the fhip drove foul of the anchor, flood out to fea fleering E. 3 li. An- AGCOUN T OFT II K 11. A rich, red again at a fmall diftance from land. 13. Wind S. S. W. flood out to fea and fteered E. S. E. 14. Wind W. S. W. fleered S. S. E. at the rate of 1 knot. 15. Calm. 16. Wind S. fteered W. at 1 knot, the fhip drove a little to the Northward. 17. Wind S. S. E. fteered W. S. W. at 3 knots. 18. Calm. 19. Ditto. 20. Wind N. E. fteered S. W. and failed this day about 87 verfts. 21. The Wind blowing right ahead, came to anchor off an unknown ifland, where continued till the 25. When flood out to fea early in the morning, 26. Wind W. N. W. afterwards W. fteered S. E. 27. Calm, in the night a fmall but favourable breeze. 28. Wind N. W. continued the courfe, at the , rate of 2 to 3 knots *. 29. Wind N. E. fteered W. at 3 to 4 knots, and faw land. 30. Wind N. E. fteered S. W. at the rate of 7 knots. Lief man bey nordweft wind auf den curs zu 2 bis 3 knoten. July i. With the fame wind and courfe, at the rate of 5 knots, failed 200 verfts. 2. Fell in with the ifland Umnak, and came to an anchor under a fmall ifland until next day; when brought the fhip into the harbour, and laid her up. 1766. June 13. Brought the fhip into the harbour, and continued at anchor there until the 3d of July. July 3. Got under way. 4. Wind E. 5. A South Weft wind drove the fhip about 50 verfts N. E. 6. Wind S. failed about 60 verfts W. 7. Wind W. S. W. the fhip drove to the Northward. 8. Wind N. W. fteered S. at the rate of one knot. 9. Wind N. W. fteered the whole day W. S. W. 10. Wind S. S. W. failed about 40 verfts W. N. W. 11. Wind S. W. continued the fame courfe, failing only 5 verfts. 1 2. Continued the fame courfe, and failed 55 verfts. 13. For the moft part calm. 1 4. Wind W. N. W. and ftormy, the fhip drove under the forefail. 15. Wind S. failed on the proper courfe 100 verfts. 16. Wind E. S. E. failed W. S. W. at the rate of 6 knots j too verfts. 17. Wind N. N. W. failed S.1 W. at the rate of 2 knots, 30 verfts. S 18. Wind 8. Wind S. fteered W. at the rate of 5 knots, and failed 130 verfts, 9. WindS, W. the fhip drove under the forefail. 0. Wind E. N. E. fteered W, N. W. at the rate of 3 knots. 1. Wind E, N. E. at the rate of 4 to 5 knots, failed 200 verfts. 2. Wind N. E. at 4* knots, 150 verfts. 3. Wind E. N. E. fleered W. at 3 knots,! 00 verfts. 4. Wind E. fteered W. at the rate of 3 knots, 50 verfts. 5. Wind N. E. fteered W. at 5 knots too verfts. 6. The wind continued N. E. and frefhened, fteered W. at the rate of 7 knots, 200 verfts. 7. A fmall breeze N. N. W. with which however failed 130 verfts. 8. Wrind being W. S. W. drove 24 hours under bare-poles. 9. Wind South, fteered W. at the rate of 2 knots, 48 verfts—this day faw land. o. Wind S. S. E. failed, at the rate of 4 knots, 96 verfts, and approached the land, which found to be the ifland Karaga—From the iff to the 13th of Auguft, continued our voyage towards the mouth of Kamtchatka river, fometimes plying to windward, fometimes driving, and at laft arrived happily with a rich cargo. CHAP. R TJ S S I A N DISCOVERIES. *3* ■C H A P. XI. Solovioff's voyage-—'he reaches Unalafhka, and paffes two winters upon that ifland—relation of what paffed there —fruitlefs attempts of the natives to deflroy the crew— Return of SoloviofT to Kamtchatka—-journal of his voyage in returning—defcription of the iflands Umnak and Unalaflika—lions—-inhabitants—their manners—cufioms, ©fc. IN the year 1764, Jacob Ulednikoff, merchant of Ir-Y0;^^ kutfk and company, fitted out a fhip called the Holy ^piS*1* Apoftles Peter and Paul, under the command of Ivan 1764 Solovioff: flie failed from the mouth of Kamtchatka river the 25th of Auguft, The crew confifted of fifty-five men, amongft whom were fome of the owners, and thirteen Kamtchadals. They fteered at firft S. E. with the wind at N. W. but on its coming foutherly they afterwards fhaped their courfe E. N. E. The 27th one of the Ruffian failors died off Kamtchatka point; the 31ft they made Beering's Ifland, which they paffed leaving it on their left. The I ft and 2d of September they were becalmed, and after-Wards the wind fpringing up at W. 3. W. they continued S 2 their - their former courfe ; until the 5th they failed on with the wind at fouth; but on the 5th and 6th, from changeable breezes and dead calms, made no progrefs ; from the 7th to the 13th, they failed E. S. E. with Southerly and Wefterly winds ; and from that time to the fifteenth Eaft,.with the wind at Weft.. September 16, they made the ifland Umnak, where Solovioff had formerly been in Nikiphoroff's veffel. As they failed along the Northern coaft, three iilanders came to them in baidars; but, the crew having no interpreter, they would not come on board. As they found no good bay on that fliore, they proceeded through a ftrait of about a verft broad, which feparates Umnak from Una? Arrival at laflika. They lay-to during the night; and early on the 17th dropped anchor at the diftance of about two hundred yards from the fliore, in a bay on the North tide of the laft mentioned ifland. From thence the captain difpatched Gregory Korenoff at the head of twenty men in a baidar, with orders to land, reconnoitre the country, find out the neareft habitations, and report the difpoiition of the people. Korenoff returned the fame day, with an account that he had difcovered one of the dwelling-caves of the favages, but abandoned and demolished, in which he had found traces of Ruffians, viz. a written legend, and a broken mufket-ftock. In confequence of this intelligence, they brought the the fliip near the coaft, and endeavoured to get into the mouth of a river called by the natives Tfikanok, and by the Ruffians Ofernia, but were prevented by fhailow water. They landed however their tackle and lading. No natives made their appearance until the 22d, when two of them came of their own accord, and welcomed the Ruffians on their arrival. They told their names, and were recognized by Solovioff; he had known them on a former expedition, when Agiak, one of the two, had ferved as an interpreter ; the other, whole name was Kafhmak, had voluntarily continued fome time with the crew on the fame occafion. Thefe two perfons recounted the particular circum-ifances which attended the lofs of KulkofPs, ProtaffofPs, and Trapefnikoff's vefTels ; from the laft of which Kafhmak had, with great hazard of his life, efcaped by flight. Agiak had ferved as interpreter to Protaffoff's company, and related that the iflanders, after murdering the hunting detachments of the Ruffians, came to the harbour, and entered the fhip under the moft friendly appearances.. Finding the crew in perfect fecurity, they fuddenly attacked and flew them, together with their commander. He added, that he had hid himfelf under a bench until1 the murderers were gone : that fince that time, he, as well as Kafhmak, had lived as fugitives; and in the courfe of their wanderings had learned the following intelligence from the girls who were gathering berries in the the fields. The Toigons of Umnak, Akutan, and Tofhko, with their relations of Unalafhka, had formed a confederacy. They agreed not to diiturb any Ruffians on their nrif landing, but to let them go out on different hunting excurlions; being thus feparated and weakened, the intention of the Toigons were to attack and cut them off at the fame time, fo that no one party fnould have affiffance from any of the others. They acquainted him alfo with GlottofFs arrival at Umnak. Thefe unfavourable reports filled Solovioff with anxiety ; he accordingly doubled his wratch, and ufed every precaution in his power againft attacks from the favages. But wanting wood to repair his veffel, and wifhing for more particular information concerning the fituation of the ifland, he difpatched the 29th a party of thirty men, with the above-mentioned interpreter, to its weflcrn extremity. In three or four hours they rowed to Anko-nom, a point of land, where they faw a village, coniiifing of two large caves, and over againll it a little ifland at no great diffance. The moment the inhabitants faw them approaching, they got into their baidars, and put out to fea, leaving their dwellings empty. The Ruffians found therein feveral fkeletons, which, in the interpreter's opinion, were the remains of ten murdered failors of Trapefnikoff's company. With much perfuafion the interpreter prevailed on the iilanders to return to the place which they had jufl quitted: they kept however at a wary Wary diftance, and were armed for whatever might occur. Solovioff attempting to cut off their retreat, in order Hoflilities between Solpri- to fecure if poffible fome hoftages, they took the alarm, j£t'nd tl* and began themfelves the attack. Upon this the Ruffians fired upon and purfued them; four were killed, and feven taken prifoners, among whom was the Toigon of the little ifland Sedak. Thefe prifoners,. being bound and examined, confeffed that a number of Korovin's crew had been murdered in this place ; and the Toigon fent people to bring in a number of mufkets, fome kettles and tackle, which the natives had taken upon that occa-lion. They alfo brought intelligence that Korovin, with a party in two baidars, had taken fhelter at a place called Inalga. Upon this information, letters were immediately fent to Korovin; upon the receipt of which he joined, them the 2d of October. At the time of Korovin's arrival, the favages made another attack on SoloviofPs watch with knives; which obliged the latter to fire, and fix of the affailants were left dead on the fpot. The captive Toigon excufed this attempt of his people by afcribing it to their fears, left Korovin out of revenge fhould put all the prifoners to death ; on which account this effort was made to refcue. them. Solovioff, for the greater fecurity, fent the prifoners by land to the haven, while Korovin and his party party went to the fame place by fea. The Toigon how-ever was treated kindly, and even permitted to return home on condition of leaving his fon as an hoftage. In confequence of this kind behaviour the inhabitants .of three other villages, Agulak, Kutchlok, and Makufki pre-feutcd hoftages of their own accord. ^"^Yflffd ►Fxoni the remaining timber of the old dwelling the "ptTuw" Ruffians built a new hut; and on the fourteenth they laid up the veiFel. Koronoff wras then fent upon a re-connoitring party to the Southern fide of the illand, which in that part was not more than five or fix; verfts broad : he proceeded on with his companions, fometimes rowing in canoes, fometimes travelling by land and dragging them after. He returned the twentieth, and reported that he had found upon the coaft on the further fide of the ifland an empty habitation. That he rowed from thence Eaft ward along the fliore, and behind the firft point of land came to an illand in the next bay ; there he found about forty iflanders of both fexes lodged under their baidars, who by his friendly behaviour had been induced to give him three hoftages. Thefe people afterwards fettlcd.in the above-mentioned empty hut, and came frequently to the harbour. On the 28th of Odober, Solovioff himfelf went alfo upon a reconnoitring party along the North coaft, towards the North-Eaft end of the ifland. He rowed from the firft firft promontory acrofs a bay ; and found on the oppofite point of land a dwelling place called Agulok, which lies about four hours row from the harbour. He found there thirteen men and about forty women and children, who delivered up feveral gun-barrels and fhip-ifores, and like-wife informed him of two of Korovin^ crew who had been murdered. November 5, they proceeded farther; and after five or fix hours rowing, they faw on a point of land another dwelling called Ikutchlok, beyond which the interpreter file wed them the haven, where Korovin's fhip had been at anchor. This was called Makufhinfhy Bay ; and on an illand within it they found two Toigons, called Itch-ad ak and Kagumaga, with about an hundred and eighty people of both fexes employed in hunting fea-bears. Thefe natives wrcre not in the leaft hoftile, and Solovioff endeavoured to citablifh and confirm a friendly intcrcourfe between them and his people. He remained with them until the 10th, when the Toigons invited him to their vvinter quarters, which lay about live hours fail farther Eaft: there he found two dwelling caves, each of forty yards fquare, near a rivulet abounding with fifli which fell from a lake into a little bay. In the neighbourhood of this village is a hot fpring below the fea mark, which is only to be feen at ebb tide. From hence he departed T the the 2,5th, but was forced back by itorras, and detained there until the 6th of December. Kagumaga then accompanied him to another village called Totchikala ; both the Toigon and the interpreter advifed him to be on his guard againft the natives, whom they represented as very favage, fworn enemies to the RufBans, and the murderers of nine of Kulkoif's crew. Solovioff for thefe reafons paffed the night on the open coaft, and next morning fent the Toigon before to infpire the natives with more friendly fentiments. Some of them liftened to his reprefentations ; but the greateft part-fled upon Solovioff's approach, fo that he found the place confifting of four large dwelling caves almoft empty, in which he fecured himfelf with fuitable precaution. Flere he found three hundred darts and ten bows with arrows, all which he deftroyed, only referving one bow and fe-venteen arrows as fpecimens of their arms. By the moft friendly arguments he urged the few natives who remained to lay aiide their enmity, and to perfuade their leaders and relations to return to their habitations and live on terms of amity and friendihip. On the 1 oth about an hundred men and a ftill greater number of women returned. But the faireft fpeeches had no effecf on thefe favages, who kept aloof and pre* wenevvdff pared for hoftilities, which they began on the 17th by an open attack. Nineteen of them were killed, amongft 2- whom whom was Inlogufak one of their leaders, and the moft inveterate fomentcr of hoftilities againft the Ruffians, The other leader Aguladock being alive confelfed, that on receiving the firft news of SoloviofPs arrival they had refolved to attack the crew and burn the fhip. Notwithstanding this confeffion, no injury was offered to him : in confequence of this kind ufage he was prevailed upon to deliver up his fon as an hoftage, and to crder his people to live on friendly terms with the Ruffians. During the month of January the natives delivered in three anchors, and a quantity of tackle which had been faved from a veffel formerly wrecked on that coaft ; and at the fame time they brought three boys and two young girls as hoftages and pledges of their future fidelity. January 25, Solovioff fet out for the haven where his fhip lay : before his departure the Toigons of Maku-fhinik paid of their own accord a double tribute. February 1, Kagumaga of Makufhink, Agldalok of Totzikala, and Imaginak of Ugamitzi, Toigons of Unalafhka, with a great number of their relations, came to Solovioff; they acquainted him with the arrival of a Ruffian fhip at Unimak, the fixth ifland to the Eaft of Agunalaihka, adding that they knew none of the crew excepting a Kamtchadal named Kirilko, who had been there on a former occafion. They like wife informed him that the natives, after having cut off part of the T 2 crcwT crew who had been fent out. in two baidars, had found means to overpower the remainder and to deffroy the veffel. From the name of the Kamtchadal they concluded that this muff have been another veffel fitted out by Nikiphor Trapefnikoff and company, of which no farther intelligence was ever received. Willing to procure farther intelligence, they endeavoured to perfuade the Toigons to fend a party of their people to the above-mentioned ifland ; but the latter■ excufed themfelves, on account of the great diftance and their dread of the iflanders. February 16, Solovioff fet out a fecond time for the Weft end of the ifland, where they had formerly taken prifoner, and afterwards fet at liberty, the Toigon of Sedak. From thence he proceeded to Ikolga, which lies on the bay, and confiits of only one hut. On the 26th he came to Takamitka, where there is like wife only one hut on a point of land by the fide of a rivulet, which falls from the mountains into the fea. Here he met with Korovin, in whofe company he cut the blubber of a whale, which the wTaves had caff on fliore; after this Korovin went acrofs the gulph to Umnak, and he proceeded to Ikaltfhinfk, where on the 9th one of his party was carried off by ficknefs. March 15 he returned to the haven, having met with no oppofrtion from the iflanders during this excurlion. On On his return he found one of the crew dead, and a dreadful fcurvy raging amongft the reft; of that diftem-per five Ruffians died in March, eight and a Kamtchadal in April, and fix more in May. About this time the iflanders were obferved to pay frequent vifits to the hoftages ; and upon enquiring privately into the reafon, fome of the latter difcovered, that the inhabitants of Makufhinfk had formed the defign of cutting off the crew, and of making themfelves mafters of the veffel. Solovioff had now great reafons to be apprehenfive, for the crew were afflicted with the fcurvy to fuch a violent degree, that out of the whole number only twelve perfons were capable of defending themfelves* Thefe circumftances did not efcape the obiervation of the natives; and they were accordingly infpircd with frefh courage to renew their hoftilities* On the 27th of May the Ruffians perceived the Toigon; of Itchadak, who had formerly paid a voluntary tribute, near the fhore : he was accompanied by feveral iflanders in three baidars. Solovioff calling to him by the interpreter he came on fhore, but kept at a diftance defiring a conference with fome of his relations, Solovioff gave orders to feize him ; and they were lucky enough to take bim prifoner, together with two of his companions. He immediately confeffed, that he had come with a view of enquiring of the hoftages how many Ruffians were ftill remaining: having procured the neceifary intelligence, his his intention was to furprife the watch at a convenient feafon, and afterwards to fet fire to the fhip. As they law feveral iilanders row paft the harbour at the fame time, and the Toigon likewife informed them, that they were afTembltng to execute the abovementioncd defigo; Solovioff refblved to be much upon his guard. They feparated, however, without attempting any hoftilities. June 5, Glottoff arrived at the harbour on a viiit, and returned on the 8th to his fhip. The captive Toigon was now fet at liberty, after being feriouily exhorted to defift from hoftilities. In the courfe of this month two more of the crew died ; fo that the arrival of Korovin, who joined them about this time, with two of his own and two of KulkofPs crew, was of courfe a very agreeable circumftance. The fick likewife began to recover by degrees. July 22, Solovioff, with a party of his people, in two baidars, made another excurlion Northwards; he paffed by the places formerly mentioned as far as Igonok, which lies ten verfts beyond Totzikala. Igonok ccnlifts of one dwelling cave on the fide of a rivulet, which falls from the mountains, and empties itfelf into the fea. The inhabitants amounted to about thirty men, who dwelt there with their wives and children. From thence Solovioff proceeded along the fhore into a bay ; five verits further further he found another rivulet, which has its fource among the hills and flows through a plain. Upon the fhore of the fame bay, oppofite to the mouth of this rivulet, lay two villages, one of which only was inhabited; it was called Ukunadok, and con-fifted of iix dwelling caves. About thirty-five of the inhabitants were at that time employed in catching fal-mon in the rivulet. Kulkoff's fhip had lain at anchor about two miles from thence ; but there were no remains of her to be found. After coming out of the bay he went forwards to the furnmer village Umgaina diftant about feven or eight leagues, and lituated on the fide of a rivulet, which takes its rife in a lake abounding with falmon. Here he found the Toigon Amaganak, with about ten of the natives, employed in fifhing. Fifteen verfts farther along the fliore they found another furnmer village called Kalaktak, where there was likewife another rivulet, which came from the hills. The inhabitants were fixty men and an hundred and feventy women and children : they gave Solovioff a very friendly reception ; and delivered up two hoftages, who were brought from the neighbouring illand Akutan ; with thefe he fet out on his return, and on the 6th of Auguft joined his crew- Onu On the nth he went over to the ifland Umnak, accompanied by Korovin, to bring off fome lhips itores left there by the latter; and returned to the haven on the 27th. On the 3lit ShafFyrin died, the fame.perfon whofe adventures have been already related. Sept. 19. Korenoff was fent northwards upon ai: hunting party ; he returned the 30th of January, 1766, Although the Ruffians who remained at the haven met with no moleftation from the natives during his abfence ; yet he and his companions were repeatedly attacked. Having difiributed to the inhabitants of the feveral villages through which he paffed nets for the purpofe of catching fea-otters, he went to the Eaft part of the illand as far as Kalaktak, with an intention of hunting. Upon his arrival .at that place, on the 31ft of October, the inhabitants fled with precipitation ; and as all his efforts to conciliate their affections were ineffectual, he found it re-quifite to be upon his guard. Nor was this precaution un-neceffary ; for on the following day they returned in a confiderable body, armed with lances, made with the iron of the plundered veffels. Korenoff, however, and his companions, who were prepared to receive them, killed twenty-fix, and took feveral prifoners; upon which the others became more tractable. Nov, Nov. 19. Korcnoff, upon his return to the haven, came to Makufhinfk, where he was kindly received by a Toigon named Kulumaga; but with regard toltchadak, it was plain that his defigns were Rill hoitile. Inftead of giving an account of the nets which had been left with him, he withdrew privately: and on the 19th of January, accompanied by a numerous body of iilanders, made an attempt to furprife the RmTians. Victory, however, again, declared for Korenoff; and fifteen of the afTailants, amongft whom was Itchadak himfelf, remained dead upon the foot. Kulumaga affured tlicm, in the ftrongeff. manner, that the defign had been carried on without his knowledge ; and protefted, that he had often prevented his friend from committing hoftilities againft the Ruffians. Korenoff returned to the haven on the 30th of January ; and on the 4th of February he went upon another hunting expedition toward the Weitern point of the ifland. During this excurfion he met with a party fent out by Glottoff, at a place called Takamitka; he then rowed over to Umnak, where he collected a fmall tribute, and returned on the 3d of March. During his abfencc Kyginik, Kulumaga's fon, paid a vifit to the Ruffians, and requefted that he might be baptized, and be permitted to go aboard the veffel; his'demand was immediately complied with, U May May 13th. Korovin went, with fourteen men, to Umnak, to bring off an anchor, which was buried in the fand. On his return preparations were made for their departure. Before the arrival of Korovin the hunters had killed 150 black and brown foxes; and the fame number of old and young fea-otters; fince his arrival they had caught 350 black foxes, the fame number of common foxes, and 150 fea-otters of different fizes. This cargo being put on board, the interpreter Kafhmak fet at liberty, with a certificate of, and prefents for his fidelity, and the hoffages delivered up to the Toigons and their relations, who had affembled at the haven, Solovioff put to fea on the iff of June, with an Eafterly wind. Before his departure he received a letter from Glottoff, informing him that he was likewife preparing for his return*. Y^*gib^ June 2. The wind being contrary, they got but a fmall way from land. 5. Steered again towards the fliore, came to an anchor, and fent a boat for a fupply of water, which returned without having feen any body. 6. Weighed and fteered W. with a S. E. wind. 7. Favourable wind at N. E. and in the afternoon at N, 8. Wind at N. W. and ftormy, the fhip drove under the forefail. 9 10. Sailed Northwards, with a Wefterly wind. 11. Calm till noon ; afterwards breeze fprung up at S. with which they fleered W. till next day at noon ; when the wind coming round to the Weft, they changed their courfe, and fteered N. W. 12. Calm during the night. 13. A fmall breeze of Northerly wind, with which they fteered W. in the afternoon it fell calm, and continued fo till the 16. at noon, when a breeze fpringing up at Eaft, they fteered W. on which courfe they continued during the 18. with a S. S. E. wind. From the 19 to the 22. The wind was changeable from the S. W. to N. W. with which they ftill made a fhift to get to the Weftward. 23. The wind E. they fteered betwixt N. Sc W. which courfe they continued the 24th, 25th, 26th, with a Northerly wind. 27. A. M. the wind changed to S. W. 28, 29, 30. Wind at Weft. July 1. The wind changed to E. with which they fteered between W. and S. W. with little variations, till the 3d. U 2. 4. They 4. They reached Kamtchatkoi Nofs, and on the 5th. Brought the fhip, in good condition, into Kamtchatka river. fcri?iofofrf!e Solovioff's defcription of thefe iflands and the inha- lox J Hands. . n • 1 i_ 1 bitants being more circumftantial, than the accounts given by former navigators, defervcs to be inferted at full length. According to his eftimation, the illand Unalafhka lies between 1500 and 2000 verfts due Eaft from the mouth of the Kamtchatka river: the other iilands to the Eaftward ftretch towards N. E. He reckons the length of Akutan at eighty verfts ; Umnak at an hundred and fifty, and Unalafhka at two hundred. No large trees were feen upon any of the iflands which he touched at. They produce underwood, fmall fhrubs, and plants, for the moft part fimilar to the common fpecies found in Kamtchatka. The winter is much milder than in the Eaftern parts of Siberia, and continues only from November to the end of March. The mow feldom lies upon the ground for any time.. Rein-deer, bears, wolves, ice-foxes, are not to be found on thefe iflands; but they abound in black, grey, brown, and red foxes ; for which reafon they have got the name of Lyffie Oftrova, or Fox Iflands. Thefe foxes are ftronger than thofe of Yakutfk, and their hair is much coarfer. During the day they lie in caves and 7 clifts clifts of rocks ; towards evening they come to the fliore in fearch of food; they have long ago extirpated the brood of mice, and other fmall animals. They are not in the fmalleft degree afraid of the inhabitants, but dif-tinguifh the Ruffians by the fcent ; having experienced-the effects of their fire-arms. The number of fea-animals, fuch as fea-lions, fea-bears, and fea-otters, which refort to thefe fhores, are very confiderable. Upon fome of the iflands warm fprings and native fulphuf are to be found. The Fox-iflands are in general very populous; Una- cvSToTfi laflika, which is the largeft ifland, is fuppofed to containlnhabltants-feveral thoufand inhabitants. Thefe favages live together in feparate communities, compofed of fifty, and fometimes of two or even three hundred perfons; they dwell in large caves from forty to eighty yards long, from fix to eight broad, and from four to five high. The roof of thefe caves is a kind of wooden grate, which is firft fpread over with a layer of grafs, and then covered with earth. Several openings are made in the iop, through which the inhabitants go up and down by ladders : the fmalleft dwellings have two or three entrances of this fort, and the largeft five or fix. Each cave is divided into a certain number of partitions,, which are appropriated to the feveral families; and thefe partitions are marked by means of flakes driven into the earth. The men and women fit i oar. on the ground; and the children lie down, having their legs bound together under them, in order to make them learn to fit upon their hams. Although no lire is ever made in thefe caves, they are generally fo warm, that both fexes fit naked. Thefe people obey the calls of nature openly, and without eftceming it indecent. They wafh themfelves firft with their own urine, and afterwards with water. In winter they go always bare-footed ; and when they want to warm themfelves, efpecially before they go to ileep, they fet lire to dry grafs and walk over it. Their habitations being almoft dark, they ufe particularly in winter a fort of large lamps, made by hollowing out a ftone, into which they put a rufh-wick and burn train oil. A ftone fo hollowed is called Tfaaduck. The natives * are whites with black hair ; they have flat faces, and are of a good ftature. The men fhave with a iharp ftone or knife, the circumference and top of the head, and let the hair which remains hang from the crown t. The women cut their hair in a ftreight line over the forehead ; behind they let it grow to a confiderable length, * Von geficht find fic platt undweifs durchgacngig mit fchwarzen haarcn. •f The original in this paffage is fomewhat obfenre. Die maenner fchecren mit einem Scharfen Stein oder mefier den Umkreifs des haar-kopfs und die platte, und lalfen die haare um die krone des kopfs run-dum uebcrhangen. and and tie it in a bunch. Some of the men wear their beards ; others fhave or pull them out by the roots. They mark various figures on their faces, the backs of their hands, and lower parts of their arms, by pricking them firft with a needle, and then rubbing the parts with a fort of black clay. They make three incifions in the under-lip ; they place in the middle one a flat bone, or a fmall coloured ftone; and in each of the fide-ones they fix a long pointed piece of bone, which bends and reaches almoft to the ears. They likewife make a hole through the griftlc of the nofe, into which they put a fmall piece of bone in fuch a manner as to keep the noftrils extended. They alfo pierce holes in their ears, and wear in them what little ornaments they can procure. Their drefs conlifts of a cap and a fur-coat, which reaches down to the knee. Some of them wear common caps of a party coloured bird-fkin, upon which they leave part of the wings and tail. On the fore-part of their hunting and flfhing caps they place a fmall board like a fcreen, adorned with the jaw-bones of fea-bears, and ornamented with glafs beads, which they receive in barter from the Ruffians. At their feftivals and dancing parties they ufe a much more fhowy fort of caps. Their fur-coats are made like fhirts, being clofe behind and before, and are put on over the head. The mens mens drefs is made of birds fkins, but the women's of fea-otters and fea-bears. Thefe fkins are died with a Tort of red earth, and neatly fewed with fmews, and 'Ornamented with various itripes of lea-otter fkins and leathern fringes. They have alfo upper garments made of the interlines of the largeft fea-calves and fea-lions. Their veffels confift of two forts : the larger arc leathern boats or baidars, which have oars on both fides, and are capable of holding thirty or forty people. The •fmaller veffels are rowed with a double paddle, and referable the canoes of the Greenlanders, containing only one or two perfons: they never weigh above thirty pounds, being nothing but a thin fkeleton of a boat covered with leather. In thefe however they pafs from one ifland to another, and even venture out to fea to a confiderable diftance. In calm weather they go out in them to catch turbot and cod with bone-hooks and lines made of finews or fea-weed. They ftrike fifli in the rivulets with darts. Whales and other fea-animals thrown afhore by the waves are carefully looked after, and no part of them is loft. The quantity of provifions which they procure by hunting and nfhing being far too fmall for their wants, the greateft part of their food confifts of fea-wrack and mell-fifh, which they find on the more. No No Rranger is allowed to hunt or fifli near a village* or to carry off any thing fit for food. When they are on a journey, and their provifions are exhaufted, they beg from village to village, or call upon their friends and relations for affiftance. They feed upon the flefli of all forts of fea-animals* and generally eat it raw* But if at any time they choofe to drefs their victuals, they make ufe of an hollow ftone ; having placed the fifh or flefh therein, they cover it with another, and clofe the interftices with lime or clay. They then lay it horizontally upon two ftones, and light a fire under it. The provifion which is intended for keeping is dried without fait in the open air. They gather berries of various forts, and lily roots of the fame fpecies with thofe which grow wild at Kamtchatka. They are unacquainted with the manner of dreifing the cow-parfnip, as practifed in that Peninfula; and do not underftand the art of diftilling brandy or any other ftrong liquor from it. They are at prefent very fond of fnuff, which the Ruffians have introduced among them. No traces were found of any worfhip, neither did they feem to have any forcerers * among them. If a • In the laft chapter it is faid that there are forcerers among them. X whale whale happens to be call on fhore, the inhabitants af-femble with great marks of joy, and perform a number of extraordinary ceremonies. They dance and beat drums * of different fizes : they then cut up the fifli, of which the greateft and bell part is confumed on the fpot. On fuch occafions they wear fhowy caps ; and fome of them dance naked in wooden mafks, which reach down to their moulders, and reprefent various forts of fea-animals. Their dances confitt of fhort fteps forwards, accompanied with many flrange geflures. Marriage ceremonies are unknown among them,, and each man takes as many wives as he can maintain j but the number feldom exceeds four. Thefe women are occafionally allowed to cohabit with other men; they and their children are alfo not unfrequently bartered in exchange for commodities. When an iflander dies, the body is bound with thongs, and afterwards exr-pofed to the air in a fort of wooden cradle hung upon * The expreflion in the original is " Schlagen auf groffen platten handpauken," which, being literally translated, fignifies " They beat " upon large flat hand-kettle drums of different founds," By the accounts which I procured at Peterfburg, concerning the form of thefe drums, they feem to refemble in fhape thofe made ufe of by the forcerers of Kamtchatka, and are of different iizes. I had an opportunity of feeing one of the latter at the Cabinet of Curiofities. It is of an oval form, about two feet long and one broad : it is covered only at one end like the tambour de bafque, and is worn upon the arm like a fhield. a crofs- a crofs-bar, fupported by forks. Upon thefe occafions they cry and make bitter lamentations. Their Toigons or Princes are thofe who have numerous families, and are fkilful and fuccefsful in hunting and fifhing. Their weapons confifl of bows, arrows, and darts : they throw the latter very dexteroufly, and to a great diftance from a hand-board. For defence they ufe wooden fhields, called kuyakin. Thefe iilanders are, notwithftanding their favagenefs, very docile ; and the boys, whom the Rulfians keep as hoftagesi foon acquire a knowledge of their language. CHAP. CHAP. XII. Voyage of Otcheredin—He winters upon Umnak—Arrival of LevaihefF upon Unalafhka—Return of Otcheredin to Ochotfk. oShSdinin TN the year 1765 three merchants, namely, OrechofF the St, Paul I '765. ' " of Yula, Lapin of Solikamfk, and ShilofF of Uf-tytig, fitted out a new veflel called the St. Paul, under the command of Aphanaffei Otcheredin. She was built in the harbour of Ochotfk : his crew confifted of fixty-two Ruffians and Kamtchadals, and fhe carried on board two inhabitants of the Fox Iflands named John and Timothy Surgeff, who had been brought to Kamtchatka and baptifed. September 10, they failed from Ochotfk, and arrived the 2 2d in the bay of Bolcherefk where they wintered. Auguft t, 1776, they continued their voyage, and having paffed the fecond of the Kuril Ifles, fteered on the 6th into the open fea ; on the 24th they reached the neareft of the Fox Iilands, which the interpreters called *Atchak, A ftorm arifing they eaft anchor in a bay, but faw no inhabitants upon the fliore. On the 26th * Called in a former journal Atchu, p. 63. a they they failed again, difcovered on the 27th Sagaugamak, along which they fleered North Eafi, and on the 31ft came within feven miles of the ifland Umnak ; where, Arrival a* 7 Umnak. on account of the latenefs of the feafon and the want of provifion and water, they determined to winter. Accordingly on the 1 ft of September, by the advice of the interpreters, they brought the veffel into a convenient bay near a point of land lying N. W. where they fattened it to the fliore with cables. Upon their landing they difcovered feveral pieces of a wreck ; and two iflanders, who dwelled on the banks of a rivulet which empties itfelf into the bay, informed them, that thefe were the remains of a Ruffian veflel, whofe commander's name was Denys. From this intelligence they concluded that this was ProtafFofPs veffel, fitted out at Ochotfk. The inhabitants of Umnak, Unalafhka, and of the Five Mountains, had affembled and murdered the crew, when feparated into different hunting parties. The fame iflanders alfo mentioned the fate of Kulkoff's and Trapefnikoff's fhips upon the ifland Unalafhka. Although this information occafioned general apprehenfions, yet they had no other refource than 1 to draw the veffel afhore, and to take every poffible precaution againft a furprize. Accordingly they kept a con-ftant watch, made prefents to the Toigons and the principal inhabitants) and demanded fome children as hoftages. For fome time the iflanders behaved very peaceably, until the Ruffians endeavoured to perfuade them- to become tributary : tributary : upon which they gave fuch repeated iigns of their hoftile intentions, that the crew lived under continual alarms. In the beginning of September information was brought them of the arrival of a veffel, fitted out by Ivan Popoff merchant of Lalfk, at Unalafhka. About the end of the laid month the Toigon of the Five Mountains came to Otcheredin, and was fo well fa-tislicd with his reception, that he brought hoftages, and not only affined them of his own friendfliip, but proofed to ufe his influence with the other Toigons, and to perfuade them to the fame peaceable behaviour. But the other Toigons not only paid no regard to his perfua-fions, but even barbaroufly killed one of his children. From thefe and other circumftances the crew paffed the winter under continual apprehenfions, and durft not venture far from the harbour upon hunting parties. Hence enfued a fcarcity of provifions; and hunger, joined to the violent attacks of the fcurvy, made great havock amongft them, infomuch that fix of them died, and feveral of the furvivors were reduced to fo weak a condition, that they were fcarce able to move. The health of the crew being re-eftablifhed in the fpring, twenty-three men were fent on the 25 th of June in two boats to the Five Mountains, in order to perfuade the inhabitants to pay tribute. On the 26th they landed on the ifland Ulaga, where they were attacked tacked with great fpirit by a large body of the inhabitants ; and though three of the Ruffians were wounded, yet the favages were repulfed with confiderable lofs: they were fo terrified by their defeat, that they fled before the Ruffians during their continuance on that ifland. The latter were detained there by tempeftuous weather until the 9th of July ; during which time they found two rufty firelocks belonging to Protaffoff's crew. On the 1 oth they returned to the harbour; and it was immediately refolved to difpatch fome companies upon hunting expeditions. Accordingly on the ift of Auguft Matthew Polofkoff, a native of llinfk, was fent with twenty-eight men in two boats to Unalafhka with the following orders; that if the weather and other circumftances were favourable, they were to make to Akutan and Akun, the two neareft iflands to the Eaft, but to proceed no further. In confequence of this, Polofkoff reached Akutan about the end of the month ; and being kindly received by the inhabitants, he left fix.of his party to hunt; with, the remainder he went to Akun, which lies about two verfts from Akutan. From thence he difpatched five men to the neighbouring iflands, where he was informed by the interpreters there were great quantities of foxes- Polofkoff and his companions continued the whole autumn upon Akun without being annoyed ; but on the 1,2 th 12th of December the inhabitants of the different iflands affembled in great numbers, and attacked them by land and fea. They informed Polofkoff, by means of the interpreters, that the Ruffians whom he had fent to the neighbouring iilands were killed; that the two veffels at Umnak and Unalaihka were plundered, and the crew put to death ; and that they were now come to make him and his party lliare the fame fate. The Ruffian fire-arms however kept them in due refpect; and towards evening they difperfed. The fame night the interpreter deferted, probably at the infligation of his countrymen, who neverthelefs killed him, as it was faid, that winter. January 16, the favages ventured to make a fecond attack. Having furprifed the guard by night, they tore off the roof of the Ruffian dwelling, and fhot down into the hut, making at the fame time great outcries : by this unexpected affault four Ruffians were killed, and three wounded ; but the furvivors no fooner had recourfe to their fire-arms, than the enemy was driven to flight. Meanwhile another body of the natives attempted to feize the two vefTels, but without fuccefs; they however cut off the party of fix men left by Polofkoff at Akutan, together with the five hunters difpatched to the contiguous iilands, and two of PopofPs crew who were at the Weftermoft part of Unalaihka. Polofkoff Polofkoff continued upon Akun in great danger until the 20th of February ; when, the wounded being recovered, he failed over with a fair wind to Popoff's veffel at Unalaihka ; and on the 10th of May returned to Otcheredin. In April Popoff's vefTel being got ready for the voyage, all the hoftages, whofe number amounted to forty, were delivered to Otcheredin. July the 30th a veflel' belonging to the fame Popoff arrived from Beering's Ifland, and eaft anchor in the fame bay where Otchere-din's lay ; and both crews entered into an agreement to fliare in common the profits of hunting. Strengthened by this alliance, Otcheredin prevailed upon a number of the inhabitants to pay tribute. Auguft the 2 2d Otcheredin's mate was fent with fix boats and fifty-eight men to hunt upon Unalaihka and Akutan ; and there remained thirty men with the veffels in the harbour, who kept conftant watch. Soon afterwards Otcheredin and the other commander Otcheredin receives an Ac-received a letter from Levafheff Captain Lieutenant of C0J»ntJ?f rc- * vallienS Ai- the Imperial fleet, who accompanied Captain Krenitzin uihkT. Lna~ in the fecret expedition to thofe iflands. The letter was dated September 1 r, 176S : it informed them he was arrived at Unalafhka in the St. Paul, and lay at anchor in the fame bay in which Kulkoff's veffel had Y been been loft. He likewife required a circumftantial account of their voyages. By another order of the 24th he lent for four of the principal hoftages, and demanded the tribute of fkins which had been exacted from the iilanders. But as the weather was generally tempeftuous at this fea fon of the year, they deferred fending them till the fpring. May the 31ft LevafhefT fet fail for Kamtchatka ; and in 17 71 returned fafely from his expedition at St, Peterfburg, The two vefTels remained at Umnak until the year 1770, during which time the crews met with no oppo-iition from the iilanders. They continued their hunting parties, in which they had fuch good fortune, that the fhare of Otcheredin's veffel (whole voyage is here chiefly related) confided in 530 large fea-ottcr fkins, 40 young ones and 30 cubs, the fkins of 6^6 line black foxes, 100 of an inferior fort, and about 1250 red fox fkins. With this large cargo of furs Otcheredin fet fail on the 22d of May, 1770, from Umnak, leaving Popoff's crew behind. A fhort time before their departure, the other interpreter Ivan Surgeff, at the inftigation of his relations, cleferted. After having touched at the neareft of the Aleutian Iilands, Otcheredin and his crew arrived on the 24th of July at Ochotfk, They brought two iilanders with them, whom they baptized. The one was named Alexey Solovieff; the other Boris Otcheredin. Thefe iilanders unfortunately died on their way to Peterfburg ; the firft between Yakutfk and Irkutfk; and the latter at Irkutfk, where he arrived on the ift of February,, 1771. Y % c ii A p. CHAP. XIIL Conchifion—General pofition andfituation of the Aleutian and Fox Iilands—their dlflance from each other—Further defcription of the drefs, manners, and cujloms of the inhabitants—their feafls and ceremonies, fife fuxnn|k°L.7 ACCORDING to the lateft informations brought cappni *. x X. by otcheredin's and Popoff's veffels, the North Well point of Commandorfkoi Oftroff, or Beering's Ifland, lies due Eaft from the mouth of the Kamtchatka river, at the diftance of 250 verfts. It is from 70 to 80 verfts long, and ftretches from North Weft to South Eaft, in the fame direction as Copper Ifland. The latter is fituated about 60 or 70 verfts from the South Eaft point of Beering's Illand, and is about 50 verfts in length. ortheAicii- About qoo verfts Eaft by South of Copper Ifland lie tun Iflcs. J 1 x the Aleutian Ifles, of which Attak is the neareft : it is rather larger than Beering's Ifland, of the fame fhape, and ftretches from Weft to South Eaft. From thence about 20 verfts Eaft wards is fituated Semitfhi, extending from Weft to Eaft, and near its Eaftern point another fmall ifland. To the South of the ftrait, which feparatcs the two latter iflands, and at the diftance of 40 40 verfts from both of them, lies Shemiya in a fimilar pofition, and not above 25 verfts in length. All thefe iflands ftretch between 54 and 55 degrees of North latitude. The Fox Iilands are fituated E. N. E. from the Aleutians : the neareft of thefe, Atchak, is about 800 verfts diftant; it lies in about 56 degrees North latitude, and extends from W. S. \V. towards E. N. E. It greatly re-fembles Copper Illand, and is provided with a commodious harbour on the Notrh. From thence all the other iflands of this chain ftretch in a direction towards N.E. by Eaft. The next to Atchak is Amlak, about 15 verfts diftant; it is nearly of the fame iize; and has an harbour on its South fide. Next follows Sagaugamak^ at about the fame diftance, but fomewhat fmaller; from that it is 50 verfts to Amuchta, a fmall rocky illand ; and the fame diftance from the latter to Yunakfan, another fmall iiland. About 20 verfts from Yunakfan there is a clufter of five fmall iilands, or rather mountains, Kigalgift, Kagamila, Tligulak, Ulaga, and Tana-Unok, and which are therefore called by the Ruffians Pat Sopki, or the Five Mountains. Of thefe Tana-Unok lies moft to the N. E. towards which the Weftern point of Umnak advances within the diftance of 20 verfts. Umnak Umnak ftretches from S.W.toN. E.; it is 150 verfts in length, and has a very confiderable bay on the Weft end of the Northern coaft, in which there is a fmall illand or rock, called Adugak ; and on the South fide is Shemalga, another rock. The Weftern point of Aghun-Alafhka, or Unalafhka, is feparated from the Eaft end of Umnak by a ft rait near 20 verfts in breadth. The pofition of thefe two iilands is fimilar; but Aghunalafhka is much the largeft, and is above 200 verfts long. It is divided towards the N. E. into three promontories, one of which runs out in a Wefterly direction, forming one fide of a large bay on the North coaft of the illand : the fccond ftretches out N. E. ends in three points, and is connected with the ifland by a frfiall neck of land. The third or moft Southerly one is/ feparated from the laft mentioned promontory by a deep bay. Near Unalafhka towards the Eaft lies another fmall illand called Skirkin. About 20 verfts from the North Eaft promontory of Aghunalafhka lie four iflands: the firft, Akutan, is about half as big as Umnak ; a verft further is the fmall illand Akun ; a little beyond is Akunok ; and laftly Ki-galga, which is the fmalleft of thefe four, and ftretches with Akun and Akunok almoft from N. to S. Kigalga is fituated about the 61ft degree of latitude. About 100 loo verfts from thence lies an ifland called Unimak *, upon which Captain Krenitzin wintered; and beyond it the inhabitants faid there was a large tract of country called Alaihka, of which they did not know the boundaries. The Fox Iflands are in general very rocky, without containing any remarkable high mountains : they arc deflitute of wood, but abound in rivulets and lakes, which are moftly without fifli* The winter is much milder than in Siberia; the fnow feldom falls before the beginning of January, and continues on the ground till the end of March. There is a volcano in Amuchta; in Kagamila fulphur flows from a mountain ; in Taga-Unok there are warm fprings hot enough to boil provifions; and flames of fulphur are occafionally feen at night upon the mountains of Unalafhka and Akutan. The Fox Iflands are tolerably populous in proportion to their fize. The inhabitants are entirely free, and pay tribute to no one : they are of a middle ltature ; and live, both in furnmer and winter, in holes dug in the earth. No figns of religion were found amongff them. * Krenitzin wintered at Alaxa, and not at Unimak. See Apnendix I. N° I. Several Several perfons indeed pafs for forcerers, pretending to-know things paft and to come, and are accordingly-held in high efteem, but without receiving any emo-. lument. Filial duty and refpect towards the aged are not held in eftimation by thefe iflanders. They are not however deficient in fidelity to each other ; they are of lively and chearful tempers, though rather impe-. tuous, and naturally prone to anger. In general they do not obferve any rules of decency, but follow all the calls of nature publicly, and without the lcaft refer ve. They wafli themfelves with their own urine. Their Food, Their principal food confiffs in fifli and other fea-animals, fmall lhell-fifh and fea plants : their greateft delicacies are wild lilies and other roots, together with different kinds of berries. When they have laid in a (tore of provifions, they eat at any time of the day without ditlin&ion ; but in cafe of neceflity they are capable of failing feveral days together. They fcl-dom heat their dwellings ; but when they are delirous of warming themfelves, they light a bundle of hay, and fland over it ; or elfe they fet fire to train oil, which they pour into a hollow ftone. They feed their children when very young with the coarfeft flefh, and for the moft part raw. If an infant . cries, the mother immediately carries it to the fea-fide, and be it furnmer or winter holds it naked in the water ter until it is quiet. This cuftom is fo far from doing the children any harm, that it hardens them againft the cold ; and they accordingly go bare-footed through the winter without the leaft inconvenience. They arc alfo trained to bathe frequently in the fea ; and it is an opinion generality received among the iilanders, that by that means they are rendered bold, and become fortunate in fifhing. The men wear fhirts made of the fkins of cormo-DrCrs. rants, fea-divers, and gulls ; and, in order to keep out the rain, they have upper garments of the bladders and other inteftines of fea-lions, fea-calves, and whales, blown up and dried. They cut their hair in a circular form clofe to their cars ; and fhave alfo a round place upon the top. The women, on the contrary, let the hair defcend over the forehead as low as the eye-brows, and tie the remaining part in a knot upon the top of the head. They pierce the ears, and hang therein bits of coral which they get from the Ruffians. Both fexcs make holes in the griftle of the nofe, and in the under-lips, in which they thruft pieces of bone, and are very fond of fuch kind of ornaments. They mark alfo and colour their faces with different figures. They barter among one another fea-otters, fea-bears, clothes made of bird-fkins and of dried inteftines, fkins of fea-lions and fea-calves for the coverings of baidars, Z wooden wooden mafks, darts, thread made of finews and reindeer hair, which they get from the country of Alafka. Their houfhol'd utenfils are fquare pitchers and large troughs, which they make out of the wood driven afhore by the fea. Their weapons are bows and arrows pointed with flints, and javelins of two yards in length, which they throw from a fmall board. Inftead of hatchets they ufe crooked knives of flint or bone. Some iron knives,, hatchets, and lances, were obferved amongft them, which they had probably got by plundering the Ruffians. According to the reports of the oldeft inhabitants of Umnak and Unalafhka, they have never been engaged in any war cither amongft themfelves or with their neighbours, except once with the people of Alafhka, the occafion of which was as follows : The Toigon of Um-nak's fon had a maimed hand ; and fome inhabitants of Alaflika, who came upon a vifit to that ifland, faftened to his arm a drum, out of mockery, and invited him to dance. The parents and relations of the boy were offended at this infult: hence a quarrel enfued ; and from that time the two people have lived in continual enmity, attacking and plundering each other by turns. According to the reports of the iflanders, there are mountains upon Alafhka, and woods of great extent at fome diftance from the coaft. The natives wear clothes made of the the fkins of reindeer, wolves, and foxes, and are not tributary to any of their neighbours. The inhabitants of the Fox-illands feem to have no knowledge of any country beyond Alaflika. Feafts are very common among thefe iilanders; and more particularly when the inhabitants of one ifland are vifited by thofe of the others. The men of the village meet their guefls beating drums, and preceded by the women, who fing and dance. At the conclufion of the dance the hofls invite them to partake of the feafts ; after which ceremony the former return firff to their dwellings, place mats in order, and ferve up their beft provifion. The guefls next enter, take their places, and after they are fatisfied the diverilons begin. Firff, the children dance and caper, at the fame time making a noife with their fmall drums, while the owners of the hut of both fexes fmg. Next, the men dance almoft naked, tripping after one another, and beating drums of a larger fize : when thefe are weary, they are relieved by the women, who dance in their clothes, the men continuing in the mean time to fing and beat their drums. At laft the fire is put out, which had been kindled for the ceremony. The manner of obtaining fire is by rubbing two pieces of dry wood, or moft commonly by ftriking two flints together, and letting the fparks fall Z 2 upon upon fome fea-otter's hair mixed with fulphur. If any forcerer is prefent, it is then his turn to play his tricks in the dark; if not, the guefls immediately retire to their huts, which are made on that occalion of their canoes and mats. The natives, who have feveral wives, do not withhold them from their gueifs; but where the owner of the hut has himfelf but one wife, he then makes the offer of a female fervant. Their hunting feafon is principally from the end of October to the beginning of December, during which time they kill large quantities of young fea-bears for their clothing. They pafs all December in feaflings and diversions fimilar to that above mentioned : with this difference, however, that the men dance in wooden mafks, reprefenting various fea-animals, and painted red, green, or black, with coarfe coloured earths found upon thefe iilands, During thefe feflivals they vifit each other from village to village, and from ifland to ifland. The feafts concluded, mafks and drums are broken to pieces, or deposited in caverns among the rocks, and never afterwards made ufe of. In fpring they go out to kill old fea-bears, fea-lions, and whales. During furnmer, and even in winter when it is calm, they row out to fea, and catch cod and other fifli. Their hooks are of bone; and for a lines lines they make ufe of a firing made of a long tenacious fea-weed, which is fometimes found in thofe feas near one hundred and fixty yards in length. Whenever they are wounded in any encounter, or bruifed by any accident, they apply a fort of yellow root to the wound, and faff for fome time. When their head achs, they open a vein in that part with a ftone lancet. When they want to glue the points of their arrows to the fhaft, they ftrike their nofe till it bleeds, and ufe the blood as glue. Murder is not punifhed amongft them, for they have no judge. With refpeCt to their ceremonies of burying the dead, they are as follow : The bodies of poor people are wrapped up in their own clothes, or in mats ; then laid in a grave, and covered over with earth. The bodies of the rich are put, together with their clothes and arms, in a fmall boat made of the wood driven afhore by the fea : this boat is hung upon poles placed crofs-ways ; and. the body is thus left to rot in the open air. The cuftoms and manners of the inhabitants of the Aleutian Ifles are nearly fimilar to thofe of the inhabitants of the Fox Iilands, The former indeed are rendered dered tributary, and entirely subject to Ruffia ; and moft of them have a flight acquaintance with the Ruffian language, which they have learned from the crews of the different vefTels who have landed there. PART PART II. CONTAINING THE CON QJJ EST OF SIBERIA, a n d THE HISTORY of the TRANSACTIONS AND COMMERCE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND CHINA. C »77 3 c H A P. I. Firji irruption of the Ruffians into Siberia—Second inroad —Yermac driven by the Tzar of Mufcovy from the Volga, retires to Orel a Ruffian Settlement—Enters Siberia with an army of CofTacks—His progrefs and exploits—Defeats Kutchum Chan—conquers his do-minions—cedes them to -the Tzar—receives a reinforcement of Ruffian troops—isfurprized by Kutchum Chan—his defeat and death—Veneration paid to his memory—Ruffian troops evacuate Siberia—re enter and conquer the whole country—their progrefs flopped by the Chinefe. C 1 R E R IA was fcarcely known to the Ruffians before F;,ft T^[on •^i of rhe Rufhans ^ the middle of the sixteenth century For although j^Jef'JjJ?* an expedition was made, under the reign of Ivan Vaffi- vSew/ch'i. lievitch I. into the North Western Parts of that country, as far as the river Oby, by which feveral Tartar tribes were rendered tributary, and fome of (.heir chiefs brought prifoners to Mofcow ; yet this incurhon bore a greater refemblance to the desultory inroads of barbarians, than to any permanent eftablifhment of empire by a civilized nation. Indeed the effects of that expedition foon va- * S. R. G. VI. p. 199-21 u Fif. Sib. Gcf. Tom, L A a niflied ; mined; nor does any trace of the leaft communication with Siberia again appear in the Ruffian hiftory before the reign of Ivan Vaffilicvitch II. At that period Siberia again became an object of attention, by means of one Anika Strogonoff, a Ruffian merchant, who had eftab-lifhed fome falt-wTorks at Solvytfhegodfkaia, a town in the government of Archangel. i^ftVadLs0^ This perfon carried on a trade of barter with the in-pi- of^bwh. habitants of the North-Weftern parts of Siberia, who brought every year to the abovementioned town large quantities of the choiceft furs. Upon their return to their country Strogonoff was accuftomed to fend with them fome Ruffian merchants, who crofted the mountains, and traded with the natives. By thefe means a confiderable number of very valuable furs were procured at an eafy rate, in exchange for toys and other commodities of trifling value. This traffic was continued for feveral years, without any interruption; during which Strogonoff rapidly amaffed a very confiderable fortune*. At length the Tzar Ivan Vaffilievitch II. forefeeing the advantages which would accrue to his fubjedfs, from eftablifhing a more general and regular commerce with thefe people, * S. R. G. VI. p. 220—223. Fif. Sib. Gef, p. 182. determined determined to enlarge the communication already opened with Siberia. Accordingly he fent a corps of troops itttdtafrftkT r Ruffians into that country. They followed the fame route which had Siberia in the Reign of Ivan been difcovered by the Ruffians in the former expedition,Yallllevicl111 and which was lately frequented by the merchants of Solvytfhegodfkaia. It lay along the banks of the Petf-chora, and from thence crolfed the Yugorian mountains, which form the North Eaitern boundary of Europe. Thefe troops, however, do not feem to have paffed the Irtifh, or to have penetrated farther than the Western branch of the river Oby. Some Tartar tribes were indeed laid under contribution ; and a chief, whofe name was Yediger, confented to pay an annual tribute of a thoufand fables. But this expedition was not productive of any lading effects ; for foon afterwards Yediger was defeated, and taken prifoner by Kutchum Chan ; the latter was a lineal defcendant of the celebrated Zinghis Chan ; and had newly eftablifhed his empire in thofe parts. This fecond inroad was probably made about the middle of the sixteenth century ; for the Tzar Ivan Vaffilie-vitch affumed the title of Lord of all the Siberian lands fo early as 1558, before the conquefts made by Yermac in that kingdom But probably the name of Siberia was at that time only confined to the district • S. R.G.VI. p. 217. A a 2 then then rendered tributary ; and as the Ruffians extended their conquests, this appellation was afterwards applied to the whole tract of country which now hears that name. For fome time after the above-mentioned expedition, the Tzar does not appear to have made any attempts towards recovering his loft authority in thofe diftant regions. But his attention was again turned to that quarter by a concurrence of incidents ;. which, though begun without his immediate interposition, terminated in a valt accession of territory. form^seuie Strogonoff, in recompence for having first opened a I^Karmand trade with the inhabitants of Siberia, obtained from the 1 ckuiiov.ua. rpzar jarge grants of land ; accordingly he founded colonies upon the banks of the rivers Kama and Tchuffovaia; and thefe fettlements gave rife to the entire subjection of Siberia by the refuge which they not long afterwards afforded to Yermac Timofeeff. This perfon was nothing more than a fugitive Coffac of the Don, and chief of a troop of banditti who infested the fhores of the Cafpian fea. But as he was the instrument by which fuch a vast extent of dominion was added to the Ruffian Empire, it will not be uninteresting to develop the principal circumftances, which brought this Coffac CON Q_U EST OF S I B E R I A. 1S1 Coffac from the fhores of the Cafpian to the banks of the Kama ; and to trace the progrefs which he afterwards made in the diftant regions of Siberia. By the victories which the Tzar Ivan Vaffilievitch had gained over the Tatars of Cafan and Aftracan, that monarch extended his dominions as far as the Cafpian Sea ; and thereby eftablifhed a commerce with the Perfians and Buchanans. But as the merchants who traded to thofe JfvS'from parts were continually pillaged by the Coffacs of the the Cafpian fea, Don; and as the roads which lay by the tide of that a. d. 1577, river, and. of the Volga, were in felted with thofe banditti ; the Tzar fent a confiderable force againft them. Accordingly, they were attacked and routed; part were ilain, part made prifoners,.and the reft efcaped by flight. Among the latter was a corps of fix thoufand Coffacs,. under the command of the above-mentioned Yermac TimofeefF *« That celebrated adventurer, being driven from his ord?on"S ufual haunts, retired, with his followers, into the interior s!nbl'iu part of the province of Cafan. From thence he directed his courfe along the banks of the Kama, until he came to Orel f. That place was one of the Ruffian fettlements recently planted, and was governed by Maxim grandfon * S. R. G. VI. p. 232. Fif. Sib. Gef. I, p. 185, f S.R.G. VI. p. 233, Of of Anika Strogonoff. Yermac, inftead of ftorming the place, and pillaging the inhabitants, acted with a degree of moderation unufual in a chief of banditti. Being hofpitably received by Strogonoff, and fupplied with every thing that was neceffary for the fubfiftence of his troops, he fixed his winter quarters at that fettlement. His reftlefs genius however did not fuffer him to continue for any length of time in a Rate of inactivity ; and from the intelligence he procured concerning the fituation of »* the neighbouring Tartars of Siberia, he turned his arms toward that quarter. Determines invade Sibe ^berif Siberia was at that time partly divided among a num- ber of feparate princes ; and partly inhabited by the various tribes of independent Tartars. Of the former Kutchum Chan was the molt powerful Sovereign. His dominions confifted of that tract of country which now forms the South Weftern part of the province of Tobolfk; and ftretched from the banks of the Irtifli and Oby to thofe of the Tobol and Tura. His principal refidence was at Sibir *, a fmall fortrefs upon the river Irifh, not far * Several authors have fuppofed the name of Siberia to derive its origin from this fortrefs, foon after it was firft taken by the Ruffians under Yermac. But this opinion is advanced without fufficient foundation; for the name of Sibir was unknown to the Tartars, that fort being by them called Ifkcr. Befides, the Southern part of the province of Tobolfk, to which the name of Siberia was originally applied, was thus deno- far from the prefent town of Tobolfk; and of which fome ruins are full to be feen. Although his power was very confiderable, yet there were fome circum-ftances which feemed to enfure fuccefs to an enterpriz-ing invader. He had newly acquired a large part of his territories by conqueft; and had, in a great meafure, alienated the affections of his idolatrous fubjects by the intolerant zeal, with which he introduccd*and diffeminated the Mahometan religion *v Strogonoff did not fail of displaying to Yermac this inviting posture of affairs, as well with a view of removing him from his prefent Ration, as becaufe he himfelf was perfonally exafperated against Kutchum Chan: for' the latter had fecretly instigated a large body of Tartars to invade the Ruffian fettlements upon the river Tchuffo-vaia; and had afterwards commenced open hoftilities againft them with a body of forces under the command of his coufin Mehemet Kul. And although both thefe attempts had failed of fuccefs, yet the troops engaged in them had left behind traces of havock and devastation too lasting to be easily effaced t. denominated by the Ruffians before the invafion of Yermac. This denomination probably firft came from the Permians and Sirjanians^ who brought the firft accounts of Siberia to the Ruffians. S.R. G. VI. p. 180. * S. R. G. VI, p. 180. -f Fif. Sib. Gef. I. p, 187, z AH CONQUEST OF SIBERIA, Marches to- j^n mefe various considerations were not loft upon wards Siberia : L Yermac : having therefore employed the winter in preparations for his intended expedition, he began his march in the furnmer of the following year, 1578, along the banks of the Tchuffovaia. The want of proper guides, and a neglect of other neceffary precautions, greatly retarded his march, and he was overtaken by the winter before be had made any confiderable progrefs. And at the appearance of fpring he found his itock of o lri L° provifions fo nearly exhausted, that he was reduced to the neceflity of returning to Orel. But this failure of fuccefs bv no means extin^uiflied his ardour for the profeeution of the enterprize ; it only ferved to make him (till more folicitous in ''uardiiv^ againft the pollibility of a future mifcarriage. By threats lie extorted from Strogonoff every afliltance which the nature of the expedition feemed to require. Beiides a fufficient quantity of provifions, all his followers, who were before unprovided with fire-arms, were fupphed with mufkets and ammunition; and, in order to give the appearance of a regular army to his troops, colours were distributed to each company, which were ornamented with the images of faints, after the manner of the Ruffians. Having Having thus made all previous arrangements, he thought himfelf in a condition to force his way into Siberia. Accordingly, in the month of June, 1579, he fet out upon this fccond expedition. His followers His fccond r> 1 r 1 • i Expedition. amounted to live thoufand men; adventurers inured to hardfhips, and regardlefs of danger : they placed implicit confidence in their leader, and feemed to be all animated with one and the fame fpirit. He continued his route partly by land, and partly by water : the navigation however of the rivers was fo tedious, and the roads fo rugged and difficult, that eighteen months clapfed before he reached Tchingi, a fmall town upon Arrivcs °P°* 17 the Banks ot the banks of the Tura*. theTu,a- Here he multcred his troops, and found his army considerably reduced : part had been exhaufted by fatigue, part carried off by iicknefs, and part cut off in ikir-mifhes with the Tartars. The whole remaining number amounted to about fifteen hundred effective men ; and yet with this handful of troops Yermac did not hclitate a moment in advancing againft Kutchum Chan. That prince was already in a poiturc of defence ; and refolved to guard his crown to the laft extremity. Having collected his forces, he difpatched feveral flying parties againft Yermac, himfelf remaining behind with • S. R. G. VI. p. 243—248—262. the the flower of his troops : hut all thefe detachments were driven back with confiderable lofs; and worried in many fucceflive Ikirmiflies. Yermac continued his march without intermiflion, bearing down all refiftance until he reached the center of his adverfary's dominions-.. Thefe fucceffes however were dearly bought ;■ for his army was now reduced-to five hundred men. Kutchum Chan was encamped * at no great diftance upon the banks of the Irtifh, with a very fuperior force, and determined to give him battle. Yermac, who was not to be daunted by the inequality of numbers-, prepared for the engagement with a confidence which never forfook him ; his troops were equally impatient for action, and knew no medium between conqueft and death. The event of the combat correfponded with this magnanimity. Defers After an obitinate and well fought battle, victory declared Kutchum *" Chan. ^ m favour of Yermac: the Tartars were entirely routed, and the carnage was fo general, that Kutchum Chan himfelf efcaped with difficulty. This defeat proved decifive : Kutchum Chan was defected by his fubjects ; and Yermac, who knew how to improve as well as gain a victory, marched without * The place where the Tartar army lay encamped was called Tfchu-yatch : it is a neck of land wafned by the Irtifh, near Lhc fpot where the Tobob falls into that river. Fif. Sib. Gef. I. p. 203. delay delay to Sibir, the residence of the Tartar princes. He was well aware, that the only method to fecure his con-queft was to get pofTefsiqn of that important fortrefs. He expected therefore to have found in that place a confiderable garrifon, determined to facrifice their lives in its defence. But the news of the late defeat had diffufed univerfal contlernation, and Sibir was entirely deferred. A body of troops whom he fent before him, to reduce the fortrefs, found it quite deferted : he himfelf foon after, made his triumphant entry, and feated s**& himfelf upon the himfelf upon the throne without the leaft oppofition.Tlutmc< Here he fixed his refidence, and received the allegiance of the neighbouring people, who poured in from all quarters upon the news of this unexpected revolution. The Tartars were fo fir tick with his gallant intrepidity and brilliant exploits, that they fubmitted to his authority without hesitation, and acquiefced in the payment of the ufual tribute. Thus this enterprising Coffac was fuddenly exalted from the Ration of a chief of banditti to the rank of a fovereign prince. It does not appear from hiftory whether it were at firft his defign to conquer Siberia, or folely to amafs a confiderable booty. The latter indeed fcems the more probable conjecture. The rapid tide of fuccefs with which he was carried on, and the entire defeat of Kutchum Chan, afterwards expanded his views, and opened a larger fcene to his B b 2 ambition. ambition. But whatever were his original projects, he feems worthy, fo far as intrepidity and prudence form a balls of merit, of the final fuccefs which flowed in upon him. For he was neither elated with unexpected profperity, nor dazzled with the fuddcn glare of royalty : on the contrary, the dignity of his-deportment was as confident and unaffected, as if he had been born a fovereign. And now Yermac and his followers feemed to enjoy thofe rewards which they had dearly purchafed by a courfe of unremitted fatigue, and by victories which almoit exceeded belief. Not only the tribes in the neigbourhood of Sibir wore the appearance of the moft unreferved fubmiflion ; but even princes continued - flocking in from diftant parts, to acknowledge themfelves tributary, and to claim his pretention. However, Precarious this calm was of fhort duration. Infurrections were Situation of Yermac. concerted by Kut( Jmm Chan ; who, though driven from his dominions, yet full retained no fmall degree of influence over his former fubjects. Yermac faw and felt the precarioufnefs of his prefent grandeur; the inconsiderable number of his followers who had furvived the conqueil of Sibir, had been Hill further diminifhed by an ambufcade of the enemy ; and as he could not depend on the affection of his new fubjects, he found himfelf under the neceffity cither of of calling in foreign afliftancc, or of relinquishing his dominion. Under thefe circumftances he had recourie to the Tzar of Mufcovy ; and made a tender of his new acquiiitions to that monarch, upon condition of receiving immediate and effectual fupport. The judicious manner in which he conducted this meafure, fhews him no lefs able in the arts of negotiation than of war. One of his moft confidential followers was difpatched to Mofcow at the head of fifty Coflacs. He had orders to reprefent to the court the progrefs which the Ruffian troops, under the command of Yermac, had made in Siberia : he was artfully to add, that an extenlive Cctlcs his Conquefb t» empire was conquered in the name of the Tzar; thatMofc the natives wrere reduced to fwear allegiance to that monarch, and confented to pay an annual tribute. This re prefent at ion was accompanied with a prefent of the choiceft and moft valuable furs The embaflador was received at Mofcow with the ft rongeur marks of fatis-faction : a public thankfgiving was celebrated in the cathedral; the Tzar acknowledged and extolled the good iSs**. fervices of Yermac ; he granted him a pardon for all former "offences ; and, as a teitimony of his favour, dif-tributed prefents for him and his followers. Amongft thofe which were fent to Yermac was a fur robe, which the Tzar himfelf had worn, and which was the greateft. * S.R.G. VI. p. 304. 5 mark mark of dirtfriction that could be conferred upon a subject. To thefe was added a fum of money, and a promife of fpeedy and effectual affiftance. Meanwhile Yermac, notwithstanding the inferior number of his troops, did nor remain inactive within the fortrefs of Sibir. He defeated all attempts of Kutchum Chan to recover his crown ; and took his principal general prifoner. He made occasional inroads into the adjacent provinces, and extended his conquests up to the fource of the river Talfda on one fide, and on the other as far as the district which lies upon the river Oby above its junction with the Irtifh. £rWmeD?rf ^u tePg$n the promifed fuccours arrived at Sibir. They uoops? con filled of five hundred Ruffians, under the command of prince Bolkofky, who was appointed wayvode or governor of Siberia. Strengthened by this reinforcement, Yermac continued his excurfions on all fides with his ufual activity ; and gained feveral bloody victories over different princes, who were imprudent enough to affert their independence. In one of thefe expeditions he laid liege to Kullara, a fmall fortrefs upon the banks of the Irtifh, which Hill belonged -to Kutchum Chan : but he found it fo bravely defended by that monarch, that all his efforts to carry it by ftorm proved ineffectual. Upon his return to Sibir he he was followed at fome clilfarice by that prince, who hung unperceived upon his rear ; and was prepared to feize any fortunate moment of attack which might occur; nor was it long before a favourable opportunity prefented itfelf. The Ruffians to the number of about three hundred lay negligently ported in a fmall ifland, formed by two branches of the Irtifh. The nicht was obfeure and Surprift*by O Kutchum rainy; and the troops, who were fatigued with a long march, repofed themfelves without fufpicion of danger. Kutchum Chan, apprifed of their situation, silently advanced at midnightwith a felect body of troops; and having forded the river, came with fuch rapidity upon the Ruffians, as to preclude the ufe of their arms. In the darknefs and con fun" on of the night, the latter were cut to pieces almoft without oppofition ; and fell a refiftlefs prey to thofe adversaries, whom they had been accustomed to conquer and defpife. The maffacre was fo universal, that only one man is recorded to have efcaped, and to have brought the news of this catastrophe to his countrymen at Sibir, Yermac himfelf periflsed in the rout, though he did ?"J^f not fall by the fword of the enemy. In all the hurry of furprife, he was not fo much infected with the general panic, as to forget his ufual intrepidity, which feemed to be encreafed rather than abated by the danger of his prefent fituation. After many defperate acts of heroism, he he cut his way through the troops who furrounded him, and made to the banks of the Irtifh*. Being clofely purfued by a detachment of the enemy, he endeavoured to throw himfelf into a boat which lay near the fliore; but flepping fhort, he fell into the water, and being incumbered with the weight of his armour, funk inftantly to the bottom t. ' I lis body was not long afterwards taken out of the Irtifh, and expofed, by order of Kutchum Chan, to all the infults which revenge ever iuggefted to barbarians in the frenzy of fuccefs. But thefe firft transports of rcfentment had no fooner fubfided, than the Tartars .teftified the moft pointed indignation at the ungenerous • Many difficulties have arifen concerning the branch of the Irtifh in which Yermac was drowned ; but it is now fulhciently afcertained that it was a canal, which fome time before this cataflrophe had been cut by order of that Coffac : Not far from the fpot, where the Vagal falls into the Irtifli, the latter, river forms a bend of fix verfts; by cutting a canal in a ftreight line from the two extreme points of this fweep, he fhortcned the length of the navigation. S. R G. p. 365—366. -f Cyprian was appointed the firft archbifhop of Siberia, in 1621. Upon his arrival at Tobolfk, he enquired for feveral of the anticnt followers of Yermac who were ftill alive; and from them he made himi! If acquainted with the principal circumftanccs attending the expedition of that Coffac, and the conqucft of Siberia. Thofe circumftances he tranf-mitted to writing ; and thefe papers are the archives of the Siberian hiftory ; from which the feveral hiftorians of that country have drawn their relations. Sava Ycfimoff, who was himfelf one of Ycrmac's followers, is one of the moft accurate hiftorians of thofe times. lie carries down his hiftory to the year 1636. Fif. Sib. Gef. I. p. .530. ferocity CO N QJJ EST OF SIBERIA. 19 ferocity of their leader. The prowefs of Yermac, his confummate valour and magnanimity, virtues which barbarians know how to prize, rofe upon their recollection. They made a fudden tranfition from one extreme to the other : they reproached their leader for ordering, themfelves for being the inftruments of indignity to fuch venerable remains. At length their heated imaginations proceeded even to confecrate his memory: .they interred his body with all the rites of Pagan fu-perftition ; and offered up sacrifices to his manes. Many miraculous ftorie's were foon fpread abroad, and veneration J ■ * 7 paid to las met with implicit belief. The touch of his body was Mumol> fuppofed to have been an inftantaneous cure for all dif-orders ; and even his clothes and arms were laid to be endowed with the fame efficacy. A flame of fire wa> reprefented as fometimes hovering about his tomb, and fometimes as ftretching in one luminous body from the fame fpot towards the heavens. A presiding influence over the affairs of the chace and of war was attributed to his departed fpirit ; and numbers retorted to his tomb to invoke his tutelary aid in concerns fo interefting to uncivilized nations. Thefe idte fables, though they evince the fuperftitious credulity of the Tartars, convey at the fame time the ftrongeft teftimony of their veneration for the memory of Yermac; and this veneration C c greatly ♦ greatly contributed to the fubfequent progrefs of the Ruffians in thofe regions *. With Yermac expired for a time the Ruffian empire in Siberia. The news of his defeat and death no fooner reached the garrifon of Sibir, than an hundred and fifty troops, the fad remains of that formidable army which had gained fuch a feries of almoft incredible victories, Tie Ruffians retired from the fortrefs, and evacuated Siberia. Not- r prefented a new plan for a treaty of limit.; and commerce to Yundfchin, fon and fucceffor of Camhi.;, by which the frontiers of the two empires were finally traced as they exift at prefent, and the commerce eihi-blifhed upon a permanent bails, calculated to prevent as far as pofiible all future fourccs of mifuiulcr {laud-ing. Tliis plan being approved by the emperor, Chinefe ■commiflioncrs were immediately appointed to negotiate with the Ruffian embaffador upon the hanks of the Bura, a fmall river which flows, South of the confines of Siberia, into the Orcbon near its junction with the Selcnga. At this conference, the old limits, which are mentioned in the treaty of Nerfhinik, were continued from the fource of the Argoon Wcttwards as far as the mountain Sahyntaban, which is fituated at a fmall diftance from the fpot where the conflux of the two rivers Uleken and Kcmtzak form the Yenisei : this boundary feparates the Ruffian dominions from the territory of the Mongols, who arc under the protection of China. It was likewife flipulatcd, that for the future all negotiations fhould be tranfacted between the tribunal of 5 foreign foreign affairs at Pekin, and the board of foreign affairs at St. Peterfburg ; or in matters of inferior moment between the commanders of the frontiers *. The mofl important articles relating to commerce, were as follow : A caravan was allowed to go to Pekin every three Account of the Trcaty-yearS, on condition of its not confuting of more than~c,a,iveto f ' o Commerce. two hundred perfons ; during their reiidence in that metropolis, their expences were no longer to be defrayed by the emperor of China. Notice was to be fent to the Chinefe court immediately upon their arrival at the frontiers ; where an officer was to meet and accompany them to Pekin. The privilege before enjoyed by individuals of carrying on a promifcuous traffic in the Chinefe and Mongol territories was taken away, and no merchandize belonging to private perfons was permitted to be brought for fale beyond the frontiers. For the purpofe of pre-ferving, confidently with this regulation, the privilege of commerce to individuals, two places of refort were * This article was inferted, becaufe the Chinefe emperor, from a ridiculous idea of fuperiority, had contcmptuoufly refufed to hold any corrcfpondcncc with the court of Ruffia. appointed TRANSACTIONS BET W E E N appointed on the confines of Siberia : one called Ki* atchta, from a rivulet of that name near which it Rands; and the other Zuruchaitu: at thefe places a free trade was reciprocally indulged to the fubjects of the two nations. A permiffion was at the fame time obtained for building a Ruffian church within the precincts of their caravanfary ; and for the celebration of divine fervice, four prielts were allowed to refide at Pekin % The fame favour was alfo extended to fome Ruffian Scholars t, * The firft Ruffian church at Pekin was built for the accommodation of the Ruffians taken prifoners at Albafin. Thefe perfons were carried to Pekin, and the place appointed for their habitation in that city was called the Ruffian Street, a name it flill retains. They were fo well received by the Chinefe, that, upon the conclufion of the treaty of Nerfhinik, they rcfuied to return to their native country. And as they intermarried with the Chinefe women, their descendants arc quite naturalized; and have foi the moft part adopted not only the language, but even the religion of the Chinefe. Hence, the above-mentioned ehurch, though it flill exiits, is no longer applied to the purpofe of divine worfhip : its pricft was transferred to the church, which was built whhin the walls of the caravanfary. -j- The rood effects of this inftkution have already been perceived. A Ruffian, whofe name is Lcontictf, aiter having refided ten years at Pekin, is returned to Peterfburg. He has given feveral tranflations and extracts of fome interefting Chinefe publications, viz. Part of the Hiftory ot China; the Code of the Chinefe Laws; Account of the Towns and Revenues, &c. of the Chinefe Empire, extracted from a Treatife of Geography, lately printed at Pekin. A ffiort account of this Extract is given in the Journal of St. Peterfburg for April, 1779. 7 for for the purpofe of learning the Chinefe tongue; in order to qualify themfelves for interpreters between the two nations. This treaty, called the treaty of Kiachta, was, on the fourteenth of June, 1728, concluded and ratified by the count Ragufinfki and three Chinefe plenipotentaries upon the fpot, where Kiachta was afterwards built: it is the bafis of all tranfactions fince carried on between Rufiia and China*. One innovation in the mode of carrying on the trade to Chinaj which has been introduced fince the acceflion of the prefent emprefs Catherine II. deferves to be mentioned in this place. Since the year 1755 110 caravans have been fent to Pekin. Their firff difcontinuance was Caravans d continued. owing to a mifunderffanding between the two courts of Peterfburg and Pekin in 1759. Their difufe after the reconciliation had taken place, arofe from the following circumffances. The exportation and importation of many principal commodities, particularly the moft valuable furs, were formerly prohibited to individuals, and folely appropriated to caravans belonging to the crown. By thefe reilrictions the Ruffian trade to China was greatly fhackled and circumfcribed. The prefent * S. R. G. VIII. p. 513. emprefs 210 TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN, &c. emprefs (who, amidft many excellent regulations which characferife her reign, has fhewn herfelf invariably attentive to the improvement of the Ruffian- commerce) Monopoly of abolilhed, in 1762, the monopoly of the fur trade, and the i-\x\ T. rade. 7 ' * 1 * * »boiifl«j. renounced in favour of her fubjects the exclufive privilege which the crown enjoyed of fending caravans to Pekin By thefe conceflions the profits of the trade have been confiderably encreafed : the great expence, hazard, and delay, of tranfporting the merchandife occa^ fionally from the frontiers of Siberia to Pekin, has been retrenched ; and Kiachta is now rendered the center of the Ruffian and Chinefe commerce. * S. R. G. VIII. p. 520.. C HA P. C a*' 3 C H A P. III. Account of the Ruffian and Chinefe fettlements upon the confines of Siberia—defcription of the Ruffian frontier town Kiachta—of the Chinefe frontier town Maimatf-chin—-its buildings, pagodas, &c* TT) Y the laft mentioned treaty it was ffipulated, that the commerce between Ruffia and China fhould be tranfacled at the frontiers. Accordingly two fpots were marked out for that purpofe upon the confines of Siberia, where they border upon the Mongol defert; one near Ruffian aB 70 to 90 roubles per 10 fkins. Inferior ditto and beftCanada beavers from 50 — 75 { Young or cub-beavers from 20 — 35 Beft otter-fkins from ■- 90 — 100 Inferior ones from - 60 — 80 The qualities of thefe fkins being very different occafion great variations in the prices. At Kiachta, the beft Hudfon's Bay beaver fetches from - 7 to 20 roubles per fkin. Otters'ditto •- - 6—35 Black foxes fkins from Canada arc alfo fometimes fent from England to Peterfburg. At Kiachta they fetch from 1 to 100 roubles per fkin. II h 2 The The coarfe fort is manufactured in Rufiia ; the finer fort is foreign, chiefly Englifh, Pruflian, and French. An arfhire of foreign cloth fetches, according to its finenefs, from 2 to 4 roubles. Camlets. Calimancoes. Druggets. White flannels, both Ruffian and foreign. The remaining articles are, Rich fluffs. Velvets. Coarfe linen, chiefly manufactured in Rufiia. Ruffia leather. Tanned hides. Glafs ware and looking glanes. Hardware, namely, knives, fciffars, locks, &x. Tin. Ruffian talk. Cattle, chiefly camels, horfes, and horned cattle. The Chinefe alfo pay very dear for hounds, greyhounds, barbets, and dogs for hunting wild boars. Provifions *. * In the year 1772, the Chinefe purchafed meat at Kiachta, at the following prices : A pound of beef 3 §. copecs. lamb 24 Horfe flcfh for the Tartars 4, Pallas Reife, P. III. p. MeaL Meal.—The Chinefe no longer import fuch large quantities of meal as formerly, fince they have employed the Mongols to cultivate the lands lying near the river Orchon 8cc. Sec. Lift of the moft valuable commodities procured from China. RAW AND MANUFACTURED SILK. ] The exportation of raw iilk is prohibited in China under pain of death : large quantities however are fmuggled every year into Kiachta, but not fufficicnt to anfwer the demands of the Ruffian merchants. A pood of the beft fort is eftimated at 150 roubles ; of the worft fort at 7 5 The manufactured filks are of various forts, fafhions, and prices, viz. fattins, taffatics, damalks, and gauzes, fcanes of filk died of all colours, ribbands, Sec. &c. RAW AND MANUFACTURED COTTON. Raw cotton is imported in very large quantities; a great part of this commodity is employed in packing up the china ware, and by thefe means is conveyed into * S. R. G. III. p. 495—571. Pallas Reifc, P. III. p. 136—144. the C O M M ERC E BETWEEN the inland part of Rufiia without any additional expence of carriage. A pood fells for — from 4 roubles, 80 cop. to 12. Of the manufactured cotton, that which the Ruffians call Kitaika, and the Englifh Nankeen, has the moft rapid fale. It is the moft durable, and, in proportion to its goodnefs, the cheapeft of all the Chinefe ftuffs; it is ftained red, brown, green, and black. TEAS. The teas which are brought into Ruffia are much fuperior in flavour and quality to thofe which are fent to Europe from Canton. The original goodnefs of the teas is probably the fame in both cafes ; but it is conjectured, that the tranfport by fea confiderably impairs the aromatic flavour of the plant. This commodity, now become fo favourite an object of European luxury, is efteemed by the Ruffian merchants the moft profitable article of importation. At Kiachta a pound of the beft tea * is cftimated at — — —- 2 roubles. Common ditto at — — 1 Inferior at —- — — 40 copecs. * At Peterfburg a pound of the beft green tea fetches 3 roubles. POR- PORCELAIN OF ALL SORTS. For fome years paft the Chinefe have brought to Kiachta parcels of porcelain, painted with European figures, with copies of feveral favourite prints and images of the Grecian and Roman deities. Furniture, particularly Japan cabinets and cafes, lackered and varnifhed tables and chairs, boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, &c. 8tc. Fans, toys, and other fmall wares. Artificial flowers. Tiger and Panther fkins. Rubies but neither in large quantities nor of great value. White lead, vermilion, and other colours. Canes. Tobacco-Rice. Sugar Candy. Preferved ginger, and other fweetmeats. Rhubarb +, Mufk. * Rubies are generally procured by fmuggling; and by trie fame means pearls are occafionally difpofed of to the Chinefe, at a very dear rate- Pearls, are much fought for by the Chinefe j and might be made a very profitable article. *f Sec Appendix II. It: It is very difficult to procure the genuine Thibet mufk, bccaufe the Chinefe purchafe a bad fort, which comes from Siberia, with which they adulterate that which is brought from Thibet {. Adjrtntwei Ruffia draws ereat advantages from the Chinefe trade. of this Trade to 0 0 Raffia. -gy ^s trafp1Cj ^s natural productions, and particularly its furs and fkins, are difpofed of in a very profitable manner. Many of thefe furs procured from the moft Eafterly parts of Siberia, are of fuch little value that they would not anfwer the expence of carriage into Ruffia; while the richer furs, which are fold to the Chinefe at a very high price, would, on account of their dearnefs, feldom meet with purchafers in the Ruffian dominions. In exchange for thefe commodities the Ruffians receive from China feveral valuable articles of commerce, which they would otherwife be obliged to buy at a much dearer rate from the European powers, to the great difadvantage of the balance of their trade. I have before obferved, that formerly the exportation and importation of the moft valuable goods were prohibited to individuals; at prefent only the following articles are prohibited. Among the exports, fire-arms and artillery; gunpowder and ball; gold and filver, coined £ S. R. G. III. p. 572—592. Pallas Rcife, p. III. p. 141—153. and and uncoined, ftallions and mares; fkins of deer, reindeer, elks, and horfes ; beaver's hair, potafh, rofin, thread, and * tinfel-lace : among the imports, fait, brandy, poifons, copper-money, and rhubarb. The duties paid by the Ruffian-merchants are very confiderable; great part of the merchandife is taxed at 25 per cent, Furs, cattle, and provifions, pay a duty of 23. Ruffian manufactures 18. One per cent, is alfo deducted from the price of all goods for the expence of deepening the river Selenga; and 7 per cent for the fupport of the cuftom -houfe. Some articles, both of export and import, pay no duty. The exported are, writing, royal, and poll paper, Ruffia cloth of all forts and colours, excepting peafants cloth. The imported are, fatins, raw and ftained cottons, porcelain, earthen-ware, glafs corals, beads, fans, all mu-fical inftruments, furniture, lackered and enamelled ornaments, needles, white-lead, rice, preferved ginger, and other fweet-meats t. * Tinfel lace is fmuggled to the Chinefe, with confiderable profit; for they pay nearly as much for it as if it was folid filver. S. R, G.]III. p. 588. f Pallas Reife, P. III. p. 154. I i The The importance of this trade will appear from the following table. Jonation and Table of exportation and importation at Kiachta, importation. . - in the year 1777. Rbles. Cop. Cuftom-houfe duties, 481,460. 59^. Importation of Chinefe goods, to the value of 1,466,497. j|. Of gold and filver 11,215. Total of Importation 1,484,7 r 2. jfi Exportation of Ruffian commodities 1,313,621. 35. From this table it appears, that the total fum of export and import a- mounts to 2,868,333- In this calculation however the contraband trade is not included, which is very large; and as the year 1777 was not fo favourable to this traffic as the preceding ones*, we may venture to eftimate the grofs amount * In the year 1770, 1771, 1772-, the cuftom-houfe duties at Kiachta (according to Mr. Pallas, P. III. p, 154.) produced 550,000 roubles. By \ amount of the average trade to China at near 4,000,000 Roubles. By taking therefore the medium between that fum and 481,460, the amount of the duties in 1777, the average fum of the duties will be 515,730 ; and, as the duties in 1777 make nearly a fixth of the whole fum of exportation and importation, by multiplying 515,730 by 6, we have the grofs amount of the average exports and imports at 3,094,380. But as feveral goods pay no duty, and as the contraband trade according to the loweft valuation is cflimated at the fifth part of the exports and imports ; the grofs amount of the average trade to China may be fairly computed at near 4,000,000. the fum Hated above. C H A P. C *44 ] e ii a p. v. Defcription of Zuruchaitu—and its trade—Tranfport of the merchandife through Siberia* r I[51H E general account of the Ruffian commerce to China has been given in the preceding chapter,, becaufe almoft the whole traffic is confined to Kiachta. The defcription of Zuruchaitu, which was alfo fixed by the treaty of Kiachta for the purpofe of carrying on the fame trade, will be comprifed of courfe in a narrow compafs. Zuruchaitu is fituated in 137' longitude, and 490. aof N. latitude, upon the Weffern branch of the river Argoon, at a fmall diftance from its fource. It is provided with a fmall garrifon,. and a few wretched barracks fur-rounded with chevaux de frife. No merchants are fettled at this place ; they come every furnmer from Nerfhinik, and other Ruffian towns in order to meet two parties of Mongol troops: thefe troops are fent from the Chinefe towns Naun and Merghen, and arrive at the frontiers about July. They encamp near Zuruchaitu upon the other fide of the river Argoon, and barter with the Siberian Siberian merchants a few Chinefe commodities, which they bring with them. Formerly the commerce carried on at Zuruchaitu was more confiderable ; but at prefent it is fo trifling, that it hardly deferves to be mentioned. Thefe Mongols furnifh the diftricl: of Nerfhinik with bad tea and to-Comnier«-bacco, bad filks, and fome tolerable cottons. They receive in return ordinary furs, cloth, cattle, and Ruffian leather. This trade lafts about a month or fix weeks, and the annual duties of the cuftoms amount upon an average to no more than 500 roubles. About the middle of Auguft the Mongols retire; part proceed immediately to China, and the others defcend the ftream of the Amoor as far as its mouth, in order to obferve if there has been no ufurpation upon the limits. At the fame time the Ruffian merchants return to Nerfhinfk, and, were it not for the fmall garrifon, Zuruchaitu would i remain uninhabited #. The Ruffian commodities are tranfported by land i^rurn™* from Peterfburg and Mofcow to Tobolfk. From thence CommoSiSi through Si- the merchants may embark upon the Irtifh down to itsUiU junction with the Oby ; then they either tow up their boats, or fail up the laft mentioned river as far as * S. R. G. III. p. 465. Pallas Reifc, P. III. p. 423. 7. Marym7 Marym, where they enter the Ket, which they afcend to Makoftikoi Oftrog. At that place the merchandize is carried about ninety verfts by land to the Yenifei. The merchants then afcend that river, the Tunguika, and Angara, to Irkutlk, crofs the lake Baikal, and go up the river Selenga almoft to Kiachta. It is a work of fuch difficulty to afcend the ftreams of fo many rapid rivers, that this navigation Eaftwards can hardly be finifhed in one furnmer *; for which reafon the merchants commonly prefer the way by land. Their general rendezvous is the fair of Irbit near Tobolfk ; from thence they go in fledges during winter to Kiachta where they arrive about February, the feafon in which the chief commerce is carried on with the Chinefe. They buy in their route all the furs they find in the fmall towns, where they are brought from the adjacent countries. When the merchants return in fpring with the Chinefe goods, which are of greater bulk and weight than the Ruffian commodities, they proceed by water ; they then defcend the ftreams of moft of the rivers, namely, the Selenga, Angara, Tunguika, Ket, and Oby to its junction with the Irtifh; they afcend that river to Tobolfk, and continue by land to Mofcow and Peterfburg. * Some of thefe rivers are only navigable in fpring when the fnow water is melting; in winter the rivers are in general frozen. Before Before the paflage from Ochotfk to Bolcherefk Was J^Jjff^ difcovered in 1716, the only communication between 10 Kamtchatka and Siberia was by land ; the road lay by Anadirfk to Yakutfk. The furs * of Kamtchatka and of the Eaflern ifles are now conveyed from that peninfula by water to Ochotfk ; from thence to Yakutfk by land on horfe-back, or by rein-deer : the roads are fo very bad, lying either through a rugged mountainous country, or through marfhy fo-refts, that the journey lafts at leaft fix weeks. Yakutfk is fituated upon the Lena, and is the principal town, ■where the choicer! furs are brought in their way to Kiachta, as well from Kamtchatka as from the Northern parts of Siberia, which lay upon the rivers Lena, Yana, and Endigirka. At Yakutfk the goods are embarked upon the Lena, towed up the flream of that river as far as Vercholenfk, or flill farther to Katfheg ; from thence they are tranfported over a fhort tract of land to the rivulet Buguldeika, down that flream to the lake Baikal, acrofs that lake to the mouth of the Selenga^, and up that river to the neighbourhood of Kiachta. * The furs, which are generally landed upon the Eaftern coaft of Kamtchatka, are either fent by fea to Bolchorefk, or are tranfported acrofs the Peninfula in fledges drawn by dogs. The latter conveyance is only ufed in winter : it is the ufual mode of travelling in that country. In furnmer there is no conveyance, as the Peninfula contains neither oxen, horfes, or rein-deer. S. R, G. III. p. 478. in In order to give the reader fome notion of that vaft tract of country, over which the merchandize is frequently tranfported by land carriage, a lift of the distances is here fubjoined. From Peterfburg to Mofcow 734 verfts. Mofcow to Tobolfk — 2385 Tobolfk to Irkutfk — 2918 Irkutfk to Kiachta — 471 6508 From Irbit to Tobolfk — 420 From Irkutfk to Nerfhinfk 1129 Nerfhinfk to Zuruchaitu 370 From Ochotfk to Yakutfk — 927 Yakutfk to Irkutfk —■ 243 3 From Selenginfk to Zuruchaitu 850 Zuruchaitu to Pekin — 1588 Kiachta to Pekin — 15 3 2 The Chinefe tranfport their goods to Kiachta chiefly upon camels. It is four or five days journey from Pekin to the wall of China, and forty-fix from thence acrofs the Mongol defert to Kiachta*. * Pallas Rcife, P. III. p. 134. PART part he. APPENDIX I. & II. CONTAINING SUPPLEMENTARY ACCOUNTS OF the RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES, &c. &c. K k APPENDIX I. Extract from the journal of a voyage made by Captain Krenitzin and Lieutenant LevaihefF to the Fox Iflands, in 1768, 1769, by order of the Emprefs of Rufiia— they fail from Kamtchatka—arrive at Beering's and Copper Iflands—reach the Fox Iflands—Krenitzin winters at Alaxa—-LevafhefY upon Unalafhka—pro-duElions of Unalafhka—defcription of the inhabit ants of the Fox Iflands—their manners and cufloms, &c. ON the 23d of July Captain Krenitzin failed in the Kremlin ami Galhot St. Catherine from the mouth of the Kamt-fr<)m the Mouth of the chatka river towards America : he was accompanied by r^J^?* Lieutenant LevafhefY, in the Hooker St. Paul. Their inflructions were regulated by information derived from Beering's expedition in 1741. Shaping their courfe accordingly, they found themfelves more to the North than they expected ; and were told by the Ruffian traders and hunters, that a fimilar * mi flake was com- * This paffage is obfeurely expreffed. Its meaning may be ascertaining by comparing Krenitzin's chart with that of Beering's voyage prefixed to Muller's account of the Ruffian Difcoveries. The route of Krenitziu's veffel was confidently to the North of the courfe held by Beering and TfchirikofT, and confequently he failed through the middle of what they had fuppofed to be a continent, and which he found to be an open fea. See Robertibn's Hiftory of America, p. 461, and p. 26, of this work. K k 2 mittcd mitted in the chart of that expedition. Thefe traders,, who for fome years paft were accuifomed to ramble to the diftant iilands in queft of furs, faid that they were fituated much more to the South, and farther Eaft than. They re^u was imagined. On the 27th they faw Commodore's or iSf8 Beering's Illand, which is low and rocky, efpecially to the S. W. On this fide they obferved a fmall harbour, diftinguifhed by two hillocks like boats, and not far from it they found a frefh water lake. iiw,oppcr To tne S* E' lies anotner *Aand, called by the Ruffians Mednoi Oftroff, or Copper Illand, from a great quantity of copper found upon its N. E. coaft, the only fide which is known to the Ruffians. It is wafhed up by the fea, and covers the fhore in fuch abundance, that many fhips may load with it. Perhaps an India trader might make a profitable voyage from thence to China, where this metal is in high demand. This copper is moftly in a metallic or malleable ftate, and many pieces feem as if they had formerly been in fulion. The ifland is not high, but has many hillocks, each of which has the appearance of having formerly been the funnel of a volcano. We may here, once for all, obferve, that all the iflands reprefented in this chart* abound with fuch funnels, called in Ruffian Sopka, in fo much that no illand, however fmall, was found without one; and • Namely, the chart which is prefixed to this journal. many many of them confided of nothing elfe. In fliort, the chain of iflands here laid down may, without any violent ftretch of imagination, be considered as thrown up by fome late volcanos. The apparent novelty of every thing feems to juftify this conjecture : nor can any objection be derived from the vegetable productions with which thefe iflands abound ; for the furnmer after the lower diftrict of Zutphen in Holland was gained from the fea, it was covered over with wild milliard. All thefe lands are fubject to violent and frequent earthquakes, and abound in fulphur. The writer of the journal was not able to inform us whether any lava was found upon them ; but he fpeaks of a party-coloured ftone as heavy as iron. From this account it is by no means improbable, that the copper abovementioned has been melted in fome eruption. After leaving Copper Ifland, no land was feen from £ either of the fliips (which had parted company in a fog) till on the S. E. quarter of their tract, was difcovered the chain of iflands or head-lands laid down in the chart. Thefe in general appeared low, the fliore bad, without creeks, and the water between them very fhal-low. During their courfe outwards, as well as during their return, they had frequent fogs. It appears from the journal, as well as from the relation of the hunters, that that it is very uncommon to have clear weather for five days together, even during furnmer. The St. Catherine wintered in the ftraits of Alaxa, where they hauled her into fhoal water. The inftrucHons given to the captain fet forth, that a private fhip had in 1762 found there a commodious haven; but he looked for it in vain. The entrance of this flrait from the N. E. was extremely difficult on account of flats, and ftrong currents both flood and ebb : the entrance however from the S. E. was afterwards found to be much ealier with not leis than jj fathoms water. Upon furvey-ing this ifrait, and the coaft of Alaxa, many funnels were obferved in the low grounds clofe to the ihore, and the foil produced few plants. May not this allow one to fuppofe that the coaft had fuffcred confiderable changes fince the year 1762? Few of the iilands produce wood, and that only in the val-lies by the rivulets. Unalga and Alaxa contain the moft ; they abound with frefh water ftreams, and even rivers ; from which we may infer that they are exten-five. The foil is in general boggy, and covered with mofs; but Alaxa has more foil and produces much grafs. The St. Paul wintered in Unalafhka. This wintering place was obferved to lie in 530 29' North latitude, and its longitude from the mouth of Kamtchatka river, corn- APPENDIX T. 255 computed by the fhip's journal, was 270 05'Eaft-. Unalafhka is about fifty miles long from N, E. to S. W. and has on the N. E. fide three bays. One of them called Udagha ftretches thirty miles E. N. E. and W. S. W. nearly through the middle of the ifland. Another called Igtinck, lying N.N.E. and S. S. W. is a pretty good harbour, with three and a half fathom water at high tide, and fandy ground. It is well flickered from the North fwell at its entrance by rocks, fome of which are under water. The tide flows here five feet at full and change, and the fliore is in general bold and rocky, except in the bay, at the mouth of a fmall river. There are two burning mountains on this ifland, one called Ayaghifh, and the other (by the Ruffians) the Roaring Mountain. Near the former is a very copious hot fpring. The land is in general rocky, with loamy and clayey grounds ; but the grafs is extremely coarfe, and unfit for pafture. Hardly any wood is to be found on it. Its plants are dwarf cherry ft Xv- Prodoftioarof A J v J Unalafhka, lofteum of Tournefort), wortle berry, (Vaccinium Uli-ginofum of Linnaeus), rafberry, farana and fliiklhu of Kamtchatka and kutage, larch, white poplar, pine and * According to the general map of Rufiia, the mouth of the Kamtchatka river is in 1780 25'from Fero. Unalafhka therefore, according to this eftimation, is 2050 30' from Fero, or 1870 55' 15" from Greenwich. "f* The Lonicera Pyrenaica of Linnseus. It is not a dwarf cherry, but a fpecies of honeyfucklc. birch* birch #. rfhe land animals are foxes of different colours, mice, and weafels ; there are alfo beavers t, fea cats, and fea lions as at Kamtchatka. Among their fifh we may reckon cod, perch, pilchards, fmelts, roach, needle fifh, terpugh, and tchavitcha. The birds arc eagles, partridges, ducks, teals, urili, ari, and gadi. The animals for whofe Ruffian names I can find no tranflations, are (excepting the Ari) defcribed in KrafliininikofPs Hiftory of Kamtchatka, or in Steller's relation contained in the fecond volume of the Memoirs of the Academy of Peterfburgh. Account of ti.e The inhabitants of Alaxa, Umnak, Unalakfha, and Inhabitants of inalfs* tne neighbouring iilands, are of a middle flature, tawny brown colour, and black hair. In furnmer they wear coats (parki t) made of bird fkins, over which, in bad weather, and - in their boats, they throw cloaks, called kamli, made of thin whale guts. On their heads they wear wooden caps, ornamented with duck's feathers, * All die other journalists uniformly defcribe Unalafhka as containing nothing but underwood \ we muft therefore fuppofe that the trees here mentioned were very low and fmall, and this agrees with what goes before, ii hardly any wood is to be found on it." J By beavers the journalifls certainly mean fea-otters, called by the Ruffians fea-beavers. See p. 12. For a defcription of the fea-otter, called by Linnjeua Lutra Marina, fee Nov. Com. Petr. vol. II. p. 367, et feq. % Parki in Ruffian fignifies a fliirt, the coats of thefe iflanders being made like (hirts. and and the ears of the fea-animal, called Scivutcha or fca-lion ; they alfo adorn thefe caps with beads of different colours, and with little figures of bone or ftone. In the partition of the noftrils tliey place a pin, about four inches long, made of the bone, or of the ffalk of a certain black plant; from the ends of this pin or bodkin they hang, in fine weather and on feftivals, rows of beads, one below the other. They thruft beads, and bits of pebble cut like teeth, into holes made in the un-der-lips. They alfo wear firings of beads in their ears, with bits of amber, which the inhabitants of the other iflands procure from Alaxa, in exchange for arrows and kamli. They cut their hair before juft above the eyes, and fome fhave the top of their heads like monks. Behind the hair is loofe. The drefs of the women hardly differs from that of the men, excepting that it is made of fifh-fkins. They few with bone needles, and thread made of fifh guts, faftening their work to the ground before them with bodkins. They go with the head uncovered, and the hair cut like that of the men before, but tied up behind in a high knot. They paint their cheeks with ftrokes of blue and red, and wear nofc-pins, beads, and ear-rings like the men ; they hang beads round their neck, and checkered firings round their arms and legs. • In Manners and Culloms. Ill their perfons we fliould reckon them extremely nafty. They eat the vermin with which their bodies are covered, and fwallow the mucus from the nofe. Having waflied themfelves, according to euftom, firft with urine, and then with water, they fuck their hands dry. When they are fick, they lie three or four days without food ; and if bleeding is neceffary, they open a vein with lancets made of flint, and fuck the blood. Their principal nourifliment is fifli and whale fat, which they commonly eat raw. They alfo feed upon fea-wrack and roots, particularly the faran, a fpecies of lily ; they eat a herb, called kutage, on account of its bitternefs, only with fifh or fat. They fometimes kindle fire by catching a fpark among dry leaves and powder of fulphur : but the moft common method is by rubbing twTo pieces of wood together, in the manner practifed at Kamtchatka-, and which Vakfel, Beering's lieutenant, found to be in ufe in that part of North America which he faw in 1741. They are very fond of Ruffian oil-and butter, but not of bread. They could not be pre- * The inflrument made ufe of by the Kamtchadals, to procure fire, is a board with feveral holes in it, and a ftick;. the latter is put into the holes, and turned about fvviftly, until the wood within the holes begins to burn, where there is tinder ready to catch the fparks. S. R. G. III. p. 205. vailed vailed upon to tafle any fugar until the commander ihewed the example ; finding it fweet, they put it up to carry it home to their wives. The houfes of thefe iflanders are huts built precifely in the manner of thofe in Kamtchatka, with the entry through a hole in the middle of the roof. In one of thefe huts live feveral families, to the amount of thirty or forty perfons. They keep themfelves warm by means of whale fat burnt in fhells, which they place between their legs. The women fet apart from the men. Six or feven of thefe huts or yourts make a village, of which there are fixteen in Unalafhka. The iflands feem in general to be well inhabited, as may be conjectured from the great number of boats which are feen continually plying along the fhore. There are upwards of a thoufand inhabitants on Unalafhka, and they fay that it was formerly much more populous. They have fuffered greatly by their difputes with the Ruffians, and by a famine in the year 1762 ; but moft of all from a change in their way of life. No longer contented with their original fimplicity, they long for Ruffian luxuries : in order therefore to obtain a few delicacies, which are prefently confumed, they dedicate the greateft part of their time to hunting, for the purpofe of pro- L 1 1 curing curing furs for the Ruffians : by thefe means, they neglect to lay up a provifion of fifti and roots; and fuffer their children frequently to die of hunger, Their principal food is fifli, which they catch with bone hooks. Their boats, in which they row to a great diftance from land, are made, like thofe of the Innuet or Efquimaux, of thin flips of wood and fkins: thefe fkins cover the top as well as the fides of the boat, and are drawn tight round the waift of the rower. The oar is a paddle, broad at both ends. Some of their boats hold two perfons ; one of whom rows, and the other fiihes : but thefe kind of boats feem appropriated to their chiefs. They have alfo large boats Capable of holding forty men. They kill birds and bcalts with darts made of bone, or of wood tipped with fliarpened ftone : they ufe thefe kind of darts in wrar, which break with the blow given by them, and leave the point in the wound. The manners and character of thefe people are what we fhould expect from their neceffitous fituation, extremely rude and favage, The inhabitants however of Unalafhka are fomcwhat lefs barbarous in their manners and behaviour to each other, and alfo more civil to ftrangers than the natives of the other iflands; but even even they are engaged in frequent and bloody quarrels, and commit murder without the lead compunction. Their difpofition engages them in continual wars, in which they always endeavour to gain their point by ftratagem. The inhabitants of Unimak are formidable to all the reft ; they frequently invade the other iilands, and carry off women, the chief object of their wars. Alaxa is moft fubject to thefe incurfions, probably be-caufe it is more populous and extenfive. They all join in hating the Ruffians, whom they confider as general invaders, and therefore kill them wherever they can. The people of Unalafhka however arc more friendly ; for Lieutenant Levafheff, being informed that there was a Ruffian veffel in the ftraits of Alaxa, prevailed on fome Unalaflikans to carry a letter, which they undertook, notwithftanding the danger they were expofed to from the inhabitants of the intervening Hands* The journalift fays, that thefe people have no kind of religion, nor any notion of a God. We obferve however among them fufheient marks of fuch a religion as might be expected from people in their fituation. For the journalift informs us, that they have fortunetellers employed by them at their feftivals. Thefe perfons pretend to foretel events by the information of the Kugans or Daemons, in their divinations they put on wooden wooden masks, made in the form in which they fay the Kugan appeared to them; they then dance with violent motions, beating at the fame time drums covered with fifli lkins. The inhabitants alfo wear little figures on their caps, and place others round their huts, to keep off the devils. Thefe are furficient marks of a favage religion. It is common for them to have two, three, or four wives, and fome have alfo an object of unnatural affection, who is dreifed like the women. The wives do not all live together, but, like the Kamtchadals, in different yourts. It is not unufual for the men to exchange their wives, and even fell them, in time of dearth, for a bladder of fat; the hufband afterwards endeavours to get back his wife, if fhe is a favourite, and if unfuccefs-ful he fometimes kills himfelf. When ftran^ers ar- o rive at a village, it is always customary for the women to go out to meet them, while the men remain at home : this is confidered as a pledge of friend fhip and fecurity. When a man dies in the hut belonging to his wife, fhe retires into a dark hole, where fhe remains forty days. The hufband pays the fame compliment to his favourite wife upon her death. When both parents die, the children are left to fhift for themfelves. The Ruffians found many in this fituation, and fome were brought for fale. . * In In each village there is a fort of chief, called Tookoo, who is not diffinguifhed by any particular rank or authority. He decides differences by arbitration, and the neighbours enforce the fentence. When he goes out to fea he is exempted from working, and has a fervant, called Kale, for the purpofe of rowing the canoe ; this is the only mark of his dignity : at all other times he labours like the reft. The office is not hereditary ; but is generally conferred on him who is moft remarkable for his perfonal qualities; or who poffeffes a great influence by the number of his friends. Hence it frequently happens, that the perfon who has the largeft family is chofen. During their feftivals, which are held after the fifhing feafon ends in April, the men and women fing fongs ; the women dance, fometimes fingly, and fometimes in pairs, waving in their hands blown bladders ; they begin with gentle movements, which become at laft extremely violent. The inhabitants of Unalafhka are called Kogholaghi, Thofe of Akutan, and farther Ealt to Unimak, are called Kighigufi ; and thofe of Unimak and Alaxa arc called Kataghayekiki. They cannot tell whence they have thefe names, and now begin to call themfelves by the general name of Aleyut, given them by the Ruffians, 7 and. and borrowed from fome of the * Kuril iilands. Upon being asked concerning their origin, they laid that they had always inhabited thefe iilands, and knew nothing of any other country beyond them. All that could be gathered from them was, that the greateft numbers came from Alaxa, and that they did not know whether that land had any hounds. The Ruffians furveyed this illand very far to the N.E. in boats, being out about a fortnight, and fet up a crofs at the end of their furvey. The boats of the iilanders are like thofe of the Americans, It appears however from their cuftoms and way of life, iq far as thefe are not neceffarily prefcribed to them by their fituation, that they are of Kamtchatdal original. Their huts, their manner of kindling lire, and their objects of unnatural affections, lead to this conjecture. Add to this, the almofl continual Wefferly winds, which muff render the paffage Westward extremely difficult. Beering and Tchirikoff could never obtain Eafterly winds but by going to the Southward, The Ruffians have for fome years paff been accuftomed to go to thefe iilands in queft of furs, of which they have impofed a tax on the inhabitants. The manner of carrying on this trade is as follows. The Ruffian traders go in Autumn to Beering's and Copper ifland, and there winter : they then employ themfelves in catching the • I cannot find, that any of the Kuril Iflcs are called Alcynt in the catalogue of thofe iflands given by Mr. Muller, S. R. G. III. p. 86—92. Neither are any of them laid down under that name in the Ruflian charts. fea- fea-cat, and afterwards the Scivutcha, or fca-lion. The flelh of the latter is prepared for food, and it is very delicate. They carry the skins of thefe fea-animals to the Eaflern iilands. Next furnmer they go Eaft ward, to the Fox-iflands; and again lay their mips up for the winter. They then endeavour to procure, either by perfuafion or force, the children of the inhabitants, particularly of the Tookoos, as hoftages. This being accomplished, they deliver to the inhabitants fox-traps, and alfo skins for their boats, for which they oblige them to bring furs and provifions during the winter. After obtaining from them a certain quantity of furs, by way of tax, for which they give them quittances ; the Ruffians pay for the reft in beads, falfe pearls, goat's wool, copper kettles, hatchets, Sec. In the fpring they get back their traps, and deliver up their hoftages. They dare not hunt alone, nor in fmall numbers, on account of the hatred of the natives. Thefe people could not, for fome time, comprehend for what purpofe the Ruffians impofcd a tribute of fkins, which were not to be their own property, but belonged to an abfent perfon ; for their Tookoos have no revenue. Nor could they be made to believe, that there were any more Ruffians than thofe who came among them; for in their own country all the men of an illand go out together. At prefent they comprehend fomcthing of Kamtchatka, by means of the Kamtchadals and Koriacs whojcome along with the Ruffians ; and on their arrival M m love love to affociate with people whole manner of life refem-hies their own. Krenitzin and Levafheff returned from this expedition into the mouth of the Kamtchatka river in autumn 1769. The chart which accompanies this journal was com-pofed by the pilot Jacob Yakoff, under the inflection of the commanders * Krenitzin and Levafheff. The track of the St. Paul is marked both in going out and returning. The harbour of the St. Paul in the ifland Unalafhka, and the ftraits of Alaxa, are laid down from obferva-tions made during the winter 1768 ; and the iflands connected by bearings and diftances taken during a cruife of the St. Paul twice repeated. In this chart the variation is faid to be Lat. Long. Points 54° 40'. 204. 2 Eaft. 52 20 20 1 It 5° 198 *i 53 20 192 30 I 53 4o 188 I 54 50 182 30 oi 55 00 180 30 of * Krenitzin was drowned foon after his return to Kamtchatka in a canoe belonging to the natives. N° APPENDIX I. 267 extreme N° II. Concerning the longitude of Kamtchatka, and of the Eaflern extremity of Ana, as laid down by the Ruffian Geographers. TH E important queftion concerning the longitude ^f^J of the extreme parts of Afia has been fo differ-IartsofAfia: ently ftated by the moft celebrated geographers, that it may not be amifs to refer the curious reader to the principal treatifes upon that fubjedf. The proofs by which Mr. Muller and the Ruffian geographers place the by Mr. mui- ler ami the longitude of the Eaflern extremity of Afia beyond 200 Rull]an Gc°- ° J grabbers ; degrees from the firft meridian of Fero, or 180° 6' 15" from Paris, are drawn from the obfervations of the fa-tellites of Jupiter, made by Kraffilnikoff at Kamtchatka, and in different parts 6f Siberia, and from the expeditions of the Ruffians by land and fea towards Tfchukot-fkoi Nofs. Mr. Engel calls in queftion the exacTnefs of thefe by Mr. Engd. obfervations, and takes off twenty-nine degrees from the M 2 longitude longitude of Kamtchatka, as laid down by the Ruffians. To this purpofe he has given to the public, 1. Memoires et obfervations geographiques et critiques fur la fituation des Pays Septentrionaux de PA fie et de PAmeriquc. A Laufanne, 1765. 2. Geographifche und Critifche Nachricht uebcr die Lage der noerdlichen Gegenden von Alien und America. Mittau, 1772. ^n^V'r" It appears to Monfieur de Vaugondy, that there arc not fufficient grounds for fo extraordinary a diminution: accordingly he fhortens the continent of Alia only eleven degrees of longitude; and upon this fubjecl: he has given the two following treatifes : 1. Lettre au fujet d'une carte fyftematique des Pays Septentrionaux de PA fie et de PAmerique. Paris, 1768. 2. Nouveau fyfleme geographique, par lequel on concilie les anciennes connoiffances fur les Pays au Nord Oueff de PAmerique. Paris, 1774. Monf. Buache in oppofition to thefe authors, Monfieur Buache has fupportt the syfkmofthc publtfhed an excellent treatife, entitled Memoires fur arid Vaugondy. les Pays de PAfie et de PAmerique. Paris, 1775. In In this memoir lie diffents from the opinions of Meffrs Engel and Vaugondy ; and defends the fyftem of the Ruffian geographers in the following manner. Monfieur Maraldi, after comparing the obfervations of the fatellites of Jupiter, taken at Kamtchatka by Kraifilnikoff, with the tables, has determined the longitude of Ochotfk, Bolcheresk, and the port of St. Peter and Paul from the firlt meridian of Paris as follows ; h , „ * Longitude of Ochotfk 9 23 30 of Bokherefk 10 17 17 of the Port 10 25 5 Latitude of Ochotfk 590 22', of Bolcherefk 520 55', of the Port 530 1'. The * Kraflilnikoff compared his obfervations with correfponding ones taken at Peterfburg, which gave refults as follow : From comparing an obfervation of an eclipfe of the firft fatcllitc, taken at Ochotfk the 17th of January, 1743, with an obfervation of an eclipfe of the fame fatellite taken at Peterfburg on the 15th of January in the fame year, the difference of longitude between Peterfburg and Ochotfk appeared to be yh. 31' 29"; from a comparifon of two other fimilar obfervations the difference of longitude was 7h. 31' 3', a mean of which is 7b. 31' 34", being the true difference between the meridians of Peterfburg and Ochotfk according to thefe obfervations. By adding the difference of the longitude between Peterfburg and Paris, which is ih. 52' 25', we have the longitude of Ochotfk from Paris oh. 23' 59", which differs 29' only from the refult of Monf. Maraldi. Nov. Comm. Pet. III. p. 470. In The comparifon of the following refults, deduced from correfponding obfervations* of the eclipfes of Jupiter's fatellites taken at Bolcherefk at the port of Peter and Paul by KrafFilnikoff, and at Pekin by the Jefuit mif-iionaries, will fhew from their near agreement the care and attention which muff have been given to the obfervations ; and from hence there is reafon to fuppofe, that the fufpicions of inaccuracy imputed to Kraflilnikoff arc ill founded. 1741, Old Stile. Jan. 27, Em. 1 Sat. Difference of the meridian at I\:kin and the Puit Jan. 30, Imm. 111 Sat. _ _ — _ at the port ot St. I " 9 2 5 and Fail. 9 20 35 at Pekin. 2 48 50 h 12 5 30 at the Port. 9 16 30 at Pekin. 2 49 o In the fame manner the longitude of Bolcherefk appears from the correfponding obfervations taken at that place and at Peterfburg to be 1 oh. 20 22" differing from Mr. Maraldi about 2 5". Nov. Com. p. 469. But the longitude of the port of St. Peter and Paul, eflimated in the fame manner from correfponding obfervations, differs from the longitude as computed by Monf. Maraldi no more than 20 feconds, p. 469. • Obf. Aft. Ecc, Sat. Jovis, &c. Nov. Com. Petr. vol. III. p. 452, S.c. Obf. Aft. Pekini facte. Ant. Hallerftein—Curante Max. Hell. Vindibonse, 1768. Feb. 5, i Sat. Feb. 12, Em. I Sat. And the longitude from Paris to Pekin being The difference of the meridians of Paris and the Port will be 1741 March 23, Em. 11 Sat. Dec. 31, Im. 1 Sat. Difference of the meridians of Pekin and Bolcherefk Between Bolcherefk and Paris h 8 t 33 i> 26 5 43 45 2 49 4i h IO 28 h 49 7 39 29 2 49 20 7 36 23 10 25 36 ti the determination o Old Style. u 10 55 1 8 14 0 2 41 2 h 10 5* 58 8 9 45 2 42 13 h 41 // 37 10 18 0 Which differs only one minute and one fecond from the determination of Mr. MaralcfL iii In order to call in queflion the conclufions drawn from the obfervations of KraililnikofF, Monfieur de Vaugondy pretends that the inflruments and pendulums, which he made ufe of at Kamtchatka, were much damaged by the length of the journey; and that the perfon who was fent to repair them was an unskilful workman. But this opinion fecms to have been advanced without fuf-fieieht foundation. Indeed Kraffilnikoff* himfelf allows that his pendulum occafionally flopt, even when neceifary to afecrtain the true time of the obfervation. lie admits therefore that the obfervations which he I >ok under thefe difadvantages (when he could not correct them by preceding or fubfequent obfervations of the fun or ftars) are not to be depended upon, and has accordingly diftinguiihed them by an afterisk ; there are however a number of others, which were not liable to any exception of this kind ; and the obfervations already mentioned in this number are comprifed under this clafs. If the arguments which have been already produced mould not appear fufficiently fatisfactory, we have the further teffimony of Mr. Muller, who was in thofe parts at the fame time with Kraffilnikoff, and who is the only competent judge of this matter now alive. For that re- * Nov. Com. Pet. III. p. 444. 4 fpectable fpectable author has given me the moft poiltivc afTiir-ances, that the inftruments were not damaged in fuch a manner as to effect, the accuracy of the obfervations when in the hands of a skilful obferver. That the longitude of Kamtchatka is laid down with fufhcient accuracy by the Ruffian geographers, will appear by comparing it with the longitude of Yakutsk ; for as the latter has been clearly eftablifhed by a variety of obfervations, taken at different times and by different perfons, if there is any error in placing Kamtchatka fo far to the Eaft, it will be found in the longitude between Yakutsk and Bolchercsk. . A fhort companion therefore of fome of the different obfervations made at Yakutsk will help to fettle the longitude of Kamtchatka, and will ftill farther confirm the character of a skilful ob-ferver, which has been given to Kraffilnikoff. Kraffilnikoff in returning from Kamtchatka obferved at Yakutsk feveral eclipfes of the fatellites of Jupiter, of which the following are mentioned by him as the moft exact. -Feb. 7. Imm. i.Sat. ir 18 35 fomewhat doubtful. 1744, Old Style. h ' " • 22. Imm. 11. Sat. 10 31 11 29. Imm. 11. Sat. 13 6 54 Mar. 1. Imm. 1. Sat. 11 23 o Apr. 9. Em. 1. Sat. 12 23 50 * Nov. Comm. Pctr. T. III. p. 460. N 11 The The fame eclipfes, as calculated by the tables of Mr* Wargentin, for the meridian of Paris, are as follow: h i (f Difference of 8 29 35 the meridians 821 1 of Paris — 8 28 37 and Yakutsk 8 29 23 8 29 46 h 1 tr Feb. 7.1mm. 1. 2 49 o 27. Imm. 1. 12 310 29. Imm. 11. 4 38 17 Mar. 1. Imm. 1* 3 3 37 Apr. 9. Em. 1. 3 54 12 The mean of which is 8 29 S The obfervations of Mr. Ifleniefff,made at Yakutsk in the year 1769, to which place he was fent to obferve the tranflt of Venus, have received the fanclion of the Imperial Academy. The longitude which he fixes for Yakutsk is 8b 29' 34". this correfponds, to a fufHcient degree of exa&nefs, with the longitude inferred from the obfervations of Kraffilnikoff.. Thus the longitude of Yakutsk from Paris being 8h 290 4". or in degrees 127 16 o. and of Bolcherefk 10 17 17? or in degrees 150° 19' 15. the difference of the longitude of thefe two places, from aflro>-nomical obfervations, amounts to 1 48 8. or in degrees 27° 3' o. The latitude of Bolcherefk is 520 55' o". and that of Yakutfk 620 \f 50". and the difference of * For IfkniefHs obfervations at Yakutfk, fee Nov. Com. Tom. XLV. Part III. p. 268 to 321. I their their longitudes being from the preceding determination 27 3 o. the direct diftance between the places meafured on a great circle of the earth will appear by trigonometry to be 160 57'. or about 1773 verfts reckoning 104- verfts to a degree. This diftance confifts partly of fea, and partly of land ; and a conftant inter-courfe is kept up between the two places, by means of Ochotsk, which lies between them. The diftance by fea from Bolcheresk to Ochotsk is eftimated by Ihips reckonings to be 1254 verfts, and the diftance by land from Ochotsk to Yakutsk is 927 verfts, making altogether 218r. The direct diftance deduced by trigonometry, (on a fuppofition that the difference of longitude between Bolcheresk and Yakutsk is 270 3',) is 1773, falling fhort of 2181 by 408. a difference naturally to be expected from confidering, that neither roads by land, or the courfe of Ihips at fea, are ever performed precifely on a great circle of the earth, which is the fhorteft line that can be drawn on the earth's furface between two places. By this agreement between the diftance thus eftimated, and that deduced by computation, on fuppofing the difference of longitude between Yakutik and Bolcherefk to be 2 70 3'. it feems very improbable, that there fhould be an error of many degrees in the aftronomical determination. N n 2 Since Since then the longitude between Fero and Peterf* burgh is acknowledged to be 480—that between Peterf-burgh and Yakutfk 990 21'—and as the diftance in longitude between Yakutfk and Bolcherefk cannot be materially lefs than 270 3'. it follows that the longitude of Bolcherefk from Fero cannot be much lefs than 1740 24'. Where then fhall we find place for fo great an error as 27 degrees, which, according to Mr. Engel, or even of which, according to Monf. Vaugondy, is imputed to the Ruffian geographers, in fixing the longitude of Kamtchatka ? From the ifle of Fero Longitude of Yakutfk 147 o o of Ochotfk 160 7 o of Bolcherefk 174 13 o of the Port of St. Peter and Paul 176 10 o Longitude of As no aftronomical obfervations have been made fur- tlic extreme of Afit ther to the Eaft than the Port of St. Peter and Paul, it is determined by 7 ' R impoflible to fix, with any degree of certainty, the longitude of the North-Eaftern promontory of Afia. It appears however from Beering's and Synd's coafting voyages towards Tfchukotfkoi Nofs, and from other expeditions to the parts by land and fea, that the coaft of Afia in Pat. 64. ftretches at leaft 23° 2 30. from the Port, or to about 2000 longitude from the Ifle of Fero. N° III, n° nr. Summary of the proofs tending to fie-iv, that Beering and TfchirikofT either reached America in 1741, or came very near it* Hp 11E coaft which Beering reached, and called Cape ~ St. Elias, lay, according to his eftimation, in 58°. 28'. N. latitude, and in longitude 236°. from Fero: the coaft touched at by Tfchirikoff was fituated in lat. 5 6°. long. 2410 *. Steller, who accompanied Beering in his expedition Arguments advanced by towards America, endeavours to prove, that they difco-^kertj°t vered that continent by the following arguments f : The TfchSloff r . . difcovered coafts were bold, prefenting continued chains ot highAmuKa-mountains, fome of which were fo elevated, that their tops were covered with fnoWj their fides were cloathed * The reader will find the narrative of this voyage made by Beering and TfehirikofT in Muller's account of the Ruffian Difcoveries. S. R. G. III. 19;, &c. •f See Krafhininikoff's account of Kamtchatka, Chap. X. French Tranllation; Chap. IV. Englifh truncation. from from the bottom to the top with large tracts of thick and line wood (, Steller went afhore, where he remained only a few hours ; during which time he obferved feveral fpecies of birds which are not known in Siberia : amongft thefe was the bird defcribed by * Catefby, under the name of Blue Jay; and which has never yet been found in any country but North America. The foil was very different from that of the neighbouring iflands, and at Kamtchatka: and he collected feveral plants, which are deemed by botanifts peculiar to America. The following lift of thefe plants was communicated to me by Mr. Pallas: I infert them however without pre- { The recent navigations in thofe feas ftrongly confirm this argument. For in general all the new difcovered iflands are quite deftitute of trees; even the largeft produce nothing but underwood, one of the moft Eaf-terly Kadyak alone excepted, upon which fmall willows and alders were obferved growing in vallies at fome diftance from the coaft. Sec p. 118. • See Catefby's Natural Hiftory of Florida, Carolina, &c. This bird is called by Linnaeus Corbus Criftatus. I have feen, in Mr. Pennant's MS account of the hiftory of the animals, birds, &c. of N. America, and the Northern hemifphere, as high as lat. 60, an exact defcription of this bird. Whenever that ingenious author, to whom we are indebted for many elegant and interefting publications, gives this part of his labours to the world, the zoology of thefe countries will be fully and accurately confidered. fuming fuming to decide, whether they are the excluftve growth of North America ; the determination of this point is the province of botany. Trillium Erectum. Fumaria Cucullaria. A fpecies of Dracontium, with leaves like theCannalndica. Uvularia Perfoliata. Heuchera Americana. Mimulus Luteus, a Peruvian plant. A fpecies of Rubus, probably a variety of the Rnbus Idseus, but with larger berries, and a large laciniated red calyx. None of thefe plants are found in Kamtchatka, or in any of the neighbouring iflands *. * According to Mr. Pallas, the plants of the new-difcovcred iflands are madly alpine, like thofe of Siberia ; this he attributes to the fhort-nefs and coldnefs of the furnmer, occaiioned by the frequency of the North winds. His words are : u Quoique les hivres de ccs ifles foient affez temperes par Pair de la mer, de facon que les neiges ne couvrent jamais la terre que par intervalles, la plupart des plantes y font alpines, comme en Siberie, par la raifon que l'cte y eft tout aufli courtc et £roide„ a caufe des vents de nord qui y regnent."" This pailagc is taken from- a MS treatife in the French language, relative to the new-difcovered iilands communicated to me by my very learned and ingenious friend Mr. Pallas, profeffor of natural hiftory at St. Peterfburg; from which I have been enabled to collect a confiderable degree of information. This treatife was fent to Monf. ButTon ; and that celebrated naturalift has made great- ufe of it in the fifth volume of his Supplement a l'Hiftoire Naturclle. Though Though thefe circumftances fhould not be confklereti as affording dcvifive proofs, that Beering reached America ; yet they will iurely be admitted as ftrong prefump-tions, that he very nearly approached that continent t. -j- The reader will recollect in this place, that the natives of the contiguous iflands touched at by Beering and TfchirikofT " prefented to fi the Ruffians the calumet, or pipe of peace, which is a fymbol of *' friendfhip univerfal among the people of North America, and an " ufage of arbitrary inltitution peculiar to them." See Robertfon's Hilb Am. vol.1, p. 276. S R.G. III. p. 214. N° IV. n° IV. Lift of the principal charts reprefenting the Ruffian difcoveries, HP HE following is an authentic lift of the principal charts of the Ruffian difcoveries hitherto publifhed. It is accompanied with a few explanatory remarks. 1. Carte des nouvelles decouvertes au nord de la mer Liftoff Charts of the du fud, taut a TEft de la Siberie et du Kamtchatka, qu'a SteP" TOueft de la Nouvelle France dreffe fur les memoires de Mr. de rifle, par Philippe Buache, 1750. A memoir relative to this chart was foon afterwards publifhed, with the following title, Explication de la carte des nouvelles decouvertes au Nord de la mer du fuel par Mr. de Plfle Paris, 1752, 4to. This map is alluded to, p. 26 of this work. 2. Carte des nouvelles decouvertes entre la partly orientale de l'Aiie et POccidentale de PAmerique, avec des vues fur la grande terre reconnue, par les Ruffes, en 1741, par Phil. Buache, I752- 3. Nouvelle carte des decouvertes faites par des vaif-feaux Rufhens aux cotes inconnus de PAmerique fepten-trionale avec les pais adjacens, drefses fur les memoires O o authentiques authentiques de ceux qui ont affifte a ces decouvertes, et fur d'autres connoiffanccs ; dont on rend raifon dans im memoire fepare : a St. Peterfburg, a PAcademie Imperiale des fciences, 1754. 1758. This map was publifhed under the inflection of Mr. Muller, and is flill prefixed to his account of the Ruffian, difcoveries*. The part which exhibits the new difcovered ifles and the coaft of America, was chiefly taken from the chart of Beering's expedition. Accordingly that continent is rcprefented as advancing, between 50 and 60. degrees of latitude, to within a fmall diftance of Kamtchatka. Nor could there be any reafon to fufpect, that fuch experienced failors as Beering and TfchirikofT had miftaken a chain of iflands for promontories belonging tp America, until fubfequent navigators had actually failed through that very part, which was fuppofed. to be a continent, 4. A fecond chart publifhed by the Academy, but not under the inflection of Mr. Muller, bears the fame title as the former. Nouvelle carte des decouvertes faites par des vaiffeaux Rulfiens aut cotes inconnus de PAmerique, 8cc. 1773. * This map was publifhed by JcfTerys under the following title : " A " Map of the Lifcoveries made by the Ruffians on the North Well " coaft of America, publifhed by the Royal Academy of Sciences at " Peterfburg. Republished by Thomas Jefferys, Geographer to his *' Majefly, 1761." I It It is for the moft part a copy of a manufcript chart known in Ruffia by the name of the chart of the Promy-fhlenics, or merchant adventurers, and which was fketched from the mere reports of perfons who had failed to the New Difcovered Iilands. As to the fize and pofition of the New Difcovered Iilands, this chart of the Academy is extremely erroneous: it is however free from the above-mentioned miffake, which runs through all the former charts, namely, the reprefenting of the coaft of America, between 50 and 60 degrees of latitude, as contiguous to Kamtchatka. It likewife removes that part of the fame continent lying in latitude 66, from 2100 longitude to 2240, and in its ftead lays down a large ifland, which ftretches between latitude 640 and 710 30', from 2070 longitude to 218°, to within a fmall diftance of both continents. But whether this latter alteration be equally juftifiable or not, is a queftion, the decifion of which muft be left to future navigators K 5. Carte * Mr. Muller has long ago acknowledged, in the moft candid and public manner, the incorrectnefs of the former chart, as far as it relates to the part which re^refents America, as contiguous to Kamtchatka : but he ftill maintains his opinion concerning the achial vicinity of the two continents in an higher latitude. The following quotation is taken from a letter written by Mr. Muller, in 1774, of which 1 have a copy in my poffeflion. " Pofterity muft judge if the new chart of the Aca-'* demy is to be preferred to the former one for removing the conti- O 0 2 *' nent 5. Carte du nouvel Archipel du Nord decouvert paries Ruffes dans la mer de Kamtchatka et d'Anadir. This chart is prefixed to Mr. Stjehlin's account of the New Northern Archipelago. In the Englifli tranflation it is called, A Map of the New Northern Archipelagoy difcovered by the Ruffians in the feas of Kamtchatka and Anadyr. It differs from the laft mentioned chart only in the fize and pofition of a few of the iflands, and in the addition of ffvc or fix new ones, and is equally incorrect. The New Difcovered Iilands are claifed in this chart into three groups, which are called the Ifles of Anadyr *, the Olutorian f Hies, and the Aleutian Ifles. The two laft mentioned charts are alluded to, p. 26 of this work. 6. An " nent of America (which is represented as 1} ing near the coaft o£ " Tfchutiki) to a greater diftance. Synd, who is more to be trotted " than the Promyfchlcnics, pcrllfts in the old fyltem. He places Ame-" rica as near as before to Tfchukotfkoi Nofs, but knows nothing of a large ifhnd called Alafhka, which takes up the place of the conti-u nent, and which ought to be laid down much more to the South or " South Eaft," * Monfieur Buffon has adopted the apellation and erroneous rcprc-fentation of the ifles of Anadyr, in his Carte de deux regions Polaires, lately publifhed. See Supplement a l'Hift. Nat. vol. V. p. 615. f The Olotortan files arc fo named from the fmall river of Oiotora, which flows into the fea at Kamtchatka, about latitude 6i°. The following 6. An excellent map of the Empire of Ruffia, publifhed by the geographical department of the Academy of Sciences at St. Peterfburg in 1776, comprehends the greateft part of the New Difcovered Iflands. A reduced copy of this chart being prefixed to this work, I fliall only mention the authorities from whence the compilers have laid down the New Difcovered Iflands. The Aleutian ifles are partly taken from Beering's chart, partly from * Otcheredin's, whofe voyage is related in the eleventh chapter, and partly from other MS. lowing remarks upon this group of iflands are taken from a letter of Mr. Muller mentioned in the laft note. " This appellation of Olu-" torian Ifles is not in ufe at Kamtchatka. Thefe iflands, called upon *' this chart Olutorians, lie according to the chart of the Promyfchle-u nics, and the chart of the Academy, very remote from the river Olu-" tora : and it feems as if they were advanced upon this chart nearer " to Kamtchatka only in favour of the name. They cannot be fitu-" ated fo near that coaft, becaufe they were neither feen by Beering *' in 1728, nor by the Promyfchlenics, NovikofT and Bacchoff, when " they failed in 1748 from the Anadyr to Beering's Illand." See p. 42. • I have a MS. copy of Otcheredin's chart in my poffeffion ; but as the Fox Iflands, in the general Map of Ruffia, are copied from thence, the reader will find them laid down upon the reduced map prefixed to this work. The anonymous author of the account of the Ruffian Difcoveries, of whofe work I have given a translation in Part I. feems to have followed, in moft particulars, Otcheredin's chart and journal for the longitude, latitude, fize, and pofition of the New Difcovered Iflands. For this reafon, I fhould have had his chart engraved if the Fox Iflands upon the general map had not been taken from thence : there feemed no occafion therefore for incrcafing the expence of this work, already too great from the number of charts, by the addition of another not abfolutely neceffary. 3 charts charts of different navigators. The iilands near the coaft of the Tfchutlki are copied from Synd's chart. The Fox Iilands are laid down from the chart of Otcheredin. The reader will perceive, that the pofition of the Fox Iilands, upon this general map of Ruffia, is materially different from that affigned to them in the chart of Krenitzin's and Levafheff's voyage. In the former they are reprefented as ftretching between 5 6° 61/ North latitude, and 210° and 2300 longitude from the iile of Fero : in the latter they are fituated between 510 40' and 550 20' latitude, and 199° 30' and 2070 30' longitude. According to the mofl recent accounts received from Peterfburg, the pofition given to them upon this general map is confiderably too much to the North and Eaft; confequently that affigned to them upon Krenitzin's chart is probably the moft to be depended upon. 7. Carte des decouvertes Ruffes dans la mer orientate et en Amerique, pour fervir a PEffai * fur le commerce * The twelfth chapter of this Effay relates to the difcoveries and commerce of the Ruffians in the Eaflern Ocean. The account of the Ruffian difcoveries is a tranflation of Mr. Stsehlin's Defcription of the New Northern Archipelago. In addition, he has fubjoined an account of Kamtchatka, and a fhort fketch of the Ruffian commerce to the New Difcovered Iilands, and to America. If we may believe the author of this Effay, the Ruffians have not only difcovered America, but they alfo every year form occafional fettlements upon that continent, fimilar to thofe of the Europeans in Newfoundland. Plis words are : " II eft done certain, merce de Ruffle, 1778, Amfterdam. It is natural to expect, that a chart fo recently publifhed mould be fu-perior to all the preceding ones ;. whereas, on the contrary, it is by far the moft incorrect reprefentation of the New Difcovered Iflands which has yet appeared. certain, que les Ruffes ont- decouvert le continent de PAmerique ; mais on peut affurcr qu'ils n'y ont encore aucun port, aucun comptoir. II en eft des etabliffements de cctte nation dans la grandc terre, comme. de ceux des nations Europcennes dans Title de Terre Neve. Ses vaif-feaux ou fregates arrivent en Amerique; leurs equipages et les Cofaques chaffeurs s'ctabliflent fur la cote; les uns fe rctranchent, et les autres y font la chaffe et la peche du chien marin et du narval. lis revien-nent enfuite au Kamtchatka, apres avoir ete relcves par d'autres fregates fur les memes parages, ou a des diftances plus on moins eloignes, &c. &c." SeeEflai fur le commerce de la Ruflie, p. 292—293. Thus the publick is impofed upon by fictitious and exaggerated accounts. N° V. N° V. Pofition of the Andreanoffsky Iiles afcertained—Number of the Aleutian Ifles. T T J H E N the anonymous author publifhed his ac-* count of the Ruffian Difcoveries in 1766, the pofition of the Andreanoffsky Ifles was not afcertained. It was generally fuppofed, that they formed part of that clufter of iflands, which Synd • fell in with in his voyage towards Tfchukotfkoi Nofs ; and Buffon f reprefents them to be the fame with thofe laid down in Staehlin's chart, under the name of Anadirsky Ifles. The anonymous author in the paffage here referred to, fuppofes them to be N. E. of the Aleutian Ifles ; " at the diftance " of 600 or 800 verfts; that their direction is probably " Eaft and Weft, and that fome of them may unite " with that part of the Fox Iflands which are moft 6t contiguous to the oppofite continent." This conjecture was advanced upon a fuppolition that the Andreanoffsky files lay near the coaft of the Tfchutski; * See N° IX. of this Appendix. ■jf Ifles Anadyr ou Andrien. Supp. vol. V. p. 591. and and that fome of the Fox Iflands were fituated in latitude 61, as they are laid down upon the general map of Rufiia. But according to fubfequent information, the Andreanoffsky Hies lie between the Aleutian and tke Pofition of the Andicanothky Fox Iilands, and complete the connection between11^-Kamtchatka and America*. Their chain is fuppofed to begin in about latitude 53, near the molt Ealterly of the Aleutian Illes, and to extend in a fcattcred feries towards the Fox Iilands. The moil North Ealterly of thefe iilands are faid to be fo near the moil Southerly of the Fox Iflands, that they feem occaiionally to have been taken for them. An infiance of this occurs in p. 61 and 62 of this work; where Atchu and Amlach are reckoned among the Fox Iilands. It is however more probable, that they are part of the group called by the Aleutian chief Negho t, and known to the Ruffians under the name of Andreanoffsky Iflands, becaufe they wrere fuppofed to have been firft difcovered by Andrean Tolftyk, whofe voyage is related in the feventh chapter of the Firft Part. I take this opportunity of adding, that the anonymous Number of a* .. ( Aleutian lilcj. author, in defcribing the Aleutian Ifles, both in the firft and laft chapter of the account of the Ruffian * P. 58. Sonic of the remoter iilands are faid to be E. S. ]<]. of the Aleutian Illes ; thefe muft be either part of the Andreanoffsky Iftes, or the moft Southerly of the Fox Iilands. -f See N° VIII, of this Appendix. P p difco- difcoveries, mentions only three; namely, Attak, Se* mitfhi, Shemiya. But the Aleutian Illes con fife of a much larger number; and their chain includes all the iilands comprehended by the iflander in the two groups of Khao and Salignan *. Many of them are laid down upon the general map of Rufiia ; and fome of them are occafionally alluded to in the journals of the Ruffian voyages * Sec N« VIIL ■f See p. 30, and particularly p. 46, where fome of thefe iilands ars mentioned under the names of Ibiya, Kifka, and Olas. N° VI. n° VI. Conjectures concerning the proximity of the Fox Iilands to the continent of America. rJP H E anonymous author, in the courfe of his account of the* Ruffian difcoveries, has advanced many proofs drawn from natural hiftory, from which he fuppofes the Fox Iilands to be at a fmall diftance from the continent of America : hence he grounds his conjecture, that ** the time is not far diftant when fome of the Ruffian navigators will fall in with that coaft." The fmall willows and alders which, according to Glottoff, were found growing upon Kadyak, do not appear to have been fufficient either in fize or quantity Punftot die Vicinity of the to afcertain, with any degree of certainty, the clofe vi- I^Jwd< to cinity of that ifland to America. River-otters, wolves, bears, and wild boars, which were obferved upon the fame ifland, will perhaps be thought to afford a ftronger prefumption in favour of a neighbouring continent; martens were alfo caught there, an animal which is not known in the Eaflern ports of Siberia, nor found upon any of the other iflands. All the above mentioned animals, martens alone excepted, were feen upon Alakfu, which is fituated more to the North Eaft than Kadyak, P p 2 and and alfo rein-dcers and wild dogs. To thefe proofs, drawn from natural hiftory, we muft add the reports of a mountainous country covered with forefts, and of a great promontory called Atachtak, lying frill more to the N. E. which were prevalent among the inhabitants of Alakfu and Kadyak. Although thefe circumftances have been already mentioned *j yet I have thought proper to recapitulate them? here, in order to lay before the reader in one point of view the feveral proofs advanced by the anonymous author, which feem to fhew, that the Fox Iilands are lituated near America. Many of them afford, beyond a doubt,, evident figns of a lefs open fea ; and give certain marks of a nearer approach towards the oppoiite continent. But how far that diftance may be fuppofed, muft be left to the judgment of the reader; and remains to be afcertained by fubfequent navigators. All that we know for certain, is, that as far as any Ruffian veffels have hitherto* failed, a chain of iflands has been difcovered lying E. or N. E. by E. from Kamtchatka, and ftretching towards America. Part of this chain has only been touched at ; the reft is unknown; and all beyond is uncertainty and conjecture. * See p. 68 and 69—11 (5—118—170. i N° VII. N° VII. Of the Tfchutski—Reports of the vicinity of America to their coaf, firft propagated by them, feem to be co?ifirmed by late accounts from thofe parts. HE Tfchutfki, it is well known, inhabit the NorthTUcTfduniu. "** Eaftern part of Siberia; their country is a fmall tracl: of land, bounded on the North by the Frozen Sea, on the Eaft by the Eaftem Ocean; on the South it borders upon river Anadyr, and on that of Kovyma to the Weft* The N. E. cape of this country is called Tfchukotfkoi-Nofs, or the promontory of the Tfchutfki. Its inhabitants are the only people of Siberia who have not yet been fubdued by the Ruffians. The anonymous author agrees with Mr. Muller in fuppoiing, that America advances to within a fmall diftance of the coaft of the Tfchutski; which he fays H is confirmed by the lateft accounts procured from thefe parts." The firft intelligence concerning the fuppofed vicinity between Afia and America was derived from the reports of of the Tfchutski in their intercourfe with the Ruffians* Vague and uncertain accounts, drawn from a barbarous people, cannot deferve implicit credit; but as they have been uniformly and invariably propagated by the inhabitants of thofe regions from the middle of the laft century to the prefent time, they muft merit at leaft the attention of every curious enquirer. InLnWtL Thefe reports were firft related in Muller's account of America to the Ruffian difcoveries, and have been lately thought ilicir Coait. worthy of notice by Dr. Robertfon % in his hiftory of America. Their probability feems ftill further increafed by the following circumltances. One Plenifner, a native of Courland, was appointed commander of Ochotsk, in the year 1760, with an exprefs order from the court to proceed as far as f Anadirsk, and to procure all pof-fible intelligence concerning the North Eaftern part of Siberia, and the oppofite continent. In confequence of this order Plenifner repaired to Anadirsk, and proceeded likewife to Kovimskoi Oftrog: the former of thefe Ruffian fettlements is fituated near the Southern; the latter near the Weftern limits of the Tfchutski. Not content how-, ever with collecting all the information in his power from the neighbouring Koriacs, who have frequent intercourfe * Hilt, of America, vol. I. p. 274—277. •j- Anadirfk has been lately deftroyed by the Ruffians themfelves. with with the Tfchutski; he alfo fent one Daurkin into their country. This perfon was a native Tfchutski, who had been taken prifoner, and bred up by the Ruffians : he continued two years with his countrymen, and made feveral expeditions with them to the neighbouring iflands, which lie off the Eaftern coaft of Siberia. The fum of the intelligence brought back by this Daurkin was as follows : that Tfchukotfkoi-Nofs is a very narrow peninfula; that the Tfchutfki carry on a trade of barter with the inhabitants of America; that they employ fix days in paffing the ftrait which feparates the two continents; they direct their courfe from ifland to illand, and the diftance from the one to the other is fo fmall, that they are able to pafs every night afhore. More to the North he defcribes the two continents as approaching ftill nearer to each other, with only two iflands lying between them. This intelligence remarkably coincided with the accounts collected by Plenifner himfelf among the Koriacs. Plenifner returned to Peterfburg in 1776, and brought with him feveral * maps and charts of the North Eaftern parts * Thernofl important of thefe maps comprehends the country of the Tfchutfki, together with the nations which border immediately upon them. This map was chiefly taken during a fecond expedition made by major parts of Siberia, which were afterwards made ufe of in the compilation of the general map of Ruffia, publifhed by the academy in 1776+. By thefe means the country of the Tfchutfki has been laid down with a greater degree of accuracy than heretofore. Thefe are probably the late accounts from thofe parts which the anonymous author alludes to. major PaulofFsky againft the Tfchutfki; and his march into that country is traced upon it. The fir It expedition of that Ruffian officer, in which he penetrated as far as Ttchukotikoi-Nofs, is related by Mr. Muller, S. K. G. III. p. 134—138. We have no account of this fecond expedition, during which he had feveral fkirmifh.es with the Tfchutfki, and came off victorious; but upon his return was furprifed and killed by them. This expedition was made about the year 17.50* This detail I procured during my continuance at Peterfburg from feveral perfons of credit, who had frequently convcrfed with Plcnifnet fince his return to the capital, where he died in the latter end of the year 1778. n° vnr. AFTENDIX Ii *97 N° VIIF. Li/l of the new-difcovered Iflands, procured from an Aleutian chief—Catalogue of iflands called by different names hi the Account of the Ruffian Difcoveries, r | i H E fubfequent lift of the new-difcovered iflands was procured from an Aleutian chief brought to Petersburg in 1771, and examined at the defireof the Emprefs by Mr. Muller, who divides them into four principal J^d^Sf* groups, He regulates this divillon partly by a fimilarity EStS^ of the language fpoken by the inhabitants, and partly by °U' vicinity of fituation. The firft group*--, called by the blander Safignan, in 2 § In 1764 Synd put to fea from the port of Ochotfk, but did not pais (we know not by what accident) the fouthern Cape of Kamtchatka and Shufhu, the firff Kuril Ifle,. before 1766. He then fleered his courfe North at no great diftance from the coaft of the Peninfula, but made very little progrefs that year, for he wintered South of the river Uka. The following year he failed from Ukinfki Point clue Eaft and North Eaft, until he fell in with a clufter of iflandsv' ftretching between 61 and 62 degrees of latitude, and 1950 and 2020 longitude. Thefe iilands lie South Eaft and Eaft of the coaft of the Tfchutfki; and feveral of them are fituated very near the fliore. Befides thefe fmall iflandsr he difcovered alfo a mountainous coaft lying within one degree of the coaft of the Tfchutski,. between 64 and 66 North latitude; its moft Weftern extremity was. fituated in longitude 38° 15' from Ochotsk, or 1990 lf from Fero. This ifland is laid down in his chart as part of the continent of America; but we cannot determine upon what proofs he grounds this reprefentation, until a more circumftantial account of his voyage is communicated to the public. * Thefe are certainly fome of the iflands which the Tfchutfki rcfort to in rheir way to what they call the continent of America. 1 Synd Synd feems to have made but a fhort Hay afhore. In-Head of endeavouring to furvey its coafts, or of fleering more to the Eaft, he almoft inftantly fhaped his courfe due Weft towards the courfe of the Tfchutski, then turned directly South and South Weft, until he came oppofite to Chatyrskoi Nofs. From that point he continued to coaft the peninfula of Kamtchatka, doubled the cape, and reached Ochotsk in 1768. Specimen of the Aleutian language. Sun Agaiya One Tagatak Moon Tughilag Two Alag Wind Katfhik Three Kankoos Water Tana Four Setfchi Fire Kighenag Five Tshaw Earth hut Oollae Six Atoo Chief Toigon Seven Ooloo Man Taiyaga Eight Kapoe Wood Yaga Nine Shifet Shield Kuyak Ten Afok.. Sea otter Tfcholota Name of the Kanagift. nation. It is very remarkable, that none of thefe words bear the leaft refemblance to thofe of the fame ilgnification, which are found in the different dialects fpoken by the Koriaks, Kamtchadals, and the inhabitants of the Kuril Iflcs. N° XI N° XI- Attempts of the Ruffians to dif cover a North Eafi paffage—-Voyages from Archangel towards the Lena—From the Lena towards Kamtchatka—Extracl from Muller's account of DcfchncfPs voyage round Tschukotskoi Nofs— Narrative of a voyage made by Shalauroff from the Lena to Shclatskoi Nofs. Hp HE only communication hitherto known between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, or between Europe and the Eafi Indies, is made either by failing round the Cape of Good Hope, or by doubling Cape Horn. But as both thefe navigations are very long and dangerous, the great object of feveral late European voyages has been turned towards the difcovery of a North Eafi or a North Weft paffage. As this work is entirely confined to the Ruffian navigations, any difquifition concerning the North Welt paffage is totally foreign to the purpofe ; and for the fame rcafon in what relates to the North Eaft, thefe i cicarches extend only to the attempts of the Ruffians for the difcovery of that paffage. The advocates for the North Eaft paffage have divided that navigation into three principal parts; and by endeavouring to fhew that thefe three parts have been paffed paffed at different times, they conclude from thence, that the whole when taken collectively is practicable. Thefe three parts are, I. from Archangel to the Lena; 2. from the Lena to Kamtchatka ; 3. from Kamtchatka Iter #>* * N . , . if to Japan. With refpect to the latter, the connection between the feas of Kamtchatka and Japan firft appeared from fome Japanefe veffels, which were wrecked upon the coaft. of Kamtchatka in the beginning of this century ; and this communication has been unqueffion- . ably proved from feveral voyages made by the Ruffians from Kamtchatka to Japan *. No one ever afferted that the firft part from Archangel to the Lena was ever performed in one voyage; but feveral perfons having advanced that this navigation has been made by the Ruffians at different times, it becomes neceffary to examine the accounts of the Ruffian voyages in thofe leaS, In 1734 lieutenant Morovieff failed from Archangel v0y«g« from j r 1 1 r- n Archangel to toward the river Oby; and got no farther the firft yearYenTcw. than the mouth of the Petchora. The next furnmer he paffed through the ftraits cf Weygatz into the fea of Kara; and coafted along the Eaftern fide of that fea, as high as latitude 720 30', but did not double the promontory which feparates the fea of Kara from the Bay of * S.R.G. III. p. 78, and p. 166, &c. R r Oby. OI>y. In 1738, the lieutenants Malgyin and Skurakoff doubled that promontory with great difficulty, and entered the bay of Oby. During thefe expeditions the navigators met with great dangers and impediments from the ice. Several unfuccefsful attempts were made to pafs from the bay of Oby to the Yenifei, which was at laft effected, in 1738, by two veffels commanded by lieute-A«emp/toUl nantS Offzin and Kofkeleff. The fame year the pilot ?eni(i?wjhe Feodor Menin failed from the Yenifei rowards the Lena: -Lena. he fleered North as high as lat. 730. 15'. and when he came to the mouth of the Piafida he was flopped by the ice ; and finding it impoflible to force a paffage, he returned to the Yenifei % iwSifm- July, 1735, lieutenant Prontmiftfheff failed from eff from the Lena toward the Yenifei. J^ena towards Yakutsk up the Lena to its mouth, in order to pafs from thence by fea to the Yeniieh The Weitern mouths of the Lena were fo choaked up with ice, that he was obliged to pafs through the moft Ealterly one; and was prevented by contrary winds from getting out until the j 3th of Auguft. Having fleered North Well along the iflands which lie fcattered before the. mouths of the Lena, he found himfelf in lat. 700 4/. He faw much ice to the North and North Eafi; and obferved ice-mountains from twenty-four to fixty feet in height. He fleered betwixt the ice, which in no place left a free channel of * P. 145 to 149. greater greater breadth than an hundred or two hundred yards* The veflel being much damaged, on the ift of September he ran up the mouth of the Olenek, which, according to his eftimation, lies in 7 2° 30', near which place he paffed the winter *. He got out of the Olenek the beginning of Auguft in the following year; and arrived on the third at the mouth of the Anabara, which he found to lie in lat. 730 i\ There he continued until the 10th, while fome of the crew went up the country in fearch of fome mines. On the 1 oth he proceeded on his voyage : before he reached the mouth of the Chatanga he was fo entirely furrounded and hemmed in with ice, that it was not without great difficulty and danger he was able to get loofe. lie then obferved a large field of ice ftretching into the fea, on which account he was obliged to continue near the fliore, and to run up the Chatanga. The mouth of this river was in lat 740 9/. From thence he bent his courfe moftly Northward along the fliore, until he reached the mouth of the Taimura on the 18 th. He then proceeded further, and followed the coaft towards the Piafida. Near the fliore were feveral fmall iflands, between which and the land the ice was immovably fixed. He then directed his courfe toward the fea, in order to pafs round the * Gmelin Reife, II. 425 to 427. R r 2 chain chain of iflands. At firft he found the fea more free to the North of the iflands, while he obferved much ice-lying between them. He came at length to the laft ifland, fituated in lat. 770 25'. Between this ifland and the fliore, as well as on the other fide of the ifland which lay moft to the North, the ice was firm and immovable.. He attempted however to fteer ftill more to the North ; and having advanced about lix miles, he was prevented by a thick fog from proceeding : this fog being diiperfed, he faw on each fide, and before him, nothing but ice; SSTrf by a ^lat towards the fea was not fixed ; but the accumulated Ice from get ■ Ul affes were all fo clofe, that the fmalleft veffel could not ting to the Yenisei. have worked its way through. Still attempting however to pafs to the North ; he was forced by the ice N. E. Apprehenfive of being hemmed in, he returned to the Taimura; and from thence got, with much difficulty and danger, to the Olenek, on the 29th of Auguft. This narrative of ProntfliiftfhefPs expedition is extracted from the account of profeffor * Gmelin : according to Mr. Muller f, who has given a curfory relation of the fame voyage, Prontfliiftfheff did not quite reach the mouth of the Taimura; for he there found the chain of iflands ftrctching from the continent far into the fea* The channels between the iflands were fo choaked up * Gmelin Reife, vol. II. p. 427 to p. 434. ■j- S, R. G. III. p, 149, 150. with with ice, that it was impoflible to force a paifage : after fleering as high as lat. 770 25', he found fuch a plain of fixed ice before him, that he had no profpect of getting any farther. Accordingly he returned to the Olenek. Another attempt was made to pafs from the Lena to the Yenifei in 1739, by Chariton Laptieff, with equal bad fuccefs; and he relates, that between the rivers Piafida and Taimura, a promontory ftretches into the fea which he could not double, the fea being entirely frozen up before he could pafs round *. From all thefe circumflances we muft colletf, that the Sr^S^ whole fpace between Archangel and the Lena has never pbSiiamr yet doubled. yet been navigated; for in going Eaft from the Yenifei' the Ruffians could get no farther than the mouth of the Piafida ; and, in coming Weft from the Lena, they were flopped, according to Gmelin, North of the Piafida; and, according to Muller, Eaft of the Taimura. The Ruffians, who fail almoft annually from Archangel, and other towns, to Nova Zemla, for the pur-pofe of catching fea-horfes, feals, and white bears, make * Gmelin Rcife, p. 440. Mr. Muller fays only, that Laptieff met with the fame obihcles which forced ProntfliiftihefF to return. S, R, G. III. p. 150. 5 to to the Wcftern Coaft ; and no Ruftian veftld has ever paffed round its North Eaftern extremity * The * Although this work is confined to the Ruffian Difcoveries, yet as the N. E. paffage is a fubjetf of fuch intcrcfting curiofity, it might feem an omilTion in not mentioning, that feveral Enelifh and Dutch veffels have palled through the Straits of Weygatz into the fea of Kara ; they all met with great obftructions from the ice, and had much difficulty in getting through. See Hiftoirc Gen. Des Voyages, tome XV. paffim. In 1696 I Lemfkirk and Barentz, after having failed along the Wcftern coaft of Nova Zemin, doubled the North Eaflern cape lying in latitude 77° 20', and got no lower along the Eaftern coaft than 760, where they wintered. See an account of this remarkable voyage in Girard Le Vcr's Vraye Defcription De Trois Voyages De Mer, p. 13 to 45 ; and Hift. Gen. des Voy, torn. XV. 111 to 139. No veflel of any nation has ever paffed round that Cape, which extends to the North of the Piafida, and is laid down in the Ruffian charts in about 78° latitude. We have already feen that no Ruffian veffel has ever got from the Piafida to the Chatanga, or from the Chatanga to the Piafida ; and yet fome authors have pofitively afferrcd, that this promontory has been failed round. In order therefora to elude the Ruffian accounts, which clearly aftert the contrary, it is pretended, that Gmelin and Muller have purpofely concealed fome parts of the Ruftian journals, and have impofed upon the world by a mifrcprcfentation of facts. But without entering into any difpute on this head, I can venture to affirm, that no fufficient proof has been as yet advanced in fupport of this af-fertion ; and therefore until fome pofttive information fhall be produced, we cannot deny plain fadfo, or give the preference to hearfay evidence over circumilantial and well attefted accounts. Mr. Engel has a remarkable paffage* in his Eftai fur unc route par la Nord Eft, which it may be proper to confider in this place, becaufe he afterts in the moft pofitive manner, that two Dutch veffels formerly palled three hundred leagues to the North Eaft of Nova Zemla; from thence The navigation from the Lena to Kamtchatka now Jie-^??uffiw mains to be confidered. If we may believe fome authors, ^LiT e iuiis to the Kamtchatka. this thence he infers that they muff have doubled the above-mentioned Cape^ which extends to the North of the Piafida, and have got at lead as far Eaft as the mouth of the Olenek, His words are L'llluftre Societe Roy-ale, fous fan 1675, rapporte ce voyage et dit, que peu d'annees aupara-vant une Societe demerchands d'Amfterdam avoit fait une tentative pour chercheT le paffage du Nord Eft, et equippa deuxvatfleaux les quels etant pafle au feptante neuf ou huitantieme degre de latitude, avoient poufie felon Wood, jufqu' a trois cent lieues a l'Eft de laNouvelle Zemble, &c. &c. Upon this fad: he founds his proof that the navigation from Archangel to the Lena has been performed. Par consequent cette partie de la route a ete faite. He refts the truth of this account on the authority of the Philofophical Tranfadf ions, and of Captain Wood, who failed upon a voyage for the difcovery of the North Eaft paffage in 1676. The latter, in the relation of his voyage, enumerates feveral arguments which induced him to believe the practicability of the North Eaft paffage.— " The feventh argument," he fays, " was another narration, printed in " the Tr an factions, of two ftftps of late that had attempted the paffage, " failed 300 leagues to the Eaftward of Nova Zemla, and had after profe-*' cu'ed the voyage, had there not a difference arofe bt I wixt the undertakers ?« and the Eaft-India company." We here find that Captain Wood refers to the Philofophical Tranladions for his authority. The narration printed in the TranfaCtions, and which is alluded to by both Captain Wood and Mr. Engel, is to be found in Vol. IX. of the PhiloJophical Tranfactions, p. 209, for December, 1674. It confiits ot a very curious '* Narrative of fome obfervations made upon feveral voyages, under-" taken to find a way for failing about the North to the Eait-Indies ; together with inftrucfions given by the Dutch Eaft-India Company " for the difcovery of the famous land of Jeffo near Japan." Thefe in-ftru&ions were, in 1643, given to Martin Gcritfes Vries, captain of the ihip Caftiicum, M who fet out to difcover the unknown Eaftern coaft 7 " of this navigation has been open for above a century and an half; and feveral veffels have at different times paffed u of Tartaty, the kingdom of Catay, and the Weft coaft of America, N together with the ifles lkuate to the Eaft of Japan, cried up for their riches of gold and filver." Thefe inftruttions contain no relation of two Dutch vefllls, who paffed 300 leagues Eaft of Nova Zemla, Mention is made of two Dutch veffels, ie who were fent out in the " year 1639, under the command of Captain Kvvaft, to difcover the " Eaft coaft of the Great Tartary, efpecially the famous gold and fifvec " iflands ; though, by reafon of feveral untortunate accidents, they " both returned re infectu." Short mention is afterwards made of Captain Kwaft's journal, together with the writings of the merchants who were with him, as follows: " That in the South Sea, at the 2l-J.de-" grees Northern latitude, and about 400 Spanifh, or 343 Dutch miles, " that is, 28 degrees longitude Eaft of Japan, there lay a very great " and high ifland, inhabited by a white, handlbmc, kind and civilized " people, exceedingly opulent in gold and filver, &c. &c." From thefe extracts it appears, that, in the fhort account of the journals of the two Dutch veffels, no longitude is mentioned to the Eaft, of Nova Zemla- but the difcoveries of Kwaft were made in the South fea, to which place he, as well as Captain Vries afterwards, muft hav*e failed round the Cape of Good Hope. The author of the narrative concludes, indeed, that the N. E. paffage is practicable, in the following words : " to promote this paffage out of the Eaft-Indies to the " North into Europe, it were neceffary to fail from the Eaft-Indies to " the Weft ward of Japan, all along Corea, to fee how the fea-coafts " trend to the North of the faid Corea, and with what conveniency " fhips might fail as far as Nova Zemla, and to the North of the fame. " Where our author faith, that undoubtedly it would be found, that " having palled the North corner of Nova Zemla, or, through Wey-*ra( rb#* Welf fide of Shelatfkoi Nofs, and which no navigator Kcmma' had explored before him. He fleered into it on .the 25th, and got upon a fhoal between a fmall ifland, and a point of land which juts from the Eaftern coaft of this bay. Having got clear with much difficulty, he continued for a fhort time a S. E. courfe, then turned S. W. He then landed in order to difcover a fpot proper for their winter relidence ; and found two fmall rivulets, but neither trees nor drift wood. The veflel was towed along the Southerly fide of the bay as far as the ifland Sabadei. On the 5th of September, he faw fome huts of the Tfchutfki clofe to the narrow channel between Sabadei and the main land ; but the inhabitants fled on his approach, Not having met with a proper fituation, he flood out to fea, and got round the ifland Sabadei on the 8th, when he faftened the veffel to a large body of ice, and was carried along by a current towTards W. S. W. at the rate of five verfts an hour. On the.ioth, he law far to the N. E. by N. a mountain, and fleered the 11th and 12th towards his former wintering place in wipers a f«- cond Time at the river Kovyma. Shalauroff propofed to have madethe;Rovy"»» 3;8 A P P E N D I X I. the following year another attempt to double Shelatfkoi Nofs ; but want of provifion, and the mutiny of the crew, forced him to return to the Lena in 1763. It is worth remarking, that during his whole voyage he found the currents fetting in almoft uniformly from the Eaft. Two remarkable rocks were obferved by Shalauroff near the point where the coaft turns to the N. E. towards the channel which feparates the ifland Sabadei from the continent; thefe rocks may ferve to direct future navigators : one is called Sacmiie % Kamen, or Hare's Rock, and riles like a crooked horn; the other Baranei Kamen, or Sheep's Rock ; it is in the fliape of a pear, narrower at the bottom than at top, and rifes twrenty-nine yards above high-water mark. second Expc Shalauroff, who concluded from his own experience, dtriotl of Slia- . 7 lturoff. t|iat tnc attempt to double Tfchukotfkoi Nofs, though difficult, was by no means impracticable, was not dif-couraged by his former want of fuccefs from engaging a fecond time in the fame enterprize : he accordingly fitted out the fame fhitik, and in 1764 departed as before from the river Lena. We have no pofitive accounts of this fecond voyage ; for neither Shalauroff or any of his crew have ever returned. The following circumstances lead us to conclude, that both he and his crew were killed near the Anadyr by the Tfchutfki, about the third year after their departure from the Lena. About A P f JL IN 13 I V J. 32 About that time the Koriacs of the Anadyr refufed to take from the Ruffians the provifion of flour, which they are accuffomed to purchafe every year. Enquiry being made by the governor of Anadirsk, he found that they had been amply fupplied with that commodity by the Tfchutfki. The latter had procured it from the plunder of ShalaurofFs veflel, the crew of which appeared No Account of this Bspiedi to have periihed near the Anadyr. From thefe facts, ■jjjjfcjjj^jj,, which have been fince confirmed by repeated intelli-Tfchtt%!ha gence from the Koriacs and Tfchutfki, it has been af-fertcd, that Shalauroff had doubled the N. E. cape of Afia. But this affertion amounts only to conjecture ; for the arrival of the crew at the mouth of the Anadyr affords no decifive proof that they had paffed round the Eaftern extremity of Afia; for they might have penetrated to that river by land, from the Weitern fide of Tfchukotf-koi-Nofs. In reviewing thefe feveral accounts of the Ruffian voyages in the Frozen Sea, as far as they relate to a North Eaft paffage, we may obferve, that the cape which ftretches to the North of the Piafida has never been doubled; and that the exiifence of a paffage round Tfchukotfkoi Nofs refts upon the fingle authority of Defhneff. Admitting however a practicable navigation round thefe two promontories, yet when we confider the difficulties and dangers which the Ruffians cn- U u countered ccmntered in thofe parts of the Frozen Sea which they have unqueftionably failed through ; how much time they employed in making an inconliderable progrefs, and how often their attempts were unfuccefsful: when we reflect at the fame time, that thefe voyages can only be performed in the midft of a fhort furnmer, and even then only when particular winds drive the ice into the fea, and leave the fhores lefs obftructed ; we fliall reafon-ably conclude, that a navigation, purfued along the coafts in the Frozen Ocean, would probably be ufelefs for co m m e rcial purpofes. A navigation therefore in the Frozen Ocean, calculated to anfwer any end of general utility, mull (if poflible) be made in an higher latitude, at fome diftance from the fhores of Nova Zemla and Siberia. And fhould we even grant the poflibility of failing N. E. and Eaft of Nova Zemla, without meeting with any infurmountable obftacles from land or ice; yet the final completion of a N. E. voyage muft depend upon the ex-iftence of a free paffage * between the coaft of the Tfchutfki and the continent of America. But fuch dif- • I have faid a free pajfage, becaufe if we conclude from the narrative of Defhneff's voyage, that there really does exift fuch a paffage; yet if that pafiagc is only occafionally navigable (and the Ruffians do not pretend to have paffed it more than once) it can never be of any general and commercial utility. quifitions quifitions as thefe do not fall under the intention of this work, which is meant to itate and examine fads, not to lay down an hypothecs, or to make theoretical enquiries * I beg leave to afTure the reader, that throughout this whole work I have entirely confined myfelf to the Ruflian accounts and have carefully avoided making ufe of any vague reports concerning the difcoveries lately made by captains Cooke and Clerke in the fame feas. Many of the geographical queftions which have been occasionally treated in the courfe of this performance, will probably be cleared up, and the true pofition of the Wcftern coafts of America afcertained, from the journals of thofe experienced navigators. U U 2 APPENDIX 33 J APPENDIX II. Tartarian rhubarb brought to Kiachta by the Buchanan Merchants—Method of examining and purchafing the roots—Different fpecies of rheum which yield the jinefl rhubarb—Price of rhubarb in Ruffia—Exportation—Superiority of the Tartarian over the Indian rhubarb. j^UROPE is fupplied with rhubarb from Ruffia and the Eaft Indies, The former is generally known by the name of Turkey rhubarb, becaufe we ufed to import it from the Levant in our commerce with the Turks, who procured it through Perfia from the Buchanans. And it ftill retains its original name, although inllead of being carried, as before, to Conffantinople, it is now brought to Kiachta by the Bucharian merchants, and T.vtnmn.oi there difpofed of to the Ruffians. This appellation is RUubwb. indeed the moft general; but it is mentioned occailonally by feveral authors, under the different denominations of Ruffian, Tartarian, Bucharian, and Thibet, Rhubarb. This fort fs exported from Ruffia in large roundifh pieces, freed from the bark, with an hole through the middle : they are externally of a yellow colour, and when cut appear variagated with lively reddifh ftreaks. The The other fort is called by the Druggifts Indian Rhu- {SJjJU, barb; and is procured from Canton in longer, harder, heavier, more compact pieces, than the former; it is more aftringent, and has fomewhat lefs of an aromatic flavour ; but, on account of its cheapnefs, is more generally ufed than the Tartarian or Turkey Rhubarb. The government of Rufiia has referved to itfelf the exclufive privilege of purchafing rhubarb; it is brought to Kiachta by fome Bucharian merchants, who If"?"? o ' * Kliubarb pio- have entered into a contract to fupply the crown wjftS* that drug in exchange for furs. Thefe merchants come from the town of Selin, which lies South Weitward of the Koko-Nor, or Blue Lake toward Thibet. Selin, and all the towns of Little Bucharia; viz. Kaihkar, Yerken, Atrar, 6cc. are fubject to China. The beft: rhubarb purchafed at Kiachta is produced upon a chain of rocks, which are very high, and for the molt part deffitute of wood : they lie North of Selin, and llretch as far as the Koko-Nor. The good roots are diflinguiflicd by large and thick Items. The Tanguts, j™e Rimini, who are employed in digging up the roots, enter upon XSntJ that bufinefs in April or May. As fa ft as they take them tSSL out of the earth, they cleanfe them from the foil, and hang them upon the neighbouring trees. to dry, where * they they remain until a fuflicient quantity is procured : after which they are delivered to the Bucharian merchants. The roots are wrapped up in woollen facks, carefully preferved from the leaft humidity ; and are in this manner tranfported to Kiachta upon camels. The exportation of the heft rhubarb is prohibited by the Chinefe, under the fevereft penalties. It is procured however in fufncient quantities, fometimes by clandef-tinely mixing it with inferior roots, and fometimes by means of a contraband trade. The College of Commerce at Petersburg is folely empowered to receive this drug, and appoints agents at Kiachta for that purpofe. reuVcnin Much care is taken in the choice ; for it is examined, in Ichu. the prefence of the Bucharian merchants, by an apothecary commiflioned by government, and refident at Kiachta. All the worm-eaten roots are rejected ; the remainder are bored through, in order to afcertain their found-nefs; and all the parts which appear in the leaft damaged or decayed are cut away. By thefe means even the beft roots are diminifhed a ftxth part; and the refufe is burnt, in order to prevent its being brought another year *. * Pallas Reife, part III. p. 155—157. When Mr. Pallas was at Kiachta, the Bucharian merchant, who fupplies the crown with rhubarb, brought fome pieces of white rhubarb (von milchveitTen rha-barber) which had a fweet tafte, and was equal in its effects to the bell fort. Linnaeus Linnaeus has diftinguiflied the different fpecies of ^fof Rhl^" rhubarb by the names Rheum Palmatum, R.Rhaphonti-cura, *R. Rhabarbarum, R. Compactum, andR. Ribes. Botanifts have long differed in their opinions, which of thefe feveral fpecies is the true rhubarb ; and that queflion does not appear to be as yet fatisfactorily cleared up. However, according to the notion which is moft generally received, it is fuppofed to be the Rheum f Pal- ^cuu™ Pal-matum ; the feeds of which were originally procured from a Bucharian merchant, and diflributed to the principal botanifts of Europe. Hence this plant has been cultivated with great fuccefs; and is now very common in all our botanical gardens. The learned doctor J Hope, profeffor of medicine and botany in the univerfity of Edinburgh, having made trials of the powder of this root, in the fame dofes in which the foreign rhubarb is given, found no difference in its effects ; and from thence con-clufions have been drawn with great appearance of pro- * See Murray's edition of Linnseus Syftema Vegetab. Gott. 1774. In the former editions of Linnasus Rheum Rhabarbarum is called R. Undulatum. Mr. Pallas (to whom I am chiefly indebted for this account of the Tartarian and Siberian Rhubarb) affured me, that he never found the R. Palmatum in any part of Siberia. % Phil. Tranf. for 1765, p. 290. I Lability, bability, that this is the plant which produces the true rhubarb. But this inference does not appear to be absolutely conclufive ; for the fame trials have been repeated, and with fimilar fuccefs, upon the roots of the R. Rhapontlcum and R. Rhabarbarum. The leaves of the R. Rhaponticum are round, and fometimes broader than they are lqng. This fpecies is found abundantly in the loamy and dry deferts between the Volga and the Yaik *, towards the Cafpian Sea. It was probably from this fort that the name Rha, which is the Tartarian appellation of the river Volga, was firff ap*-plied by the Arabian phyficians to the feveral fpecies of rheum. The roots however which grow in thefe warm plains are rather too aftringent; and therefore ought not to be ufed in cafes where opening medicines are required. The Calmucs call it Badfhona, or a ffomachic. The young fhoots of this plant, which appear in March or April, are deemed a good antifcorbutic ; and are ufed as fuch by the Ruffians. The R. Rhaponticum is not to be found to the Weft of the Volga. The feeds of this fpecies produced at Petersburg plants of a much greater fize than the wild ones : the leaves were large, and of a roundifh cordated figure. * The Yaik falls into the Carplan Sea, about four degrees to the Eaft of the Volga. 4 The The R. Rhabarbarum grows in the crevices of bare r. Rhabarbarum. rocky mountains, and alfo upon gravelly foils: it is more particularly found in the high vallies of the romantic country fituated beyond Lake Baikal. Its buds do not fhoot before the end of April; and it continues in flower during the whole month of May. The ftalks of the leaves are eaten raw by the Tartars : they produce upon moft perfons, who are unaccuftomed to them, a kind of fphafmodic contraction of the throat, which goes off in a few hours; it returns however at every meal, until they become habituated to this kind of diet. The Ruffians make ufe of the leaves in their hodge-podge : accordingly, foups of this fort affect ftrangers in the manner above mentioned. In Siberia the ftalk is fometimes preferved as a fweet-meat; and a cuftom prevails among the Germans of introducing at their tables the buds of this plant, as well as of the Rheum Palmatum, inftead of cauli-nower. The R. Rhaponticum which commonly grows nearR. Rtup«» licum. the torrents has, as well as the R. Rhabarbarum of Siberia, the upper part of its roots commonly rotten, from too much moifture : accordingly, a very fmall portion of the lower extremity is fit for ufe. The Ruffian College of Phyficians order, for the ufe of their military hof-pitals, large quantities of thefe roots to be dug up in Siberia, which are prefcribed under the name of rha-pontic. But the perfons employed in digging and preparing it are fo ill inftructed for that purpofe, that its X x beft beft juices are frequently loft. Thefe roots ought to be drawn up in fpring, foon after the melting of the mows, when the plant retains all its fap and ftrength; whereas they are not taken out of the ground before Auguft, when they are wafted by the increafe of the ftein, and the expanfion of the leaves. Add to this, that the roots are no fooner taken up, than they are immediately fticed in fmall pieces, and thus dried: by which means the medicinal qualities are fenfibly impaired, i JJIttuSr For the fame roots, which in this inftance were of pontic um. fuch little efficacy, when dried with proper precaution, have been found to yield a very excellent rhubarb. The procefs obferved for this purpofe, by the ingenious Mr. Pallas, was as follows : The roots, immediately after being drawn out, were fufpended over a ftove, where being gradually dried, they were cleanfed from the earth: by thefe means, although they were actually taken up in autumn, they fo nearly refembled the beft Tartarian rhubarb in colour, texture, and purgative qualities, that they anfwered, in every refpect, the fame medicinal purpoies* A German apothecary, named Zuchert, made ftmifar trials with the fame fuccefs, both on the Rheum Rhabarbarum and R. Rhaponticum, which grow in great ihubtrbin perfection on the mountains in the neighbourhood of 5ib*iia. Nerfliinlk. He formed plantations of thefe herbs on 3 the the declivity of a rock *, covered with one foot of good mould, mixed with an equal quantity of fand and gravel. If the furnmer proved dry, the plants were left in the ground; but if the feafon was rainy, after drawing-out the roots he left them for fome days in the fhade to dry, and then replanted them. By this method of cultivation he produced in feven or eight years very large and found roots, which the rock had prevented from penetrating too deep; and when they were properly dried, t^RjJSJ^t ticum and R, one fcruple was as efficacious as half a drachm of Tarta-K1^j,j equal in their rian rhubarb. t£!5Ctl* Rhubarb. From the foregoing obfervations it follows, that there are other plants, befides the Rheum Palmatum, the roots whereof have been found to be fimilar both in their appearance and effects, to what is called the belt rhubarb. And indeed, upon enquiries made at Kiachta concerning the form and leaves of the plant which produces that drug, it feems not to be the R. Palmatum, but a fpecies with roundifh fcolloped leaves, and moft probably the R. Rhaponticum : for Mr. Pallas, when he was at Kiachta, applied for information to a Bucharian merchant of Selin-Chotton, who now fupplies the crown with rhu- t In order to fuccced fully in the plantation of rhubarb, and to procure found and dry roots, a dry, light foil with a rocky foundation, where the moiffure eafily niters off, is eflentially neceflary. X x 2 barb; barb ; and his defcription of that plant anfvvered to the figure of the Rheum Rhaponticum. The truth of this defcription was flill further confirmed by fome Mongol travellers who had been in the neighbourhood of the Koko-Nor and Thibet; and had obferved the rhubarb growing wild upon thofe mountains. The experiments alfo made by Zuchert and others, upon the roots of the R. Rhabarbarum and R. Rhaponticum, fufficiently prove, that this valuable drug was procured from thofe roots in great perfection. But as the feeds of the Rheutn Palmatum were received from the father of the above-mentioned Bucharian merchant as taken from the plant which furnifhes the true rhubarb, we have reafon to conjecture, that thefe three fpecies, viz. R. Palmatum, R. Rhaponticum, and R. Rhabarbarum, when found in a dryer and milder alpine p^ob^biy" climate, and in proper Situations, arc indifcriminately different Spe- drawn up ; whenever the fize of the plant feems to pro-cits oiRheum. mife a fine root. And perhaps the remarkable difference of the rhubarb, imported to Kiachta, is occafioned by this indifcriminate method of collecting them. Moft certain it is, that thefe plants grow wild upon the mountains, without the leaft cultivation ; and thofe are eftcemed the belt which are found near the Koko-Nor, and about the fources of the river Koango. Formerly Formerly the exportation of rhubarb was confined to the crown of Ruffia ; and no perfons but thofe employed by government were allowed the permiffion of fending it to foreign countries; this monopoly however has been taken off by the prefent emprefs, and the free exportation of it from St. Petersburg granted to all perfons upon paying the duty. It is fold in the firft inftance by the College of Commerce for the profit of the Sovereign ; and is preferved in their magazines at St. Petersburg. The current price is fettled every year by the College of Commerce. It is received from the Bucharian merchants at Kiachta Price of Rhubarb in Rufh% in exchange for furs ; and the.prime coft is rated at 16 roubles per pood. By adding the pay of the com-miffioners who purchafe it, and of the apothecary who examines it, and allowing for other neceflary expences, the value of a pood at Kiachta amounts to 25 roubles; add to this the carriage from the frontiers to St. Peterfburg, and it is calculated that the price of a pood ftands the crown at 30 roubles. The largeft exportation of rhubarb ever known from Ruffia, was made in the year 1765, when 1350 pood were exported, at 65 roubles per pood. 2 EX- EXPORTATION of RHUBARB From St. Petersburg. Rxporta'ion of » Rhubarb at 76- Dutch dollars, front St. PeterT _ . 111 i>u.g. In .1777, 29 poods 13 pounds< or 91 roubles, 30 copecs per pood. In 1778, 23 poods 7 pounds, at 80 ditto, or 96 roubles. 1 In 1778, 1055 poods were brought by the Bucharian merchants to Kiachta ; of which 680 poods 19 pounds were felcc~ted. The interior confumption of the whole empire of Rufiia for 1777 amounted to only 6 poods 5 pounds t. SfxJjStt The fuperiority of this Tartarian Rhubarb, over that Khubarb.ntlian procured from Canton, arifes probably from the following circumitances. 1. The Southern parts of China are not fo proper for the growth of this plant, as the mountains of Little Bucharia. 2. There is not fo exact an examination made in receiving it from the Chinefe at Canton, as from the *If we reckon a Dutch dollar, upon an average, to be worth 1 rouble 20 copecs. -j- This calculation comprehends only the rhubarb purchafed at the different magazines belonging to the College of Commerce j for what was procured by contraband is of courfe not included. Bu- Buchanans at Kiachta. For the merchants, who purchase this drug at Canton, are obliged to accept it in the grofs, without Separating the bad roots, and cutting away the decayed parts, as is done at Kiachta. 3. It is alfo probable, that the long tranfport of this drug by fea is detrimental to it, from the humidity which it muft neceffarily contract during fo long a voyage. TAB LE Table of Longitude and Latitude. [ 344 ] TABLE of LONGITUDE and LATITUDE. FOR the convenience of theReader, the following Table exhibits in one point of view the longitude and latitude of the principal places mentioned in this performance. Their longitudes are eftimated from the firff meridian of the Ifle of Fero, and from that of the Royal Obfervatory at Greenwich. The longitude of Greenwich from Fero is computed at 170 34'45". The longitude of the places marked * has been taken from aftronomical obfervations. Latitude. Fero. Lor igitude. Greenwich. D. M. S. D. M. S. D. M. * Peterfburg —> 59 56 23 48 0 0 3° * Mofcow — 55 45 45 55 6 3° 37 3' • Archangel — 64 33 24 56 H 0 38 40 » Tobolfk — 58 12 22 85 40 0 68 26 * Tomfk — 56 3° 0 102 5° 0 85 15 * Irkutfk -- 52 18 l$ 122 '3 0 104 38 * Selenginlk — 51 6 0 124 18 3° 106 44 Kiachta — 35 0 0 124 18 0 106 43 * Yakutfk — 62 1 5° "47 0 0 129 *5 * Ochotfk — 59 22 0 160 7 0 142 32 * Bolcherefk — 52 55 0 i74 "3 0 156 38 * Port of St.Peter andPau 53 1 < 0 176 10 0 158 3° Eaftern Extremity of 1 Siberia 66 .0 0 200 0 0 182 25 r According * to the general map of 58 0 0 223 0 0 205 25 Unalafhka Ruffia | According j I to the-chart 1 ofKrenitzin f 53 30 0 205 30 0 187 55 1 k&Levafhcff J J I have omitted the feconds in the longitude from Greenwich. INDEX. INDEX. A. AGIAK, an interpreter, p. 133. Aguladock, a leader of the Unalafh.-kans, taken prifoner by Solovioff, 139- Agulok, a dwelling-place on Unalafhka, 137. Aifchin-Giord, chief of the Manfhurs at the beginning of the 17th century, 198. Aktunak, an ifland to the Eaft of Kadyak, 108. Akun (one of the Fox Iflands), 159. Akutan (one of the Fox Iflands), 159- Alakfu, or Alachfliak, one of the molt remote Eaflern iflands, 65. Cuftoros of the inhabitants, 68. Animals found on that iflami, ib. Conje&ured to be not far from the continent of America, 69. Alaxa, one of the Fox Iflands, 254. Albafin, and the other Ruffian forts on the Amoor, deftroyed by the Chinefe, 198. The Ruffians taken there refufc to return from Pekin, 208. Aleutian Iflcs difcovered, 21. 29. their fituation and names, 24. Names of perfons there, bear a furprifing refemblance to thofe of the Greenlanders, 40. Inhabitants defcribed, 41. 46. Account of thofe iflands, 45. 55, The manners and cuftoms of the inhabitants refemble thofe of the Fox Iflands, 173. Are entirely fubject, to Ruffia, 174. Their number, 289. Specimen of the Aleutian language, 303. See Fox Iflands, Ibiya, Novodtjikiff, Tfiuprqff. Akxceff (Fcodot). See Defhneff. Aleyut. See Fox Iflands. Allal (a prince of the Calmucs), his fuperflitions regard for the memory of Yermac, 194. Amaganak, a toigon of Unalafhka, America, moft probable courfe for difcovering the neareft coaft of that continent, pointed out, ^7. See IJlands, Dclijle, Alakfu, Kadyak, Fox Iflands, Steller. Amlach, one of the AndreanofFskye Iflands, 76. Y y Ana- Ana dinky Iflcs, or IJles of Anadyr, fo called by Mr. Staehlln, and after him by BufFon, p. 25. 284 —288. Amoor river, called by the Manfhurs Sakalin-Ula ; and by the Mongols, Kara rau ran, or the Black lliver. Andrianffskic [/lands, their fituation doubtful, 25. Defcription of, 74, 75. Muft not be blended with the Fox Iflands, 74. Account of the inhabitants, 77. Other iflands beyond them to the Eait, ibid. Pofition of the Andreanoflskie-Iflands, 289. Arachulla, fuppofed by the Chinefe a wicked fpirit of the air, 229. Archangel, voyages from thence to the Yenisei, 305. Artie, or lee boxes, defcription of, 15- Afia, the firft report of its vicinity to America, learned from the Tfchutfki, 293. Atachtak, a great promontory N. E. of Alakfu" 118. Ataku, one of the Aleutian Iflands, 45- Atchu, one of the Andreanoffsky Iflands, defcription of, 76. Atchu, Atchak, Atach, Goreloi, or Burnt Ifland, one of the Fox Iflands, 61. AtlaJJoff [Volod'nnir), takes poileflion of the river Kamtchatka, 4. Atrar, a town of Little Bucharia, 333- one of the Aleutian Ifles, 30. Ayagh, or Kayachu, one of the Andreanoffsky Iflands, 72. Defcription of, 75. B. Bacchojf. See Novikcff. Baranei Kamen, or Sheep's Rock, defcription of, 328. Bear I/lands. See Medvioedkie Of-trova. Beering, his voyage made at the ex-pence of the crown, 8. His voyage (with TfchirikoiT) in fearch of a junction between Afia and America, in 1728 and 1729, unfuccefsful, 10. Shipwrecked, ibid, and death on an ifland called after his name, 21. See Difcoveries, Steller; fee alfo p. 323. Beering's Ifland, the winter-ftation of all the fhips failing tor the new-difcovered iflands, 52. Belayeff (Larion), treats the inhabitants of the Aleutian Iflands in an hoftile manner ; in which he is under-hand abetted by TfiuprofF, 34- Bolcheretfi, a diftricl of Kamtchatka, 5. See Kamtchatkoi OJlrogs. Bolkojky (prince), appointed way-wode of Siberia, 190. See Ter mac* Boris and Glcbb. See Trapefnikoff. Bucharia {Little), all fubject to China, 333. Buache (Mr.). See Longitude. Burgoltei, a mountain in the valley of Kiachta, 214. Burnt Ifland. See Atchu. Buttons (of different colours), ufed as marks of diftinclion among the Chinefe, 218. C. Calumet of peace, a fymbol of friend-fhip peculiar to America, 280. Camhi, Camhi, the fecond Chinefe emperor of the Manfhur race, 197. Expels the Ruffians from his dominions, for their riots and drun-kennefs, 205. Camphor wood (the true), drove by the fea on Copper Ifland, 107. Caravans (Ruffian), allowed to trade to Pekin, 203. Difcontinued, and why, 209, See Riff a. Chatanga, the cape between that river and the Piafida never yet doubled, 309—313. Chinefe, origin of the difputcs between them and the Ruffians, 197. Hoftilities commenced between them, 198. Treaty of Nerfhinfk concluded, 200. Beginning of the commerce between the two nations, 202. Their trade wich the Ruffians, 208, &c. Reckon it a mark of difrepeft to uncover the head to a fupenor, 228. Their fuperftition in regard to fires, 229. Manner of their pronouncing foreign expreffions, 232. No fpecie but bullion current among them, 233. Advantage of the Chinefe trade to Ruffia, 240. Cholodiloff. Voyage of a veffel fitted out by him, 48. Cbufoo, (or the Fire-god), a Chinefe idol, 226. Set Chinefe. Copper IJland,\\hy fo called, 21. 107. 252. Probable that all the hillocks in that country have formerly been vulcanoes, ibid. Subject to freqmnt earth-quakes, and abound in fulphur, 253 Cyprian (firft archbilhop of Siberia), collects the archives of the Siberian hiftory, 19'. D. Daurkin (a native Tfchutfki), employed by Plenifner to examine the iflands to the Eaft of Siberia, 295. The intelligence he brought back, ibid* Delifle, miftaken concerning the Weftcrn coaft of America, 26. DeJJjneff his voyage, 313. Extracts from his papers, 315, 316. His defcription of the great promontory of the Tfchutfki, 217, AnkudinofFs veffel wrecked on that promontory, ibid. Defhneff builds Anadirikoi-Oftrog on the river Anadyr, 318. Difpure between him and Soliverftoff, concerning the difcovery of the Korga, 319, 320. No navigator fince Defhneff pretends to have paffed round the N.E. extremity of /Mia, 322. Difcoveries. The profecution of thofe begun by Beering moft I y carried on by individuals, S. The vefTels equipped for thofe difcoveries defcribed, ibid. Expences attending them, 9. Profits of the trade to the new difcovered iflands very confiderable, 10. laft of the principal charts of the Ruffian difcoveries hitherto published, 281. Dogs, ufed for drawing carriages, 247. Drufinin (Alexei), wrecked at Beering's Ifland, 46. His voyage ro the Fox Iflands, 8c—88.' Winters at Unalaihka, 82. All the crew, except four Ruffians, vi/. Stephen Korelin, Dmitri Bragin, Y y 2 Gregory Gregory Shaffyrin, and Ivan Kokovin, deftroyed by the natives, 83. See Unalafhka. Durneff {Kodion). His voyage, 45. E. Eclipfe, behaviour of the Chinefe at one, 228. Emprefs of Ruffia. See Ruffia. Engel (Mr.) Difputes the exaclnefs of the longitudes laid down by Muller and the Ruffian geographers, 267. EfquimauxIndians, fimilarity between their boats and thofe of the Fox Iflands, 260. 264. F. Feathers (peacock's), ufed for a dif-tinotion of rank by the Chinefe, 218. Fedotika. See Nikul. Foxes, different fpecies of, defcribed, 14. Value of their fkins, Fox Iflands, fometimes called the fartheft Aleutian Ifles, 29. Their land and lea-animal?, 148. Manners and cuftoms of the inhabitants, 149. Warm fprings and native fulphur to be found in fome of them, 149. Their drefs, 151. 169. Their veffels defcribed, 152. Are very fond of fnuff, t 53. Their drums defcribed, 154. Their weapons, 155. 170. Food of the inhabitants, 168. Their feafts, 171. Their funeral ceremonies, 173. Account of the inhabitants, 256—261. Their extreme naftinefs, 258. Their boats made like thofe of the Efquimaux Indians in North America, 260. 264. Are faid to have no notion of a God, 261 ; yet have fortune-tellers, who pretend to divination, by the information of fpirits, ibid. The inhabitants called by the Ruffians by the general name of Aleyut, 263. Proofs of the vicinity of thole iflands to America, 291. G. Geographers {Ruffian), their accuracy, 273. Gheffur-Chan, the principal idol at Maimatfchin, 224. Ghttoff {Stephen), his voyage, 106 —1?3- Winters upon Copper Ifland, 106. Arrives at Kadyak, the moft: Eaftward of the Fox Iflands, 108. Is attacked by the natives, whom he defeats, no, and finally repulfes, 112. Winters at Kadyak, 113. Is reconciled to the natives, 114. Curi-oiities procured by him at that ifland, ibid. No chart of his voyage, 117. Departs from Kadyak, and arrives at Umnak, 118, 119. Defeats a defign formed againft him by the natives, 120. Meets with Korovin, 1 21. Winters on Umnak, 1 22. Journal of his voyage, 124—J30. See Solovioff, Korovin. • {Ivan), an Aleutian inter- preter, 101. Golodoff, killed at Unyumga, 65. Goreloi. See Atchu. Greenlanders, Greenlanders, their proper names nearly fimilar to thofe ufed in the Aleutian Ifles, 40. H. Hare's Reek. See SactJJjie Kammcn. Hot Springs, found in Kanaga, 75. in Tfetchina, 76. I. Toiya, Rickfa, and O/as, Three large populous iflands to the Eaft of the Aleutian Iflands, 46. Jefuits, their compliance with the Chinefe fupcrftii ion, 220. Igonok, a village of Unalaihka, 142. Jgunok, a bay N. E. of Unalaihka, 255- '. Ikutchlok, a dwelling place at Unalafhka, 137. Imperial Academy, their chart of the New Difcovered Iflands, not to be depended on, 24. 27. lndigirka, a river of Siberia, 14. Inlogufak, a leader of the Unalafli-kans, killed, 139. Ifanak, one of the iflands to the Weft of Kadyak, 109. JJlands (New Difcovered), firft tribute brought from thence to Ochotfk, 22. Lift of thofe iilands, according to Mr. Muller, 297. Their names altered and corrupted by the Ruftian navigators, 299. See Aleutian IJles and Fox I/lands. Iflenieff (Mr.), fent to Yakutfk to obferve the tranfit of Venus, 274. Itchadek andKagumaga, two friendly Toigons, 137. Ivan Sbilkin, his voyage, 57. 60. Shipwrecked on one of the Fox Iilands, 58. Great diftreffes of his crew on that ifland, 59. Shipwrecked a fecond time, 60. Ivan Vqffilievitch I. makes the firft irruption into Siberia, 177. Ivan Vaffilicvitch II. took the title of Lord of all the Siberian lands before the conquefts of Yermac, 179. See Ruffia. Ives (Ijhrand), a Dutchman. Em-baflador from Peter I. to Pekin, 203. Iviya, one of the Aleutian Iflands, 55- K. Kadyak, one of the Fox Iflands, 35. The fondnefs of the natives for beads, 114. Animals and vegetables found there, 115, 116. Great reafon to think it is at no great diftance from the continent ol America, 117. Account of the inhabitants, 11 8. Sec Glottoff. Kagumaga. See Itchadek. Kalaktak, a village of Unalafhka, 143- Kama, a river, 180. Kamtchatka, difcovered by the Ruffians, 3. The whole peninfula reduced by the Ruffians,4. Of little advantage to the crown at fir ft, but fince the difcovery of the iilands between Afia and America its fur-trade is become a confiderable branch of ihe Ruftian commerce, ibid. Its fituation and boundaries, 5. Its diftri&s, government, and population, ibid. Fixed and other tributes to the crown, 6. Its foil and ami climate not favourable to the culture of corn ; but hemp has of late years been cultivated there with great fuccefs, 7. Supplied yearly with fait, provifions, corn, anil manufactures, from Ochotfk, ibid. Rout for tranfporting furs from thence to Kiachta, 247. Manner of procuring fire there, and which Vakfel, Beering's lieutenant, found praclifed in that part of North America which he faw in 1741, 158. See Mo-refko, Atlajfojf, Koriacs, Qchttjk and Penfhinfk, Bolcherefk, Ttgil* Jkaia, Krepojl, Vcrchnei, Nifhuci, Kamtchatka OJJrogs, Volcanos, I urs and Skins. Kamtchatkoi OJlrogs (Upper and Lower) and Bolcheretfk built, 4. Kanaga, one of the AndreanofKky Iflands, 72, Defcription of, 75. Karaga Ifland, tributary to Rullia, 35. Sec Olotoiians. Kajhkar, A town of Liitle Bucharia, 333- Kafhmak, an interpreter employed by the Ruffians, 92. Katagbayekiki, name of the inhabitants of Unimak and Alaxa, 263. Kayachu, See Ayagh. Kiachta, a frontier town of Siberia, 12. Treaty concluded therebetween the Ruffians and Chinefe, 2c6. 209. Is at prefent the centre of the Ruffian and Chinefe commerce, 210. That place and Zuruchaitu agreed on for tranf-a&ing the commerce between Rullia and China, 211. Defcription of Kiachta. ibid. Kighigufi, in habit.»nts of Akutan fo called, 263. Kitaika, a Chinefe fluff, 238. Kogholaghi, inhabitants of Unalafhka fo called, 263. Kopeikina, a bay of the river Anadyr, 43. Korenojf. See Solovioff. Kcrga, A fand-bank at the mouth of the river Anadyr, 318. See Solivcrjloff. Koriacs, their country the Northern boundary of Kamtchatka, 5. Tributary to Ruffia, 43. Korovin {Ivan), his voyage89,— 105. Arrives at Unalaihka, his tranf-aclions there, 90—96. Builds an hut, and prepares for wintering, 93. Being attacked by the favages, deftroys his hut, and retires to his veffel, 95. Attacked again, repulfes the favages, and is ft rand ed on the ifland of Umnak, 96. After different fkirmifhes with the natives, is relieved by Glottoff, 99. His defcription of Umnak and Unalafhka, with their inhabitants, 103. See Solovioff. Kovyma, a river of Siberia, 14. Krenitzin (Captain), commands a fecret expedition, 23. Krenitzin and LcvajhcJJ\ th ei r j our-nal and chart fent, by order of the Emprefs of Ruffia, to Dr. Robert fon, 23. Extract from their journal, 251 — 2531 They arrive at the Fox Iflands, 253. Krenitzin winters at Alaxa, and Levafheff at Unalafhka, 254. They return to the river of Kamtchatka, 266. Krenitzin drowned, ibid. See 1 akff. Kraffilnikoff, Voyage of a veffel fitted out by him, 52. Shipwrecked on Copper Ifland, ibid. The crew return to Beering's Ifland, 53. Kraf- Kraffi'nihff (a Ruffian aftronomer), his accuracy in taking the longitude of Kamtchatka, 273. KraJhininikoff\ his hiftory of Kamtchatka, 256. Kreflova, a river of Siberia, 324, Krugloi, or Round [/land, one of the Aleutian Iflands, 69. Kulkoff, his veffel deflroyed, and his crew killed by the favages, 94. 157. Kullara, a fortrefs belonging to Kutchum Chan, 190. Kuril Ifles, fubject to Ruffia, 5. Kutchum Chan (a defcendant of Zinghis Chan), defeats Yediger, and takes him prifoner, 179. The moft powerful fovereign in Siberia, 182. See?ermae, Sibir. L. Laptieff'(Chariton), his unfuccefs-ful attempt to pafs from the Lena to the Yenisei, 309. See p. 322. Latitude of Bolcherefk, Appendix I. N° II. See Longitude. Lena, a river of Siberia, 14. Attempts of the Ruffians to pafs from thence to Kamtchatka, 311. See Menin. Leonticff('d Ruffian J, has tranflated feveral interefting Chinefe publications, 208. Levafheff. See Krenitzin and Le-v.ffff. Lobafchkoff (Prokopei), killed at A-lakfu,'66. Longitude, of the extreme parts of Afia, by Mr. Muller and the Ruffian geographers, 267. By Mr. Engel, ibid. By Mr. Vau- gondy, 268. The Ruffian fyftcm fnpported by Monf. Buache, a-gainft Engel and Vaugondy, ibid. See Kraffilnikoff. Longitude of Ochotsk, Bolcheresk, and St. Peter and St. Paul, 269. Longitude and Latitude of the principal places mentioned in this work, 344. Lyffie Ofirova, or Fox I/lands, 14. Their fituation and names, 25. Defcription of the inhabitants, 62. M. Maimatfchin (the Chinefe frontier town), defcribed, 214. Houfes there defcribed, 216. An account of the governor, 218. Theatre defcribed, 219, The fmall pagoda, 220. The great pagoda, 221. Idols worfhiped there, ibid.—227. See Sitting-Rooms. Manffursy their origin, 197. Maooang, a Chinefe idol, 225, Mednoi Ojlrojf, or Copper If and, Difcovered, 21. See Copper Ifland. Medvedeff {Dennis), his crew maffacred by the favages, 90. He and part of ProtafTbfT's crew found murdered on the ifland of Umnak, 99. Menin (Feodor), his unfuccefsful attempt to pafs from the Yenisei to the Lena, 306. Mergken, a Chinefe town, 244. Medviodkie OJIrova, Krefffluffs kie Of trova, or Bear Iflands, Difcovery of, 324, Minyachin (a Coffac), a collector of the tribute, 69. Mongol, Mongol, the commerce between the Ruffians and Chinefe, moftly carried on in that tongue, 231. Morosko (Lucas Semanojf), commanded the firff. expedition towards Kamtchatka, 3. Muller, (Mr.) His conjecture relating to the coaft of the fea of Ochotfk, confirmed by Captain Synd, 23. Part of a letter written by him in 1774, concerning the vicinity of Kamtchatka and America, 283. His lift of the New Difcovered Iilands, 297. N. Nankin, 231. Naun, a Chinefe town, 244. NcrJJjinsk. Sec Chinefe. Nevodtfikojf (Michael), Hii 1 s from Kamtchatka river, 29. Difcovers the Aleutian Iflands, ibid* Narrative of his voyage, 31—36. s New Moon, ceremonies obferved at, by the Chinefe, 228. Nikul, or Fedotika, a river which falls into that of Kamtchatka, 321. Nijhnei, or Lower Kamtchatkoi Ojlrog, a diftricl of Kamtchatka, 5. Niu-o, Chinefe idol, 226. North Eajl Paffage, Ruffians attempt to difeover, 304—^31. Novikoff and Baeehojf, their voyage from Anadyrfk, 42. 44. Are fhipwrecked on Beering's Ifland, where they build a fmall boat, and return to Kamtchatka, 44. O. Ochotsk and Penflrinsk, Weftcrn boundaries of Kamtchatka, 5. See Kamtchatka, Muller. Offzin and Koskcleff (Lieutenants), firft effected the paffage from the bay of Oby to the Yeuisei, 306. Olas. See lbiya. Olotorian Ifles, whence fo called, 284. Olotorians, invade the ifland of Ka-raga, and threaten to deftroy all the inhabitants who pay tribute to Ruffia, 36. Oncmcnskaya, a bay in the river Anadyr, 43. Oracles (Chinefe), 227. Orel, a Ruftian fettl-ement, 18 r. Otcheredin, (Aphanafjei), his voyage to the Fox Iflands, 156—163. Winters at Umnak, 157. The toigon of the Five Mountains gives him hoftages, for which the other toigons kill one of his children, 158. A party fent by him to Ulaga repulfed the inhabitants, who had attacked them, 1 59. Is joined by Popoff from Beering's Ifland, and prevails on the inhabitants to pay tribute, 161. Receives an account of LevafhefT's arrival at Unalafhka, ibid. Returns to Ochotfk, with a large cargo, leaving Popoff at Umnak, 162. Brings home two iflanders, who were baptized by the names of Alexey Solovieff and Boris Otcheredin, 103. Sec Poloskoff. Oby (bay of), 306. P. Pagoda. See Maimatfchin. Paikoff (Demetri), his voyage, 61 —5.3. Pallas, receives from Bragin a narrative of his adventures and ef-cape, p. 88. Account of Kiachta and Maimatfchin, extracted from his journal, p. 229. His publication concerning the Mongol tribes, 230. Lift of plants found by Steller upon the coall difcovered by Beering in 1741, communicated by Mr. Pallas—quotation from a treatife of his, relative to the plants of the new-difcovered iilands, 279. Extracts made by him relative toDclbnell's voyage, p 314—316. Pauloffsh, his expedition, in which, after feveral fuccefsful fkirmifhes with the Tfchutski, he is furprifed and billed by them, 296. Peacock. See Feathers. Pekin. Ruffian fcholars allowed to fettle there, to lenrn the Chinefe tongue, 209. Sec Caravans. Penfhinsk, 5. Peter I. mil projected making difcoveries in the feas between Kamtchatka and America, 20. PeterjJurg, length of the different routs between that city and Pekin, 248. Piafida, a river of Siberia, 309. Plenifner (a Courlander), fent on difcoveries to the N. E. of Siberia, 294. See Daurkin. Poloskoff, (Matthew), Sent by Otcheredin to Unalaihka, 159. Spends the autumn at Akun, and after twice rcpulfing the favages, returns to Otcheredin, 159—161. Popoff (Ivan J, a veffel fitted out by him arrives at Unalaihka, 158. See Otcheredin. Prontffif.jhcff (Lieutenant), his un-fuccclsf ul afempt to pafs from the Lena towards the Yenisei, 306 — Protaffojf, he and his crew deftroyed by the favages, 133. 157. See Medvedeff. Pufukareff (Gabriel), his voyage, 64—69. Winters upon Alakfu, 65. He, with Golodoff and twenty others, attempting to violate fome girls, on the illand Unyumga, are fet upon by the natives, and at laft obliged to retreat, 65, 66. He and his crew tried for their inhuman behaviour to the iflanders during their voyage, 67. R. Rheum. See Rhubarb* Rhubarb, that from Rufiia generally called Turkey Rhubarb, and why, 332. Defcription of, ibid, Indian rhubarb inferior to the Tartarian or Turkey, 333. A milk-white fort defcribed, 334. Different fpecies, 335—341. Planted in Siberia by M. Zucherr, a German apothecary, 338. Exportation of, 342. Superiority of the Tartarian over the Indian Rhubarb, accounted for, 342. Rick fa. See lbiya. Roaring Mountain. Sec Unalaffka. Robert fon (Dr.) Sec Krenitzin and Lcvaffeff. Round IJland. See Krugloi. Ruffia (prefent Emprefs of), a great promoter of new difco-/- veries. veries, 22. No communication between that country and Siberia till the reign of Ivan VaffiHevitch II. 178. The emprefs abolifhcs the monopoly of the fur-trade, and relinquifhes the exclufive privilege of fending caravans to Pekin, 210. Rvjjia, a curious and interefting " Hiftorical Account of the nations which compofc that Empire" lately publifhed, 218. Ruffians, quit Siberia after the death of Yermac, 194-' Recover their antient territories in that country, 195. Their progrefs checked by the Chinefe, 196. Are expelled from the Chinefe dominions, 205. Are allowed to build a church (and to have four prielts to officiate in it) within their caravanfary at Pekin, 208. Commerce between them and the Chinefe carried on only by barter, 232. Method of tranfaeting bu-finefs between them, 233. Ruffian exports, 234—237. Imports, 237—2,9. Articles- of trade prohibited to individuals, 240. Duties paid by the Ruffian merchants, 241. The Ruffians' manner of trading to the Fox Iflands, 264. Their attempts to dilcover a North Eaft pallage, 304—2,31. Held in great vene-; ration bv the Kamtchadals, till they qua relied among themfelves, 321. See Siberia, Chinefc, Albiijin, Lena. Sabya, an ifland at a diftance from Att, 30. See Alt. Sacred HeUnet, at Maimatfchin, 227. Saetfhie Kamen, or Hare's Rock, Defcription of, 328. Sagaugamak, one of the Fox Iflands, St. RcterfJ urg, the geographical calendar of not to bedepended on,24. Saktunak, an ifland near Alakfu, 119. Sandehue, a northern province of China, 231. Sea-horfc teeth, their value, 16. Sea-lion, or Scivutcha, its rlclh delicate food, 265. Sea-otters, Many writers miftaken concerning them, 12. Defcription of, ibid. Value of their /kins, 13. Selin, a town of Little Bucharia, 333, Sercbranikcff, voyage of a veflel fitted out by him, 4c;—52. Shipwrecked on an ifland oppolite Katyrskoi Nofs, in the peninfula of Kamtchatka, 50. Defcription of the ifland, 51. Shaffyrin (Sila), a CoiTac, collector of the tribute, 40. 45. 61. killed, Shalauroff, his firft voyage from the Lena, 323—3.28. Winters at a mouth of the Kovyma, 325. Not being able to double She-let*koi Nofs, returns to the Kovyma, winters there a fecond time, and returns to the Lena, 327. No account of his fecond expedition, he and his crew being killed by the Tfchutski, 328* Sheep's Roek. See Baranei Kamen. Shelatskoi Nofs, whence that name is derived, 326. Shemiya, one of the Aleutian Iflands, ,78.. Shilkin [Ivan), his voyage, 4c. Wrecked on one of the Fox Iflands, 58. where the Ruffians are attacked by the faVages, whom they repulfe, 59. After fullering thegreateltdiltrefs, they build. build a fmall veffel, in which they are a fccond time wrecked, and return at laft in SerebranikofPs veffel to Kamtchatka, 59, 60. Shuntfchi, The firft Chinefe emperor of the Manftiur race, 193. Shujhu, the firft of the Kuril Ifles, 301. Sibir, the principal refidence of Kutchum Chan, 182. Siberia, conqueft of by Yermac, 19. Second irruption of the Ruffians into that country, 179. State of at the time of Yermac's invafion, 182. Conjecture concerning the derivation of that name, ibid. Totally reduced by the Ruffians, 196. Tranfport of the Ruffian and Chinefe commodities through that country, 245. See Ivan VaffiHevitch I. Ruff a. Kutchum Chan. Sitkin, one of the Fox Iflands, 62. Sitting-rooms, {Chinefe), defcribed, 216. Soliverfoff[Tufko), his expedition to the Korga, to collect: fea-horfes teeth, 319. Solovioff {Ivan), his voyage, 131 — 155. Arrives at Unalaihka, 132. Learns the particulars of a confederacy formed by the Toigons of Unalafhka, Umnak, Akutan, and Tofhko, againft the Ruffians, 134. Is joined by Korovin, 135. Hoftilities between him and the natives, ibid. Winters at Unalafhka, with other tranfactions at that ifland, 136. Makes peace with the natives, and receives hoftages, 139. Meets with Korovin, 140. His'crew being greatly afflicted with the fcurvy, the inhabitants of Makuihinfk confpire to fcizc his veffel, 141. But are happily prevented, 141. Is vt-fited by Glottoff, ibid. Receives hoftages from the inhabitants of Kalaktak, 143. Sends Korenoff in different hunting parties, 144. Journal of his voyage homewards, 144. His defcription of the Fox Iflands, 148. Solvylpcgodfkaia. See Strogonoff. Steller, His arguments to prove that Beering and Tfchirikiff difcovered America, 277. Strogonoff (Anika), a Ruffian merchant, eftablifhes a trade with :Solvytfhegodfkaia in Siberia, 178. Makes fettlements upon the Kama and Tfchuflbvaia, 1.80. See Fcr-mac. Studcntzoff, a Coffac, collector of the tribute, 45. 57. Svatoi Nofs, that name explained, 320. Sulphur found on the ifland of Kanaga, 75. See Copper I/lands. Synd (capt.) his voyage to theN.E. of Siberia, 300. Discovers adulter of iflands, and a promontory, which he fuppofes to belong to America, 301. T. Tabaetfftnskian, a mountain of Kamtchatka, emitting a conftatu fmoke, 6. Tagalak, one of the Andreanoffskye Iflands, defcription of, 76. Tartarian Rhubarb. See Rhubarb, Tchingi, a town on the banks of the Tura, 185 See Yermac, Tea, finer in Rufiia than in Europe, and why, 238. Temnac, an Aleutian interpreter, 30, Zz 2 Tien. n D E X. Tien, an idol worfhiped in the fmall pagoda at Maimatfchin, 220. Tigilfkaia Krepqfl, a di Uriel of Kamtchatka, 5. Tolftyk, (Andrean),. his voyage to the Aleutian Ifles, in 1748, 30. Ditto, in 1756, 54. Ditto in J760, 71—79. Difcovers the Andreanoikie Iflands, 72. Shipwrecked near the mouth of the Kamtchatka river, 79.. Tcfhko. See Solovioff. Totcbikala, a village of Unalafhka, 138. Trapefnikof (Nikiphcr), Boris- and Glebb, a veiled fitted out by him, her voyage and return, 39, 40, &c. Another veflel fitted out by him deftroyed, and the crew cut off, by the natives of Unimak, 140. Tfaaduck, a kind of lamp, 150. Tfaudfing, a Chinefe idol, 226, Tjchirikqff. See Beering. TfcbuJJbvaia (a river). See Strogonoff Tfchutski, a people on the river Anadyr, 43, Boundaries of their country, 293. See Afia. Tfchukotfkoi Nofs, the N. E, cape of the country of the Tfchutfki, 293. Stadukin and Soliverftoff claim the difcovery of the paffage round that promontory, 314; See Defhneff, Svatoi Nofs, Shelatskoi Nofs ; fee alfo p. 322. Tfchuvatch. See Tcrmae. Tfctchina, one of the Andreanoffky Iflands, defcription of, 76. Tfikanok, or Ofernia, a river of Unalafhka, 133. Tfiuproff, his adventures at the Aleutian Iflands, 32. See Belayeff. Turkey Rhubarb. See Rhubarb. U. Vakfei. See Kamtchatka. Vffilievitch. See Ivan Vaffdicrcitch, Vaugondy. See Longitude. Udagha, a bay on the N. K. of Unalaihka, 255. Verchnei, or Upper Kamtchatkoi Oftrog, a diftridt of Kamtchatka, 5. Ukunadck, a village of Unalafhka, 143- Ulaga, one of the Fox Iflands. Sec Otcheredin. Umgaina, a village of Unalafhka, 14^. Umnak, one of the Fox Iflands, 8.1. See Korovin, Solovixff. Unalafhka, or Agunalafhka, one of the Fox Iflands, 82. Adventures of four Ruffians belonging to Drufi-nin's crew there, 84—88. Defcription of, 254. Ayaghifh and the Roaring Mountain, two volcanos, on that ifland, 255. Productions, ibid. The inhabitants lefs barbarous than thofe of the other Fox Iflands, 260. Unimak, an ifland to the Eaft of Agunalafhka, 139. See Trapef nikoff. Unyumga. See Pufhkareff, Golodoff. Volcanos, fome burning ones in Kamtchatka, and traces of many former ones to be obferved there, 6. One eruption near Lower Oftrog in 1702, and another in 1767, ibid. An high volcano on the ifland of Kanaga, 75. See Copper Ifland, Unalafhka. Vorobieff, his voyage, 42.. W. W. Wheels, a carriage with four wheels a mark of high diftindtion among the Chinefe, 218. White month, explained, 228, Women, none allowed to live at Maimatfchin, and why, 231. Wfevidoff (Andrezv), his voyage to the new-difcovered Iflands, 38. Y. Takoff (Jacob), compofed the chart of Krenitzin and LevafhefT's voyage, 266. Yediger (a Tartar chief), pays tribute to the Ruffians, 179. See Kutchum Chan. Yenifei, a river of Siberia, 305, &feq. Yerken, a town of Little Bucharia, 333- Yermac, being driven from the Cafpian Sea, retires to Orel, 181, where he winters, and determines to invade Siberia, 182. To which he is infTigated by Strogo- noff, 183. Marches towards Siberia, and returns to Orel, 184. Sets out on a fecond expedition, and arrives at Tchingi, 185, Defeats Kutchum Chan at Tfchu-vatch, 186. Marches to Sibir, and feats himfelf on the throne, 187. Cedes his conqueft to the Tzar of Mufcovy, 189. Who fends him a reinforcement, under the command of prince BolkoJky, 190. Is furprifed by Kutchum Chan, 191* And drowned, 192. Veneration paid to his memory, 193. See Altai, Ruffians, Siberia, Ivan Vajffielivitch II. Ycjimcff (Savd), one of Yermac's followers, an accurate hiftorian of thofe times, 192. 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