p^" '■^L'^' 'TM^- :^^ '-. ,^> %• .•% ^y \ A C C O U ACCOUNT O F T 11 E RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES -•BETWEEN ASIA AND AMERICA. TO WHICH ARE ADDED, THE CONQUEST OF SIBERIA, AND 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 Marlborough. LONDON, PRINTED BY J. NICHOLS, FOR T. CADELL, IN THE STRAND. MDCCLXXX. T O JACOB BRYANT, ESQ. AS A PUBLIC TESTIMONY O F THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR HIS DISTINGUISHED LITERARY ABILITIES, THE TRUEST ESTEEM FOR Ills PRIVATE VIRTUES, AND THE MOST GRATEFUL SENSE OF MANY PERSONAL FAVOURS, THE FOLLOWIJMG PAGES ARE INSCRIBED, BY HIS FAITHFUL AND AFFECTIONATE HUMBLE S E R VAN T, WILLIAM COXE. Cambridge, March 27, 1780. R E F A C E. '^r^ H E late Ruffian Difcoveries between Alia and America have, for fome time, engaged the atten- tion 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 exadt information at that time to be obtained, concerning thofe impor- tant difcoveries. During my ftay at Petersburg, my in- quiries were particularly diredfed to this interefting fub- jeCl, 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 colledt the refpedtive journals of the feveral voyages fubfequent to the expedition of Beering and TfchirikofF in 1741, with which the celebrated Muller concludes his account of the firft Ruffian navigations. During VI PREFACE. During the courfe of my refearches I was informed, that a treatife in the German language, pubUfhed at Hamburg and Leipfic in 1776, contained a full and exa6t narrative of the Ruffian voyages, from 1745 to 1770 ^;^ As the author has not prefixed his name, I fliould have paid little attention to an anonymous publication, if I had not been afTured, from very good authority, that the work in queftion was compiled from the original journals. Not refting however upon this intelligence, I took the liberty of applying to Mr. Muller himfelf, who, by order of the Emprefs, had arranged the fame jour- nals, 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 exa6lnefs and authenticity : *' Vous feres bien de traduire pour I'ufage de vos com- " patriotes le petit livre fur les ifles fituees entre le Kamt- " chatka et TAmerique. II n'y a point de doute, qup " Tauteur n'ait etc pourvu de bons memoires, et qu'il ne " s'en foit fervi fidelement. J'ai confronte le livre avec les * The title of the book is, Neuc Nachrichten von deiien Neuencleck_ ten Infuhi in der See zwifchen Afia und Amerika aus mitgetheilten Ur- kunden und Aufzucgen verfaffet von J. I.. S. " originaux.'' PREFACE. vli " originaux." Supported therefore by this very refpec- table authority, I confidered 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 tranf- lation of it to the reader's candour; and added occafional notes to fuch paffages as feemed to require an explanation. The original is divided into fecftions without any refe- rences. But as it feemed to be more convenient to di- vide 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 how- ever any alteration in the order of the journals. The additional intelligence which I procured at Pe'terfburg, is thrown into an appendix : It con- fills of fome new information, and of three jour- nals *, never before given to the public. Amongft thefe I muft particularly mention that of Krenitzin and LevafliefF, 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 Levafheff, the Ihort account of Synd's voyage, and the narrative of ShalaurofTs expedition, N° I. IX. XI. 4 permitted viU PREFACE. permitted me to make ufe of ia this colle6lion. This voyage, which redounds greatly to the honour of the fovereign who planned it, confirms in general the au- thenticity of the treatife above-mentioned ; and afcertains the reality of the difcoveries made by the private mer- chants. As a farther illuftration of this fubje6t, I colledled the beft charts which covild be procured at Peterfburg, and of which a lift will be given in the following ad- vertifement. From all thefe circumftances, 1 may ven- ture, perhaps, to hope that the curious and inquifitive reader will not only find in the following pages the moft authentic and circumftantial account of the pro- grefs and extent of the Ruffian difcoveries, which has hitherto appeared in any language; but be enabled here- after to compare them with thofe more lately made by that great and much to be regretted navigator, Captain Cooke, when his journal fliall be communicated to the public. As all the furs which are brought from the New Difcovered Iflands are fold to the Chinefe, 1 was natu- rally led to make enquiries concerning the commerce between Ruflia and China ; and finding this branch of traffic much more important than is commonly imagined, I thought that a general fketch of its prefent iiate, 3 together PREFACE. ix together with a fuccincl view of the tranfadtions between the two nations, would not be unacceptable. The conquell of Siberia, as it firft opened a commu- nication with China, and paved the way to all the in- terefting diicoveries related in the prefent attempt, will not appear unconne^ftcd, 1 truft, with its principal defign. The materials of this fecond part, as alfo of the pre- liminary obfervations concerning Kamtchatka, and the commerce to the new-difcovered illands, are drawn from books of eftabliQied and undoubted reputation. Mr. Mul- ler and Mr. Pallas, from whofe interefting works thefe hiftorical and commercial fubjedts are chiefly compiled, are too w^ell known in the literary world to require any other vovichers for their judgement, exadnefs, and fide- lity, than the bare mentioning of their names. I have only farther to apprize the reader, that, befides the intel- ligence extracted from thefe publications, he will find fome additional circumftances relative to the Ruffian com- merce with China, which I colledted during my conti- nuance in Pvuffia. . I CAN- I ^ ] I CANNOT clofe this addrefs to the reader without embracing with pecuHar latisfadtion the jvift occafion, which the enruing trcatifes upon the Pvuflian difcoveries and commerce afford me, of joining with every friend of fcience in the warmeit admiration of that en- larged and Hberal fpirit, which fo ftrikingly marks the ■chara54, Note — Line 2, after handpauken «»»/«<••<•«£/ proteftion. 190, 1. 5. ybr nor readx\o\. igjjybr Sungur rf«(^Sirgiit. 225,1. 13. r^as/otherhas an. 2ih, for harlbadecrs read halberdiers. 234, Note — line 3, dele See hereafter, p. 14J. 246, for Marym readHzTym. 356, Note— /er called by Linnxus Lutra Marina read Lutra Marina, calkd by Linnxiis MuftelaLutris, &c. 257, Line ^,for made of the bone, &c. read made of bone, or the ftalk, &c, 278, Note 2 — line 2, for Corbus readConwi^ 324, Note — line 4, dele was. 313, Note — line 3, dele that. Ibid. Note — line 10, " 1 (hould not" &c. is afeparate nete, ar.d relates ie the txtra^ in the text beginning •' In 1648," &c. Omitted in the ERRATA. P. 242. 1. 9. r. 18,215. l.ii. r, 1,383,621. 35. ADVER- [ XV ] ADVERTISEMENT. A S no aftronomical obfervations have been taken in the voyages related in this colle<5lion, the longitude and latitude afcribed to the new-difcovered iflands in the journals and upon the charts cannot be abfolutely de- pended upon. Indeed the reader will perceive, that the pofition •' of the Fox Iflands upon the general map of Ruffia is materially different from that afllgned to them upon the chart of Krenitzin and LevafliefF. Without endeavouring to clear up any difficulties which may arife from this uncertainty, I thought it would be moft fatisfadtory to have the beft charts engraved : the reader ■will then be able to compare them with each other, and with the feveral journals. Which reprefentation of the new-difcovered iflands deferves the preferance, will pro- bably be afcertained upon the return of captain Gierke from his prefent expedition. * See p. 286. Uft [ xvi ] Lift of the Charts, and Dire6tions for placing them. CHART I. A reduced copy of the general map of Ruffia, pub- liflicd by the Academy of Sciences at St. Petcrf- burg, 1776. to face the title-paga* ]I. Chart of the voyage made by Krenitzln and Leva- fheffto the Fox Iflands, communicated by Dr. Ro- bertfon, to face p. 251. III. Chart of Synd's Voyage towards Tfchukotfkoi- Nofs, p. 300.. IV. Chart of Shalauroff's Voyage to Shelatfkoi-Nofs, with a fmall chart of the Bear-Iflands, P..323. < View of Maimatfchin, p. 21 u Communicated by a gentleman who has been upon the fpo.t. CON- I xvii J CONTENT Sv Dedication,, p, iii. Preface, p. v. Catalogue of books quoted in tMs work, p. xi. Explanation of fome Ruffian words made ufe of, p. xiii. 'Table of Ruffian Weights, Meafures of Length, and Value of Money, p. xiv. Advertifement, p. xv. Lifi of Charts, and T)ire£iions for placing thern^ p. xvi. PART I. •Containing Preliminary Obfervations concerning Kamt- CHATKA, and Account of the New Discoveries made by the Russians, p. 3 — 16. Chap. I. Difcovery and Conquefl of Kamtchatka — Prefent flate of that Peninfula — Population — 'Tribute — Produc- tions., &;c. P' 3« Chap. II. General idea of the commerce carried on to the New Dif covered IJlands — Equipment of the ve[fels — Rifks of the trade^ profits, &;c. p. 8. Chap. III. Furs ajid fkins procured from Yi:im\.c\i7ii\i3i afid the New Difcovered IJlands, p. 12. Account of the Russian Discoveries, p. 19. Chap. L Commencement and progrefs of the Ruffian Dif- coveries in the fea of Kamtchatka— G^;?fr^/ divifion of the New Difcovered IJlands, ibid. c Chap. xvlii CONTENTS. Chap. II. Voyages in 1745 — Firji difcovery of the Aleutian Illes, by Michael NevodfikofF, p. 29; Chap. III. Succejfive voyages, from 1747 /o 1753, to Beeriog's and Copper Ifland, and to the Aleutian Hies — Some account of the inhabitants, p. 37. Chap. IV. Voyages from Y^ ^'^ to 1756. Some of the fur- ther Aleutian or Fox Illands touched at by Serebrani- koff's vefj'el — Some account of the natives, p. 48. Chap. V. Voyages from 1756/01758, p. 5 4 Chap. VI. Voyages in 1758, 1759, and 1760, to the Fox Iflands, in the St. Vladimir, fitted out by Trapef- nikoff — and in the Gabriel, by Bethfhevin — 'the loiter, under the command of PuIhkarefF, fails to Alakfu, or Alachfl:iak, one of the remotejl Eaflern I/lands hitherto vifited — Some account of its inhabitants^ and produc- tions, zvhich latter are diferent from thofe of the more Weflern ifiands, p. 61. Chap. VII. Voyage o/Andrean Tolftyk, /;/ the St.Andrean and Natalia — Difcovery of fome New I/lands, called Andreanoffsky Oftrova — Defcription of fix of thofe ifiands, P- 7 1 • Chap. VIII. Voyage of the Zacharias and Elizabeth, fitted out by Kulkoff, and comjnanded by DvLXxUmn^—fbey fail to Umnak and Unalaihka, and winter upon the latter ijland — T'he veffel defiroyed, and all the crezv, except- four, murdered by the ifianders—T'he adventures of thoje four Ruffians, and their zvonderful efcape, p. 80. Chap, CONTENTS. Chap. IX. Voyage of the vejjel called the Trinity, under the command of Koro\-in — Sails to the Fox lilands — Winters at Unalaflika — Puts to fca the fpring follow- ing — The vejfel is Jlranded in a bay of the ijland Um- nak, and the crew attacked by the natives — Many of them killed — others carried ojf by ficknefs — They are re- ' duced to great Jireights — Relieved /^j/ GlottofF, tzvelve of the whole company only remaining — Defcription of Um- nak <3';^^ Unalallika, jx 89. Chap. X. Foyage of Stephen GlottofF — He reaches the Fox Iflands — Sails beyond Unalaflilka to Kadyak — Winters upon that ijland — Repeated attempts of the na- tives to dejiroy the crew — They are repulfed, reconciled, and prevailed upon to trade with //'^Ruffians — Account of Kadyak — Its inhabitants, animals, produBions — GXoXXq^ fails back to Umnak — winters there — returns to Kamtchatka — Journal of his voyage, p. 106. Chap. XI. SoloviofF's voyage — He reaches Unalaflika, and paffes two winters upon that ijland — Relation of what paffed there — fruitlefs attempts of the natives to deJlroy the crew — Return of SoIoviofF to Kamtchatka — Journal of his voyage in returning — Defcription of the ijlands of Umnak and Unalafhka, produBions, inhabitants, their manners, cufloms, &c. &t:. p, 131. Chap. XII. Voyage of Otcheredin — He winters upon Umnak — Arrival of Levafheff tipon Unalafhka — Re- turn 0/ Otcheredin /(3 Ochotfk, p, \\e^^. c 2 Chap. xtx XX CONTENTS. Chap. XIII. Gonclufion — General pofition and fttuation of the Aleutian and Fox Iflands — their dijlance from each Qihgf — Further defcription of the drefs, manners^ and eujiom of the inhabitants — their feajls and ceremonies^ Sic. p. 164. PART 11. Containing the Conqueft of Siberia^ and the Hiflory of the Tranfadtions and Commerce between Russia and China, P- 175- Chap. I. Firjl irruption of the Ruffians into Siberia — Jecond inroad — Yermac dri'oen by the Tzar of Mufcovy from the Volga, retires to Orel, a Voi^xTiVi fettkment — Enters Siberia, with an army of Goflacs — bis progrefs and ex- plQits — 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 bis memory — Ruf- iran troops evacuate Siberia — re-enter and conquer the ivhole country — their progrefs flopped by the Chinefe, p. 177. Chap. II. Commencement of hofiilities between the Ruffians and Chinefe — difputes concerning the limits of the tzvo empires — treaty o/Nerlhinsk — embafjies from the court o/"Ruffia to Pekin — treaty o/Kiachta — ejlablijmient of the com-merce between the two nations. p. 197. Chap. III. Account of the Ruffian and Chinefe Settlements upon the confines of Siberia — defcription of the Ruffian frontier town Kiachta^ — of the Chinefe frontier town Maitmatfchin — its buildings, pagodas, &c. p. 2 1 1 . Chap. CONTENTS. TKxi Ghap. IV. Commerce between the Chinefe «■;%/ Ruffians— lift of the principal exports and irnports — duties — average amount of l/je RufTian trade , p. 231. Chap. V- Defcription o/Zuruchaitu — and its trade — tranf- port of the merchandize through Siberia, p. 244. PART III. Appendix I. and II. containing Supplementary Accounts of the RussianDiscoverieg, Sec. &c. Appendix I. ExtraSl from the journal of a voyage made by Captain. Krenitzin ^?;^^ Lieutenant LevafhefF/o theVoyi^ Iflands, i7i 1768, 1769, by order o///&^Emprefsof Ruffia -^^they fail from Kamtchatka-^ — arrive at Beering's and Copper Illands — reach the Fox Iflands — Krenitzin •winters at Alaxa — LevafliefF upon Unalaflika — produc- tions of Unalaflika — defcription of the inhabitants of the Fox Iflands — their manners and cufioms^ Sic. p. 251. N° II. Concerni-ng the longitude of Kamtchatka, and of the Eafiern extremity of Afia, as laid down by the. Ruflian geographers. p. 2 6 7 , N° III. Summary of the proofs tending to^/heiv, that Beer- ing a7id TlchirikofF either reached Avatvic-iL //z. 1741J or came very near it. P« 277, N° IV. Lifi of the principal charts reprefenting /Z-^Ruflian . Difcoveries. p.- 281, N° V. Pojition of the Andreanojffiky Jfles afc^rtained — • number of tbe Aleutian Ifles. . g, 288, 5 N' xxu content's. N° VI. Co'/ijeclures concerning the proy'-uiily of the Fox lilands to the continent 0/ America. p. 291. N° VII. O/ZZ'^ Tfchutfki — reports of the vicinity 0/ Ame- rica to their coafi, Jirjl propagated by them, fcem to be confirmed by late accounts from thofe parts. p. 293. N° VIII. Lifl of the New Dif covered IJlands^ procured from. an Aleutian chief — catalogue of ijlands called by different names in the account of tkeVxM^\-ix\dif cover ks, p. 297. N° IX. Voyage of Lieutenant Synd to the North Eaji of Siberia — he difcovers a clufier of ijlands, and a promo}2- tory, 'which he fuppofes to belong to the continent 0/ Ame- rica, lying near the coajl of the Tfchutski. p. 300. N° X. Specimen of the Aleutian language. p. 303. N° XI. Attempts of the Ruffians to dif cover a North EaJi pajfage — voyages from Aichangel towards the Lena — from the Lena tozvards Karatchatka — extraB from Muller's account of Deflmcff'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 fpecies of rheum which yield the finejl rhubarb — price of rhubarb in Ruffia — expor- tation — 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 ] PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS; CONCERNING K A M T C H A T K A, &c. C H A p. I. Dijcovery and Conqueji of Kamtchatka — Prefent Jlate of that Feninfula — Population — tribute — -Produclhns, ^c. T H E Peninfula of Kamtchatka was not difcovered FjrftDircovery ot Kamtchat — by the Ruffians before the latter end of the laft '^^• century. The firft expedition towards thofe parts was made in 1696, by fixtesn Coflacs, under the command of Lucas SemsenofF Moroiko, who was fent againft the Koriacks of the river Opooka by Volodimir AtlaiTofF commander of Anadirfk. Moroflco 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 •■■. * S. R. G. V. III. p. 72. B z The. 4 ' r Pv E L ITvI I N A R Y OBSERVATIONS The following year AtlaflTofF himfelf at the head of a larger body of troops penetrated into the Peninfula, took poffeffion of the river Kamtchatka 'by erecting a crofs vipon its banks ; and built fome huts upon the fpot, where Upper Kamtchatkoi Oilrog now Hands. _. „ . „ , Thefe expeditions were continued during the following 'coiop'if«nrr^ years : Upper and Lower Kamtchatkoi Oftrogs and Bol- tlie Ruffians. i • i i r^ i i • n • n t cheretfk were built ; the Southern diitndt conquered and colonifed ; and in 1711 the whole Peninfula was finally reduced under the dominion of the Ruffians. During fome years the pofleflion of Kamtchatka l^rought very little advantage to the crown, excepting the fmall tribute of furs exacted from the inhabitants. The Ruffians indeed occalionally hunted in that Penin- fula foxes, wolves, ern^iues,, Abies, and other animal^ whofe valuable Ikins form an extenfive article of com- merce among the Ealfern nations. But tlie fur trade carried on from thence was inconfidcrable ; until the Ruffians difcovered the iflands lltuated between Alia and America, in a feries of voyages,, the journals of which will be exhibited in the fubfcquent tranflation. Since .thefe difcoveries, the variety of rich fin-s, which are procured from thofe Iflands, has greatly encreafed the trade of Kamtchatka, and rendered it a very imx-'ortant branch of the Ruffian commerce. The en N .c:E R.N I N G iK. A M T C H A T K A, &c. j The Peninfnla of Kamtchatka lies between 5 1 and 62 degrees of Nofth lalLtude, and 173 and 182 of longitude from the ijQe of Fero. It is bounded on the Eaft and South by the Sea of Kamtchatka, on the Weft by the Seas of Ochotflv and Penfliinik, and on the North by the country of the Koriacs. It is divided into four diftrids, Bolcherefk, Tigilflcaia Pr^Cent "-" S;are of Kamt- Krepoft, Verchnei or Upper Kamtchatkoi Oftrog, and "'""'"'• Nifhnei or Lower Kamtchatkoi Oftrog. The govern- Government. ■ment is -viifted in the chancery of Bolcherefk, which de- pends upon and is fubjedt to the infpe6lion of the chan- cery of OcTiotfk, . The Avhole Ruffian force ftationed in the Peninfula coniifts of no more than three hundred men ■•■■•. The prefent population ;©f Kamtchatka is very fm all. Population, amounting ito fcarcc four thoufand fouls. Formerly the inhabitants v;ere more numerous, but in 17-68, that country was greatly deix)pulated by the ravages of the fmall-pox, by which difoErder five thoufand three hun- di^ed and fixty-eight perlbns were carried off. There are now only {even, hundred and lix males in the whole Pe- ninfula who are tributary, and an hundred and fourteen in the Kuril liles, which are fubje(5l to Ruffia. * Journal of St. Peterlburg for April 1777. The 6 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS 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 I o per cent, to the crown ; the tenth of the cargoes brought from the new difcovered iflands is alfo delivered into the cufloms. Voicanos. Many traces of Volcanos have been obferved in this Peninfula ; and there are fome mountains, which are at prefent in a burning ftate. The moll conliderable of thefe Volcanos is Htuated near the Lower Oftrog. In 1762a great noife was heard ilTuing from the inlide of that mountain, and flames of fire were feen to burfl: from different parts. Thefe flames were immediately fucceed- ed by a large flream 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 chcumference of three hun- dred verfts. In 1767 there was another difcharge, but lefs confiderable. Every night flames of fire were ob- ferved ftreaming from the mountain ; and the eruption which attended them, did no fmall damage to the inha- bitants of the Lower Oftrog. Since that year no flames have been feen ; but the mountain emits a conltant fa:ioke. The fame phaenomenon is alfo obferved upou another mountain, called TabaetOiinlkian. The CONCERNING K A M T C H A T K A, kc. The face of the country throughout the Peninfiila is Pva.-uaroni. chiefly mountainous. It produces in fome parts birch, poplars, alders, willows, underwood, and berries of dif- ferent forts. Greens and other vegetables are raifed with great facility ; fuch as white cabbage, turneps, radiflies, 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 frofts ; for though fome trials have been made with refpe(5l 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 raifing it. Hemp however has of late years been cultivated with great fuccefs*. Every year a veffel, belonging to the crown, fails from Ochotfk to Kamtchatka laden with fait, provifions, corn, and Ruflia«n manufa6tures ; and returns in June or July of the following year with fkins and furs. * Journal of St. Petersburg. CHAP. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS- G H A P. II. General idea of the commerce carried on to the New Dif^ covered IJIands. — Equipment of the vejjels. — Rijks of the trade,. proJitSy ^c. INGE the concliifion of Beering's voyage, which. was made at the expence of the crown, the profecu- tion of the New Difcoveries began by him has been al-^ moft entirely carried on by individuals. Thefe perfons were principally merchants of Irkutfk, Yakiitfk, and other natives of Siberia, who formed themfelves into fmall trading com.panies, and fitted out velTds at their joint expence. Equipment ot Moft of thc veficls which are equipped for thefe expe-r dirions are two mailed : they are commonly built with- out iron, and in general fo badly conftrucSted, that it is wonderful how they can weather fo ftormy a fea. They are called in Ruffian Skitiki or fewed velTels, becaufe the planks are few^ed together with thongs of leather. Some few are built in the river of Kamtchatka ; but they are for the iTioft part conilrudled at the haven of Ochotfk.. The largefl: of thefe veffels are manned with feventy men, and the fmalleft with forty. The crew generally confifts of an equal number of Ruffians and Kamtchadals. The 5 latter CONCERNING K A M T C H A T K A, Src. " ^ latter occafioii a conliderable faving, as their pay is finall ; they alfo refill:, more ealily than the former, the attacks of the fcurvy. But Ruffian mariners are more enterprifing and more to be depended upon in time of danger than the others ; fome therefore are unavoidably necelTary. traiie. The expences of building and fitting out the vefiels t^^)?f„""i,if' are very confiderable : for there is nothing at Ochotfk' but timber for their conftrudtion. Accordingly cordage, fails, and fome provifions, muft be brought from Ya- kutflv upon horles. The dearnefs of corn and flour, which muft be tranfported from the diftridls lying about the river Lena, renders it impoffible to lay-in any large quantity for the fubliftence of the crew dviring a voyage, which commonly lafts three or four years. For tills reafon no more is provided, than is necefiary to fupply the Ruffian mariners with quafs and other fermented liquors. From the exceffive fcarcity of cattle both at Ochotfk and * Kamtchatka very little provision is laid in at either of thofe places : but the crew provide themfelves * In 1772 there were only 570 head of cattle upon the whole Penin- fula. A cow fold from £o to 60 Roubles, an ox from 60 to 100. A pound of frefh beef fold upon an average for izf copecs. The excef- five dearnefs of this price will be eafily conceived, when it is known, that at Mofcow a pound of beef fells for about three copecs. Journ. St.'Peterfb. ' with fp P R E T- 1 M IN A R Y OBSERVATIONS with 3 large ft'ore of the flefli of fea animals, which are caught and cured upon Beering's IlTand, where the veffels for the moft 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 veflel is divided into a certain number of Ihares, gene- rally from thirty to fifty ; and each fliare is worth, from 300 to 500 Roubles. The rifk of the trade is very great, as fhipwrecks are: common in the fea of Kamtchatka, which is full of rocks and very tempeftuous. Belides, the crews are frequently fiirprifed and killed by the iflanders, and the veflels Prefits, deftroyed. In return the profits arifing from thefe voyages are very confiderable, and compenfate the in- conveniencies and dangers attending them. For if a> fliip 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 vefTel be capable of performing a fecond expedition, the expences- are of courfe confiderably- lefTened, and; the flaares are at a lower price, Sonrve notion of the general profits arifing from; this trade (when the voyage is fuccefsful), may be deduced fi:om the fale of a rich cargo of furs, brought to CONCERNING KAMTCHATKA, &c. n to Kamtchatka, on the sd of June, 1772, from the new-difcovered iflands, in a veflel belonging to Ivan Popoff. The tentli part of the fkins being delivered to the cufloms, the remainder was diftributed in fifty-five fliares. Each fhare confifted of twenty fea-otters, lixteen 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. L p. 23, & feq. Jovjrnal of St, Peterfburg. C^ 3 CHAP. 12 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS CHAP. III. Furs and fk'ins procured from Kafntchatka and the New Difcovered I/lands. brougiu'L'r nr^ H E principal furs and fid ns, procured from the Kamtchatka B , t f" " « , • , y ' • r» ^ ' ". ami the New ^ Peninfula or Kamtchatlia and the New Difcovered. Difcovered ifiands. Iflands are fca-otters, foxes, fables, ermines, wolves, bears. Sec. — Thefe furs are tranfported to Ochotfk by fea, and from thence carried tb *iCiachta upon' the frontiers of Siberia ; where the greateft part of them are fold to- the Chinefe at a very confiderable profit,. Sea-otters. Of all thcfe furs the iliins of the fea-otters are the richeft and moll valuable. Thofe animals refort in great, numbers to the Aleutian and Fox Ifiands : they are called by the Ruffians Bobry Morfti or fea-beavers, and fometimes Kamtchadal beavers, on account of the re- femblance of their fur to that of the common beaver. From thefe circumftances feveral authors have been led into a miftake, and have fuppofed that this animal is of the beaver fpecies ; whereas it is the true fea-otter I. * See Part II. Chap. III. f S.R.G. III. p. 530. The CONCERNING K A M T C H A T K A, S:c. i The female are called Matka or dams ; and the cubs till five months old Medviedki or little bears, becaufe their coat refembles that of a bear ; they lofe that coat after five months, and then are called Kofchloki. The fur of the fineft fort is thick and lon^, of a dark colour, and a fine glofly hue. They are taken four ways ; rtruck with darts as they are fleeping 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 q^uality. At Kamtchatka* the beft fell for per fkin from - - - 30 to 40 Roubles. Middle fort 20 to 30 Worft fort 15 to 25 At Kiachtat the old and middle- aged fea-otter fkins are fold to the Chinefe per fkin from So to 100 The worfl fort 30 to 40, * Journal St. Peterfburg. 'if Pallas Reife. Part III. p. 137. , v-^ :> 14 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS As thefe furs fetch fo great a price to the Chinefe, they are feldom brought into RulTia for fale : and feve- ral, which have been carried to Mofcow as a tribute, were purchafed for 30 Roubles per Ikin ; and fent from thence to the Chinefe frontiers, wliere they were difpofed of at a very high mtereft, DiiFerent fpe- Thcrc arc fcvcral fpecies of Foxes, whofe fkins arc cies ot Foxes. fent from Kamtchatka into Siberia and RulTia. Of thefe the principal are the black foxes, the Petfi or ArcSlie foxes, the red and ftone foxes. The fineft black foxes are canght in different parts ■of Siberia, and more commonly in the iSIorlhern regions between the Rivers Lena, Indigirka, and Kovyma : the black foxes found upon the remoteft Eallern iflands difcovered by the Ruffians, or the Lyffie Oltrova, are not fo valuable. They arc 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, be- tween thefe foxes and thofe of Siberia, arifes probably from the following circumllances. In thofe iflands the cold is not fo fevere as in Siberia ; and as there is no wood, the foxes live in holes and ca- verns of the rocks ; whereas in the abovementioned parts of Siberia, there are large tradls of forefts in which they find flielter. Some black foxes how- * S. R. G. V. Ill, Pallas Reife. 7 ever CONCERNING K A M T C H A T K A, ^c. 15 ever arc occafionally caught in the remotefl Eaftern Iflands, not wholly deflitute of wood, and thefe are of great value. In general the Ghinefe, 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 arilic or ice foxes are very common upon fome of the New-Difcovered Iflands. They are called Petfi by the Ruflians,, and by the Germans blue foxes. Their natural p™"^?^'* ' ■' Synopfis,- 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 witli. different fpecks and crolTes. At Kiachta* all the feveral varieties fell upon an ave- rage to the Ghinefe per fkin from 5 o copecsto - - ~ 2 ~ Roubles. Stone Foxes at Kamtchatka per fkin from ^ - - - I to 2 I Red Foxes from 80 copecsto - i 80 copecs. At Kiachta from 80 copecs to g* Common wolves fkins at per jCkin. 2 Beft fort per fkin from — 8 to 16 Sables per ditto - — - 2 j to i a^ * Pallas Reife. A poc ,6 P-RELIMIMARY OBSERVATIONS A pood of the beft fca-liorfc teeth * fells At'Yakutfk for - - - lo 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, nod Calmucs. * S. R. G. V. IIL i: U A F. ACCOUNT OF THE NEW DISCOVERIES MADE BY THE R U S S IAN S IN THE EASTERN OCEAN, BETWEEN KAMTCHATKA AND AMERICA. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN. WITH NOTES BY THE TRANSLATOR. D C 19 ] ACCOUNT OF THE RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. CHAP. I. Commencement and progrefs of the Ruflian Difcoveries in the fea of Kamtchatka — General dhijion of the New Bifcovered IJlands, A Thirft 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 palTion for riches occafioned, about the middle of the fixteenth century, the difcovery and conqueft of Northern A fia, a country, before that time, as unknown to the Europeans, as Thule to the ancients. The firll: foundation of this conqueft was laid by the ^"^a^^^"^ "^ celebrated Yermac *, at the head of a band of adven- turers, lefs civilized, but at the fame time, not fo inhu- man 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 Tart II. Chap, I. D a Tlie 20 ACCOUNT OFTHE Commence- fhc firft projcft * for making; difcoveries in that tem- ment i«t tSie x -» u Kew Difco- pefliyous fea, which lies between Kamtchatka and Ame- vcrieb rica, was conceived and planned by Peter I. the greateft fovereign who ever fat upon the Ruffian throne, until it was adorned by the prefent emprefs. The nature and completion of this projcft 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 confidering, that, b}' the conqueft ot Siberia, the Ruffians advanced to tTie Jfhores of the Eaftern Ocean, the fcene of the difcoveries here al- luded to. -j~ Beering had already made feveral expeditions in the fea of Kamt- chatka, by orders of the crown, before he undertook the voyage men- tioned in the text. In 1728, he departed from the mouth of the Kamtchatka river, in company with Tfchlrikoff. The purport of this voyage was to afcer- tain, whether the two Continents of Afia and America were feparated ; and Peter I. a fhort time before his death, had drawn up inftrudions tvith his own hand for that purpofe. Beering coafted the Eaftern Ihore of Siberia as high as latitude 67° 18'; but made no difcovery of the oppofite Continent. ^ In 1729, he fet fail again for the profecution of the fame defign ; but this fecond attempt equally failed of fuccefs. In 1 74 1, Beering and Tfchirikoffwent out upon the celebrated expe- dition (alluded to in the text, and which is fo often mentioned in the courfe of this work) towards the coafts of America. This expedition led the way to all the important difcoveries fince made by the Ruffians. Beering's veflel was wrecked in December of the fame year ; and Tfchlrikoff landed at Kamtchatka on the 9th of Odober, 1742. S. R. G. III. Nachrichtcn von See Reifen, &c. and Robertlbn's Hif- tory of America, Vol. I. p. 273, 8c feq. I Tfchirikoff, RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. ai Tfchirikoff, in the profeciition 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- '^H" p™' po^tant difcoveries were made by thefe individuals, at their own private coft, than had been hitherto effedled by all the exj^enfive efforts of the crown. Soon after the return of Beering's crew from the ifland where he was fliip-wrecked and died, and which is called after his name, the inhabitants of Kamtchatk* ventured over to that ifland, to which the fea-otters and other fea-animals were accuftomed to refort in great numbers. Mednoi Oftroff, or Copper Ifland, which, takes that appellation from large maflTes of native copper found upon the beach, and which lies full in fight of Beering's Ifle, was an eafy and fpeedy difcovery. Thefc 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 diminiflied by the Rufl^an hunters, occafioned other expeditions. Several of the veflels which were fent out upon thefe voyages were driven by flormy v/eather to the South- eaft ; 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 aj A C C O U N T O F T H E From the year 1745, when it feems thefe iflands were firft vilited, 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 1755 to 1760, Captain TflieredofF and Lieutenant Kaflikareff were his fuccelfors. In 1760, Feodorlvanovitch Soimonoff, governor of Tobolflc, turned his attention to the abovementioned iflands ; and, the fame year, Captain RtiftfliefF, at Ochotfk, inflrvi6led Lieu- tenant ShmalefF, the fame who was afterwards commander in Kamtchatka, to promote and favour all expeditions in thofe feas. Until this time, all the diftoveries 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. ^romotTs''au' '^^^ prcfcHt Emprcfs (to whom every circumftance which waiTsN'ewDif- 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 pofition of the Ruffian the firft meridian of the ifle of Fero. The longitude and latitude, which he gives to the Fox Iilands, correfponds exadly rvirh thofe in which they are laid dowii upon the General Map of Ruffia. The longitude of .Beering's, Copper Ifland, and of the Aleiitian Ilks, are fomewhat dif- ferent. See Advertifemcnt relating to the Charts, and alfo Appendix J. N" IV. iflands eovenes. RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 2.3 iilands have been afcertained by an expenfive voyage *, made by order of the crown ; and much additional in- formation will be derived from the journals and charts of the officers employed in that expedition, whenever they Ihali be publiflied. 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 conjedlures of the-^ celebrated Muller, concerning the pofition of thofe diftant regions, are more and more confirmed by faifls ; in the fame manner as the juftnefs of his fuppofition concern- ing the form of the coaft of the fea of Ochotfk t has been lately eftabliffied. With refpc<5l to the extent of Siberia, it appears almoft beyond a doubt from the moft recent obfervations, that its Eaftern extremity is fituated beyond X 200 degrees of longitude. In regard to the Weftern coafts of America, all the navigations to the New Difcovered Iflands evidently ffiew, that, between 50 * The author here alludes to the fecret expedition of Captain Kre- nltzin and LevaheiF, whofe journal and chart were fent, b}' order of the Emprefs of Ruffia, to Dr. Robertfon. See Robertfon's Hiftory of Ame- rica, Vol. I. p. 2.76 and 460. See Appendix I. N'' J. if Mr. Muller formerly conjedlured, that the coaft of the fea of ©chotfk ftretched South-weft towards the river Ud ; and frora-thence to the mouth of the Amoor South-eaft : and the truth of this conjedtirre had been fince confirmed by a coafting voyage made by Captain Syud, ■ I- Appendix I. N" L and- 24 A C C O U N T O F T H E and 60 degrees of latitude, that Continent advances no where nearer to Afia than the * coafts touched at by Beering and Tfchirikoff, or about 236 degrees of longi- tude. As to the New Difcovered Iflands, no credit mail be given to a chart publiflied in the Geographical Calendar of St. Peterlburg for 1774; in which they are inac- curately laid down. Nor is the antient chart of the New Difcoveries, publilhed by the Imperial Academy, and which feems to have been drawn up from mere reports, more defer ving of attention t. New 'oifco-'^'^ The late navigators give a far different defcription of vered I amis. ^^^ Nortliem Arcliipelago. From their accounts we learn, that Beering's Ifland is fituated dueEaft from Kamt- chatkoi Nofs, in the 1 8 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, Semitflii, and Shemiya : thefe are properly the Aleutian Ifles ; they ftretch from Weft- north-weft towards Eafl-fouth-eaft, in the fame direction as Beering's and Copper Iflands, in the longitude of 195, and latitude 54. * Appendix I. N° 11. •f Appendix I. N° IV, To RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. To the North-eaft of thefe, at the diftance of 600 or 800 verfts, lies another group of fix or more illands, known by the name of the Andreanoffifkie Oltrova. South-eaft, or Eaft-fouth, of thefe, at the diftance of about 1 5 degrees, and North by Eaft of the Aleutian, be- gins the chain of Lyflie Oftrova, or Fox Iflands : this chain of rocks andifles ftretches Eaft-north-eafl between 56 and 6 1 degrees of North latitude, from 211 degrees of longi- tude moil: probably to the Continent of America ; and in a line of direction, w^hich crofles with that in which the Aleutian ifles lie. The largeft and moft remarkable of thefe iflands are Umnak, Aghunalaflika, or, as it is com- monly fhortened, Unalaflika, Kadyak, and Alagfliak. Of thefe and the Aleutian Ifles, the diftance and pofi- tion are tolerably well afcertained by fliips reckonings, and latitudes taken by pilots. But the fituation of the Andreanofffky Ifles * is ftill fomewhat doubtful, though probably their diredlion is Eaft and Weft ; and feme 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 veflels in the late expeditions ; though poflibly * Thefe are the fame iflands which are called, by Mr. Stahlin, Ana- diriky Iflands, from their fuppofed vicinity to the river Anadyr. See Appendix I. N° V. E the 25 26 ACCOUNTOFTIIE • the time is not far diflant when fome of the Ruffian ad- venturers will fall in with that coaft*. More to the North perhaps, at leaft as high as 70 degrees latitude, the Continent of America may ttretch out nearer to the coaft of the Tfchutfl-Li ; and form a large promontory, accompanied with iflands, which have no connecflion with any of the preceding ones. That fuch a promon- tory really exifcs, and advances to within a very fmall diftance from Tfchukotflcoi 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 Delifle is made to extend Weftward, and is laid down juft oppofite to Kamtchatka, between 50 and 60 degrees latitude, muft he 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 unileadinefs of his courfe, their true pofition could not be exa£lly laid down in the chait of that ex- pedition |. As * Appendix I, N° VI. f Appendix I. N^ VII. :|: This error is however fo fniallj and particularly with refpedt to the more Eaftern coafts and iflands, as laid down in Bcering's chart, fuch as Cape Hermogenes, Toomauoi, Shumaghin's Ifland, and mountain of Sr. Dolmatj R U S S, r A N D- 1 S C O V E R t E S. 'arj As the fea of Kamtchatka is now fo much frequented, thefe conjeflures cannot remain long undecided ; and it is only to be wilhed, that fome expeditions were to be made North-eaft, in order to difcover the neareft coafts of x'Vmerica. For there is no reafon to expe(fl a fuccefs- ful voyage by taking any other diredlion ; as all the vef- fels, which have fleered 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 expefled from the celebrated Mr. MuUer ■•'••. Meanwhile, I hope the following account, extradled from the original papers, and procured from the beft intelligence, will be the more acceptable to the public ; as it may prove an inducement to the Ruffians to publifli fuller and more circumflantial relations. Befides, the reader will find here a narrative more authentic and accurate, than what has been pub- Dolmar, that if they were to be placed upon the general map of Ruffia, 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 are at prefent kept, together with the charts of the re- fpe&ive voyages. E 2 naied ?8 ACCOUNTOFTHE lifhed in the abovementioned calendar*; and feveral mif- takes in that memoir are here corredted. * A German copy of the treatife alluded to in the text, was fent, by its author, Mr. Stahlin Counfellor of State to the Emprefs of Ruffia, to the late Dr. Maty ; and it is mentioned, in the Philofophical Tranfadtions 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 tranflation of this treatife was publifhed the fame year by Heydinger. CHAP. RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 29 odtfikoff CHAP. II. Voyages in i^ ^^.•-^Firjl difcovery of the Aleutian Ifles by Michael NevodtfikofF. \ Voyage made in the year 1745 by Emilian BafTofF -^ -^ 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 3 1 ft of July, 1 746. The firft voyage which is in any wife remarkable, was voyage of undertaken in the year 1745. The veflel was a Shitik '" '^'^5- named Eudokia, fitted out at the expence of Aphanaflei Tfebaefskoi, Jacob TliuprofFand others ; Ihe failed from the Kamtchatka river Sept. 1 9, under the command of Michael NevodtfikofF a native of Tobolfk. Having dif- covered three unknown iflands, they wintered upon one cifcovers the Aleutian of them, in order to kill fea-otters, of which there was i*^^"*^^- 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 Aleiitian ifles : they are fometimes called the Nearcfl Aleutian Iflands j and the Fox Iflands the Furthefl: Aleutian Ifles. tants A',C.C O U N T O F THE tants was not un^lcrftood by an interpreter, wliom they had brought vvitii them from Kamtchatka. For the purpofe therefore of learning this language, they carried back with them one of the Iflanders ; and prefented him to the chancery of Bolcherctfi':, with a falfe account of their proceedings. This iflander was examined as foon as he had acquired a flight knowledge of the Ruf- lian language ; and as it is faid, gave the following re- port. He was called Tcmnac, and Att was the name of tlie 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 inhabi- tants, as the KuHiaQS underftood or thought they iinder- ftood him, made croiTes, had books and fire-arms, and navigated in baidars or leathern canoes. At no great diltance 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 Eafl: and Eaft by South. The above-mentioned Iflander was baptifed under the name of Paul, and fent to Ochotfk. As the mifcondudl; of the fliip's crew towards the na- tives was fufpedled, partly from the lofs of feveral men, and partly from the report of thofe Ruflians, who were not concerned in the diforderly condudt of their com- panions, a ftri6t examination took place ; by which the following circumftances relating to the voyage were brought to light. According R-USSIANDISCOVERIES. 3 According to the account of Tome of the crew, and ^^^^';:^^;g';f jiarticularly of the commander, after fix days faiUng they came in fight of the firft ifland on the 24th of Septem- ber, at mid-day. They failed by, and towards evening they difcovered the fecond ifland ; where they lay at an- chor 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 increafe to about an hundred, he was afraid of venturing among them, although they beckoned to him. He contented himfelf therefore with flinging fome needles amoagft 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 veflel out to fea ; but the wind being contrary, they were driven to the other fide of the fame ifland, wheie they caft 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 wrefl his. 4 hunting A C C O U N T O F T II E 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 fall; to fliore. This violent attack obhged TliuprofF to fire ; and having wounded one perfon in the hand, tljey all let go their hold ; and he rowed off to the fliip. 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 waflied him. In confe- quence of this encounter the Ihip's crew would not ven- ture 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 fliip, and coafted along the ifland. The following day the Coffhc Shekurdin went on fliore, ac- companied by five f?ilors : 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 precipi- tation, and hid themfelves among the rocks. Shekur- din no fooner returned to the fliip, than he was again fent on fliore v*'ith a larger company, in order to look out for a proper place to lay up the velTel during winter : In their way they obferved fifteen iflanders upon an height ; 2 and RUSSTANDISCOVERIES. 3J -and threw them fome fragments of dried fifli 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, notwithftanding the refinance wliich the iflanders made with their bone fpears ; the Ruffians immediately re- turned with their prifoner to the lliip. They were foon afterwards driven to fea by a violent florm, and beat about from the 2d to the 9th of O^ftober, during which time they loft their anchor and boat ; at length they came back to the fame ifland, where they pafTed the winter. Soon after their landing they found in an adjacent hut the dead bodies of two of the inhabitants, who had pro- bably been killed in the lail encounter. In their way the Ruffians were met by an old woman, who had been taken prifoner, and fet at liberty. She was accompanied, with thirty-four iilander.s of both fexes, who all came dancing to the found of a drum ; and brought with them a pre- fent of coloured earth. Pieces of cloth, thimbles, and needles, were diftributed among them in return ; and they parted amicably. Before the end of Ocflober, the fame perfons, together with the olil woman and feveral children, returned dancing as before, and brought birds, fifli, and other provifion. Having pafTed the night with F the 34 ACCOUNT OF THE the Ruffians, they took their leave. Soon after their de- parture, 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 Ikins for two fhirts. They were obferved to have hatchets of fharpened ftone, and needles made of bone : they lived upon the fiefli of fea-otters, feals, and fea- lions, which they killed with clubs and bone lances. So early as the 24th of OcSlober, TfiuprofF had fent ten perfons, under the command of Larion Belay efF, upon a reconnoitring party. The latter treated the inhabitants in an hoftile manner ; upon which they defended them- felves as well as they could with their bone lances. This reliftance gave him a pretext for firing ; and accordingly he fliot the whole number, amounting to fifteen men, in order to get at their wives. Shekurdin, fhocked at thefe cruel proceedings, re- tired ur.i)erceived to the fhip, and brought an account of all that had pafFed. TfiuprofF, inftead of punifliing thefe cruelties as they deferved, was fecretly pleafed with them ; for he himfelf was affronted at the iflanders for having refufed to give him an iron bolt, which he faw in their pofFeffion. He had, in confequence of their refufal, committed feveral ails of hoflilities againfl them ; and had even formed the horrid delign of poifoning ihem with a mixture of corrofive fublimate. In order however RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. $$ however to preferve appearances, he difpatched Shekur- din and NevodlikofFto reproach Belay efF for his diforderly condudl ; but fent him at the fame time, by the above- mentioned perfons, more powder and ball. The Ruffians continued upon this ifland, where they caught a large quantity of fea otters, until the 14th of September, 1746 ; when, no longer tRinking them- felves fecure, they put to fea with an intention of looking out for fome uninhabited iflands. Being howev'er over- taken by a violent ftorm-, they were driven about until the 30th of October, when their veflel ftruck upon a rocky flrore, and was fliip wrecked, with the lofs of al- moft all the tackle, and the greateft part of the furs. Worn out at length with cold and fatigue, they ventured, the firfl: of November, to penetrate into the interior part of the country, which they found rocky and un- even. Upon their coming to fome huts, they were in- formed, that they were caft away upon the iiland of Karaga, the inhabitants of which were tributary to Ruffia, and of the Koraki tribe. The iflanders behaved to them with great kindnefs, until BelayefF had the imprudence to make propofals to the w^ife of the chief. The woman gave immediate intelligence to her hufband; and the natives were incenfed to luch a degree, that they threat- ened 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 3^ ACCOUNTOFTHE The 30th of May, 1747, a party of Olotorians made a. defcent upon the ifland in three baidars, and attacked the natives ; but, after forae 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 fliort time, and to deftroy all the inhabi- tants who paid tribute, the latter advifed the Ruffians ta retire from the ifland, and affifted them in building two baidars. With thefe they put to fea the 27th of June, and landed the 21 ft of July at Kamtchatka, with the, reft of their cargo, confifting of 320 fea-otters, of which, they paid the tenth into the cuftoms. During this expe- dition twelve men were loft. CHAP. RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES.. 37 CHAP. III. Succejfive voyages, from 1747 to 1753, to Beering'j- and Copper Ifland, and to tb£ Aleutian Ifles. — Some account of the inhabitants. Tn the year 1747* two vefTels failed from the Kamt- chatka river, according to a peniiiffion granted by the chancery of Bolckeretflc for hunting fea-otters. One was fitted ®ut by Andrew WfevidofF, and carried forty- fix men, befides eiglit Coflacs : the other belonged to Feodor CholodilofF, Andrew Tolftyk, and company ; and had on board a crew, confifting of forty-one Rufiians and Kamtchadals, with fix Cofl^acs. The latter velTel failed the 20th of Odiober, and" was forced, by ftrefs of weather and other accidents, to winter at Beering's Ifland. From thence they departed May the 3ifl:, 1748, and touched at another fmall ifland, in order to provide themfelves with water and other necefiaries. They then fleered S. E. for a confiderable way without * It may be neceflary to inform the reader, that, in this and the two following chapters, fome circumftances are occafionally omitted, which are to be found in the original. Thefe omiffions relate chiefly to the names of fome of the partners engaged in the equipments, and to a de- tail of immaterial occurrences prior to the adual departure of the veflels. difcovering 38 ACCOUNTOFTHK difcovering any new iflands ; and, being in great want of provifions, returned into Kamtchatka River, Auguft 14, with a cargo of 250 old fea-otter-fkins, above 100 young ones, 148 petfi or arcSlic fox-fkins, which were all flain upon Bearing's Ifland. We have no fufficient account of Wfevidoff's 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 unin- habited : his cargo conlifted of the fkins of 1040 fea- otters, and 2000 ardlic foxes. Emlimn°Yu- EmiUan YugofF, a merchant of Yakutflc, obtained from the fenate of St. Peterifburg the permiffion of fitting out four veflels for himfelf and his affociates. 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 ColTacs : he was foon overtaken by a ftorm, and the velfel driven on fhore between the mouths of the rivers Kronotfk and Tfchafminlk. October 17 51, he again fet fail. He had been com- manded to take on board forae officers of the Ruffian 2 navy ; gotF. RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 3f navy ; and, as he difobeyed this injundlion, the chancery of Irkutfk iffued an order to confifcate his fhip and cargo upon his return. The fliip returned on the 2 2d of July, 1754, to New Kamtchatkoi Oftrog, laden with the fkins of 755 ol:^f^°/ ^,_^ Shitik St. Nicholas, which failed from Kamtchatka under 1754."'°^'' the command of the Coflac Kodion DurnefF. He firfl 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 confifled of the Ikins of 1220 fea-otters, of 410 female, and 665 cubs; befides 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, r^le'vovalc! by Durneff and Sheffyrin, who was fent as colleilor 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 '^''^"'p''"" f-f ' the Altiitian which contains the greateft number of inhabitants, is ^""' * See Chap. V.. called 4^ ACCOUNTOFTHE called Agataku ; and the third Shemya : they lie from forty to fifty verlb afunder. Upon all the three iflands there are(exclurive of children) but fixty males, whom they made tributary. The inhabitants live unon roots which iniuu'.:.:ns. grow wild, aud fea animals : they do not employ thernfclves in. catching fifn, although the rivers abound with all kinds of falmon, and the lea with turbot. Their cloaths are made of the Ikins of birds and of fea-otters. The Toigon or chief of the firll: iTiand informed them by means of a bov, who underftood the Ruffian lane-uap-c, that Eaft- ward there are three large and well peopled illands, Ibiya, Rickfa, and Olas, whofc inhabitants fpeak a dif- ferent language. ShefFyrin and DurnefF found upon the ifland three round copper plates, with fome letters en- graved upon them, and ornamented Vvith foliage, which the waves had caft upon the fliore : they brought them, together with other trifling curiolities, which they had procured frona the natives, to New Kamtchatkoi Oflrog. Another fbip built of larchwood by the fame Trapef- nikoif, which failed in 1752 under the condudl of Alexei Drufinin a merchant of Kurfk, had been wrecked at Beer- ing's llland, where the crew conftrudled another velTel out of the wreck, which they named Abraham. In this vellel they bore away for the more diftant iflands ; but being forced back by contrary winds to the fame illand, and meeting with the St. Nicholas upon the point of failing for the Aleutian liles, they embarked on that fliip, after having left the new confti-ucfed veiTel under the care of I four RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 47 four of their own failors. The crew had flain uponBeer- ing's Iflaiid five fea-otters, 1222 arclic foxes, and 2500 fea-bears : their fliare 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-otter-fkins, which they procured by barter. CHAR ^ f 43 ACCOUNTOFTIIE CHAP. IV. Voyages from 1753/0 1756. Some of the further A\Q\xX\-xn or Fox I{[a.nds /oucJbed at by SerebranikofF's veJfeL — Some account of the Natives. ' I ^ H R E E velTels were fitted out for the iflands in 1753) one by CholodilofF, a fecond by Serebrani- kofF agent for the merchant Rybenfkoy, and the third by Ivan KraffihiikofF a merchant of Kamtchatka. choiodiioff's CholodilofF's fliip failed from Kamtchatka, the 1 9th of S'.iip fails from Kamtchatka Auguft, manned with thirty-four men ; and anchored the aSth before Beering's Ifland, where they propofed to winter, in order to lay-in a flock of provifions : as they were attempting to land, the boat overfet, and nine of the crew were drowned. »753- June 30, T754, they flood out to fea in quell of new difcoveries : the weather however proving ftormy and foggy, and the fhip fpringing a leak, they were all in danger of perifliing : in this lituation they unexpedledly reached one of the Aleutian iilands, were they lay from the 15th of September until the 9th of July, 1755. In w the RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 49 the autumn of 1754 they were joined by a Kamtchadal, and a Koriac : thefe perfons, together with four others, had deferted from TrapefnikofF's crew; and had remain- ed 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 Avomen, 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. SerebranikofF's veflcl failed in July 1753, manned alfo with thirty-four Ruliians and Kamtchadals : they difeoveredl feveral new ifhuds,- which were probably fome of the more diftant ones ; but were not fo fortunate Departure of Serebranikuff 's in hunting fea-otters as Cholodiloff's cresv. They fleered v<;irei. S. E. and on the 1 7th- of Auguift anchored under an un- known ifland ; whole iiltiabitants fpoke a language they did not underftimd. Here they propofed Jcwking out for a fafe harbour ; but were prevented by the coming on of a fudden ftorm, which carried away their anchor. The fliip being tolt about for feveral days towards the Eafl, they difcovered not far from the firft ifland four others : Hill more to the Eaft three other illands appeared in fight ; but on neither of thefe were they able to land-. The veflel continued driving until' the id- of September, and vvas conliderably fhattered, when they fortunately came II near so A C C O U N T O F T H E •^ near an ifland and caft anchor before it ; they were how- sTiJpwrecked cvcr again forced from this ftation, the veffel wrecked upon one of the more ci.f- upon thc coaft, and the crew with difficulty reached the lane Iflands. r ' J 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 Tropliin, 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 lirft 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. Account of the Inhabitants. 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 fliell-fifli 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 TheCrewcon- flrudt another June, 1754, upon this illand : at that time they de- J'^^^^'^*^"'* parted in a fmall vefTel, conftrudted from the remains of '^^™^'"'^^- 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 Kamt- chatka river. During this voyage twelve Kamtchadals deferted ; of whom fix were flain, together with a female in- habitant, upon one of the moft diftant iflands. The remainder, upon their return to Kamtchatka, were examined ; and from them the following circumllances came to light. The ifland, where the Hiip was wrecked, is about 70 verlts long, and 20 broad. Around it lie twelve other iflands of different fizes, from five to ten verflis difliant 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 confiils of a kind of fliirt made of bird-fkins, and of an upper garment of inteftines ftitched together; they wear wood- en caps, ornamented with a fmall piece of board pro- je6ling forwards, as it feeraed, for a defence againll the arrows. They are all provided with ftone knives, and a * Matten aus eincm geviflen Krautgeflochten. H 2 few V- 52 A C C O U M T O F T H E few of them pollefs iron ones : their only weapons are arrows with points of bone or flint, which they (lioot from a wooden inftrnment. There are no trees upon the iiland : 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. rcpam.reof KraffilnikofF's veffel failed in 17C4, and anchored on, ^''^''' the 1 8th of October before Beering's Ifland ; where all the lliips which make to the New Difcovered Illands are accuftomed to winter, in order to procure a ftock of falted provifions from the fea-cows and other amphibious ani- mals, that are found in great abundance. Here they refitted the veflel, which had been damaged by driving upon her anchor; and having laid in a fufficient ftore of all neceflaries, weighed the ill of Auguft, 1754. The loth they were in light of an ifland, whofe coaft was lined with fuch a number of inhabitants, that they durft not venture afliore. AccorcHngly they flood out to fea, and being overtaken by a ftorm, they were reduced to great dilfrefs 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. Shipwrecked yhgy wcrc beat back however by contrary winds, and upon Copper J J J i w-ni- dropped both their anchors near the fliore ; but the ftorm increaflng at night, both the cables were broken, and the fliip daflied to pieces upon the coafl:. All the * Heracleum. A crew RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 53 crew were fortunately faved ; and means were found to get afliore the Ihip's tackle, ammunition, guns, and the remains of the wreck ; the provifions, however, were moftly fpoiled. Here they were expofed to a variety of misfortunes; three of them were drowned on the 15th of October, as they were going to hunt ; others aim oft perifhed with hunger, having no nourifliment but fraall fliell-fifli and roots. On the 29th of December great part of the fliip's tackle, and all the wood, which they had colleiled from the wreck, was waflied away during an high fea. Notvvithftanding their diftreffes, they conti- nued 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 J,l'i^^'^^„^.^ baidars, carrying with them all the ammunition, fire- lijlrj?'''" arms, and remaining tackle. Having reached that ifland, they found the fmall vefTel Abraham, under the care of the four failors who had been left alhore by the crew of Trapefnikoff's fliip : but as that veiTel was not large enough to contain the whole number, together with their cargo of furs, they ftaid vmtil Sere-branikoff's and Tolftyk's veflels arrived. Thefe t^g^°t, CEPTEMBER 17, 1 71; 6, the vefTel Andrean and AndieanTol- ^^ ' ' i ^ i SklitiaV" Natalia, fitted out by Andrean Tolftyk, merchant of Selenginfk, and manned with thirty-eight Ruffians and Kamtchadals, failed from the mouth of the Kamt- chatka river. The autumnal ftorms coming on, and a fcarcity of proviiions enfuing, they made to Beering's IHand, where they continued until the 14th of June 1757. As no fea-otters came on fhore that winter, they killed nothing but feals, fea-lions, and fea-cows ; whofe flefli ferved them for provifion, 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 NevodfikofF. Here they found the inhabitants, as well of that, as of the other two iflands, aflembled ; thefe iflanders had juft taken leave of the crew of Trapefnikoff's vefTel, which had failed for Kamtchatka. The Ruffians feized this opportunity of perfuading them to pay tribute; with this view they 2 beckoned RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 53 beckoned the Toigon, whofe name was Tunulgafen : the latter recollefled one of the crew, a Koriac, who had formerly been left upon thefe iflands, and who knew fomething of their language. A copper kettle, a fur and cloth coat, a pair of breeches, ftockings and boots, were beftowed upon this chief, who was prevailed upon by thefe prefents to pay tribute. Upon his departure for his own ifland, 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 ufiial, into different hunting parties : they were compelled, by ftormy 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 vefTel brought to Kamtchatka the moft circum- ftantial account of the Aleutian ifles which had been yet received. The two lareefl contained at that time about fifty Account of tnolc lilands. males, with whom the Ruffians had lived in great har- mony. They heard of a fourth ifland, lying at fome diflance from the third, called by the natives Iviya, but which they did not reach on account of the tempefluous weather. The 5^ A C C O U N T O F T II E The firft ifland is about an hundred verfTs long and from five to twenty broad. They efleemed the diftance from the firft to the fccond, which lies Eaft by South, to be about thirty verfts, and about forty from the latter to the third, which ftands South Eaft. The original drefs of the iflanders was made of the fkins of birds, fea-otters and feals, which were tanned ; but the greateft part had procured from the Ruftians dog-fkin coats, and under- garments of llieep-fkin, which they were very fond of. They are reprefented as naturally talkative, quick of ap- prehenfion, and much attached to the Ruffians. Their dwellings are hollowed in the ground, and covered with wooden roofs reienibling the huts in the peninfula of Kamtchatka. Their principal food is the flefli of fea animals, which they harpoon with their bone lances ; they alfo feed upon feveral fpecies of roots and berries : namely *clovid-berrics, crake- berries, bilberries, and fer- vices. The rivulets abound with falmon, and other filh 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 ofiers and underwood, but no large trees : the fea however drives afhore fir and larch, fufficient for the conftruition of * Rubus Chamsemorus — Empetrum — Myrtillus — Sorbus. their R U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 57 their huts. There are a great number of ar6tic foxes "Upon the firit iiland, as well as fea-otters ; and the fliores, during ftormy weather, are 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 with- out fuccefs : upon their departure they diihibuted among the iflanders fome linen, and thirteen nets for the pur- pofe of catching fea-otters, which were very thankfully received. This veflel brought to Kamtchatka the fkins of 5030 old and young fea-otters, of 1040 old and young ariSlic foxes, and of 330 Medwedki or cubs of fea-otters. hi the year 1757, Ivan NikiphorofF, a merchant of Mofcow, fent out a vefTel : but we have no further ac- count of this voyage, than that (he failed to the Fox Iflands, at leaft as far as Umnak. The fmall vefTel Cajnton, the fame that was built Vova?- of Ivan Slii k'.B In upon Beering's Ifland, and which- was given to the mer- ''";'-' chant *Ivan Shilkin, put to fea September 26, 1757, carrying on board the CofTac Ignatius StudentfofJj who a pi tun has given an account of the vovaq;e. * See chap. III. I They 58 ACCOUNTOFTHE They had not long failed, before they were driven back to the fhore of Kamtchatka by ftrefs of weather, and the velfel 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 diredlly to Beering's Illand, where they took up two of Krafilni- koft's crew*-, who had been lliipwrecked. They again fet fail in Auguft of the fame year, and touched at the neareft Aleutian Ifles, after fuffering greatly from ftorms. They then continued their courfe to the remoter iflands lying between Eaft and South Eaft ; and having pafTed by the firft, they anchored before the fecond. A boat being immediately fent out towards the fliore, 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 veffel. They had no fooner got aboard, than a violent gale of wind blowing from the Ihore broke the cable, and drove them out to fea. The weather became fuddenly thick and foggy ; and under Shipwrecked thcfc circumftanccs the velTel was forced upon a fmall upon one ct '1;'= ''f^ iiland at no eieat diftance from the other, and fliip- wrecked. The crew got to fliore with difficulty, and were able to fave nothing but the fire-arms and ammu- nition. » See chap. IV. They RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. They had fcarcely got to land, before they were befet by a luimber of favages, 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 how- ever without hefitation to the iflanders ; and one Ni- cholas TfiuprojfF (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 fhout, 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 afl!ailants, and forced the remainder to retire : and although a frefli body ap23eared in light, as if they were coming to the afliftance of their companions, yet no new attack was made. Soon afterwards the favages left the iffand, and rowed acrofs the ilrait. From the 6th of September to the 23d of April, they underwent all the extremities of famine : during that pe- riod their beft fare vv'as ffiell-filh and roots ; and they were even at times reduced to ftill the cravings of their appetite with the leather, which the waves waffied affiore from the v/reck. Seventeen died of hunger, and the reft would foon have followed their companions, if they had not fortunately difcovered a dead whale, which the fea had caft ailiore. They remained upon this iiland another I 2 winter. 59 6o ACCOUNTOFTHE The Crew con- winter, where they flew i-xo fea-otters ; and havino; vdv.i, and are ^^^iit ^ fmall veffel out of the remains of the wreck, thev again ftiip- ' •' wrecked. ^^^^ to fea in the heginning of fnmmer 1760. They had fcarcely reached one of the Aleutian iflands, wheru Serehranikoff's veffel lay at anchor, when they were again fliipwrecked, 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 CHAP. RUS-SI AN DISCOVERIES. 6i CHAP. VL Foyages in ij :)?>^ 17 59? ^i ltd 1^60 — /o /Z*^ Fox Iflands — in the St. Vladimir, yf//W out by TrapefnikofF — and in the Gabriel, by Betflievin — T:}je latter under the command of Puflikareff/^/'/f /(?• Alaklu or Alachikak, one of the re- motejl Eajlern IJiands hitherto vijited — Some account of its inhabitants, and produc/iojiSy which latter are dif- ferent from tbofe of the more IFeJiern IJiands. SEPTEMBER 17s 8, the merchant Simeon Krafi!- yo;-f=,°"'= nikoff and Nikiphor Trapefnikoff fitted out two veffels p^rjir'^';?.'' for the piirpofe of catching fea-otters. One of thcfe vef- fels, called the St. Vladimir, failed the 28th under the com- mand of Demetri PaikofF, carrying on board the CoiTac Sila Shaffvrin as coHedtor of the tribute, and a crew of fortv- five men. In twenty- four hours they readied Beering's Ifiand, where they wintered. July 16, 1759, they fleered towards the South in order to difcover land, but being difappointed, they bore away to the North for the Aleutian Ifles : being prevented however by contrary winds from reaching them, they failed ftreight towards the diftant iflands, which are known at prefent under the name of Lyffie Oftrova or the Fox Iflands. Septem- A.nvni ^t ii,*- Fox IlUnJ. ber I , they reached the firft of thefe, called by the natives Atchu, and by the Ruffians Goreloi or the Burnt Illand: I but 62 A C C O U N T O F T II E l)\.it r>s the coafts were very ficcp and craggy, they made to Amhich, lying at a fmall diilance, where they deter- mined to pafs the winter. They divided themlelves ac- cordingly into three parties ; the firil, at the head of which was Alexey Drufinin, w^ent 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. AH thefe iflands 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 blackilli ftreaks made with a needle and thread in the Ikin, in the fame manner as a CofTac one of the cre^v had obferved before upon fome of the Tfchutfki. The inhabitants had no iron ; the points of their darts and lances were tipped with bone and flint. They at firfl: imagined, that Anflach was uninhabited ; but in one of their hunting parties they found a boy of eight years old, whom they brought with them: they eave him the name of Hermolai, and taught him the Rufllan language, that he might ferve as an interpreter. After penetrating further they difcovered an hut, where- in were two women, four men, and as many boys, whom they treated kindly, and employed in hunting, fifliing, and in digging of roots. This kind behaviour encou- raged others to pay frequent viflts, and to exchange fifli and flefli for goat's hair, horfes manes, and glafs beads. Thev RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 63 They procured alfo four other iflanders with their wives, who dug roots for them : and thus the winter pafled away without any difturbance. In the fpring the hunting parties returned; during thefe excurfions one man alone was killed upon the iiland 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 inha- bitants of Atach, but for what reafon is not known. — Drufmin received the firft information of this maflacre from feme inhabitants of Sitkin, where he then was ; and immediately fet out with the remaining hunters to join their companions, who \vere left on board. Al- though he fucceeded in regaining the vefTel, their num- ber was by this time fo confiderably reckiced that their fituation appeared very dangerous : he was foon how^ever relieved from his apprehenfions by the arrival of the merchant Betflievin's vefTel at the ifland of Atchu *. The two crews entered into partnerfliip : the St. Vla- dimir received twenty-two men, and transferred eleven of her own to the other velfel. 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 b/ the Ruflians Goreloi or Burnt Ifland. Th is ^4 ACCOUNTOFTME pifflikl'reif. This vcflel, fitted out at the expence of Betflievin, a merchant of Irkutik, was called Gabriel; and put to fea from the mouth of the Bolfliaia Reka July 31(1, 1760. She was maiuicd with forty Ruflians arid twenty Kamt- cliadals, and carried on board Gabriel Puflikareff, of the garrifon of Ochotflc, Andrew Shdanoff, Jacob Shary2:)off, Prokopei LoballikofF, together with Nikiphor GolodofF, and Aphanaffji Oflcoloff, Betflievin's agents. Having failed through the fecond ftrait of the Kuril Illes, they reached the Aleutian Ifles on the 24th of Au- gurt. They Hood out from thence in order to make new difcoveries among thofe more remote illands, which lie in one continued chain to the extent of 15 degrees of longitude. v.eaciies At- September 2 '. thev reached Atchu, or Burnt Ifland, and cliu, one of ihe i ^ v ^ ? I'ox Illands. found the above-mentioned flrip the St. Vladimir, lying twenty verfts 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 contraft for the diviHon of the profit. During that winter the two crews killed partly upon Siguyam, about 800 fea otters of different iazes, about 100 medwedki or cubs, fome river otters, above RUSSIAN DISC 0,V E R I E S. 6j above 400 red, greyifh, and black foxes, and colleilied twelve pood of fea-horfe teeth. In June, of the following year, the two cre\vs were diftributed equally on board the two veflels: Kraffilni- kofF's remained at Amlach, with an intention of return- ing to Kamtchatka, and Belllievin's put to fea from Atchu in queft of other iflands. They touched firft at Umnak Departs from tlience, where they met NikiphorofF's veffel. Here they took in wood and water, and repaired their fails: they then failed to the moft remote illand Alakfu*, or Alachfliak, S;;i: "p"*" where, having laid up the fliip in a bay, they built huts, and made preparations for wintering. This illand was very well inhabited, and the natives behaved at firft in a very friendly manner, for they trafficked with the Ruf- • Hans, and even delivered up nine of their children as lioftages ; but fuch was the lawlefs and irregular beha- viour of the crew, that the iflanders were foon irritated and provoked to hoftilities. In January 1762, GolodofFand Puflikareff went with a party of twenty men along the fliore ; and, as they were attempting to violate Ibme girls vipon the iflaud Uny- umga, were lurprifed by a numerous body of the na- tives: GolodofF and another Ruffian were killed, and tliree were wounded. Not long afterwards the watch of * This is probably the fame ifland which is laid down in Krenitzin's ehart under the name of Alaxa. K the 66 ACCOUNTOFTHE Ihe crew was fuddenly attacked by the iflanders ; four men were flain upon the fpot, as many wounded, and the huts reduced to allies. 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 hoflages were put to death. The fame month the natives attempted to furprife the Ruffians in their huts ; but being fortunately difcovered in time were repulfed 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 fhew them other iflands. They were prevented however by tempeftuous weather from reaching them ; and were driven out to fea Weftward with fuch violence, that all their fails were carried away : at length on the 2,3d of September they flruck againft land, which they took for the peninfula of Kamtchatka ; and they found it to be the diilriil of Stobolikoi Oftrog. Six men were immediately difpatched in the fmall boat and two baidars to land: they carried with them leveral girls (who had been brought from the new difcovered illands) in order to gather berries. Mean while the crew endeavoured to ply the (hip to the windwaRl. When the boat returned, thofe on board were fcarcely able, on account of the ftorm, to row to the fliip, and to catch hold of a rope, 3 which RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 67 which was flung out to them. Two men remained with the baidars, and were afterwards carried by feme Kamt- chadals to New Kamtchatkoi Oftrog. The fliip without- one fail remaining was driven along the coaft of Kamt- chatka towards Avatcha, and about feventy vcrfts from, that harbour ran into the bay of Kalatzoff on the 25th of September. Their cargo confided of the fkins of 900 old and young fea-otters, and of 350 foxes. PuflikarefF and his crew had during this voyage be- haved with fuch inhumanity towards the iilanders, that they were brought to trial in the year 1764; and the above-mentioned account is taken from the concurring evidence of feveral witnefles. 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 iirfl approach to that coaft, fourteen women were fent afliore to dig roots and to gather berries. Of thefe, two ran away, and a third was killed, as they were returning to the fliip 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 Pufli- 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 68 ' ACCOUNTOFTHE Account of rj^jjg natives of the above-mentioned iflands are very the Jnnabitants ■* ofAiacWa. ^^^^ ^^^^ ftrongly made. They make their cloaths of the fkins of birds ; and thruft bones through their un- der-hps by way of ornament. They were faidto ftrike their nofes nntil they bled, in order to fuck the blood; but w^e 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 iflanders 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 coa- fiderable dirtance. Animals. fhe 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 greateft 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 accuftomed to glue on the point of their tlarts with blood ; and that this was the real motive to the pradice mentioned in the text. llance RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 69 ftance feems to prove that Alakfu is Htuated 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 ifland produces no large trees, having only fome under- wood, 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 Penfliinik. Auguft 4, 1759, the Peter and Paul, fitted out at the p^^^'^^.'^fpj,! expence of the merchant Rybenfkoi by his agent An- ILVmani'i!', drew SerebranikofF, and manned with thirty-three per- fons, fet fail from the mouth of the Kamtchatka river. They fleered fouthwards until the 20th of September without feeing any land, when they flood for the Aleu- tian Ifles, one of which they reached the 27 th of Sep- tember. They remained there until the 24th of June, 1761 ; during which time they killed upon this and the two other iflands 1900 old and young fea-otters, , and obtained 450 more by bartering with the iflanders.. The Coflac Minyachin, who was on board as colletSlor of the tribute, calls in his account the firft ifland by the RulTian name of Krugloi, or Round Ifland, which he fuppofes to be about fixty verfts in circumference : the largefl ifland lies thirty verfts from thence, and is about an hundred and fifty round : the fmalleft is about thirty verfts 70 ACCOUNTOFTHE verfls from the latter, and is forty in circumference. Thefe three iflancis contain feveral high rocky moun- tains. The number of inhabitants were computed to be about forty-two men, without reckoning women and children. *j CHAP. RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. ^ 71 CHAP. VII. Voyage of Andrean Tolftyk in the St. Andrean and Nata- lia — Difcovery of fame New I/lands called AndreanofF- fkye Oftrova — Defcription of fix of thofe IJlands. T HE moft remarkable voyage hitherto made is that vovagcofA1^ ' ° drcan Tolftyk of the St. Andrean and Natalia, of which the fol- '"''''f ,t"' lowing extradl is drawn from the Journals of the two "'' ''''°" ColTacs, Peter Wafyutinflvoi and Maxim Lafaroff. This veflel, fitted out by the above-mentioned merchant An- drean Tolftyk, weighed from the mouth of the Kamt- chatls-a river September 27, 1760; flie flood out to fea right Eaft wards, and on the 29th reached Beering's Ifland. There flie lay at anchor in a bay, from whence the crew brought all the tackle and lading afhore. Soon afterwards they were driven upon the fliore by a violent autumnal ftorm, without any other damage than the lofs of an anchor. Here they paflcd the winter ; and having refitted their velTel, put to fea June 24, 1761 : they pafled by Copper Ifland, which lies about an hundred and fifty verfts from the fonner, and fleered S. E. to- wards the Aleutian lOes, which they did not reach before the 6th of yVugurt. They catt anchor in an open bay near Attak, in order to procure an interpreter from tlie Toigon 72 A C C 6 U i^ 1' O'V T M E Toigoii Tvinulgalen ; but the latter being dead, they fent prefents to the Toigoii Bakutun. As there were already three fhips lying at ahchor before this liland, on the 1 9th they again ftood out to fea in queft of the more diftant iflands, for the purpofe of exacting a tribute. They carried on board a relation of the Toigon Bakutun, who had a flight knowledge of the Ruffian language. They fleered N. E. and N. E. by E. and were driven, on the 28th, by a high gale of wind towards an ifland, before which they immediately call anchor. The following morning the two CoflTacs with a party of eight perfons went afliore to reconnoitre the ifland ; they faw no inha- bitants. Auguft 30, the veflTel was brought into a fafe bay. The next day fome of the crew were fent afliore .to procure wood, that the fliip might be refitted ; but there were no large trees to be met with upon the whole ifland. LafarofF, who was one of the party, had been Ayagi"one of thcrc bcforc in SerebranikofF's veflTel : he called the ifland the Andrea- rofFiicye Avaffh or Kayachu : and another, which lay about the diftance of twenty verfts, Kanaga. As they were re- turning to the fhip, they faw two iflanders rowing in fmall canoes towards Kanaga, one of whom had ferved as an interpreter, and was known to LafarofF. The lat- ter accordingly made them a prefent of fome frefli pro- vifiOn, which the others gratefully accej^ted, and then continued their courfe acrofs the ftrait to Kanaga. Soon afterwards Lafaroflf and eight men rowed over to that ifland, and having invited the Toigon, who was a rela- 2 tion RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. tion of the above-mentioned interpreter, to pay them a vifit at KayachUj they immediately returned to the fliip. Near the place where they lay at anchor, a rivulet falls into the bay ; it flows from a lake that is about two or three verfts in circumference, and which is form- ed from a number of fmall fprings. Its courfe is about eight verfts long ; and in fummer feveral fpecies of fal- mon and other fifli, fimilar to thofe which are found at Kamtchatka, afcend the ftream as far as the lake. LafarofF was employed in fifliingin this rivulet, when the Toigon of Kanaga, accompanied with a confiderable number of the natives in fifteen baidars, arrived at the fhip : he was hofpitably entertained, and received feveral prefents. The Ruffians feized this opportunity of per- fuading the iflanders to acknowledge themfelves fubjed; to the Emprefs, and to pay a regular tribute ; to which they made no great obje6lion. By means of the inter- preter, the following information was obtained from the Toigon. The natives chiefly fubfift upon dried fifli and other fca animals. They catch '-turbot of a very large fize, and take feals by means of harpoons, to which they faften bladders. They lifli for cod with bone hooks, and lines made of a long and tough fpecies of fea-weed, * The author adds, that thcfe turbot [paltus] weigh occafionally feven or eight pood. L which 73 74 ACCOUNTOFTIIE which they dip in frefh water and draw out to the fize of a fine packthread. As foon as the veffel was laid up in a fecure place, Tolftyk, Vaffyutin and Lalarofi^, with feveral others, went in four baidars to Kanaga. The firll remained upon that illand, hut the two others rov.xd in two bai- dars to Tfetchina, which is feparated from Kanaga by a ftrait about feven verfts in breadth : the illandcrs receiv- ed them amicably, and promifed to pay tribute. The feveral parties returned all fafc to Kayacbu, 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 oppofition 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 followiug is LafarofF's defcription of the above- the Andrea- noftfkye mentioued fix iflands* which lie in a chain fome what Jiunus. to the North Wefl: of the Fox Iflands, and muft not be ^^lended with them. The firft certain account was brought by this vefl^el, the St. Andrean and -Natalia, * Thefe are the fix Iflands defcribed by Mr. Sttehlin in his defcription cf the New Archipelago. See Appendix I. N°. V. I from R U S S I A N D I S C V E R I E S. 75 from whence they are called the AndreanofFfkic Oflrova or the Illands of St. Andrean. Ayagh is about an hundred and fifty verfls in circum- Ayagh. ference : it contains feveral high and rocky mountains, the intervals of which are bare heath and moor ground : not one forefl tree is to be found upon the whole ifland. The vegetables feem 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 neceffity, a plentiful provifion for the inhabitants. The above-mentioned rivulet is the only one upon the ifland. The number of inhabitants cannot fufficiently be afcertained, becaufe the natives pafs continually from ifland to iiland in their baidars. Kanaga Hands Weft from Ayagh, and is two hundred Kanaga. 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 occafion- ally boil their provillon. There is no rivulet upon this ifland ; and the low grounds are fimilar to thofe of Ayagh. The inhabitants are reckoned about two hun- dred fouls. * Empetrum, Vaccin. Uliginofum, Sanguilbrba, &c Bilioru. L 2 Tfetchina 76 ACCOUNTOFTHE Tfetdiina. Tfctchina lies Eaftward 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 are alfo fome warm fprings, but no rivulet abounding in filh : the iiland contains only four families. Tagaiak. Tagalak is forty verfts in circumference, ten Eaft from Tfetchina : it contains a few rocks, but neither rivulets with fifli, nor any vegetable produdtion fit for nouriili- ment. The coafts are rocky, and dangerous to approach in baidars. This ifland is alfo 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 circumfe- rence : 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 fifli. 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. Amiach. 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- a ber RUSSIA NDISCOVERIES. 77 ber of inhabitants as Atchn, has a commodious haven, and produces roots in abundance. Of feveral fmall rivulets there is one only which flows towards the North, that contains any fifli. Befides thefe a clufter of other illands were obferved ftretching farther to the Eaft, which were not touched upon. The inhabitants of thefe fix iflands are tributary to t^e'iThabi^ Ruffia. They live in holes dug in the earth, in which they make no fires even in winter. Their clothes are made like fliirts, 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 blad- ders and other dried inteilines of feals and fea-lions oiled and fi:itched 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 fifii ; at which time they are reduced to live upon fmall fliell-filh and fea-wrack, which they pick up upon the beach and. eat raw. In May and June they kill fea-otters in the fol- lowing 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 tha fame manner. In the fevereft weather they make no addition to their ufual cloathing. In order to warm * Colymbus Troile, Alca Ardiica.. themfelves yS ACCOUNTOFTHE thcmfclvcs in winter, whenever it freezes very hard, they burn a heap of dry grafs, over which they Ifand and catch the heat under their clothes. The clothes of the women and children are made of fea-otter il'^ins, in the fame form as thofe belonging to the men. When- ever they pafs the night at a diftance from home, they dig a hole in the earth, and lay themfelves dov/n in it, covered only with their clothes and mats of platted grafs. Regardlefs of every thing but the prefent moment, delli- tute of religion, and without the leaft appearance of de- cency, they feem but few degrees removed from brutes* As foon as the feveral baidars fent out upon hunting parties were returned, and the veflel got ready for their departure, the Toigons of thefe iflands (excepting Ka- naga) came in baidars to Tolftyk, accompanied with a confiderable number of the natives; their names were Tfarkulini, Tlhunila, Kayugotflv and Mayatok. They brought with them a voluntary tribute, making prefents of pieces of dried falmon, and unanimoufly expreffing their fatisfaftion upon the good conducft of the Ruffians. Tolftyk gave them in return feme toys and other trifles, and defired them to lecommend to the inhabitants of the other iflands the like friendly behaviour towards the Ruf- fian merchants who fnould come amongll them, if they had a mind to be treated in the fame manner. June 14, 1764, they failed for Kamtchatka, and an- chored on the 1 9th before Shemiya, one of the Aleutian IflaJids. RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 7^- Iflands. The 21ft they were forced from their anchor by tempeftuous winds, and driven upon a rocky fliore. This accident obliged them to fend the lading afliore, and to draw the fliip upon land in order to repair the damage, which was done not withovit great difficulty. On the 1 8th 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 veflel ; and, after taking on board the crew of a lliip which had been lately caft away, they failed for Kamtchatka. On the 4th of September tliey came in fight of that peninfula near ^le'ck^d'^upon Tzafchminfkoi Oftrog ; and on the 1 8th, as they were en- KamtchlU' ,. deavouring to run into the mouth of the Kamtchatka river, they were forced by a ftorm upon the coaft. The veflel was deftroyed, and the greatefl part of the cargo/ loft. C H A P,. 8o ACCOUNT OF THE CHAP. VIII. Voyage of the Zacharias aiid Elizabeth, ftted out by Kul- koff, and co^nmanded by Drufinin — They fail to Umnak and Unalafhka, and winter upon the latter (/land — I'he veffel defiroyed^ and all the crew., except four^ jnurdered by the [/landers — The adventures of thefe four Ruffians, and their wonderful efcope. S II A L L here barely mention that a veffel was fitted out in Auguft, 1760, at the expence of Terrenti Tfebaeflkoi : but I fliall have occation to be very cir- cumftantial in my accounts concerning feveral others, which failed during the following years : more copious information concerning the Fox Iflands having been procured from thefe voyages, although for the moft part unfortunate, than from all the preceding ones. In 1762 four velTels failed for the Fox Iflands : of thefe only one returned fafe to Kamtchatka. Voyage of rpj ^^ ^^.^g ^l-^g Zacharias and Elizabeth, fitted out Drulinin in the * •» ^^ Ifelbett" "' by Kulkoff, a merchant of Vologda and Company, under '''' the command of Drufinin, and manned by thirty-four Ruffians, and three Kamtchadals. September R U S S 1 A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 8i September the 6th, they weighed aochor from Ochotfk, and arrived OtStober the nth in the haven of St. Peter and Paul, where they wintered. June the 24th, 1763, they again put to fea, and having reached, after eleven days faiUng, the neareft Aleutian lilands, they anchored hefore Atach. They flaid here about fourteen days, and took up feven Ruffians who had been lliipwrecked on this coail. Among thefe was Korelin, who returned to Kamtchatka, and brought back the following account of the voyage. July the 17th, they failed from Atach towards the more.diftant illands. In the fame month they landed upon an illand, where the crew of the Andrean and Natalia was engaged in hunting ; and, having laid in a proviiion of water, continued their voyage. In the beginning of September they arrived at Um- Arrival at nak, one of the Fox Illands, and call anchor about a verft from the fliore. They found there GlottolF's veiTel, whofe voyage will be mentioned in a fucceeding chajiter-, Drufmin immediately difpatched his firft mate Maefnifk and Korelin, with thirty-four of the crew, to land. They paffed over to the Ealfern extremity of the ifland, which was diftant about feventy verfts from the veffel ; and re- turned fafe on the 12th of September. During this ex- » Chap. X. M pedition, 82 ACCOUNTOFTHE pedition, they faw feveral remains of fox-traps which had been fet by the Ruffians ; and met with feveral natives who fliewed fome tribute-quittances. The fame day letters were brouglit by the iflanders from Medvedeff and Korovin ■■■•, who were juft arrived at Urrinak and Unalaflika in two veffels fitted out by the merchants Protaffoff and Trapefnikoif. Anfwers were returned by the fame meirengers. Winters at /~ -i ■ c Unaiaflika. Ou thc 2 2d, Drulium failed to the Northern point of Unalaliika, which lies about fifteen verfls from Umnak: the crew, having laid up the veflel in a fafe harbour, and brought the lading afliore, made preparation to con- flruit an hut. Soon after their arrival, two Toigons of the neareft village brought hoflages of their own ac- cord ; their example was immediately followed by feveral of the more diflant villages. Here they received infor- mation of an hunting party fent from Trapefi^iikofF's ihip. Upon which Maefnyk alio difpatched three com- panies upon the fame errand, one confifting of eleven men, among whom, was Korelin, under the command of Peter TfekaleiT; 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 fmgle perfon of the other two parties, or of the crew remaining on board, ever returned to Kamtchatka. * See the following Chapter. Kafldtfvn R U S S I A N D I S C O V E R r E S. 83 ICalkitfyn remained near the haven, and the twa other companies were difpatched to the Northern point cf the ifland. KudyakofF flopped at a place called Kalaktak, which contained about forty inhabitants ; Tlc- kaleff went on to Inalok, which lies about thirty verits from Kalaktak. He found there a dwelling with about feventy inhabitants, whom he behaved to with kindnefs : he built an hut for himielf and his companions, and kept a conftant watch. December the 4th, fix of the partv beinq; difpatched '^" '''"^ c.cw, ~ ' i ^ 01 except tour to look after the pit-falls, there remained only five Ruf- ftrovcTby'ths 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 vilit to the iilanders, the latter fuddenly, and without any provocation, ftruck Tfekalefl:' upon the head with a club, and afterwards ilabbed him with knives. They next fell upon Shaffyrin, who defended himfelf with an hatchet, and, though defperately wounded, forced his w^ay 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 flabbing him with knives and darts, until Korelin came to his afTiftance ; the latter having M 2 wounded 84 A C C O U N T O F T H E ^vounclcd two iflanders, and driven away the others,, brought Kokovin half-dead to the hut. The Adven- Soou aftcrwards the natives furroundcd the hut, which tures of the u"'on u"naiaik- ^^"^^ Ruffians had taken the precaution to provide with lliooting-holes. The fiege lafted four days without in- termiflion. The illandcrs were prevented indeed by the jSre-arms from florming the hut ; but whenever the Ruffians made their appearance, darts were immediately fliot at them from all fides ; fo that tliey 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. Dur- ing 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 difappeared, than tlie Ruffians dragged the baidar into the fea, and rowed without md- leflarion out of the bay, which is about ten verfts broad. They next landed near a fmall habitation : finding it empty they drew the baidar affiore, and went with their fire-arms and lances acrofs the mountains towards Ka- laktak, where they had left Kudyakoff's party. As they ; approached R U S S I x\ N D I S C O V E R I E S. » approached that place towards evening, they fired from the heights ; but no fignal being returned, they con- cluded, as was really the cafe, that this company had. likewife been malfacred by the inhabitants. They them- felves narrowly efcaped the fame fnte ; for, immediately upon the report of the fire-arms, numerous bodies of the iilanders made their appearance, and clofely purfued the Ruffians : darknefs however coming on, the latter found means to efcape over the fandy fliorc of a bay to a rock, where they were flieltered, and could defend themfelves. They here made fo good, a ufe of their arms, that the iilanders thought proper to retire : the fugitives, as foon. as their purfuers were withdrawn, feized the op- portunity of proceeding towards the haven, where their vefTel 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 velTel lying on the fiiore. Struck with aftonifhment at this alarming difcovery, they retreated with precipitation to the mountains, from whence they defcried feveral iilanders rowing in canoes, but no appearance of their own vefiel. 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 veflTel broken to pieces, and the dead bodies of their com- panions lying mangled along the beach. Having col- le61ed all the provifion which had been untouched by the favages, they returned to the mountains. The- 3^ E6 A C C O U N T O F T H E The following day they fcooped out a cavity at the foot of a moiintaia fituated about three veriis from the haven, and covered it with a piece of a fail. In the evening they returned to the haven, and found there an in:iage of a faint and a jirayer book ; all the tackle and lading were taken away, excepting the facks for proviiion. Thefe liicks vrere made of leather : the natives liad ript them up probably to fee if they contained any iron, and had left them, together with the proviiion, behind as ufelefs. The Ruffians coiled;ed all that remained, and dra^-fjed as much as thev were able to carrv into the mountains to their retreat, where they lived in a very wretched ll:ate 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 Trapefnikoff's veffel, which, as they had reafon to think, lay at anchor fomewhere upon the coaft. They rowed at fome diftance from the ffiore, and by that means pair- ed three habitations unperceived. The following day they obferved at fome difcance five iflanders in a baidar, who upon feeing them made to Makufliinfk, before which IIUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 87 which place the fugitives were obliged to pafs. Darknefs -coming on, the Ruffians landed on a rock, and pafled the night alliore. Early in tlie morning they difcovered the iflanders advancing towards them from the bay of Ma- kufliinfk. Upon this they placed themfelves in an ad- vantageous poll, and prepared for defence. The favages rowed clofe to the beach : part landing, and part remaining in their baidars, they commenced the aiPault by a volley of darts ; and notwithftanding the Ruffians did great execution with their fire arms, the Ikirmifli 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 ported, that they repulfed the ailailants without much difficulty. hi this encounter Bragcn v/as ilightly wounded. They remained in this place three days ;^ but the fea riling at a fpring-tide into the rock, forced them to fally oat towards a neighbouring cavern, which they reached without lofs, notwithftand- ing the oppofitionof the iflanders. They were imprifoned in this cave five weeks, and kept Vv'atch by turns. During that time they feldom ven- tured twenty yards from the entrance ; and were obliged to quench their thirft with fnow- water, and witli the moifture dripping from the rock. They fuffered alfo 3 greatly Si A C C O U N T O F T H E greatly from hunger, having no fuftenance but fmall fliell-fifn, which they occafionally found means to col- led: 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. Their Efcips Thcv coutinucd rowins; at ni^ht, but in the day thev from Unal.,(li- •' <=> O J J . nikoffTveiiii ^^^ themfelves on the fliore ; by this means they efcaped unobferved from the bay of Makulliinflv, and reached Trapefnikoff's veffel the 30th of March, 1764. What happened to them afterwards in company with the crew of this veffel will be mentioned in the fucceeding chapter, Shaffyrin alone of ail the four died of licknefs daring the voyage ; but Korelin, Kohovin, and "Eragin-''- returned fafe to Kamtchatka. The names of thefe brave men deferve our admiration, for the courage and perfeverance with which they fupported and over- came 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, whofe name is well known in the lite- rary world, faw Bragin at Irkutfk : from him he had a narrative of their adventures and efcape ; which, as he affured me, perfectly tallied with the above account, which is drawn from the journal of Korelin. CHAP. R U S S I A N D I S C V E R I E S. Sg CHAP. IX. Foyage of the vejjel called the Trinity, under the command of Korovin — Sails to the Fox Illands — Winters at Una- laflika — Puts to fea the fpring following — 7he veffel is Jlranded in a bay of the ijland Umnak, and the crew attacked by the natives — Many of them killed — Others carried off by ficknefs — Tthey are reduced to great Jlreights — Relieved by Glottoff, twelve of the whole company only ■ remaining — Defer ipt ion of Umnak and Unalaflika. TH E fecond veffel which failed from Kamtchatka in .Y"y^s.= °^ . Korovin, 1 762. the year 1762, was the Trinity, fitted out by the trading company of Nikiphor TrapefnikofF, merchant of Irkutik, under the command of Ivan Korovin, and manned with thirty-eight Ruffians and fix Kamtchadals. September 15, they failed down the Kamtchatka river. Departs f,om , , , ■ Kaititdutka. and Itoocl out to lea the 29th, when they were driven at large for ten days by contrary winds. At lafl: upon the 8th of 0:1ober they came in fight of Beering's and Copper Ifland, where they caft anchor before the South fide of the former. Here they were refolved to winter on account of the late feafon of the year. Accordingly they laid up the vclfel in a fecure harbour, and brouglit N ail po ACCOUNTOFTHE Winters upon 11 ^-j g lacUnff afhorc. They ftaid here until the firft of Btenngs '*'•' •.»■»■«' ^ j iflami. Auguft, 1763 : during that time they killed about 500 ar6tic foxes and 20 fea-otters ; the latter animals re- forted lefs frequently to tMs illand, in confequence of the difturbance given them by the Ruffian hunters. Korovin, having colledled a fufficient ftore of provi- fion, feveral fkins of fea-cows for tlie coverings of bai- dars, and feme iron which remained from the wreck, of Beerings fliip, prepared for his departure. Upon his arrival at Beering's Illand the preceding autumn, he found there a veffel fitted out by Jacob Protaffoff, mer- chant of Tiumen, under the command of Dennis Med- vedeff*. Korovin had entered into a formal contradl with Medvedeff for the divilion of the furs. Here he took on board ten of Medvedeff's crew, and gave him feven in return. Auguft I, 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 t;th, Kotovin made Unalaffika, where Glottoff lay Islhka. "^ at anchor, and Medvedeff reached Umnak. Korovia 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 fol- lowing chapters. lay RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES, lay at no greater diftance from each other tiian about an hundred and fifty verfts, taking a ftreight line from point to point acrofs the firth. Korovin caft anchor in a convenient bay at the diftance of fixty yards from the fhore. On the i6th he landed with fourteen men, and having found notliing but an. empty fhed, he returned to the vefTel. 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 alTembled together. Among them were three Toigons, who recolledled and accofted in a friendly manner one BarnafliefF, a native of Tobolfk, who had been there before with Glottoff; they fliewed fome tribute-quittances, which they had lately received from the CoITac Sabin Ponomareff. Two of thefe Toi- gons gave each a boy of twelve years of age as an hoftage, whom they pafTed for their children ; and the third delivered his fon of about fifteen years of age, the fame who had been GlottofTs hoftage, and whom Korovin called Alexey. With thefe hoftages he returned to the ftiip, which he laid up in the mouth of a river, t-aysupthe ^' ^ ' Ship. after having brought all the provifion and ladng alliore. Soon afterwards the three Toigons came to fee the hoftages ; and informed Korovin, that MedvedefF's veffel rode fecurely at anchor before Umnak. N 3 September 91 92 A C C O U N T O F T H E ■ September 15, when every thing was prepared for- wintering, Korovin and Barnaflieff fet ovU 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 coall of the ifland, towards its Weftern extremity, in order to hunt, and to enquire after a certain interpreter called Kaflimak, who had been employed by Glottoff on a fonner occafion. Having rowed about twenty verfts, they pafTed by a village, and landed at another which lay about five verfts fur- ther. 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 wdfe 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, abou^ fifteen verfts from the former, where they found the interpreter Kaflimak ; 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 pre- tended, were gone out to fifli. The next morning each* Toigon gave a boy as an hoftage ; one of the boys Ko- rovin called Gregory, and the other Alexey. The Ruf- fians R U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 9.3 fians were detained there two days by a violent florm ; 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 fomewhat abating, they rowed back to the next village, where they continued two nights. without any apprehenfions from the favages. At length Korovin returned in fafety with the hoftages to the crew. In the beginninc: of 06lober they built a winter-hut, BuIuis an Hur, 00 J y ann makes partly of wood and partly of feal-lkins, and made all fo^vvwins. the necelTary preparations for hunting. On the 14th, two companies, each confifbing 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 fixty 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 flurgeon and whale's blubber, and received in retura fome beads and provifion. Korovin and his company now thought themfelves feclire ; for which reafon twenty-three men, under the command of the above-mentioned" BarnalliefF, were dif- patched in two baidars upon an hunting party towards the Weflern point of the ifland. Eight muflvets were diftributed to each boat, a piflol and a lance to each man. y V i dilcover the beach of the fame illand Umnak ; there they obferved ^f f^^^'^^^^a the remains of a veffel which had been burnt, and faw h?d"be"e>rm°i (leied liy the fome clothes, fails, and ropes, torn to pieces. At a fmall Nanves. diftance was an empty Rudian dwelUng, and hear 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, faftened about the neck, with which he had been dragged along. Korovin and his companions recolle£led them to have been fome of thofe who had failed in Protaffoff's vefTel ; and could diftinguilh 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 Diftrcfl'es and his companions be'^an to build an hut : thev were ''yi'f '■^2:'"' prevented however from hniiliing it, by the unexpected arrival of Stephen GlottofF-, who came to them with a fmall party by land. Korovin and his companions accordingly joined Glottotf, and rowed the next day to his velTel. * See the following Chapter. , O a Soon iQo A C C O U N T OF THE Soon afterwards Korovin ^vas fcnt ^vlth a party of twenty men to coaft the ifland of Unmak, in order to difcover if any part of Medvedeff's crew liad made their efcape from the general malTacre : bat his enquiries were without fuccefs. In the courfe of this expedition^ as he lay at anchor, in September, before a fmall ifland fituated between Umnak and Unalafnka, fome favages rowed towards the Ruffians in two large baidars ; and having lliot at them with iire-arms, though without effecTt, initantly retired. The fame evening Korovin entered a bay of the ifland Umnak, with an intention of palling the night on fliore : but as he came near the coaft, a large number of favages in an hundred bai- dars furrounded and fainted him with a volley of darts. Korovin fired and foon difperfed them ; and immeili- ately made to a large baidar, which he faw at fome dif- tance, in hopes of finding fome Ruffians. He w'as however miftaken ; the iflanders who were aboard land- ed at his approach, and, after fliooting at him from their lire-armsj retired to the mountains,. Korovin found there an empty baidar, which he knew to be the fame in which Barnaffieff 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, w^re put to death. They RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. loi They then made to the dwelling, from which nil the inhabitants had run away, and found therein pieces of Ruffian leather, blades of fmall knives, fliirts, 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 inhabi- tants, who had retired to the iiland Unalalhka. Korovin gave thefe women their liberty, and, being apprehenfive of frefli attacks, returned to the haven. Towards winter Korovin, with a party of twenty-tv.o men, was fent upon an hunting expedition to the Weft- ern point of Unalaflika : he was accompanied by an Aleutian interpreter, called Ivan Glottoff. Being in- formed by fome iflanders, that a Ruffian fliip, under the command of Ivan SoloviofF*, was then lying before Unalaflika, he immediately rowed towards the haven where flie was at anchor. On the way he had a fliarp encounter with the natives, who endeavoured to pre- vent him from landing : of thefe, ten were killed upon the fpot ; and the remainder fled away, leavino- behind them fome women and children. Korovin Haid three days aboard SoloviofF's veffel, and then returned to the place where he had been fo lately attacked. The inhabitants however, for this * Chap. XL time. .1-02 A C C O U N T O F T H E time, made no oppofition to his landing ; on the con- trary, they received liim with kindnefs, and permitted hira to hunt: they even delivered hoftages; and entered into a friendly traffic, exchanging furs for beads. They were alfo prevailed upon to reftore feveral mufkets and other things, taken from the Ruffians who had been maffacred. A fliort time before his departure, the inhabitants again fliewed their hoftile intentions ; for three of them came up to the Ruffian centmel, and fuddenly fell upon him with their knives. The centinel however difcn- 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 after- wards difcovered and puniffied. Korovin, as he was returning to GlottofF, was forced to engage with the illanders upon Unalallika, and alfo upon Umnak, where they endeavoured to prevent him from landing. Be- fore the end of the year a ftorm drove the baidar upon the beach of the latter ifland ; and the tempeftuous weather fetting in, they were detained there until the 6th of April, 1765. During this time they were re- duced, from a fcarcity of provilion, to live chiefly uj)on fea-wrack and fmall fliell filli. On the 2 2d they re- turned 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 w^ent over with five other Ruffians to Solovieff, with whom R U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 103 wliom he returned the following year to Kamtchatka. The fix Kamtchadals of Korovin's party joined GlottofF. According to Korovin's account, the iflands Umnak ^^.['^^.•^"''J'^" and Unalaflika are fituated not much more Northwards un'.hLr' than the mouth of the Kamtchatka river ; and, accord- ing to the fliip's reckoning, about the dillance of 1700 verfts Eaftwards from the fame place. The circumfe- rence of Umnak is about two hundred and fifty verfts ; Unalaflika is much larger. Both thefe iflands are wholly deflitute of trees ; drift-wood is brought afliorc in large quantities. There were five lakes upon the Northern coafi: of Unalaflika, 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 fifli 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 ieldom to thefe iflands ; but there is great abundance of red and black foxes. North Eaftwards from Unalaflika two iflands appeared in fight, at the diftance of five or ten verfts ; but Korovin did not touch at them. The inhabitants of thefe iflands row in their final] Accrv,ntop the ir.Uai)!- baidars from one ifland to the other. They are fo """'■ numerous, and their manner of life fo unfettled, that their number cannot exa6lly be determined. Their I dwelling 104 A C C O U N T O F T H E dwelling caves are made in the following manner. They i\v{\ dig an hole in the earth proportioned to the fize of their intended habitation, of twenty, thirty, or forty yards in length, and from llx to ten broad. They then fct up poles of larch, firs, and afli driven on the coaft by the fea. Acrofs the top of thefe poles they lay planks, which they cover with grafs and earth. They enter through holes in the -top by means of lad- ders. Fifty, an hundred, and even an hundred and fifty pcrfons 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 fire of dry herbs, of which they have collected a large flore in fummer, and fland over it until they are fuf- ficiently warmed. A few of thefe iflanders wear fur- ftockings in winter; but the greateft 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, leals, and fea-otters. They fleep upon thick, mats, which they twifl 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 live or fix wives ; and he that is the beft hunter or fiflier has the greateft number. The women make their needles of the bones of birds wings, and ufe finews for thread. Their R U S S I A N D 1 S G O V E R I E S, 105 Their weapons are bows and arrows, lances and darts, which they throw Hke the Greenlanders to the diftance of fixty yards by means of a Uttle hand-board. Both the darts and arrows are feathered : the former are about an ell and an half long ; the fliaft, 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, fliarpened by beating it between two ftones. Thefc darts as well as the lances were formerly tipped with bone, but at prefent the points are commonly made of the iron which they procure from the Ruflians, and out of which they ingenioully 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 ftone 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 projedt fome inches from the face, hi the nofe a piece of bone is placed crofsways. The deccafed are buried with their boat, weapons, and clothes *. * The author repeats here feveral circumftances which have been . mentioned before, and many of them will occur again : but my office as a tranflator would not fuffer me to omit them. P CHAP. 166 A C C O U N T O F T H E CHAP. X. Voyage of Stephen Glottoff — He reaches the Fox lilands — Sails beyond Unalnflika to Kadyak — Winters upon that IJland- — Repeated attempts of the Natives to dejlroy the Crew — 'T'hey are repulfed, reconciled^ and prevailed upon to trade ivitb the Ruffians — Account of Kadyak — Its inhabitants — animals — produSlions — GXqXXoS fails backt-o Umnak — Winters there — Returns to Kamtchatka Journal of his voyage. ERE follows one of the moil: memorable voyages yet made, which extended farther, and termmated more fortunately, than the lait mentioned expeditions. Voyage of Tcreuty TfebaefRkoi and company, merchants of Glottoff in the Andreanand Lalfk, fitted out the Audrcau and Natalia under the com- Natalia, 1761. ' mand of Stephen Glottoff, an experienced and ilcilful feaman of Yarenlk. This veffel failed from the bay of the river Kamtchatka the ift of October, 1762, manned with thirty-eight Ruffians and eight Kamtchadals. In eight days they reached Mednoi Odroff, or Copper Ifland, . where having fought out a convenient harbour, they winters upon vinloadcd and laid up the veffel for the winter.. Their Copper Iftand. firft care was to fupply themfelves with provisions ; and I they PvUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 107 they killed afterwards a quantity of ice-foxes, and a con- fiderable 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 fliip, 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 baidr.r to that iiland, which was feventy verfts diftant. They brought back with them twenty- two pood of iron, ten of old cordage fit for caulker's ufc, fome lead and copper, and feveral thoufand beads. Copper Ifland has its name from the native copper found on the coail:, particularly at the Weftern point on its South fide. Of this native copper Malevinfkoy brought with him two large pieces weighing together twelve pounds, which were ])icked up between a rock and the fea on a ftrand of about twelve yards in breadth. Amongft other floating bodies which the fea drives upon the thores of this Ifland, the true right camphor wood, and another fort of wood very white, foft, and fweet-fcentcd, arc •Gccafionally found. Evjry preparation for continual? the vovage bein<>; '=''''"'''= ^ i- i- -J ^ o -^ Fox Iflaiuis. made, they failed from Copper Ifland the 26th of July, 1763, and fleered for the lilands Umnak and Aguna- P 2 laflika, io8 ACCOUNTOFTHE lafhka, where Glottoffhad formerly obferved great num-- bers of black foxes. On account of ftorms and contrary winds, they were thirty days before they fetched Umnak. Arrive at Herc thcy arrived the 24th of Aiiguft, and without drop- ping anchor or lofing any time, they refolved to fail fur- ther for the difcovery of new iflands : they paffed eight contiguous to each other and feparated by ftraits, which were to the beft of their eilimation from twenty to an hundred verils broad. GIottofF however did not land till he reached the laft and mofl: Eaftward of thefe iflands, Galled by the inhabitants Kadyak, from which the na- tives faid it was not far to the coaft of a wide extended woody continent. No land however was to be feen from a little ifland called by the natives Aktunak, which is fitu- ated about thirty verfts more to the Eaftthan Kadyak. September 8th, the veflel ran up a creek, lying South Eatt of Aktunak, through which a rivulet empties itfelf into the fea; this rivulet comes from a lake fix vertts long, one broad, and about fifty fathoms deep. During the ebb of the tide the vefiel was left aground ; but the return of the water fet her again afloat. Near the fliore were four large huts, fo crouded with people, that their number could fcarcely be counted : however, foon after Glottoff's arrival, all thefe inhabitants quitted their dwel- lino-s, and retired with precipitation. The next dayfome iflanders in baldars approached the veflel, and accofted the RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 109 fhe people on board ; and as Ivan Glottoff, the Aleutian interpreter, did not well underftand the language of thefe illanders, 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 neceffary 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 efFedt. The fa- vages 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 thir- teen men to the cliff, to treat peaceably with the iflanders.. He found there ten huts, from which about an hundred, 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 ; buf that they would deliver up the boy to the Ruffians agree- able to their delire. Kaplin received him very thank- fully, and brought him on board, where he was pro- perly taken care of : he afterwards accompanied Glottoff to 30 A C C O U N T O F T H E to Kamtcbatka, and was baptized by the name of Alex- ander Popoff, being then about thirteen years of age. For fome days after this conference the iflanders 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 circumfpedlion. On the 8th of September the vefTel 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 veirel, where the natives had begun to refide : it confifted of three fummer-huts covered only with long grafs : they were from eight to ten yards broad, tvvclve long, and about four high : they faw there about an hundred men, but neither women nor children. Finding it impofllble to perfuade the favages to give hoftages, GlottofF refolved to let his people remain to- gether, and to keep a ftrong guard. The iflanders vifited them flill in fmall bodies ; it wa5 however more and more vifible that their intentions were the Nat;- e^ bad. At laft on the lil of 06lobcr, by day break, a Ri.iTians, i.ut rrreat number havmc; aiTembjed tocrether in the remote -are deteatal. ° Q O parts of the ifland, came unexpe61edly acrofs the coun- trv. They approached very near without being difco- vered by the watch, and feeing nobody on deck but thofe on RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. m on duty, fliot fuddenly into the vefTel with arrows. The watch found refuge behind the quarter boards, and gave the alarm without firing. Glottoff immediately ordered a volley to be fired over their heads with fmall arms ; upon v/hich they immediately returned with great expe- dition. 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 neceiTary to be on their guard againft the attempts of thefe perfidious incendiaries. Their fufpicions were rtill further increafed by the fubfe- quent conduct of the natives : for though the latter came to the veflel in fraall bodies, yet it was obferved that they examined every thing, and more particularly the watch, with the ftridtetl attention ; and they always returned without paying any regard to the friendly propofitions of the Ruffians. On the 4th of O^lober about two hundred iflanders made their appearance, carrying wooden fliields before them, and preparing with bows and arrows for an attack. GlottofF endeavoured at firfl by perfuafion to prevail upen them to defift ; but obferving that they fcill conti- nued advancing,, he refolved to venture a faily. This in- trepidity Ill ACCOUNTOFTHE trepidity difconcerted the idanders, and they immediately retreated without making the kail reliilance. The 2 6ih of Oitober they ventured a third attack, and advanced towards the velTel for this purpofe by day- 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 wooden fcreens. Of thefe moving breaft-works they counted feven ; and behind each from thirty to forty inen armed with bone lances. Beiides ttJele a croud of armed men advanced feparately to the attack, fome of them bearing whale jaw-bones, and others wooden fliields. Diffuafion proving ineffeilual, and the arrov/s beginning to fall even aboard the fliip, Glottoff gave orders to fire. ThcNat-ives Tlic fliot from the fmall arms however not being of force «re finallv re- .yuiied by the enoush to picrce the fcreens, the iilanders advanced under Ruffians. o i ' their proteilion with fteadinefs and intrepidity. Glottoff neverthelefs determined to rilk a fally of his whole crew armed with mufkets and lances. The iilanders infhantly 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 per- pendicularly, and bound together with fea-weed andofiers; they were twelve feet broad, and above half a yard thick. The RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. iij The iflanders now appearing to be fufficiently intimi- Jln^^efrf *"' dated, the Ruffians began to build a winter hut of floated ^ ^' " wood, and waited in a body the appearance of fpring without further annoyance. Although they faw nobody before the 25th of December, yet GlottofFkept his peo- ple together ; fending out occalionally fmall hunting and fifliing parties to the lake, which lay about five verfts from the creek. During the whole wdnter 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-fifli, which came up with the flood into the lake. At lafl, on the 25th of December, two illanders came to the fliip, and converfed at a diflance by means of interpreters. Although propofals of peace, and trade were held out to them in the molt friendly man- ner, 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 appear- ance, and feemed to pay more attention to the propo- fajs : one of them at laft advanced, and offered to barter two fox-fkins for beads. They did not fet the leaft va- Q lue 114 A e C O U N T O F , T H E a^ere^oncued ^^6 upoii othcr goods of vaHous kinds, fuch as fhirts, funs.^ " linen, and nankeen, but demanded glafs beads of different colours, for which they exchanged their fkins with pleafure^ This friendly traffic, together with GlottoIf'S' entreaties, operated io powerfully, that, after holding a/ Gonfultation with their countrymen, they returned with^ a folemn declaration, that their brethren would in future commit no hoftilities againft the Ruffians.. From that time until their departure a daily intercourfe was carried. on with the iflanders,. who brought all forts of fox and fea-otter fkins, and received in exchange a flipulated 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 fide fef clofe with beaver- wool like velvet : they could not however learn whether thefe carpets were wrought by the iflanders. The latter brought aifo for fale vveli-dreiTed fea-otter fliins, the hair of which was fliorn quite fliort with fliarp flones, in fuch a manner, that the remainder, which was of a yellbwifh brown colour, gliftened and appeared like velvet. Their caps had furprifing and fometimes very ornamental decora- tions : fome of them had on the forepart combs adorned with manes like an helmet ; others, feemingly peculiar to the f. males, were made of inteftines ftitched toge- ther with rein-deer hair and finews in a moll elegant 5 tafte, RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. ! 115 tafte, and ornamented on the crown with long ftreamers of hair died of a beautiful red. Of all thefe curiofities Glottoff carried fampies to Kamtchatka ^'-. The natives differ confiderably in drefs and language from the inhabitants of the other Fox Iflands : and le- veral 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, Animals of Kadyak. and bears : the laft-mentioned animal was not indeed aetually feen by the Ruffians, but the prints of its feet were traced. Some of the inhabitants had clothes made of the fidns of rein-deer and jevras; the latter of which is a fort of fmall marmofct. Both thefe fkins were pro- bably procured from the continent of America -{-. Black, brown, and red foxes w-ere feen in great numbers ; and the coaft abounds with fea-dogs, fea-bears, fea-lions, and fea-otters. The birds are cranes, geefe, 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 kuid arepreferved in the cabinet of curiofities at the Academy of Sciences of St. Pcterf- burg : a cabinet which well merits the attention of the curious tra- veller ; for it contains a large colleftion of the dreffes of the Eaftern nations. Amongfl the reft one compartment is entirely filled with the. -dreffes, arms, and implements, brought from the new difcovered iflands. -\- Although this conjedture is probable, yet, when the reader recol- lects that the ifland Alakfu is faid to contain rein-deer, he will perceive that the inhabitants of Kadyak might have been fupplied with the fkins ' cf that animal from thence. See p. 68. Q 2 dudlions ii€> .ACCGUNTOFTHE Prociuaions. ^ij^nftions IMC bilbcmes, cranberries, wortleberries, and uilcl lily-roots. Kadyak likewife yields willows and al- ders, which circumftance afibrds the ftrongeft proof that it lies at no great diftance from the continent of America. The extent of Kadyak cannot be exacftly afcertained, as the Rullians, through apprehenfion of the natives, did not venture to explore the country. Account of the •j^i^q inhabitants, like thofe of the Aleutian and nearer Inliabicants. ' 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 Ikins, but no breeches. Their arms are bows, arrows, and lances, whofe points, as well as their fmall hatchets, are of fliarp flint : fome few make knives and lance points of rein-deer bones. Their wooden fliields 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 Grangers : nor does there appear amongft themfelves any kind of deference or fubmiffion 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 R U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. ^ 117 to the women's boats of the Greenlanders. Their food confifts chiefly of raw and dried filh, partly caught at fea with bone hooks, and partly in rivulets, in bagnets made of finews platted together. They call them- felyes Kanagirt, a name that has no fmall refemblance to Karalit; by which appellation, the Greenlanders and Efqui- maux on the coaft of Labradore diftinguiili thcmfelves : the difference between thefe two denominations is occa- fioned perliaps by a change of pronunciation, or by a miftake of the Ruffian failors, who may have given it this variation. Their numbers feem very confiderable on that part of the ifland, where they had their fixed habitations. The iflandKadyak* makes,\vith Aghunalaflika, Umnak, and the fmall iflands lying between them, a continued Archipelago, extending N. E. and E. N. E. towards Ame- rica ; it lies by the lliip's reckoning in 230 degrees of longitude ; fo that it cannot be far diftant from that part of the American coait which Beering formerly touched at. The large ifland Alakfu, lying Northward from Ka- dyak where Puilikaref t wintered, muft be ilill nearer the * Kadyak Is not laid down upon any chart of the new dlfco'vercd iflands : for we have no chart of Glottoff's voyage ; and no other Ruf- fian navigator touched at that ifland. t See Chap. VI. continent : ii8 A C C O U N T O F T H E 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 condu6l of the iflanders appeared more friendly, yet on account of their numbers Glottoff refolved not to pafs another winter upon Kadyak, and accordingly prepared for his departure. He wanted hoops for re- pairing his water-calks ; and being told by the natives that there were trees on the ifland at no great diftance from the bay, he difpatched on the 25th of April Lukas Ftorufkin with eleven men for the purpofe of felling wood. Ftorufkin returned the fame day with the fol- lowing 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 confider- able number of alders, fimilar to thofe found in Kamt- chatka, growing in vallies between the rocks. The largeft trunks were from two to four verfliocks in diameter. Of this wood he felled as much as he had occafion for; and returned without having met with either iflander or habitation. f^orKadyak, Thcy brought the veffel down the creek in May ; and, ay, .764. ^fj-gj. f^j^jj-jg jjj ^jj ^Y^Q 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 RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 1x9 landed upon another ifland, called Saktunk, in order to procure a freOi flock. At laft on the 3d of July, (^;;;|2'.'' they arrived again at Umnak, and anchored in a bay which Glottoff had formerly vifited. He immediately went afliore in a baidar, and foon found out his former hut, which was in ruins : near it he obferved another Ruflian dwelling, that had been built in his abfence, in which lay a murdered Ruflian, but whofe face none of them knew. Glottoff", refolving to procure further in- formation, went acrofs the ifland the 5th of July, accom- panied by fixteen of his crew. He difcovered the remains of a burnt veflel, fome prayer books, images, &c. ; all the iron work and cordage were carried off". Near the fpot he found likewife a bathing, room fifled with murdered Ruf- fians in their clothes. From fome marks, he concluded that this was the veflel fitted out by Protaflbfl'f nor was- lie. miftaken in his conjeilures. Alarmed at the fate of his countrymen, Glottoff" re- turned to the fhip, and held a confultation upon the meafures neceflary to be taken ; and it was unanimoufly refolved that they fliould endeavour to procure more intelligence concerning the veflel. In the mean time feven iflanders came rowing off" in baidars, and pretend-- ed that they wanted to trade. They fliewed fea-otter Ikins at a difliance, but would not venture on board; and Jtio ACCOUNT OF THE and dellred by the interpreter GlottofF and two of his people to come on fliore and barter. Glottoff how- ever, having fufficient caule to diftruft the favages,refufed to comply with their demands : upon this they immedi- ately 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 veflel. In order if poffible 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 fliip and demanded vidtuals, which being thrown to him, he came on board. He then related the fate of the above-mentioned veflel, of which the ifianders had made themfelves matters ; and gave likewife fome in- telligence concerning the remain! ngfmall body of fugitives under the command of Korovin, He alfo confefled, that their defign was to entice GlottofF on fliore, and then to kill him ; for which purpofe more than thirty iflanders were pofled in ambufli behind the neareft rocks. After cutting off the leader, they imagined it would be an eafy matter to feize upon the fliip. Up- on this information Glottoff detained the illander on board, and landing with a flrong party attacked the favages.; the latter fliot with arrows, as well as from the muflcets which they had feized, but without effedl, and were fooa forced to retire to their canoes. July RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. .rij July the 14th a violent ftorm arofe, in which Glot- tofF's veflel parted her cable, and was forced on Ihore without any other lofs than that of an anchor. -The crew likewife, through want of frefli provilions, began, to grow fo lickly, that they were almoft in a defeiicelefs flate. Glottoff however, with ten men, fet out the aStli of July for that part of the ifland, where according to information they expedted to find Korovin. They dif- covered 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 iHanders 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 re- ceiving this intelligence, Glottoff and his companions went over land to the place pointed out by the illanders, and found every thing agreeable to their information : in this Korovin had not the leaft fliare, not having been made privy to the tranfa6lion. The circumflances of his joining, and afterwards feparating from Glottoff, have already been mentioned -. * See the preceding Chapter. R Glottoff ,21, ACCOUNTOFTHE GiottofFw.n- GlottofFnow refolved to winter upon Umnak, and ac- teis upon ■»■ ' Dnm.k. eordingly laid up his veffel for that purpofe. On the 2d ©f September Korovin, as is before related, was at his own defire fent out with a hunting party in two baidars. On his return, in May 1765, they had the firft intelUgence of the arrival of Solovioff's vcffcl, which lay before Unalailikay 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 lides„ and went once round the ifland* He likewife looked into the habitations of the iilanders, and found them> empty ^ he examined the coimtry and caufed a ftridl fearch. to be made after the remains of the plundered velTeL. According to his account Umnak is about 300 vcrfts in. Gircunvferencc. It contains feveral fmall rivulets, which, take their rife frona 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^.^I- ■ Tlia RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 123 » The following fummer fmall parties of the inhabitants were feen ; but they immediately fled upon the approach of the Ruffians. Some of them however were at lalt perfuaded to a friendly intercourfe and to pay a tribute : by thefe means they got back part of the arms, anchors, andiron work, of the plundered veifel. They continued to barter with the natives during the fummer of 1765, exchanging beads for the Ikins of foxes and fea-otters. The followine: winter huntine i^arties were fent out i^epartucc from in Umnak as well as to Unalaffika ; and in July 1766 Glottoff, without meeting with any more difficulties began his voyage homewards. We fliall here conclude with giving a copy of the journal kept on board Glottoff's veffel, the Andrean and Natalia ; from which infe- rences with regard to the fituation of the '^ands may be drawn. R a Journal 124 ACCOUNTOFTHE Journal of Glottoflr, ort board the Andrean and Natalia, fournal of the 17 62. Voyage. 061- 1 . Sailed from Kamtchatka Bay. 2. Wind Southerly, Iteered between E. and S. E, three hours. 3. Wind S. E. worked at N. E. courfe, i6 hours. 4. From midnight failed Eaft with a fair wind, 1 8 hours. 5. At Six o'clock A. M. difcovered Beering's Ifland diftant about 18 verfts. 6. At I o'clock came to anchor on the South Eaft point of Copper Ifland. 7 . At 8 A. M. failed to the South fide of the Illand,,. 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 — windE. N. E^ 30. Ditto. 31. Ditto. Aug. I. Ditto. 2. At 1 1 A. M. wind N. E. fleered E. 3. Wind W. S. W. flailed 8 knots an hour, 250 verfts. 4. Wind South — failed 1 50 verfts. 5. Wind ditto— failed 126 verfts. 6. Wind 11 U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 12: 6. Wind ditto, 3 knots, 45 verfls.. 7. Calm. 8. During the night gentle S. E. wind fleered, N.E. at 2 Y knots. 9. Forenoon calm. At 2 o'clock P. M. gentle N. E. wind, fleered between E. N. E. and S.E. at the rate of three knots. I o. Morning, wind E. N. E. afterwards S. S. W. wiUi which fleered N.E. 1 r. At 5 o'clock the wind S. S. E. fleered E. N. E. at the rate of three knots. I 2. Wind S. fleered E.. at 2 ^ knots, failed 50 verfls. 13. Wind S.S.E. fleered E. at 4^ knots, failed 90 verfls. 14. Wind W. N. W. at 2 knots, failed 30 verfts. 15. The wind frefliened, at 4 knots, failed 60 verfls. 16. Wind N. N. E. fleered E. S. E. at 3 knots, fail- ed 30 verfls. 17. Wind E.S. E. and S.E. light: breezes and changeable. 18. Wind S.E. fleered N.E. at 3 ^ knots, failed in 12 hours 22 verfts. 19. Wind S. and light breezes, fleered E. at 3 knots, failed in 8 hours i t verfts. 20. Before day-break calm ; three hours after fun- rife a breeze fprung up at S. E. fleered E. N.E. at 3 knots, and failed 20 verfls. .; • 2 2. Calm 126 ACCOUNTOFTIIE 2 2, Calm. 23. Wind S. S. E. during the night, the fliip failed at the rate of 2 knots ; the wind afterwards came round to the S. S. W. and the Ihip 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 thefc 24 hours 50 verfts. 26. Wind N. V/. fteered N. E. at 5 y knots, 100 verfts. 27. Wind E. N. E. the fliip drove towards land, on which difcovered a high mountain. / 28. Wind N. E. and ftormy, the fliip drove. 29. WindN.W. fteered E. N. E. at the rate of 3 knots. 30. Wind S. S. E. at 6 knots, fteering again to- wards land. 31. A violent ftorm, Wind weft. Sept. I. 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. 1764. RUSSIAN DISCOVERI E^S.. i?.^ 1764. May 24. Sailed from Kaclyak. 25. Wind N. \V. and made but little way W. S.W. 26. Wind W. fliip drove towards S. E. ■ 27 . Wind W. S. W. fliip drove E. S. E. The fame day the wind came round to the S.when fleer- ed again towards Kadyak. 28 . Wind E.S. E. fell in with the illand Alaflca or Alakfu. 29. Wind S.W. fleered N. W^ 30. Wind W. N. W. the fliip drove under the forefail. 31. Wind W. drove to the Southward. June I. Wind W. S. W. laiuled on the Ifland Saktunak, for a fupply of water. 2. Wind S. E. fleered S. W. along the ifland at 3 knots. 3-. Wind N. E. fieered W. S. W. at the rate of 3 to 4 knots, failing in theic 24 hours 100 verils. 4. Calm. 5. At 8 o'clock A. M. a fmall breeze S. E. 6. Wind E. afterwards calm. Towards evening the wind S. E. fleered S. W. at 3 knots, and imexpeiledly difcovered land ahead, which kept clear of with difficulty. From the 7th to the loth at anchor off a fmall cliff, i-o. A hard gale at S. the fliip drove foul of the anchor,, flood out to fea fleering E,. 3 II. An- 128 ACCOUNTOFTHE 1 1. Anchored again at a fmall diftance from land, 13. Wind S. S. W. flood out to fea and fleered 14. Wind W. S. W. fleered S. S. E. at the rate of I knot. 15. Calm. 16. Wind S. fleered W. at i knot, the lliip drove a little to the Northward. 17. Wind S. S. E. fleered W. S. W. at 3 knots. 18. Calm. 19. Ditto. 20. Wind N. E. fleered S. W. and failed this day ahout 87 verfls. 21. The Wind blowing right ahead, came to anchor off an unknown ifland, where conti- nued till the 125. When flood out to fea early in the morning. 26. Wind W. N. W. afterwards W. fleered 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. fleered W. at 3 to 4 knots, and faw land. 30. Wind N. E. fleered S. W. at the rate of 7 knots. * Lief man bey nordweft wind auf den curs zu 2 bis 3 knoten. 4 July RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. July I. With the fame wind and coiirfe, at the rate of 5 knots, failed 200 verfts. 2. Fell in with the ifland Umnak, and came to an anchor under a fmall illand until next tlay ; when brought the fliip into the har- bour, and laid her up. 1766. June 13. Brought the lliip into the harbour, and con- tinued at anchor there until the 3d of Jul}^, July 3. Got under way. 4. Wind E. 5. A South Weft wind drove the RVip about 50 verfts N. E. 6. Wind S. failed about 60 verfts W. 7. Wind W. S. W. the fliip drove to the North- ward. 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. continvied the finie courfe, failing- only 5 verfts. I 2. Continued the fame courfe, and failed 55 verfts. 1 ^. For the moft part calm. 14. Wind W. N. W. and ftormy, the ftiip drove under the forefail. 1$. Wind S. failed on the pi'oper courfe 100 verfts. 16. Wind E. S. E. failed W. S. W. at the rate of 6 knots, 100 verfts. 17. Wind N. N. W. failed S. W. at the rate of 2 knots, 30 vcriis. S ' 18. Wind 12^ 136 A C C O U N T OF T H E t8. Wind S. fleered W. at the rate of 5 knots, and^ failed 130 verfts. X9. Wind S. W. the lliip drove under the forefail. 20. Wind E. N. E. fleered W.N. W. at the rate of 3 knots. 1 1 . Wind E. N. E. at the rate of 4 to 5. knots, failed 200 verfts. 22. Wind N. E. at 47 knots, 150 verfls.. 23. Wind E. N. E.. fleered W. at 3 knots,! 00 verfls>. 24. Wind E.. fleered W. at the rate of 3- knots, 50 verfls. 25. Wind. N. E. fleered W. at 5 knots too verfis. 26. The wind continued N. E. and frefhened,. fleered W. at the rate of 7 knots, 200 verfls. 27. A fmall breeze N. N. W. with which however failed 150 verfls. 28. Wind being W. S. W. drove 24 hours under bare-poles.. 29. Wind South, fleered' W. at the rate of 2 knots,- 48 verfls — this day faw land. 30. Wind S. S. E. failed, at the rate of 4 knots, 96' verfls, and approached the land, which found to be the ifland Karaga, — From the ifl to the 1 3th of Augufl, continued our voyage towards the mouth of Kamtchatka river, fometimes- plying to windward, fometimes driving, and at lafl arrived happily with a rich cargo. G H A P. IR XJ S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 131 d H A P. XL ^SoloviofF's voyage — be reaches Unalafhka, and pajes two winters upon that (/land — relation of what pajfed there — fruit lefs attempts of the natives to de/Iroy the crew — ■Return of Solovioff to Kamtchatka — --journal of his voyage in returning — defcription of the ijlands Umnak and Unalaflika — prodiiSlions — inhabitants — their man- ners — cujloms, ^c. ^c. I N the year 1764, Jacob UlednikofF, merchant of Ir- ^*,^„^,foff L kutfk and company, fitted out a fliip called the Holy a^j Fauir'" Apoftles Peter and Paul, under the command of Ivan Solovioff: fhe failed from the mouth of Kamtchatka river the 25th of Auguft. The crew confifted of fifty- five men, amongft whom were feme of the ov.'ners, and thirteen Kamtchadals. Thev fleered at firft S. E. with the wind at N. W. but on its coming foutherly they afterwards fliaped their courfe E. N. E. The 27th one of the Ruffian failors died off Kamtchatka point ; the 3 ift they made Beering's Ifland, which they paiTed leaving it on their left. The I ft and 2d of September they were becalmed, and after- wards the wind fpringing up at W. S. W. they continued S 2 their J2Z ACCOUNT OF T H E their former courfe ; until the 5tli 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. witli Southerly and Wefterly winds ; and from that time to the fifteenth Eaft, vrith the wind at- Weft. September 16, they made the ifland Umnak, where Solovioff had formerly been in Nikiphoroff 's vefTel. As they failed along tlie Northern coaft, three iflanders came to them in baidars ; but, the crew having no interpretery 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 fcparates Umnak from Una- i^'"",','' laflika. Thev lav-to durinj^ the ni^ht ; and early on the 17th dropped anchor at the diftance of about two hundred yards from the fliore, in a bay on the North fide 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 habi- tations, and report the difpofition of the people. Kore- noff returned the fame day, with an account that he had difcovered one of the dwelling-caves of the favages, but abandoned and demolidied, in which he had found traces of RuHians, viz. a written legend, and a broken malket- ilock. In confeqnence of this intelligence, they brought the RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. the fliip near the co:all, and endeavoured to get into the mouth.of a liv^er called by the natives Tfikanok, and by the Ruffians Ofernia, but were prevented by fhallow water. They landed however their tackle and lading. No na- tives made their appearance until the a 2d, when two of them came of their own accord, and welcomed the Ruf- fians 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, whofe name was Kaihmak, had voluntarily continued fome time with the erew on the fame occafion. Thefe two perfons recounted the particular circum- ttances which attended the lofs of Kulkoff's, ProtaffofF's, and Trapefnikoff 's vefTels ; frorh the laft of which Kafli- mak 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 hunt- ing detachments of the Ruffians, came to the harbour, and entered the fliip under the molt friendly appearances. Finding the crew in perfe61: fecurity, they fuddenly at- tacked and Hew them, together with their commander. He added, that he had. hid himfelf under a bench until the murderers were gone : that lince 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 ^33 '34 ACCOUNT OF THE the fields. The Toigons of Umnak, Akutan, and Tofhko, with their relations of Unalaflika, had formed a confederacy. They agreed not to difturb any Ruffians on their firft landing, but to let them go out on different hunting excuriions ; 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 fliould have affiftance from any of the others. They acquainted him alfo with GlottofF's arrival at Umnak. Thefe unfavourable reports filled SoloviofF with anx- iety ; he accordingly doubled his watch, and ufed every precaution in his power againil attacks from the favages. But wanting wood to repair his veffel, and wifliing 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 weftern ex- tremity. In three or four hours they rowed to Anko- nom, a point of land, where they faw a village, confifting of two large caves, and over againft it a little illand at no great diftance. 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 Skeletons, which, in the interpreter's opinion, were the remains of ten murdered failors of TrapefnikofFs company. With much perfuafion the interpreter prevailed on the iflanders to return to the place which they had juft quitted : they kept however at a wary Pv U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 135 wary diftance, and were armed for whatever might occur. St)loviofF attempring; to cut off their retreat, in order HoWiities be- tween Solovi- ro fecure if poflible fome holtages, they took the alarm, °^^^||'^'''^ 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, confelled 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— fion. They alfo brought intelligence that Korovin, with a party in two baidars, had taken Ihelter at a place called Inalga. Upon this information, letters M^ere immediately fent to Korovin ; upon the receipt of which he joined, them the 2d of Odober. At the time of Korovin's arrival, the favages made another attack on Solovioff's watch with knives ; whiclx obliged tire latter to fire, and fix of the alFailants 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 ffiould put all the prifoners to death ; on which account this effort was made to refcue them. SoloviofF, for the greater fecurity, fent the pri- Ibners by land to the haven, while Korovin and his party 156 A C C O U N T O F T H E 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 hoilage. In confequence of this kind behaviour the inhabitants of three other villages, Agiilak, fvutchlok, andMakufl-ii pre- fented hofiaees of their own accord. soioviofriays proQi the remamin? timber of the old dwelling: the up tlie velld, '-' >-> ^ifJun"' Ruffians built a new hut ; and on the fourteenth they laid up the vefTel. KoronofF was 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, fometlmes rowing in canoes, fometimes .travelling by land and dragging them after. He returned the twentieth, and reported that he had found upon the coait on the further fide of the illand an empty habitation. That he rowed from thence Eafl:v.ard along the Ihore, and behind the firft point of land came to an illand in the next bay ; there he found about forty illanders of both fexes lodged under their baidars, who by his friendly behaviour had been. induced to give him three hoftages. Thefe people afterwards fettled in the above-mentioned empty hut, and came fre- quently to the harbour. On the 2,8 th of Odober, SoloviofFhimfelf went alfo upon a reconnoitring party along the North coaft, towards the North-Eaft end of the illand. He rowed from the firft RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. 137 ^rft 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 gian-barrels and fhip-ttores, and like- wife informed him of two of Korovin's crew who had been murdered. November 5, they pi-oceeded farther ; and after five or fix hours rowing, they faw on a point of land another dwelling called Ikutchlok, beyond which the interpreter fhewed them the haven, where Korovin's fliip had been at anchor. This was called Makufliinfhy Bay ; and on an ifland 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 were not in the leaft hoftile, and SoloviofF endeavoured to eftablifh and confirm a friendly intercourfe between them and his people. He remained with them imtil the i oth, when the Toigons invited him to their winter quarters, whichiay about five hours fail farther Eafl : 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 ,38 A C C O U N T O F T H E the a 5th, "but was forced back by itorms, 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 reprefented as very favage, fworn enemies to the Ruffians, and the murderers of nine of Kulkoff's crew. Solovioff for thefe reafons pafled the night on the open coall, and next morning fent the Toigon before to infpire the natives with more friendly fentiments. Some of them liftened to his reprefentations j but the greatest part fled upon SoloviofF's approach, fo that he found tlie place confifting of four large dwelling caves almoft empty, in which he fecured himfelf with fuitable precaution. Here 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 re- mained to lay afide their enmity, and to perfuade their leaders and relations to return to their habitations and live on terms of amity and friendfhip.. On the I oth about an hundred men and a ftill greater number of women returned. But the faireft fpeeches had no effedt on thefe favages, who kept aloof and pre- Renewai of pared for hoiiilities, which they began on the 1 7th by an open attack. Nineteen of them were killed, amongft a whom RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. ,39 whom was Inlogufak one of their leaders, and the mofl inveterate fomenter of hoftiUties againft the Ruffians. The other leader Aguladock being alive confeffed, that on receiving the firft news of SoloviofF's arrival they had refolved to attack the crew and burn the fhip. Notwithftanding 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 hoflage, and to order his people to live on friendly terms with the Ruffians. During the month of January the natives de- livered in three anchors, and a quantity of tackle which had been faved from a velTel 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 fliip lay : before his departure the Toigons of Maku- fliinfk paid of their own accord a double tribute. February i, Kagumaga of Makulhink, Agidalok of Totzikala, and Imaginak of Ugamitzi, Toigons of Una- laflika, with a great number of their relations, came to SoloviofF; they acquainted him with the arrival of a Rui- lian fliip at Unimak, the fixth ifland to the Eafl of Agunalaflika, 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 crew \4P, ACCOUNT OF THE erew who had been fent out in two baidars, had found means to overpower the remainder and to deftroy; the veffel. From the name of the Kamtchadal they con- cluded that this muft have been- another veffel fitted out; by Nikiphor Trapefnikoff and company, of which no* farther intelligence was ever received. Willing to pro- cure 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 i6, SoloviofF fet out a. fecortd 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 conlifts of only one hut. On the 26 th 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 waves had caft on fliore ; after this Korovin went acrofs the gulph to Umnak, and he proceeded to Ikaltfliinfk, where on the 9th one of his party was carried off by ficknefs. March 1 5 he returned to the haven, having met with no oppofltion from the iflanders during this excurfion. On R U S S I i\ N D I S C O V E R I E S. 141 On his return he found one of the crew dead, and a dreadful fcurvy raging amongft the reil:; of that diftem- per five Ruffians died in March, eight and a Kamtchadal in April, and fix more in May. About this time the iflan- ders were obferved to pay frequent. vifits to the hofiiages ; and upon enquiring privately into the reafon, fome of the latter difcovered, that the inhabitants of Makufiiinflc had formed the defign of cutting off the crew, and of making; themfelves mafters of the vefiel. Solovioff had now great reafons to be apprehenfive, for the crew were affli(n:ed with the fcurvy to fuch a violent degree, that out of the whole number only twelve perfons were capable of defending themfelveSi Thefe circumftances did not efcape the obfervation of the natives; and they were ac- cordingly infpired with frefli 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 fiiore : he was accompanied by feveral iflanders in three baidars. Solovioff calling to him by the inter- preter he came on flaore, 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 him prifoner, together with two of his companions. He immediately confefTed, that he had come with a view of enquiringXof the holtages how many Ruffians were ftill remaining : having procured the necelTary intelligence, his 142 A C C O U N T O F T H E his intention was to furprife the watch at a convenient feafon, and afterwards to fet fire to the fliip. As they faw feveral iilanders row pail the harbour at the fame time, and the Toigon Ukewife informed them, that they were affembhiig to execute the abovementioned defign ; SoloviofF refolved to be much upon his guard. They feparated, however, without attempting any hoftilities. June 5, GlottofF arrived at the harbour on a vifit, and returned on the 8th to his fliip. The captive Toigon was now fet at hberty, after being ferioufly exhorted to defift from hotlihties. 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 KulkofF's crew, was of courfe a very agree- able circumftance. The fick like wife began to recover by degrees. July 2 2, Solovioff, with a party of his people, in two baidars, made another excurfion Northwards ; he pafTed by the places formerly mentioned as far as Igonok, which 'lies ten verfts beyond Totzikala. Igonok confifts 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 verfl:s further RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. further he found another rivulet, which has its fource among the hills and flows through a plain. Upon the fliore 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- filled of fix dwelling caves. About thirty-five of the inhabitants were at that time employed in catching fal- mon in the rivulet. Kulkoff's fliip had lain at anchor about two miles from thence ; but there were no re- mains of her to be found. After coming out of the bay he -Went forwards to the fummer village Umgaina diflant about feven or eight leagues, and fituated 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 filhing. Fifteen verfts farther along the fliore they found another fum^ mer village called Kalaktak, where there was likewife another rivulet, which came from the hills. The inha- bitants were fixty men and an hundred and feventy women and children : . they gave SoloviofF a very friendly reception ; . and delivered up two hoflages, who were brought from the neighbouring ifland Akutan ; : with thefe he fet out on his return, . and on the 6th of Auguil joined his crew. - Oil 143 144 ACCOUNTOFTirE On the nth he went over to the-illand Umnak, ac- companied by Korovin, to bring off fome fnips ftores left there by the latter; and. returned to the haven on the 27th. On the 3 1 ft Shaffyrin died, the lame per fon whofe adventures have been already. related, Sept. 19. KorenofF was fent northwards upon an 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 diftributed to the inhabitants of the feveral vil- lages through which he pafled nets for the purpofe of catching fea-otters, he went to the Eall part of the ifland as far as Kalaktak, with an intention of hunting. Upon his arrival at that place, on the 31ft of Odober, the in- habitants iied with precipitation,; and as all his efforts to conciliate their affedlions were ineffecftual, be found it re- quilite 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 iroH of the plundered veflels. KorenofF, however, and his companions, who were prepared to receive them, ,killed twenty-fix, and took feveral prifoners ; upon which the others became more tradable. Nov. RUSSIAN DISCOVERl EJ. 145 Nov. 1 9. Korenoff, 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 deiigns were ftill hoftile. Inftead of giving an account of the nets which had been left with him, he withdrew privately: and on the 19th of January, ac- companied by a numerous body of iflanders, made an at- tempt to furprife the Ruffians. Vi6tory, however, again declared for Korenoff; and fifteen of the affailants", amongft w^hom was Itchadak himfelf, remained dead upon the fpot. Kulumaga alTured them, in the flrongeft manner, that the defign had been carried on without his knowledge ; and protefted, that he had often prevented his friend from committing hoililities againit the Ruf- fians. Korenoff returned to the haven on the 30th of Janu^ ary ; and on the 4th of February he went upon another hunting expedition toward the Weftern point of the ifland. During this excurfion he met with a party fent out by GlottoflF, at a place called Takamitka ; he then rowed over to Umnak, where he collected a fmall tribute, and retvirned on the 3d of March. During his abfence Kyginik, Kulumaga's fon, paid a vifit to the Ruflians, and requefled that he might be baptized, and be permitted to go aboard the veffel ; his demand was immediately com- plied with, V May 34S. ACCOUNT OF THE 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 aiTival of Korovin the hunters had killed 150 black and brown foxes; and the fame number of old and young fea-otters ; lince his arrival they had caught 350 black foxes, the fame number of common foxes, and 150 fea-otters of different lizes. This cargo being put on board, the interpreter Kafhr mak fet at liberty, with a certificate of, and prefents for his fidelity, and the hoftages delivered up to the.Toigons and their relations, who had aflembled at the haven, Solovioff put to fea on the ift of June, with an Eafterly wind. Before his departure he received a letter from Glottofi', informing him that he was likewife preparing for his return o. wacds. ^o^Sehome- Juue 2. The wind being contrary, they got but a fmali way from land. 5. Steered again towards the fhore, came to an anchor, and fent a boat for a fupply of water, which returned without having fe.en any body. 6. Weighed and fleered W. with a S. E. wind, 7. Favourable wind atN.E, and in the afternoon at N.. 8, Wind, RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. 8. Wind at N. W. and flormy, the lliip drove under the forefail. 98c 10. Sailed Northwards, with a Wefterly wind. 1 1 . Calm till noon ; afterwards breeze Iprung 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 fleered 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 con- tinued during the 1 8. with a S. S. E. wind. From the 1 9 to the 22. The wind was changeable from the S. \V. to N. W. with which they ftill made a fliift to get to the Weftward. 23. The wind E. they fteered betwixt N. & 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 I. The wind changed to E. with which they fteered between W. and S. W. with little variations, till the 3d. U 2 4. They M? 14?. A C C O U N T O F T H E 4. They reached Kamtchatkoi Nofs, and on the 5 th. Brought the fliip, in good condition, into Kamt- chatka river. fa ipli'on of the SoloviofF's defcription of thefe iflands and the inha- bitants being more circumftantial, than the accounts given by former navigators, deferves to be inferted at full length. According to his eftimation, the ifland Unalallika lies between 1500 and 2000 verfts due Eaft from the mouth of the Kamtchatka river : the other iflands to the Eaftward ftretch towards N. E. He rec- kons 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 tiie iflands which he touched at. They produce underwood, fmall flirubs, and: plants, for the moft part limilar 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 fnow feldom lies upon the ground for any time. Rein-deer, beai^, 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 Yakiitfic, and their hair is much coarfer. During the day they lie in caves and 7 clifts RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 34^ 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 fmali animals. Thej are not in the fmalleft degree afraid of the inhabitants, but dif- tinguifli the Ruffians by the fcent ; having experienced the efFe6ls of their fire-arms. The number of fea-ani- mals, fuch as fea-lions, fea- bears, and lea-otters, which refort to thefe fhores, are very confiderable. Upon ibme of the iflands warm fprings and native fulphur are to be found. The Fox-iflands are in general very populous ; Una- So^^^'f [1,^ laflika, which is the largeft ifland, is fuppofed to contain feveral thoufand inhabitants. Thefe favages live together in feparate communities, compofed of fifty, and fome- times 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 M'hich 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 feve- ral families ; and thefe partitions are marked by means of flakes diiven into the earth. The men and women fit oa[ '■JJQ ACCOUNT OF THE on the ground ; and the children he down, having their legs bound together under them, in order to make them learn to fit upon their hams. Although no fire 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 with- out efleeming it indecent. They wafli themfelves firft with their own urine, and afterwards with water. In winter they go always bare-footed ; and when they Avant to warm themfelves, efpecially before they go to fleep, they fet fire 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 fione, into which they put a rufii-wick and burn train oil. A ftone fo hollowed is called Tfaaduck. The na- tives '■^■' are whites with black hair ; they have flat faces, and are of a good ftature. The men fliave with a fliarp fi:one 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 ftrcight line over the fore- head ; behind they let it grow to a confiderable length, * Von geficht find fie platt undweifs durchgacnglg mit fchwarzen haarcn. -j- The original in this paffage is fomewhat obfcure. Die maenner fcheeren mit einem Scharfen Stein oder mefler den Umkreifs des haar- kopfs und die platte, und laflen die haare um die krone des kopfs run- dum ueberhangen. and RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 15: and tie it in a bunch. Some of the men wear their beards ; others fliave 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 prick- ing 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 griftle 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 confifts of a cap and a fur-coat, which reaches down to the knee. Some of them wear com- mon 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 fifliing caps they place a fmall board like a fcreen, adorned with the jaw-bones of fea-- bears, and ornamented with glafs beads, which they re- ceive in barter from the Ruffians. At their feftivals and dancing parties they ufe a much more fliowy fort of caps. Their fur-coats are made like Ihirts, being clofe behind and beforcj and are put on over the head. The mens- 1^1 A C C O U N T O F T H E mens drefs is made of birds flviiis, but the womens of fea-otters and fea-bears. Thefe Ik-ins are died with a fort of red earth, and neatly fewed with finews, and ornamented with various llripes of fea-otter fkins and leathern fringes. They have alfo upper garments made of the inteftines of the largeft fea-calves and fea- lions. Their vefTels confift of two forts : the larger are lea- thern boats or baidars, which have oars on both fides, and are capable of holding thirty or forty people. The fmaller vcffels are rowed with a double paddle, and re- femble 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 iiland 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 fniews or fea-weed. They ftrike fifli in the rivulets with darts. Whales and other fea-animals thrown afliore by the waves are carefully looked after, and no part of them is loft. The quantity of provi>- fions which they procure by hvmting and lilliing being far too fmall for their wants, the greateft part of their food confifts of fea-wrack and fliell-fifli, which they find on the fliore. Ko RUSSIANDISCOVERIES, i$i No ftranger is allowed to hunt or fifh near a village, or to carry ofi any thing fit for food. When they are on a journey, and their provilions 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 hol- low ftone ; having placed the fifh or flefh therein, they cover it with another, and clofe the interflices with lime or clay. They then lay it horizontally upon two Hones, 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 Avild at Kam.tchatka. They are unacquainted with the manner of drelling the cow-parfnip, as practifcd in that Peninfula ; and do not underftand the art of dillilling brandy or any other ftrong liquor from it. They are at prefent very fond of fnufij which the RuHians have - introduced among them. No tjraces were found of any worfliip, neither did they feem to have any forcerers* among them. If a * In the lafl; chapter it is faid that there are forcerers among them. X whale 154 A C C O U N T O F T H E whale happens to be caft on fliore, the inhabitants af- fenible 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 heft part is confumed on the fpot. On fuch occafions they wear flio\^'y caps ; and fome of them dance naked in wooden maflvs, which reach down to their llioulders, and reprefent various forts of fea-animals. Their dances confift of fliort fteps for-^ wards, accompanied with many ftrange geftures. Marriage ceremonies are unknown among them^ and each man takes as many wives as he can maintain; but the number feldom exceeds four. Thefe women are occafionally ahowed to cohabit with other men ; they and their children are alfo not unfrequently bar- tered in exchange for commodities. When an iflander dies, the body is bound with thongs, and afterwards ex- pofed to the air in a fort of wooden cradle hung upon * The exprefGon in the original is " Schlagen auf grofTen platten " handpauken," which, being literally tranflated, 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 fizes. 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 fliield. a crofs- R U S S I A N D I S C V E R I E S. 155 a crofs-bar, fupported by forks. Upon thefe occafions they cry and make bitter lamentations. Their Toigons or Princes are thofe who have nume- rous families, and are ll<:ilful and fuccefsful in hunting and fifliing. Their weapons confift 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 fliields, called kuyakin. Thefe iflanders are, notwithftanding their favagenefs, very docile ; and the boys, whom the Ruffians keep as hoftages, foon ac- quire a knowledge of their language. X 2 CHAP. 156 ACCOUNT OF THE CHAP. XII. Voyage of Otcheredin — He zvinters upon Umnak — Arrival of 'Lt\?iShQ,S upon Unalaflika — Return of Otcheredin to Ochotfk. oEiUnin TN the year 1765 three merchants, namely, Orechoff the St. Paul, B 1/65. •*■ of Yula, Lapin of Sohkamfk, and ShilofF of Uf- tyug, fitted out a new veffel 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 flie carried on board two inhabitants of the Fox Iflands named John and Ti- mothy 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. Augult I, 1776, they continued their voyage, and having pafTed the fecond of the Kuril Ifles, fleered on the 6th into the open fea ; on the 24th they reached the nearefl of the Fox Iflands, which the interpreters called *Atchak. A florm arifing they call anchor in a bay, but faw no inhabitants upon the fhore. On the 26th * Called in a former journal Atchu, p, 63. "2- they RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 157 they failed again, difcovered on the 27th Sagaiigamak, along which they fteered North Eaft, and on the 31ft came within feven miles of the ifland Umnak ; where. Amvai at L'mnak., on account of the latenefs of the feafon' and the want of provifion and water, they determined to winter. Ac- cordingly on the I 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 fallen- ed it to the fliore with cables. Upon their landing they difcovered feveral pieces of a wreck ; and two illanders, who dwelled on the banks of ■a rivulet which empties itfelf into the bay, informed them, that thefe were the remains of a Ruffian velTel, whofe commander's name was Denys. From this intel- ligence they concluded that this was ProtaffofF's veflel, fitted out at Ochotfk. The inhabitants of Umnak, Una- lafhka, and of the Five Mountains, had affembled and murdered the crew, when feparated into different hunt- ing parties. The fame iflanders alfo mentioned the fate of Kulkoff's and Trapefnikoff's ffiips upon the ifland Unalafhka. Although this information occafioned ge- neral apprehenfions, yet they had no other refource thaa to draw the veffel afliore, and to take every poffible pre- caution againft a furprize. Accordingly they kept a con- ftant watch, made prefents to the Toigons and the prin- cipal inhabitants, and demanded fome children as hoftages. For fome time the iflanders behaved very peaceably, un- til the Rufllians endeavoured to perfuvide them to become tributary : 138 ACCOUNTOFTHE tributary : upon which they gave fuch repeated figns of their hoftile intentions, that the crew Hved under conti- nual alarms. In the beginnmgof September informa- tion was brought them of the arrival of a velTel, fitted out by Ivan Popoff merchant of l^alfk, at Unalaflika. About the end of the faid month the Toigon of the ■Five Mountains came to Otcheredin, and was fo well fa- tisfied with his reception, that he brought hoftages, and not only aflured them of his own friendfliip, but pro- mifcd 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- lions, but even barbaroufly killed one of his children. From thefe and other circumftances the crew pafled the winter under continual apprehenfions, and durft not ven- ture far from the harbour upon hunting parties. Hence enfued a fcarcity of provisions ; and hunger, joined to the violent attacks of the fcurvy, made great havock amongft them, infomuch that fix of them died, and fe- veral of the furvivors were reduced to fo weak a condition, that they were fcarce able to move. The health of the crew being re-efiablillied in the fpring, twenty-three men were fent on the 25th 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 at- tacked RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 159 tacked with great fpirit by a large body of the inhabi- tants ; and though three of the Rullians were wounded, yet the favages were repulfed with confiderable lofs : they were fo terrified by their defeat, that they fled before the Ruflians 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 ProtalFofF's crew. On the loththey returned to the harbour ; and it was imme- diately refolved to difpatch fome companies upon hunt- ing expeditions.. Accordingly on the ifl of Augufl Matthew Polofkoff, a native of llinfk, was fent with twenty-eight men in two boats to Unalaflika with the following, orders ; that if the weather and other circumftances were fa- vourable, 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 2th. I i6o ACCOUNT >OF THE 1 2th of December the inhabitants of the different iflands aliembled in great numbers, and attacked them by land and fea. They informed PoloHvofF, by means of the interpreters, that the Ruffians whom lie had fent to the neighbouring iflands were killed ; that the two vefTels at Umnak and Unalallika were plundered, and the crew put to death ; and that they were now come to make him and his party Ihare the fame fate. The Ruffian fire-arms however kept them in due refpe<5t ; and towards evening they difperfed. The fame night the interpreter deferted, probably at the inftigation of his countrymen, who neverthelefs killed him, as it was faid, that winter. January i6, the favages ventured to make a fecond attack. Having furprifed the guard by night, they tore off the roof of the Ruffian dwelling, and fliot down into the hut, making at the fame time great outcries : by this unexpe6led affault four Ruffians were killed, and three wounded ; but the furvivors no fooncr had recourfe to their fire-arms, than the enemy was driven to flight. Meanwhile another body of the natives at- tempted to feize the two vefTels, but without fuccefs ; they however cut off the party of fix men left by Po- lolkoff at Akutan, together with the five hunters dif- patched to the contiguous iflands, and two of Popoff' s crew who were at the Weflermoft part of Unalaflika. PolofkofF RUSSIAN DISCOV^ERIES, r^, Polofkofi continued upon Akun in great danger until the aoth of February ; when, the wounded being re- covered, he failed over with a fair wind to PopofF's vef- fel at Unalallika ; and on the loth of May returned to Otcheredin. In April PopofF's veiTel being got ready for the voy- age, all the hoflages, 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 caft anchor in the fame bay where Otchere- din's lay ; and both crews entered into an agreement to lliare in common the profits of hunting. Strength- ened by this alliance, Otcheredin prevailed upon a num- ber 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 Unalafiika and Akutan ; and there remained thirty men with the velTels in the har- bour, who kept coniiant watch. Soon afterwards Otcheredin and the other commander otdieredin re- ceives an Ac- received a letter from LevafhefF Captain Lieutenant of '"""^J?*^"- *• vafheff s Ar- the Imperial fleet, who accompanied Captain Krenitzin hihka! ^'"" in the fecret expedition to thofe iflands. The letter was dated September 11, 1768 : it informed them he was arrived at Unalafiika in the St. Paul, and lay at anchor in the fame bay in which KulkofF's vefl^el had Y been i6i ACCOUNTOFTHE been loll. He likewife required a circumltaniial ac- count of their voyages. By another order of the 24th he fent for four of the principal hoflages, and demanded tlie tribute of flvins which had been exavSled from the inlanders. But as the weather was generally tempeftuous at this feafon of the year, they deferred fending them till the fpring. May the 31ft LevalhefF fet fail for Kamtchatka ; and in 1 7 7 i returned fafely from his ex- pedition at St. Peterfburg. The two veffels remained at Umnak until the year 1770, during which time the crews met with no oppo- lition from the iflanders. ' They continued their hunt- ing parties, in wdiich they had fuch good fortune, that the fliare of Otcheredin's velTel (whole voyage is here chiefly related) confifted in 530 large fea-otter fkins, 40 young ones and 30 cubs, the fkins of 656 fine black foxes, 100 of an inferior fort, and about 1250 red fox ikins. With this large cargo of furs Otcheredin fet fail on the 3 2d 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, deferted. Return of After having touched at the neareft of the Aleutian ' OuhereJm to o . -ocUotik. iflands, Otcheredin and his crew arrived on the 24th of R U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 163 July at Ochotfk. They brought two illanders 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 h'kutfl^: ; and the latter at Irkutfk, where he arrived on the ift of February, 1771. Y a CHAP. i64 ACCOUNTOFTHE CHAP. XIII. Conchifion—— General pofition and fituation of the Aleutian <2;2^Fox Iflands — their dijiance from each other-r—Fiir~ ther defcription of the drefs, mamiers, and cuftoms of the inhabitants — their feafls and ceremonies^ ^c. Beering'°Ld ACCORDING to thc latcft informations brought copperlflands. XX ^^ Otchercdin's and Popoff's vefTels, the North Weft point of Commandorlkoi 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 Illand. 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. oftiieAieii- About ^00 verfts Eaft by South of Copper Ifland lie urn Iflcs. -^ ■' '■ ^ the Aleutian Iftes, of which Attak is the neareft : it is rather larger than Beering's Iftand, of the fame fliape, and ftretches from Weft to South Eaft. From thence about 20 verfts Eaft wards is fituated Semitfni, extending from Weft to Eaft, and near its Eaftern point another fmall ifland. To the South of the ftrait, which feparates the two latter illands, and at the diftance of 40 RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 165 40 verfts from both of them, hes Shemiya in a fimilar poUtion, and not above 25 verfts in length. All thefe iflands ftretch between 54 and 55 degrees of North latitude. The Fox Iflands are fituated E. N. E. from the Aleii- S'i'^'"' tians : the neareft of thefe, Atchak, is about 800 verfts diftant; it lies in about 56 degrees North latitude, and ex- tends from W. S. W. towards E. N. E. It greatly re- fembles Copper Ifland, and is provided with a commo- dious 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 fize ; and has an harbour on its South ftde. Next follows Sagaugamak, at about the fame diftance, but fomewhat fmaller ; from that it is 50 verfts to Amuchta, a fmall rocky ifland ; and the fame diftance from the latter to Yunakfan, another fmall ifland. About 20 verfts from Yunakfan there is a cluftcr of five fmall iflands, or rather mountains, Kigalgift, Kagamila, Tfigulak, Ulaga, and Tana-Unok, and which are therefore called by the Rufllans Pat Sopki, or the Five Mountains. Of thefe Tana-Unok lies moft to the N. E. towards which the Weftern point of Umnak ad- vances within the diftance of 20 verfts. Umnak i65 A C C O U N T O F T H E Umnak ftretches from S.W.toN. E. ; it is 150 verfls in length, and has a very confiderable bay on the Weft end of the Northern coaft, in which there is a frnall illand or rock, called Adugak ; and on the South fide is Shemalga, another rock. The Weftern point of Aghun- alaflika, or Unalaflika, is feparated' from the Eaft end of Umnak by a ftrait near 20 verfts in breadth. The pofi- tion of thefe two iflands is fimilar ; but Aghunalaflika 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 diredtion, forming one fide of a large bay on the North coaft of the ifland : the fecond ftretches out N. E. ends in three points, and is conne(^ed with the ifland by a fmall neck of land. The third or moft Southerly one is feparated from the laft mentioned promontory by a deep bay. Near Una- laflika towards the Eaft lies another fmall ifland called Skirkin. About 20 verfts from the North Eaft promontory of Aghunalaflika lie four iflands : the firft, Akutan, is about half as big as Umnak ; a verft further is the fmall ifland 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 6ift degree of latitude. About 100 R U S S I A N D I S C O V E R I E S. 167 100 verfts from thence lies an ifland called Unimak -, upon which Captain Krenitzin wintered ; and beyond it the inhabitants faid there was a large tra6t of country called Alallika, of which they did not know the boun- daries. The Fox Iflands are in general very rocky, without containing any remarkable high mountains : they are deftitute of wood, but abound in rivulets and lakes, which are moffcly without fifli. The winter is much milder than in Siberia ; the fnow feldom falls before the beginning of January, and continues on the grcund 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 grovifions ; and flames of fulphur are occalionally feen at night upon the moun- tains of Unalaflika and Akutan. The Fox Iflands are tolerably populous in proportion ^J'afems of to their fize. The inhabitants are entirely free, and pay tribute to no one : they are of a middle ftature ; and live, both in fummcr and winter, in holes dug in the earth. No figns of religion were found amongll: them. * Krenitzin wintered at Alaxa, and not at Unimak. See Appendix I. N°I. 6 Several i68 A C C O U N T O F T H E 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 refpe(5t towards the aged are not held in eflimation 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 leaft referve. They wafli themfelves with their own urine. Theii Food. Their principal food confiils in fifli and other fea-animals, fmall fliell-fifli and fea- plants: their createft delicacies are wild lilies and other roots, tooe- ther with different kinds of berries. When they have laid in a ftore of provifions, they eat at any time of the day without diftinction ; but in cafe of neceffity they are capable of falling feveral days together. They fel- dom heat their dwellings ; but when they are defirous of warming themfelves, they light a bundle of hay, and ftand over it ; or clfe tliey fet fire to train oil, vvhich they pour into a hollow ftone. They feed their children when very young with the coarfeft flelli, and for the moft part raw. If an infant cries, the mother immediately carries it to the fea-fide, and be it fummer or winter holds it naked in the wa- ter RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 169 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 are alfo trained to bathe frequently in the fea ; and it is an opinion generallly received among the iflanders, that by that means they are rendered bold, and become for- tunate in filhing. The men wear fliirts made of the fkins of cormo- dku. 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 ears ; 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 fexes make holes in the griftle of the nofe, and ia 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 170 ACCOUNT OF THE wooden mafks, darts, thread made of finews and reindfeer^ hair, which they get from the country of Alaflca.- Their honfliold utenllls are fquare pitchers and large troughs, which they make out of the wood driven afliore Arms. by the fea. Their weapons are bows and arrows pointed with flints, and javeUns 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, whichi they had probably got by plundering the Ruffians., According to the reports of the oideft inhabitants of Umnak and Unalaflika, they have never been engaged in any war either amongft themfelves or with their neighbours, except once with the people of Alaflika, the occafion of which was as follows : The Toigon of Urn* 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 of- fended 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. Accord- ing to the reports of the iflanders, there are mountains upon Alaflika, and woods of great extent at fome dif- tance from the coaft. The natives wear clothes made of the 3 RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. the fkins of reindeer, wolves, and foxes, and are not tributary to any of their neighbours. The inhabitants of the Fox-iflands feem to have no knowledge of any country beyond Alalhka. Feafts are very common among thefe iflanders; and ^"^s- more particularly when the inhabitants of one ifland are vifited by thofe of the others. The men of the village meet their guefts beating drums, and preceded by the women, who ling and dance. At the conclufion of the dance the hofts invite them to partake of the feafts ; after which ceremony the former return firft to their dwell- ings, place mats in order, and " ferve up their beft j)ro- vilion. The guefts next enter, take their places, and after they are fatisfied the diverfions begin. Firft, the children dance and caper, at the fame time making a noife with their fmall drums, while the own- ers of the hut of both fexes fing. 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 kin- dled for the ceremony. The manner of obtaining fire is by rubbing two pieces of dry wood, or moft commonly by ft^iking two flints together, and letting the fparks fall Z 2 upon 171 172 ACCOUNTOFTHE upon fome fea-otter's hair mixed with fulphur. If any Ibrcerer is prefent, it is then his turn to play his tricks in the dark ; if not, the guefts immediately retire to their huts, which are made on that occafion of their canoes and mats. The natives, who have feveral wives, da not withhold them from their guefts ; 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 feaftings and di- verlions fimilar to that above mentioned : with this dif- ference, however, that the men dance in w'ooden mafks, reprefenting various fea-animals, and painted red, green, or black, with coarfe coloured earths found upon thefe illands. During thefe feftivals they vifit each other from vil- lage to village, and from ifland to ifland. The feafts concluded, mafks and drums are broken to pieces, or de- pofited in caverns among the rocks, and never after- wards made ufe of. In fpring they go out to kill old fea- bears, fea-lions, and whales. During fummer, and even in winter when it is calm, they row out to fea, and catch cod and other fi(h. Their hooks are of bone ; and for 2 lines RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 173 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 lixty 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 faft for fome time. When their head achs, they open a vein in that part with a flone lancet. When they want to glue the points of their ar- rows to the fhaft, they ftrike their nofe till it bleeds, and ufe the blood as glue. Murder is not puniflied amongft them, for they have no judge. With refp.etl; 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 afliore 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 cufloms and manners of the inhabitants of the Aleiitian Ifles are nearly limilar to thofe of the inhabi- tants of the Fox Iflands. The former indeed are ren- dered X74 ACCOUNT, &c. derecl tributary, and entirely fubjea to Ruflia ; and mofl of them have a flight acquaintance with tlie Paiflian language, which they have learned from the crews of the different veflels who have landed there. PART ART n. CONTAINING THE CONQ^UEST OF SIBERIA, AND THE HISTORY OF THE TRANSACTIONS AND COMMERCE BETWEKN RUSSIA AND- CHINA. A^ C ^n ] CHAP. I. Firji irruption of the Ruffians into Siberia — Second inroad — Yermac driven by the T'zar of Mufcovy from the Volga^ retires to Orel a Ruffian Settlement — Enters Siberia with an army of Coffiicks — His progrefs and exploits — Defeats Kutclium Chan — conquers his dO' minions — cedes them to the T'zar — receives a rein- forcenient of Ruffian troops — is furprized by Kutchum Chan — his defeat a7id death — Veneration paid to his memory — Ruffian troops evacuate Siberia — re-enter and conquer the zvhok country — their progrefs flopped by the Chinefe. on ans SIBERIA was fcarcely known to the Ruffians before '^"^ ^""P'' ■' oftheRuMia the middle of the fixteenth century *. For although |",Xr'li"'* an expedition was made, under the reign of Ivan Vaffi- vuiiiiK°vitcri. lievitch I. into the North Weftern Parts of that country, as far as the river Oby, by which feveral Tartar tribes were rendered tributary, and fome of their chiefs brought priibners to Molcow ; yet this incurfion bore a greater refeml>laiice to the defultory inroads of barbarians, than to any permanent eftabliffiment of empire by a civilized nation. Indeed the effecfts of that expedition foon va- * S. Fw. G. VI. p. 199 — 211. Fir, Sib. Gef. Torn,!. A a niffied ; 178 CON QJJ EST OF SIBERIA. niflied ; nor does any trace of the leaft communication with Siberia again appear in the Ruffian hiftory before the reign of Ivan Vaffihevitch II. At that period Siberia again became an object of attention, by means of one Anika Strogonoff, a Ruffian merchant, who had eflab- lifhed fome falt-works at Solvytfhegodfkaia, a town in the government of Archangel. ifoffuades°^°' This perfon carried on a trade of barter with the in- pie of ilberk. 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 croffed the mountains, and traded with the natives. By thefe means a con- fiderable number of very valuable furs were procured at an eafy rate, in exchange for toys and other commodi- ties 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 fubjeds, from eftabliffiing a more general and regular commerce with thefe people, * S. R. G. VI. p. 220—223. Fif. Sib. Gef. p. 182. determined CON Q^U E S T O F S I B E R I A. 179 determined to enlarge the communication already opened with Siberia. Accordingly he fent a corps of troops into f """f ^""^ that country. They followed the fame route which had sibuia in the Reign of Ivan been difcovered by the Ruffians in the former expedition, ^'affiii'vuchii. and which was lately frequented by the merchants of Solvytfhegodfkaia. It lay along the banks of the Petf- chora, and from thence croffed the Yugorian mountains, which form the North Eaftern boundary of Europe. Thefe troops, however, do not feem to have pafled the Irtiili, or to have penetrated further than the Weftern branch of the river Oby. Some Tartar tribes were in- deed 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 produdlive of any lafting effedls ; 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 eftabliflied his empire in thofe parts. This fecond inroad was probably made about the mid- dle of the fixteenth 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 Yer- mac in that kingdom *. But probably the name of Siberia was at that time only confined to the diftricSl * S. R.G.VI. p. 217. A a 2 then x8o CON Q^U EST OF SIBERIA. then rendered tributary ; and as the Ruffians extended their conquefts, this appellation was afterwards applied to the whole tradl of country which now bears that name. For fome time after the above-mentioned expedition, the Tzar does not appear to have made any attempts to- wards recovering his loft authority in thofc diftant re- gions. Bvit his attention was again turned to that quar- ter by a concurrence of incidents ; which> though begun without his immediate interpofition, termin^ited in a vail acceffion of territory. strogonofF Strogouoff, in recompence for having firft opened a ,T,e'Kama°an(i tradc With thc Inhabitants of Siberia, obtained from the Tzar large grants of land ; accordingly he founded colo- nies upon the banks of the rivers Kama and TchuJTovaia ; and thefe fettlements gave rife to the entire fubjedion of Siberia by the refuge which they not long afterwards af- forded to Yermac TimofeefF. This perfon was nothing more than a fugitive Coflac of the Don, and chief of a troop of banditti who infefted the fliores of the Cafpian fea. But as he was the inftru- ment by which fuch a vaft extent of dominion was added to the Ruffian Empire, it will not be uninterefting to develop the principal circumftances, which brought this Coflac CON QJJ E S T O F S I B E R I A. i8i Gofluc from the fliores 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 VaffiUevitch had gained over the Tatars of Cafan and Aftracan, that mo- narch extended his dominions as far as the Cafpian Sea; and thereby eftabUfhed a commerce with the Perfians and Bvicharians. But as the merchants who traded to thofe .Hvrn'frlm parts were continually pillaged by the CofTacs of the the c'a°fpUa fea. Don; and as the roads which lay by the fide of that a. d. 1377,. river, and of the Volga, were infefted v/ith thofe ban- ditti ; 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 Collacs, under the command of the above-mentioned Yermac Timofeeff*. ■ That celebrated adventurer, being driven from his ord7on"of ufual haunts, retired, with his followers, into the interior smUmiml-. part of the province of Cafan. From thence he diredted 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. t S.R. G. VI. p. 233. of; i82 CON Q^U EST OF SIBERIA. of Anika Strogonoff. Yermac, inftead of ftorming the place, and pillaging the inhabitants, a6ted v/ith a degree of moderation unufual in a chief of banditti. Being hofpitably received by Strogonoff, and fupplied with every thing that was necellary for the fubfiflence of his troops, he fixed his winter quarters at that fettlement. His refllefs genius however did not fuffer him to continue for any length of time in a fl:ate of inactivity ; and from the intelligence he procured concerning the fituation of Determines to thc neighbourinff Tartars of Siberia, he turned his arms irivnde Siberia. O O inv toward that quarter. State of . Siberia was at that time partly divided among a num- her of feparate princes ; and partly inhabited by the various tribes of independent Tartars. Of the former Kutchum Chan was the moll powerful Sovereign. His dominions confifled of that trad of country which now forms the South Weflern part of the province of Tobolfic; and ftretched from the banks of the Irtifli and Oby to thofe of the Tobol and Tura. His principal refidence w^as at Sibir ■••■■, a fmall fortrefs upon the river Irilli, 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 fufficicnt toun- dation ; for the name of Sibir was unknown to the Tartars, that fort being by them called Ilker. Befides, the Southern part of the province of Tobollk, to which the name of Siberia was originally applied, was thus deuo- CON QJJ E S T O F S I B E R I A. 183 far from the prefent town of Tobolfk ; and of which fome ruins are ftill to be feen. Although his power was very confiderable, yet there were fome circum- flances 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 affedlions of his idolatrous fubjects by the intolerant zeal, with which he introduced*and difTeminated the Mahometan religion *. StrogonofF did not fail of difplaying to Yermac this inviting pofture of affairs, as well with a view of remov- ing him from his prefent ftation, as becaufe he himfelf was perfonally exafperated againft Kutchum Chan : for the latter had fecretly inftigated 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 coulin Mehemet Kul. And although both thefe attempts had failed of fuccefs, yet the troops engaged in them had left behind traces of havock and dcvailation too lafting to be ealily 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. 1 80. * S. R. G. VI. p. 180. t Fif. Sib.Gef. I. p. 187. 2 All i84 CON Q^U EST OF SIBERIA. Marches to- ^|j thefc various confiderations were not loft upon warui bibciia : i- Yermac : having therefore employed the winter in pre- parations for his intended expedition, he began his march in the fummer of the following year, 1578, along the banks of the Tchuffovaia. The want of proper guides, and a negledl of other neceffary precautions, greatly retarded his march, and he was overtaken by the winter before he had made any confiderable progrefs. And at the appearance of fpring he found his flock of Returns to pyovifions fo ncaily exhaufted, that he was reduced to the neceHity of returning to Orel. But this failure of fuccefs bv no means extino-ui fired his ardour for the profecution of the enterprize ; it only ferved to make him flill more folicitous in guarding againll the poiiibility of a fiTture mifcarriage. By threats he extorted from Strogonoff every ailiftance which the nature of the expedition feemed to require. Befldes a fudicient quantity of provifions, all his followers, who Were before unprovided with fire-arms, were fupplicd with mullcets and ammunition ; and, in order to give the appearance of a regular army to his troops, colours were diftributed to each comf>any, which were orna- mented with the images of faints, after the manner of the Ruffians. Havino: C O ISr Q^U E 5 T O F S I B E R r A. ig^ 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 fecond expedition. His followers His fecond amounted to five thouland men ; adventarers mured to hardfliips, and regardlels of danger : they placed im- plicit 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 eigliteen months elapfed before he reached Tchingi, a fniall town upon Arrives upon , . *■ tlie Banks of the banks of the Tura -U thcXura. Here he muftered his troops, and found his army con- fiderably reduced : part had been exhaufted by fatigue, part carried off by licknefs, and part cut off in fkir- miihes with the Tartars. The whole remaining num- ber amounted to about iifteen hundred effedive men ; and yet with this handful of troops Yermac did not helitate a moment in advancing againft Kutchum Chan. That prince was already in a poiture of defence ; and refolved to guard his crown to the laft extremity. Hav- ing colle6lcd his forces, he difpatched feveral flying parties againft Yermac, himfelf remaining behind with * S. R. G. VI. p. 243—248—262, B b the ,86 CON C^U EST OF SIBERIA. the flower of his troops : but all thefe detachments were driven back with confiderable lofs ; and worfted in many fucceflive fkirmilhes. Vermac continued his march without iiltermiffion, bearing down all refiiiance until- he reached the center of his adverfary's dominions. Thefe fuccef^s however were dearly bought ; for his- army was now reduced to five hundred men. Kutchuni Chan was encamped * at no great diilance upon the banks of the Irtifli, with a very fuperior force, and de- termined 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 aflion, and knew no medium between conqueft and death. The event of the combat correfponded with this magnanimity. Defeats After au obllinate and well fought battle, victory declared Kutclium Chan. ^ in favour of Yermac: the Tartars w^ere entirely routed, and the carnage was fo general, that Kutchum Chan himfelf efcaped with difficulty. This defeat proved decifive : Kutchum Chan was de- ferted by his fubjedls ; and Yermac, who knew how to improve as well as gain a vidlory, marched without * The place where the Tartar army lay encamped was called Tfchu- vatch : it is a neck of land wafhed by the Irtifh, near the fpot where the Tobob falls into that river. Fif. Sib. Gef. I. p. 203. delay 1581. CON Q^U E S T O F S I B E R I A. igy delay to Sibir, the refidence of the Tartar princes. He was well aware, that the only method to fecure his con- queft was to get pofTefiion of that important fortrefs. He expeded therefore to have found in that place a confiderable garrifon, determined to facrifice their lives in its defence. But the news of the lute defeat had diiFufed univerfal conllernation, and Sibir v.ns entirely deferted. A body of troops whom he fent before him, to reduce the fortrefs, found it quite deferted : he him- felf foon after made his triumphant entry, and feated seat? Wmfeif >iaoiT the himfelf upon the throne without the leall: oppofition.^'"'""^' Here he fixed his refidence, and received the allegi- ance of the neighbouring people, who poured in from all quarters upon the news of this unexpected revolu- tion. The Tartars were fo ftruck with his gallant in- trepidity and brilliant exploits, that they fubmitted to his authority without hefitation, and acquiefced in the payment of the ufual tribute. Thus this enterprifing CofTac was fuddenly exalted from the llation of a chief of banditti to the rank of a fovereign prince. It does not appear from hiftory whether it were at lirft his defign to conquer Siberia, or folely to amafs a confiderable booty. The latter indeed feems the more probable conjedure. The ra- pid 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. 1.88 CON Q^U EST OF SIBERIA. ambition. But whatever were his original projcifls,. 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 unexpeded profperity, nor dazzled with the fudden glare of royalty : on the contrary, the dignity of his deportment was as confiftent and unaffeded, 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 vidiories which almoft exceeded belief. Not only the tribes in the neigbourhood of Sibir vvore the appearance of the mofb unreferved fubmiffion ; but even princes continued flocking in from dirtant parts, to acknowledge them- felves tributary, and to claim his pretention . However, Precarious this Calm was of fliort duration. Infarrections were Situation of -i i i j • <- Yermac. couccrtcd by Kutchum Chan ; who, though driven irom his dominions, yet ftill retained no fmall degree of influence over his former fubjedts. Yermac faw and felt the precarioufnefs of his pre- fent orandeur; the inconliderable number of his followers who had furvived the conqueft of Sibir, had been ftill further diminiflied by an ambufcade of the enemy ; and as he could not depend on the afFe6fion of his new fubjeds, he found himfelf under the neceflity either of CON Q^U E S T O F S I B E R I A. iSy of calling in foreign affiftancc, or of relinquiihing his dominion. Under thefe circunrxftances he had recourfe to the Tzar of Mufcovy ; and made a tender of his new acquifitions to that monarch, upon condition of receiving immediate and elfedlual fupport. The judicious manner in which he conducted this meafure, fliews him no lefs ahle in the arts of negotiation than of war. One of his moft confidential followers was difpatched to Mofcow at the head of fifty CofTacs. He had orders to repi'efent to the court the progrcfs which the Ruflian troops, under the command of Yermac, had made in Siberia' : he was artfully to add, that an extenfive Cedes i.is Conquefl; to empire was conquered in the name of the Tzar; that Jj^^^^^^ °' the natives were reduced to fwear allegiance to that monarch, and confented to pay an annual tribute. This reprefentatlon was accompanied with a prefent of the choicefl and moft valuable furs ^'. The embafTador was received at Mofcow with the ftrongeft marks of fatis- fadtion : a public thankfgiving was celebrated in the ca- thedral ; the Tzar acknowledged and extolled the good i^sa, fervices of Yermac ; he granted him a pardon for all former offences ; and, as a teflimony 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. q mark 190 CON Q_U E S T O F S I B E R I A. mark of diilinftion that could be conferred upon a fubjeot. To thefe was added a fum of inoiiey, and .a piomife of fpeedy and efFedlual ajdiftance. Meanwhile Yermac, notwithftanding the inferior num- ber 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 ge- neral prifoner. He made occafional inroads into the ad- jacent provinces, and extended his conquefts up to the Iburce of the river Taftcla on one lide, and on the other as far as the diftrid: which lies upon the river Obv above its j unilion with the Irdlli. bforclmenfof ^^^ length tlic promifed fuccours arrived at Sibir. They troops." confifted of five hundred Ruffians, under the command of prince Bolkoiky, who was appointed wayvode or go- vernor of Siberia. Strengthened by this reinforcement, Yermac continued his excurlions on all fides with his ufual acclivity ; and gained feveral bloody vicflories over different princes, who were imprudent enough to afTert their independence. ' In one of thefe expeditions he laid fiege to Kvillara, a fmall fortrefs upon the banks of the Irtifli, which ftill belonged to Kutchum Chan : but he found it fo bravely defended by that monarch, that all his efforts to carry it by ftorm proved ineffedual. Upon his return to Sibir he CON CLU E S T O F S I E E R I a. iqi he was followed at fome diflance 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 hun- dred lay negligently pofted in a fmall ifland, formed by two branches of the Irtilh. The nijiht was obfcure and ?"™,''^'"'y- rainy ; and the troops, who were fatigued with a long *'''^"' march, repofed themfelves without fufpicion of danger. Kutchum Chan, apprifed of their fituation. filently advanced at midnight with a felecSt 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 confufion of the night, the latter were cut to pieces almoft without oppofition ; and fell a refiil:lefs prey to thofe adverfaries, whom they had been accuftomed to con- quer and defpife. The maffacre was fo univerfal, that only one man is recorded to have efcaped, and to have brought the news of this cataftrophe to his countrymen at Sibir. Yermac himfelf perifhed in the rout, though he did vcmJ^ not fall by the fword of the enemy. In all the hurry of furprife, he was not fo much infetthe ^^^'^ired effea. The Chinefe attacked Albafin with a con- fiderable force : having compelled the Ruffian garrifon to capitulate, they demoliflievn. R U S S r A A N D C e I N A. 2ii Sloboda) and alfo Naimatfchin, which is a corruption of Maimatfchin. It is fituated about an hundred and forty- yards South of the fortrefs of Kiachta, and nearly pa- rallel to it. Midway between this place and the Ruflian fortrefs, two pofts about ten feet high are planted in order to mark the frontiers of the two empires : one is infcribed with Ruffian, the other with Maniliur cha- radters *. Mainatfchin has no other fortification than a wooden wall, and a fmall ditch of about three feet broad ; the latter was dug in the year 1756,^ during the wtir be- tween the Chinefe and the Calmucs.. The town is of an oblong form : its length is feven hundred yards,, and its breadth four hundred. On each of the four fides a large gate faces the principal ftreets ; over each of thefe gates there is a wooden guard-houfe for the Chinefe garrifon, which confifts of Mongols in tattered clothes, and armed with clubs. Without the gate, which looks to the Ruffian frontiers, and about the diftance of eight yards from the entrance, the Chinefe have raifetl a wooden fcreen, fo conftrudled as to intercept all view of the ftreets from without^ * Upon the raounrain to the Weft of KracHta, the limit is agarix marked, on the Ruffian fide by an heap of ftones and- earth, ornamented on the top with a crofs ; and oa the Chinefe by a pile of ftones ia the fliape of a pyramid. Pallas Reik, P. III. p. no. This 4i6 CO M M E R C E BETWEEN This town contains two hundred houfes and about twelve hundred inhabitants. It has two principal ftreets of about eight yards broad, croffing each other in the middle at right angles, with two by-itreets running from North to South. They are not paved, but are laid with gravel, and kept remarkably clean. Hcufes. -pj-^g houfes are fpacious, uniformly built of wood, of only one ftory, not more than fourteen feet high, plaif- tered and white-waflied ; they are conftrucSled round a court yard of about feventy feet fquare, which is ftrewed with gravel, and has an appearance of neatnefs. Each houfe confifts of a fitting room, fome warehoufes and a kitchen. In the houfes of the wealthier fort the roof is made of plank ; but in meaner habi- tations of lath covered over with turf. Towards the ftreets moft of the houfes have arcades of wood pro- jelling forwards from the roof like a penthoufe, and fupported by ftrong pillars. The windov/s are large after the European manner, but on account of the dear- nefs of glafs and Ruffian talk are generally of paper, excepting a few panes of glafs in the fitting room. The fitting room looks feldom towards the ftreets : it is a kind of fliop, where the feveral patterns of merchandize are placed in recefles, fitted up with fhelves, and R U S S I A A N D C H I N A. zi^ and fecured with paper doors for the purpofe of keeping out the dult. Tlie windows are generally ornamented with little paintings, and the walls are hung with Chinefe paper. Half the floor is of hard beaten day ; the other half is covered with boards, and rifes about two feet in height. Here the family fit in the day-time and fleep at night. By the fide of this raifed part, and nearly upon the fame level, there is a fquare brick ftove, with a ftreight perpendicular cylin- drical excavation, which is heated with fmall pieces of wood. From the bottom of this ftove a tube defcends, and is carried zigzag under the boarded floor above- mentioned, and" from thence to a chimney which opens into the ftreet. By this contrivance, although the ftove is always open and the flame vifible, yet the room is never troubled in the leaft degree with fmoke. There is fcarcely any furniture in tlie room, excepting one large dining table in the lower part, and two fmall lac- kered ones upon the raifed floor : one of thefe tables is always provided with a chafting difli, which ferves to light their pipes when the ftove is not heated. hi this room there are feveral fmall niches covered with filken curtains, before which are placed lamps that are lighted upon feftivals ; thefe niches con- tain painted paper idols, a ftone or metal vefl'el, wherein the allies of incenfe are colle6ted, feveral fmall orna- F f ments 2i8 COMMERCEBETWE. EN ments and artificial flowers : the Chinefe readily allow ftrangers to draw alide the curtains, and look at the idols. The Bucharian * merchants inhabit the South Weft quarter of Maimatfchin. Their houfes are not lb large nor commodious as thofe of the Chinefe, although the greateft part of them carry on a very confiderable commerce. The Governor Thc Siu^gutfchci, or govcmor of Maimatfchin, has the of Maimaif- thin. care of the police, as well as the direction of all affairs relating to commerce : he is generally a perfon of rank, oftentimes a Mandarin, who has mifbehaved himfelf in another ftation, and is fent here as a kind of punifliment. He is diftinguifhed from the reft by the cryftal button of his cap, and by a peacock's t fea- * " The chief merchandizes which the Bucharians bring to Ruffia, " are cotton, fluffs, and half-filks, fpun and raw cotton, lamb-fklns, " precious ftones, gold-duft, unprepared nitre, fal-ammoniac, &c." See Ruffia, or a complete Hiftorical Account of all the nations that compofc that empire. V. II. p, 141, a very curious and interefting work lately publifhed. •i" In China the princes of the blood wear three peacock's feathers, nobles of the higheft diftindtion two, and the lower clafs of the nobility one. It is alfo a mark of high rank to drive a carriage with four wheels. The governor of Maimatfchin rode in one with only two wheels. AH the Chinefe wear buttons of different colours in their caps, which alfo denote the rank. Pallas Reife, P. III. p. 126. ther R U S S I A A N D C H I N A. ai9 ther hanging behind. The Chinefe give him the title of Amban, which fignifies commander in chief; and no one appears before him without bending the knee, in which pofture the perfon who brings a petition muft remain until he receives the governor's anfwer. His falary is not large ; but the prefents which he re- ceives from the merchants amount annually to a conii- derable fum. The moft remarkable public buildings in Maimatf- chin, are the governor's houfe, the theatre, and two pagodas. The governor's houfe is larger than the others, and Houfe of ti.e ° o ' Governor. better furnilhed ; it is diftinguilhed by a chamber where the court of juftice is held, and by two high poles before the entrance ornamented with flags. The theatre is fituated clofe to the wall of the town Theatre, near the great pagoda : it is a kind of fmall flied, neatly painted, open in front, and merely fpacious enough to contain the ftage ; the audience Hand in the ftreet. Near it are two high poles, upon which large flags with Chinefe infcriptions are hoifted on feltivals. On fuch occafions the fervants belonging to the merchants play fhort burlefque farces in honour of their idols. F f a The 220 COMMERCEBETWEEN Thefmaii The fmallcft of the two Pagodas is a wooden building, ftanding upon pillars, in the centre of the town at the place where the two principal ftreets crofs^ It is a Chi- nefe tower of two ftories, adorned on the outfide with fmall columns, paintings, and little iron bells,. &:g. Tiieidoi The firft flory is fquare, the fecond odtangular. In the lower flory is a pid:ure reprefenting the God Tien, which fignifies, according to the explanation of the moft intel- ligent Chinefe, the moft high God, who rules over the thirty-two heavens. The Manfliurs, it is faid, call this idol Abcho ; and the Mongols, Tingheru heaven, or the God of heaven. He is reprefented fitting with his head uncovered, and encircled with a ray* of glory fimilar to that which furrounds the head of our Saviour in the Ro- man catholic paintings ; his hair is long and flowing'; he holds in his right hand a drawn fword, and his left is extended as in the adt of giving a benediction. On one fide of tliis figure two youths, on the other a maiden and a grey-headed old man, are delineated; * When Mr. Pallas obtained permiffion of the governor to fee thh temple, the latter affured him that the Jefuits of Pekin and their con- verts adored this idol. From whence he ingenioully conje * Pallas Reife, P. III. p. 135. •f The lift of all the furs and fklns brought to Kiachta, with their feveral prices, is to be found in Pallas Reife, Part III. p. 136 to p. 142^ See hereafter, p. 242. The 7 II U S S I A A N D C H I N A. ' 235 The greateft part of thefe furs and /kins are drawn from Siberia and the New Difcovered Iflands : this fup- ply however is not alone fully adequate to the demand of the market at Kiachta. Foreign furs are therefore imported to St. Peterfburg, and from thence fent to the frontiers. England alone furniflies a large quantity of beaver and other fldns, which fhe draws from Hudfon's Bay and Canada * CLOTH. Cloth forms the fecond article of exportation which Ruffia exports to China. "" Lift of furs fent from England to Peterfburg in the following years : Eeaver-fkins. Otter-lklns, 46460 7143 27700 12086 27316 10703 The fineft Hudfon's beavers have been fold upon an average at Pe- terfburg from ■ 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 vari- ations in the prices. At Kiachta, the befl Hudfon's Bay beaver fetches from - 7 to 20 roubles per fkin. Otters' ditto — — — t — 6 — ^^^ Black foxes fkins from Canada are alfo fometimes fent from England to Peterfburg. At Kiachta they fetch from i to 100 roubles per fkin. H h 2 The ^775. 1776, 1777' 236 C O M M E R C E B E T W E E N The coarfe fort is manufad^vired in Ruffia ; the finer fort is foreign, chiefly Engiifli, Pruffian, and French. An arfliire of foreign cloth fetches, ac- cording to its finenefs, from 3 to 4 roubles. Camlets. Calimancoes. Druggets. White flannels, both Ruffian and foreign. The remaining articles are, Rich Huffs. Velvets. Coarfe linen, chiefly manufadlured in Ruffia. Ruffia leather. Tanned hides. Glafs ware and looking glafles. Hardware, namely, knives, fciflars, locks, &c» Tin. Ruffian talk. Cattle, chiefly camels, horfes, and horned cattle. The Chinefe alfo pay very dear for hounds, grey- hounds, barbets, and dogs for hunting wild boars. Provifions *., * In the year 1772, the Ghinefe purchafed meat at Kiachta, at the following prices : A pound of beef 3I- copecs. lamb- 2-^ Horfe flelh for the Tartars 4. Pallas Reife, P. III. p. MeaL RUSSIA AND CHINA. 25^ Meal. — The Chinefe no longer import fuch large quantities of meal as formerly, fmce they have em- ployed the Mongols to cultivate the lands lying near the river Orchon ''S See. &:c. Lift of the moft valuable commodities procured from China. RAW AND MANUFACTURED SILK. import:. The exportation of raw filk. 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 1 50 roubles ; of the worft fort at 75 The manufa6tured filks are of various forts, fafhions, and prices, viz. fattins, taffaties, damafks, and gauzes, fcanes of filk died of all colours, ribbands, &:c. &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 Rell'e, P. III. p. 136 — 144, the rzj8 COM MERCEBET WEEN the inland part of Ruflia without any additional expencc of carriage. A pood fells for — from 4 roubles, 80 cop. to 12. Of the manufaflured cotton, that which the Ruffians call Kitaika, and the Englifli Nankeen, has the mod rapid fale. It is the moft durable, and, in proportion to its goodnefs, the cheapefi: of all the Chinefe ItufFs ; 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 con- jectured, 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 eftimated at — — — 2 roubles. Common ditto at — — i Inferior at — — — 40 copecs. '^ At Peterfburg a pound of the beft green tea fetches 3 roubles. P O R- RUSSIA AND CHINA. 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 Ronnan deities. Furniture, particularly Japan cabinets and cafes, lac- kered and varniflied tables and chairs, boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, &:c. &c. 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 t. Mufk. * Rubies are generally procured by fmuggUng; and by the fame means pearls are occafionally difpofed of to the Chinefe, at a very dear rate. Pearls are much fought for by the Chinefe ; and rnight be made, a very profitable article. •f- See Appendix II. Ife 239 2^0 C M M E R C E B E T W E E "N It is very difficult to procure the genuine Thibet mufk, becaufe the Chinefe purchafe a bad fort, which comes from Siberia, with which they adulterate that which is brought from Thibet j:. Kuliia. ^y"""^" Ruffia draws Great advantages from the Chinefe trade. of this Trade to ■-* " By this traffic, its natural produdlions, 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 Ruf- fian 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 pro- hibited to individuals ; at prefent only the following ar- ticles are prohibited. Among the exports, fire-arms and artillery ; gunpowder and ball ; gold and filver, coined ^ S. R. G. III. p. 572 — 59:. Pallas Reife, p. III. p. 144- — 153. and R U S S I A A N D C H I N A. ?4 f and uncoined, flallions and mares ; fkins of deer, rein- deer, elks, and horfes ; beaver's hair, potafli, rofin, thread, and * tinfel-lace : among the imports, fait, brandy, poifons, copper-money, and rhubarb. The duties paid by the Ruflian-merchants are very confiderable ; great part of the merchandife is taxed at 25 per cent. Furs, cattle, and provifions, pay a duty of 13. Ruffian manufactures 18. One per cent, is alfo dedudted 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 llained cottons, por- celain, earthen-ware, glafs corals, beads, fans, all mu- iical inftruments, furniture, lackered and enamelled or- naments, 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.^Iir. p. 588. t Pallas Reifc, P. III. p. 154. I i The 242 COMMERCE BETWEEN The importance of this trade will appear from the fol- lowing table. Jonltionlnd Tablc of cxportatioii and importation at Kiachta, importation. . , m the year 1777. Rbles. Cop. Cuftom-houfe duties, 481,460. 59^. Importation of Chinefe goods, to the value of 1,466,497. 3|.. Of gold and filver 11,215. Total of Importation 1,484,712. 3|. 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 calcvilation 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 pre- ceding 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 R U S S I A A N D C H I N A. 243 amount of the average trade to China at near 4,000,000 Roubles. By taking therefore the medlutn 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 eftimated at the fifth part of the exports and imports ; the grofs amount of the average trade to China may be fairly computed at near ^,000,000. the fum ftated above. i i -1 C U A 1' r 24+ ] C H A P. V. Defcriptmi of Zuruchaitu—r-and its trade — 'Tranfport of the merchandife through Siberia.. ^ I "* H 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 naiTow compafs. zSahu.°^ Zuruchaitu is fituated in 137' longitude, and 49°. 20' N. latitude, upon the Weftern branch of the river Ar- goon, 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 fummer from Nerfhinfk, 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: 245 RUSSIA AND CHINA. 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 furnilli the diihidt of Nerfliinlk with bad tea and to-^'""""'* bacco, bad fdks, and fome tolerable cottons. They re- ceive in return ordinary furs, cloth, cattle, and Ruffian leather. This trade lafts about a month or fix weeks, and the annual duties of the cuifoms amount upon an average to no more than 500 roubles. About the mid- dle of Auguft the Mongols retire ; part proceed imme- diately 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 Nerfliinfic, and, were it not for the fmall garrifon, Zuruchaitu would; remain uninhabited '•'. The Ruffian commodities are tranfported by land Irii'l^maa^ from Peterfburg and Mofcow to Tobolik. From thence cnmmm'iint.s tlir.jugh bi- the merchants may embark upon the Irtifli down to its^'^"- junction with the Oby ; then they either tow up their boats, or fail up the laft mentioned river as far as * S. R. G. TIL p. 465. Pallas Relfe, P. III. p. .,28. 7 Marym,- 246 COMMERCE BETWEEN Marym, where they enter the Ket, which they afcend to Makoffflvoi Oftrog. At that place the merchandize is carried about ninety verfts by land to the Yenifei. The merchants then afcend that river, the Tungufka, and Angara, to Irkutfk, 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 finiflied in one fummer * ; for which reafon the merchants commonly prefer the way by land. Their seneral rendezvous is the fair of Irbit near To- bolfk ; 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 Chinele. 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 moll: of the rivers, namely, the Selenga, Angara, Tungulka, Ket, and Oby to its jundion with the Irtiffi ; they afcend that river to Tobolfk, and continue by land to Mofcow and Peterfburg. * Some of thele rivers are onh' navigable in Ipring when tiie fnow water is melting ; in winter tiic rivers are in general frozen. Before RUSSIA AND CHINA. 247 Before the pafTaoie from Ocliotfk to Bolcherefk was T""/p=" ^'^ ■t O the l-Lirs from difcovered in 17 16, the only communication between Ki^tt"''^ '° Kamtchatka and Siberia was by land ; the road lay by Anadirfk to Yakutlli. The furs ■•'•• of Kamtchatka and of the Ealiern illes are now con\eyed from that peninfvda by water to Ochotflv ; from thence to Yakutik by land on horfe-back, or by rein-deer : the roads are fo very bad, lying either through a rugged mountainous country, or through marfliy fo- refts, that the journey lafts at lead fix weeks. Yakutik is fituated' upon the Lena, and is the principal town, where the choiceft 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 ftream of that river as ftir as Vercholenfk, or flill farther to Katfheg ; from thence they are tranfported over a fliort tradt of land to the rivulet Buguldeika, dowm that ftream to the lake Baikal, acrofs that lake to the mouth of the Selenga, and up tiiat river to the neighbourhood of Kiachta. * The furs, which are generally landed upon the Eaftern coall of Kamtchatka, are either lent by fea to Bolchore/k, 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 fummcr there is no conveyance, as the Peninfula contains neither oxen, horfes, or rein-deer. S. R. G. III. p. 478. In hs c o m m e r c e b e t w e e n In order to give the reader fome notion of that vaft tradt of country, over which the merchandize is fre- quently tranfported by land carriage, a lift of the dif- tances is here fubjoined. From Peterfburg to Mofcow 734 verfts. Mofcow to Tobolik — 2385 Tobolflc to Irkutflc — 2918 Irkutfk. to Kiachta — • 471 6508 TTi,--,-. Ti-lTif tn Tnlinlfl^ 420 1129 From Irkutfk to Nerfliinfk Nerfliinfk to Zuruchaitu 370 From Ochotfk to Yakutfls: — 927 Yakutlk to Irkutlk — 2433 From Selenginik to Zuruchaitu 850 Zuruchaitu to Pekin — 1588 Kiachta to Pekin — 1532 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-lix from thence acrofs the Mongol defert to Kiachta-'-'. * Pallas Reifc, P. III. p. 134. PART PART HI. APPENDIX I. & II. CONTAINING SUPPLEMENTARY ACCOUNTS OF THE RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES, &c. &c. K k ft. /jr.f' £i'iuiifi/,fi-i:.iA/n^nil^ri^ /'iiM,/,„/^,rjy/yf^o aMmAh^ a>-Areef/'t'/M/jiSf;/T(^i^ffin AeS^in./ . TK^Am Sm.''S.i4'-"-' [ 251 ] APPENDIX I. Extra5i from the journal of a voyage jnade by Captain Krenitzin and Lieutenant LevafhefF to the Fox Illands, in 1768, 1769, by order of the Emprefs of Ruffia — they fail from Kamtchatka — arrive at Beering's and Copper Illands — reach the Fox Iflands — Krenitzin winters at Alaxa — LevafhefF upon Unalaflika — pro- duBions of Unalaflika — defer iption of the inhabitants of the Fox Iflands — their manners and cujioms^ ^c. ON the 23d of July Captain Krenitzin failed in the Krenitzh, and . Lcvafhertfail Galliot St. Catherine from the mouth of the Kamt- f™'" t'l": Moutli of tlie chatka river towards America : he was accompanied by Rj^Jr^'ro's^ Lieutenant LevafliefF, in the Hooker St. Paul. Their inftrudtions were regulated by information derived from Beering's expedition in 17 41. Shaping their courfe ac-. cordingly, they found themfelves more to the North than they expected ; and were told by the Ruffian traders and hunters, that a fimilar * milfake was com- * This paflage is obfcnrely expreffed. Its meaning may be afcer- taining by comparing Krenitzin's chart with that of Beering's voyage prefixed to Muller's account of the Ruffian Difcoverics. The route of Krenitzin's veflel was confidcrably to the North of the courfe held by Beering and Tfchirikoff, and confequently he failed through the middle of what they had fuppofed to be a continent, and which he found to be an open lea. See Robertfon's Hiftory of America, p. 461, and p. 26, of this work. K k 2 mitted 25i A P P E N D I X I. mitted in the chart of that expedition. Thefe traders,, who for fome years pail; were accuitomed to ramble to tlie diftant iflands iii queft of furs, faid tliat they were fltuated much more to tlie South, and fartlier Eail: than. Thsv reach "^^^^ imagined. On tlie 27th they faw Commodore's or iftwd'f Beering's Ifland, vvliich is low and rocky, efpecially to the S. W. On this fide they obferved a fmall harbour, diftingviiflied by two hillocks like boats, and not far from it they found a frefli water lake. and Copper ^o thc S. E. lics anothcr ifland, called by the Ruflians Mednoi Olliroff, or Copper Ifland, from a great quantity of copper found upon its N. E. coaft, the only fide which, is known to the Ruflians. 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 fufion^ 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 ifland, however finall, was found without one ; and * Namely, the chart which is prefixed to this journal. many A P P E N D I X I. 253 many of them confifted of nothing elfe. In fliort, the chain of iilands here laid down may, without any violent ftretch of imagination, be coniidered as tlirown \ip by fbme late volcanos. The apparent novelty of every thing feems to juilify this conjecture : nor can any objection be derived from the vegetable productions with which thefe iflands abound ; for the fummer af- ter the lower diilri6t of Zutphen in Holland was gained from the fea, it was covered over with wild muftard. All thefe lands are fubjedt to violent and frequent earth- quakes, 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 leen from- ^^"=1 the o ^ ^ ' Fox llliinilb. either of the fhips (which had parted company in a fog) till on the S. E. quarter of their tradt, 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 flial- 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 254 A P P E N D I X I. that it is very uncommon to have dear weather for five ' days together, even during fummer. winters at Alaxa, Krcnitzm fhc St. Catherine wintered in the ftraits of Alaxa, where they hauled her into fhoal water. The inflru(ftions given to the captain fet forth, that a private lliip had in 1762 found there a commodious haven; but he looked for it in vain. The entrance of this ftrait from the N. E. was extremely difficult on account of flats, and ilrong currents both flood and ebb : the entrance however from the S. E. w^as afterwards found to be much eafier with not lels than 5^ fathoms water. Upon furvey- ing this ftrait, and the coaft of Alaxa, many fun- nels were obferved in the low grounds clofe to the fliore, and the foil produced few plants. May not this allow one to fiippoie that the coaft had fuffered confiderable changes fince the year 1762? Ftw of the iilands produce wood, and that only in the val- lies by the rivulets. Unalga and Alaxa contain the moft ; they abound with frefli water ftreams, and even rivers ; from which we may infer that they are exten- live. The foil is in general boggy, and covered with mofs ; but Alaxa has more foil and produces much grafs. LcvaftiefF The St. Paul wintered in Unahiftika. This wintering winters upon unaiaihka. pjace was obfcrvcd to lie in 53° 29' North latitude, and Its longitude from tlie nKJulh of Kamtchatka river, com- APPENDIX r. z^s computed by the fliip's journal, was ay^os'Eaft-'-. Una- lafhka 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 Igunck, 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 fheltered 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 fhore 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 Ayaghifli, and the other (by the Ruf- fians) 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 ex- tremely coarfe, and unfit for pafture. Hardly any wood is to be found on it. Its plants are dwarf cherry (tXy- un°'L"E"'°^ lofteum of Toiurnefort), wortle berry, (Vaccinium Uli- ginofum of Linnaeus), rafberry, far ana and fliiklliu of Kamtchatka and kutage, larch, white poplar, pine and * According to the general map of Ruffia, the mouth of the Kamt- chatka river is in 178° 25' from Fero. Unalalhka therefore, according to this eftimation, is 205° 30' from Fero^ or 187° ^^ 15" from Green- wich. •^ The Lonicera Pyrenaica of Liniiceus. It is not a dwarf cherry,, but a fpecies of honeyfuckle. birch* 256 A P P E N D I X I. birch •'■'. The 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 fifli, terpugh, and tchavitcha. The birds are eagles, par- tridges, ducks, teals, urili, ari, and gadi. The ani- mals for whofe Ruffian names I can find no tranflations, are (excepting the Ari) defcribed in Krafliininikoff's Hif- tory of Kamtchatka, or in Steller's relation contained in the fecond volume of the Memoirs of the Academy of Peterlburgh. Account of tiie Thc inhabitants of Alaxa, Umnak, Unalakfha, and Jnliabitants ot 1 1 > inird's! the neighbouring iflands, are of a middle ftature, tawny brown colour, and black hair. In fummer 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 the other journalifls uniformly defcribe Unalaflika 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 be- fore, " hardly any wood is to be found on it." X By beavers the journalifts certainly mean fea-otters, called by the Ruffians fea-beavers. See p. 12. For a defcription of the fea-otter, called by Linnxus Lutra Marina, fee Nov. Com. Petr. vol. II. p. 367, et feq. I Parki in Ruffian fignifies a Ihirt, the coats of ihefe iflanders being made like fliirts. and APPENDIX I. %s'j and the ears of the fea-animal, called Scivutcha or fea- lion ; they alfo adorn thefe caps with beads of diflerent colours, and with little figures of bone or ftone. In the partition of the noftrils they place a pin, about four inches long, made of the bone, or of the flalk. of a certain black plant ; fron:i 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 illands procure from Alaxa, in exchange for arrows and kamli. They cut their hair before juft above the eyes, and fome fliave the top of their heads like monks. Behind the hair is loofe. The drefs of the women hardly dif- fers from that of the men, excepting that it is made of fifli-fls.ins. They few with l)one needles, and thread made of fidi guts, faftening their work to the ground before them v.ith bodkins. They go with the head uncovered, and the hair cut like that of the men be- fore, but tied up behind in a high knot. They paint their cheeks with ftrokes of bine and red, and wear noie-pins, beads, and ear-rings like the men ; they hanp- beads round their neck, and checkered firings round their arms and legs. L 1- In 2;S A F P E N D I X I. Somr"'^ In their perfons wc fliould reckon them extremely nafty. They cat the vermin with which their bodies are covered, and fwallow the mucvis from the nofe. Having waflied themielves, according to cuftom, firft with xirine, and then with water, they fuck their hands dry. When they are lick, they lie three or four days w ithout food ; and if bleeding is necelTary, they open a vein with lancets made of flint, and fuck the blood. Their principal nourifliment is fifli and whale fat, wdiich they commonly eat raw\ They alio 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 filh 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 two pieces of wood together, in the manner pra6tifed 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 breath They could not be pre- * The inftrument made ufe of by die Kamtchadals, to procure fire^ is a board with feveral holes in it, and a Hick; the latter is put into the hole?, and turned about fwiftly, until the wood within the holes begins to burn, where there is tindex ready 10 catch the Iparks* S. R. G. HI. p. 205. vailed A P P K N D I X I. Z5-, vailed upon to tafte any fiv>ar until the commander lliewed the example ; finding it Aveet, 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 fliells, 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 lixteen in Unalaflika. The iflands feem in general to be well inhabited, as may be con- je6tured from the great number of boats which are {eea continually plying along the fliore. There are upwards of a thoufand inhabitants on Unalaflika, 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 molt 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 2 curing 263 A P P E N D I X L cunng furs for the Ruffians : by thefe means, they negledl to lay up a provifion of fifli 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 flcins: thefe fkins cover the top as well as the fides of the boat, and are drawn tight round the w^aift 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 fiflies : but thefe kind of boats feem appropriated to their chiefs. They have alfo large boats capable of holding forty men. They kill birds and hearts with darts made of bone, or of w^ood tipped with fliarpened ftone : they ufe thefe kind of darts in war, which break with the blow given by them, and, leave the point in the wound. The manners and charadter of thefe people are what we fhould expe9 and that fomc of the Fox Iflands were fituated in lati- tude 6 1, as they are laid down upon the general map of Rullia. But according to fubfequent information, the Andreanoffsky Hies lie between the Aleutian and the Pofition of tr.= Andreanoffsky Fox Iflands, and complete the conne»5tion between ''^"' Kamtchatka and America*. Their chain is fuppofed to begin in about latitude c,2n near the molt Eafterly of the Aleutian liles, and to extend in a Icattered feries towards the Fox lllands. The mod North Eafterly of thefe illands are faid to be fo near the moft Southerly of the Fox Iflands, that they feem occafionally to have been taken for them. An inftance of this occurs in p 6 r and 62 of this work; where Atchu and Amlach are reckoned among the Fox Illands. It is however more probable, that they are part of the group called by the Aleutian chief Negho t, and known to the RufRans under the name" of Andreanoffsky Iflands, becaufe they were fuppofed to have been firft difcovered by Andrean Tolftyk, whofe voyage is related in the feventh chap- ter of the Firft Part. I take this opportunity of adding, that the anonymous Number of the Aleutian Ifi'---i. author, in defcribing the Aleutian Ifles, both in the firft and laft chapter of the account of the Ruffian * P. 58. Some of the remoter illands are faid to be E. S. E. of the Aleutian Illes ; thefe mull be either part of the Andreanoffsky Ifles, or the mofl: Southerly of the Fox Iflands. •f See N° VIII. of this Appendix. P p difco- 290 A P P E N D I X L difcoveries, mentions only three ; namely, Attak, Se- mitflii, Shemiya. But the Aleutian Ifles confifl of a much larger number ; and their chain includes all the iflands comprehended by the illander in the two groups of Khao and Safignan *. Many of them are laid down uj)on the general map of Ruffia ; and fome of them are occafionally alluded to in the journals of the Ruf- fian voyages t. * See N° Vlir. '\~ See p. 30, and particularly p. 46, where fome of thefe iflands ara mentioned under the names of Ibiya, Kifka, and Olas. N° vr. A P P E N D I X L 291 N° VI. Conjedlures concerning the proximity of the Fox Iflantls to the continent of America. nn H E anonymous author, in the courfe of his ac- count of the Ruffian difcoveries, has advanced many proofs drawn from natural hiftory, from which he fuppofes the Fox Iflands to be at a fmall dillance from the continent of America : hence he grounds his conjedture, 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 ap- pear to have been fufficient either in fize or quantity Proofs of the ^ vicinity of the to afcertain, with any degree of certainty, the clofe vi- Amerka?''' "* cinity of that il'land 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 Eaftern ports of Siberia, nor found upon any of the other iflands. All the above mentioned ani- mals, martens alone excepted, were feen upon Alakfu, which is iituated more to the North Eaft than Kadyak, P p 2 and 292- APPENurx r. and aifo rein-deers 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 ftill more to the N. E. which were prevalent among the inhabitants of Alakfu and Kadyak. Although thefe circumftances have been already men- tioned *, 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 au- thor, which feem to fliew, that the Fox Illands 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 oppolite continent. But how far that dillance may be fuppofed, muft be left to the judgment of the reader ; and remains to be afcertained by fubfequent navigators. All that w'e know for certain, is, that as far as any Ruffian veflels 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 — 116 — 118 — 170. I N° VII. A P P E N D I X L 293 N° VII. Of the iTcbutski — Reports of the vicinity 0/ America to their coajl^firjl propagated by them, fee7}i to be confirmed by late accounts from thofe parts. '"I^HE Tfchutfki, it is well known, inhabit the North TheTfchuAi. Eaftern part of Siberia; their country is a fmall trad of land, bounded on the North by the Frozen Sea, on the Eaft by the Eaftern 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 Tfchukotftvoi- 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 fuppofing, that America advances to within a fmall dif- tance of the coaft of the Tfchutski ; which he fays " 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 294 APPENDIX L of the Tfcliutski 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 inhabi- tants of thofe regions from the middle of the laft century to the prcfent time^ they muft merit at leafl: the attention of every curious enquirer. JoZ^ZTL Thefe reports were firft related in Muller's account of Am~."kl\o the Ruffian difcoveries, and have been lately thought tln;ir Coaft. worthy of notice by Dr. Robertfon -•••, in his hiftory of America. Their probability feems ftill further increafed by the following circumftances. One Plenifner, a na- tive of Courland, was appointed commander of Ochotsk, in the year 1760, with an exprefs order from the court to proceed as far as t 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 lituated near the Southern ; the latter near the Weftern limits of the Tfchutski. Not content how- ever with colleiling all the information in his power from the neighbouring Koriacs, who have frequent intercourfe * Hift. of America, vol.1, p. 274 — 277. 'f Anadirlk has been lately deftroyed by the Ruffians themfelves. with APPENDIX I. with the Tfchutski ; he alfo fent one Daurkin into their country. Tliis perfon was a native Tfchutski, who had been taken prifoner, and bred up by tlie Ruffians : he continued two years with his countrymen, and made feveral expeditions with them to the neighbouring iflands, which he off the Eaftern coaft of Siberia. The fum of the intelHgence brought back by this Daurkin was as follows : that Tfchukotflcoi-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 flrait which feparates the two continents : they diredt their courfe from ifland to ifland, and the diitance from the one to the otlier is fo fmall, that they are able to pafs every night afliore. More to the North he defcribes the two continents as ap- proaching flill nearer to each other, with only two iflands lying between them. This intelligence remarkably coincided with the ac- counts collecfted by Plenifner himfelf among the Koriacs. Plenifner returned to Peterfburg in 1776, and brought with him feveral * maps and charts of the North Eaflern parts * The moft important of thefe maps comprehends the country of the Tfchutiki, together with the nations which border immediately upon them. This map was chiefly taken during a fecond expedition made by major 295 i^6 A P P E N D I X I. pnrts of Siberia, which were afterwards made life of in the compilation of the general map of Ruflia, publiflied by .the academy in i-jy6i. By thefe means the country of the Tlchutlki has been laid down with a greater de- gree of accuracy than heretofore. Thefe are probably the late accounts from thole parts which the anonymous author alludes to. ninjor PauloiTsky againfl: the Tfchutfki ; and his march hito that country is traced upon it. The firft expedition of that Ruflian officer, in which he penetrated as far as Tfchukotflcoi-Nofs, is related by Mr. Muiler, S. iv. G. III. p. 134 — 138. We have no account of this fecond expe- dition, during which he had feveral fkirmiilies with the Tfchutfki, and came off vidlorious ; but upon his return was furprifed and killed by them. This expedition was made about the \'ear 1750. •f This detail I procured during my continuance at Peterfburg from feveral perfons of credit, who had frequently converfed with Plenifner fince his return to the capital, where he died in the latter end of the year 1778. N° VIII. A P P E N D I X I» 2^) N° VIIL LiJI of the new-dtf covered IJlands, procured from an Aleutian chief — Catalogue of (/lands called by different names in the Account of the Ruffian Difcoveries. ^ I ^ H E fubfeqiient lift of the nevv-difcovered iftands was procured from an Aleutian chief brought to Petersburg in 177 1, and examined at the defireof theEm- prefs by Mr. MuUer, who divides them into four principal ^/ij^t"^ groups. He regulates this divifion partly by a fimilarity inr^u into of the language fpoken by the inhabitants, and partly by vicinity of fituation. er divides the newHiifcoveted Iflands into four Groups. rft Group, 'led Safig~ The firft group*, called by the iflander Safignan, Fi calle comprehends, i. Beermg's Ifland. 2. Copper lfland.°'"- 3. Otma. 4. Samya, or Shemiya. 5. Anakta. The fecond group is called Khao, and comprifes eight Kh,o, the illands: i. Immak. 2. Kifka. 3. Tchetchina. 4. Ava.*^"""'"''"' 5. Kavia. 6. Tfchagulak. 7. Ulagama. 8. Amtf- chidga. * Thefe two firft groups probably belong to the Aleutian Illes. Q q The fipB A P P E N D I X I. diL^d'croup '^^^^ third general name is Negho, and comprehends the iflands known by the Ruffians under the name of AndreanofFskye Oftrova : Sixteen were mentioned by the iflander, under the following names : I. Amatkinak. i. Ulak. 3. Unalga. 4. Navotfha. 5. Uliga. 6. Anagin. 7. Kagulak. 8. Illafk, or lllak. 9. Takavanga, upon which is a volcano. 10. Ka- naga, which has alfo a volcano. 11. Leg. 12. Shet- fluma. 13. Tagaloon : near the coafts of the three laft mentioned iflands feveral fmall rocky ifles are fitu- ated. 14. An ifland without a name, called by the Ruffians Goreloi *. i5.Atchu. i6.Amla. fourth G^oup! Tne fourth group is denominated Kavalang ; and comprehends fixteen iflands : thefe are called by the Ruf- fians Lyffie Oftrova, or the Fox Iflands. i.Amuchta. 2. Tfchigama. 3. Tfchegula. 4. Unif- tra. 5. Ulaga. 6. Tana-gulana. 7, Kagamin. 8, Ki- galga. 9. Schelmaga. 10. Umnak. 11. Aghun-Alafh- ka. 12. Unimga. At a fmall diftance from Unimga, tov/ards the North, ftretches a promontory called by the ifianders the Land of Black Foxes, with a fmall river called Alaflika, which empties itfelf oppofite to the laft- * Goreloi is fuppofed by the Ruffian navigators to be the fame ifland as Atchu, and is reckoned by them among the Fox Iflands. See part I. p. 61. andN" V. of this appendix. 2, mentioned A P P E N D I X I. 299 mentioned ifland into a gulf proper for a haven. The extent of this land is not known. To the South Enft of this promontory lie four little iflands. 13. Uligan. 14. Antun-dufllime. 15. Semidit. i6.Senagak. . Many of thefe names are neither found in the journals or charts ; while others are wanting in this lift which are mentioned in both journals and charts. Nor is this to be wondered at ; for the names of the illands have been certainly altered and corrupted by the Ruffian navigators. Sometimes the fame name has been applied to different iflands by the different journalifts ; at other times the fame ifland has been called by different names. Several inflances of thefe changes feem to occur in the account of the Ruffian difcoveries : namely, Att, Attak, and Ataku, by^dileren' Names in the Shemiya and Sabiya. Ruahn ^ ^ Journals. Atchu, Atchak, Atach, Goreloi or Burned Ifland, Amlach, Amlak, Amleg. Ayagh, Kayachu. Alakfu, Alagfhak, Alachfhak. Aghunalafhka, Unalaflika. Q q 3 N° IX. 3ao» APPENDIX L. N° IX. Foyage of Lieutenant Synd to the North Eaji of Siberia — He difcovers a clufler of (/lands, and a projnontory,, which be fuppofes to belong to the continent 0/ America,, lying near the coafl of the Tfchutfki. TN 1764 lieutenant Synd failed from Ochotsk, upon a ■^ voyage of difcovery towards the continent of America. He was ordered to take a different courfe from that held by the late Ruffian velTels, which lay due Eafi: from the coaft of Kamtchatka. As he fleered therefore his courfe more to the North Eall than any of the preceding navi- gators^ and as it appears from all the voyages related in the firft part of this work *, that the vicinity of America is to be fought for in that quarter alone, any accurate account of this expedition would not fail of being highly interefting. It is therefore a great mortification to me, that, while I raife the reader's curiofity, I am not able fully to fatisfy it. The following intelligence concern- ing this voyage is all which I was able to procure. It is accompanied with an authentic chart. * See p. 27. In > Lv^i.fif,„fe K,tfffi\mi tWi.'fjJb -'-^«ji/^f^.*/>rfvwMij./.f'*v^jiw*w..'-yr(>.i4vS'/:»/A^ ..■*.-., APPENDIX r. ^ 3or In 1 7G4 Syncl put to fea from the port of Ochotfk, but did not j)afs (vre know not by what accident) the fouthern Cape of Kamtchatka and Shulhu, the firft Kuril Hie, before 1766. He then fteered his courfe North at no great diftance from the coaft of the Peninfula, but made very Uttle progrefs that year, for he wintered South. of the river Uka.. The following year he failed from Ukinfki Point due Eaft and North Eaft, until he fell in with a clufter of iflands ■■' flretching between 6 1 and 6 2 degrees of latitude, and 195° and 2.02° longitude. Thefe iflands lie South Eaft and Eaft of the coaft of the Tfchutfki ; and feveral of them are fituated very near the fliore. Befides thefe fmall iflands, 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 199° 1' from. Fero. This iftand is laid down in his chart as part of the continent of Ame- rica; but we cannot determine upon what proofs he grounds this reprefentution, until a more circumftantial account of his voyage is commimicatcd to the public. * Thefe are certainly fome of the iflands which the Tfchut/ki rcfort td In their way to what they call the continent of i^merlca. I Synd 30Z APPENDIX L Synd feems to have made but a Ihort Hay afliore. In- ftead of endeavouring to furvey its coafts, or of fteering more to the Eaft, he almoft inftantly fliaped his courfe due Weft towards the courfe of the Tfchutski, then turned diredly South and South Weft, until he came oppofite to Chatyrskoi Nofs. From that point he conti- nued to coaft the peninfula of Kamtchatka, doubled the cape, and reached Ochotsk in 1768. N** X. APPENDIX I. 305 N'' x; 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 A too 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 fignification, , which are found in the different dialedls fpoken by the Koriaks, KamtchadalSj and the inhabitants of the Kuril. Ifles. N° XI. s^'i- APPENDIX I. N* XL Jt tempts of the Ruffians to difcover a North Eafl pdjage-—' ' Voyages from Archangel towards the Lena — From the Lena towards Karatchatka — ExtraBl from Muller's ac- count o/Defchneff's voyage round Tschukotskoi Nofs — Narrative of a voyage made by Shalauroff /ro?« the Lena to Shelatskoi Nofs. *" I ^ n E only communication hitherto known between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, or between Europe and the Eaft 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 objeft of feveral late European voyages has been turned towards the difcovery of a North Eaft or a North Weft paftage. As this work is entirely confined to the Ruffian navigations, any difquifition concerning the North Weft paiTage is totally foreign to the purpofe ; and for the fame reafon in what relates to the North Eaft, thefe refearches extend only to the attempts of the Ruffians for the difcovery of that paftage. The advocates for the North Eaft paftage have divided that navigation into three principal parts ; and by en- deavouring to fliew that thefe three parts have been pafled 305 APPENDIX I. pajTctl at diffeix'nt times, they conclude from thence, that the whole when taken coileclively is prav5licable. Thefe three parts are, i. from Archangel to the Lena; 2. from the Lena to Kamtchatka ; 3. from Kamtchatka to Japan. With refpecSt to the latter, the connec- tion between the feas of Kamtchatka and Japan firft ap- peared from fome Japanefe veflcls, w^iich were wrecked upon tlie coaft of Kamtchatka in the beginning of this century ; and this communication has been unqueftion- 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 fe- veral perfons having advanced that this navigation has been made by the Ruffians at different times, it becomes neceilary to examine the accounts of the Ruffian voyages in thofe fcas. hi 1734 lieutenant MoroviefF failed from Archangel vov.ges fro™ 11-1 J r Aicliangel to toward tne river Oby ; and got no farther the firft yearth= Yeniiu. than the mouth of the Petchora. The next fummer he palled through the flraits ef Weygatz into the fea of Kara ; and coafted along the Eaflern fide of that fea, as high as latitude 72" 30', but did not double the pro- montory which feparates the fea of Kara from the Bay of * S,R. G. III. p. 78, and p. 166, &c. R r Oby. 3o6 A P P E N D I X I. Obv. In 173S, the lieutenants Malgyin and Sknrakoff doubled that promontory with great difficulty, and en- tered the bay of Oby. During thele expeditions the na- vigators 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 efFedted, in 1738, by two veffels commanded by lieute- A«lm"/ro"^ nants OfFzin and Koils.eleff. The fame year the pilot Ycmit'i'Tod'e Feodor Menin failed from the Yenifei rowards the Lena: he fteered North as high as lat. 73°. 15'. and when he came to the mouth of the Piafida he was flopped by the ice ; and finding it impollible to force a palTage, he re- turned to the Yenifei •;=-.. ^'muf-'iiilh- J^^^y> i735j lieutenant Pr-ontOiiflfliefF failed from Lena'tmvar'ds Yakutsk up thc Lcoa to its mouth, in order to pafs from thence by fea to the Yenifei. The Weftern mouths of the Lena were fo choaked up with ice, that he was obliged to pafs through the moil Eailerly one ; and was prevented by contrary winds from getting out until the 1 3th of Auguft. Having fteered North Weft along- the iilands which lie fcattered before the moatbs of the Lenn, he found bimfelf in lat. 70° 4'. Ht faw much ice to the North and North Eaft ; and- obferved. ice-mountains from twenty-four to fixty feet in height. He fteered be- twixt the ice, which in no place left- a free channel o-f * P. 145 to- 1 40. greater A P P E N D I X L 307 •greater breadth than an hundred or tu'o hundred yards,' The vefTcl being much damaged, on the lil of Septem- ber he ran up the mouth of the Olenek, which, accord- ing to his eftimation, Ucs in 72" 30', near wliich place •he pafTed 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. 73" 1', There he continued until the loth, while fome of the crew went up the country in fearch of fome mines. On the loth 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. He then obferved a large field of ice ftretching into the fea, on which account he was obliged to continue near the lliore, and to run up the Chatanga. The mouth of this river was in lat 74° 9'. From thence he bent his courfe moftly Northward along the fliore, until he reached the moutli of the Taimura on the i8th. He then proceeded fur- ther, and followed the coall: towards the Piafida. Near the fiiore w'ere feveral fmall i/lands, between which and the land the ice was immovably fixed. He then diretfted his couife toward the fea, in order to pals round the * Gnielin Rcile, II. 425 to 427. R r 3 chain 3o8 A P P E N D I X I. chain of iflands. At firft he found the fea more free to the North of the iflands, \vhile he obferved much ice lying between them. He came at length to the laft ifland,. lituated in lat. 77° 25'. Between this ifland and the fliorc, as well as on the other fide of the ifland which lay moil to the North, the ice was firm and immovable. He attempted however to fleer ftill more to the North ; and having advanced about fix miles, he was prevented by a thick fog from proceeding : this fog being difperfed, he faw on each fide, and before him, nothing but ice ; chaTn"of ''^ "" ^^^^ towards the fea was not fixed ; but the accumulated ic'e"'rom"gct '^ maflcs Were all fo clofe, that the fmalleft veflTel could not ting to the Yenisei. havc workcd 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 Augufl. This narrative of Prontfhiftflieif's expedition is extra6led from the account of profeflTor * Gmelin : ac- cording to Mr. Muller t, who has given a curfory relation of the fame voyage, ProntfliiftfiiefFdid not quite reach the mouth of the Taimura ; for he there found the chain of iflands ftretching 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. ' t S. R. G. III. p. 149, 150. with A P P E N D I X L 309 with ice, that it was impofTible to force a paflage : after fleering as high as lat. 77° 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 Oleiiek. Another attempt was made to pafs from the Lena to the Yenilei 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 circumftances we muft collect, that the die'^Ri^err"" whole fpace between Archangel and the Lena has never Phfidrneve"- yet doubled. yet been navigated ;, for in going Eaft from the Yenifei the Ruffians could get no farther than the mouth of the Pialida ; and, in coming Weft from the Lena, they were flopped, according to Gmelin, North of the Piafida ; and, according to MuUer, Eaft of the Taimura. The Ruffians, who fail almofl annually from Arch- angel, and other towns, to Nova Zemla, for the pur- pofe of catching fea-horfes, feals, and white bears, make * Gmelin Reife, p. 440. Mr. Muller fays only, that Laptleff met with the fame obftacles which forced Prontfhiftfhcff to return. S. R. G. III. p. 150. 5 to 310 A P P E N D I X I. to the Weflern Goaft ; and no Rufliaii vcfTel lias ever l^aflecl round its North Eaftern extremity •■'■ The * Although this work is confined to the Ruffian Difcoveries, j-ct as the N. E. pailage is afubjedtof fuch intcrefting curiofity, it might icem an omiffion in not mentioning, that leveral Englifli and Dutch velicls have parted through the Straits of Wcygatz into the fea of Kara ; they nil met w ith great obftrudlions from the ice, and had much difficulty in getting through. See Hiftoire Gen. Des Voyages, tome XV. paiTim. In 1696 Heemfkirk and Barcntz, after having failed along the Vv'eflern coaft of Nova Zemla, doubled the North Eaftern cape lying in latitude ']'" 20 , and got no lower along the Eaflern coaft than 76°, where they \\ intcred. Sec an account of this remarkable voyage in Girard Le Ver's Vrave Defcription Dc Trois Voyages De Mer, p. 13 to 45 ; and Hiit. Gen. dcs Voy. torn. X^^ p. 1 1 1 to 139. No vcllel of any nation has ever palTed round that Cape, which extends to the North ot the Piafida, and is laid down in the Ruffian charts in about 78" latitude. We have already feen that no Ruffian vcffel has ever got from the Piafida to the Chatanga, or from the Chatanga to the Piafida ; and yet fome authors have pofitively aflerted, that this promon- tory has been tailed round. In order therefora to elude the Ruffian ac- counts, which clearly affcrt the contrarv, it is pretended, that Gmeiin and Mullcr have purpofely concealed fome parts of the Ruffian journ.als, and have impofcd upon the world by a mifreprcfentation of fadfs. 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 pofitive information fhall be produced, \ve cannot deny plain fadrs, or give the preference to hearfay evidence over circumrtantial and well atteited accounts. Mr. Engel has a remarkable paffiige in his Eflai fur une route par la Nord Eft, which it may be proper to confider in this place, becaufe he afferts in the moft pofitive manner, that two Dutch veflels formerly parted three hundred leagues to the North Eaft of Nova Zemla; from thence APPENDIX I. The navigation from the Lena to Kamtchatka now re-'i^"™''I="' tJ the Kuliians tc mains to be confideretl. If we may believe fome authors, r^'i?.'"''" . Kanitcliaika. this thence he infers that they mull have doubled the above-mentioned Cape which extends to the North of the Piafida, and have got at Itatl as far Eaft as the mouth of the Olcnek. His words are L'lUuftre Socicte Roy- ale, fous I'an 1675, rapporte ce voyage et dit, que pen d'annees aupara- vant une Societe demerchands d'Amfterdam avoit fait une tentative pour chercher le paffage du Nord Ell, et equippa deuxvaifleaux les quels etant pafle au feptante neuf ou huitanticmc degre de latitude, avoient poufle fe- lon Wood, julqu' a trois centlieues a I'Ellde laNouvelle Zemble, Sec. Sec, Upon this fadt he founds his proof that the navigation from Archangel to the Lena has been performed. Par confequent cette partie de la rout^- a ete faite. He rells the truth of this account on the authority of the Philofophical Tranfadlions, and of Captain Wood, who failed upon a voyage forthe difcovery of the North Eaft paflage in 1676. The latter, in the relation of his voyage, enumerates feveral arguments which in- duced him to believe the practicability of the North Eaft paflage. — " The feventh argument," he fays, " was another narration, printed in " the Tranfaftions, of two fliips of late that had attempted the paflage, " failed 300 leagues to the Eal>ward of Nova Zemla, and had after profe- " ciUed the voyage, had there not a dilTcrencearofe betwixt the undertakers " and the Eaft-India company." We here find- that Captain \^'ood re- fers to the Philofophical Tranfaftions for his authorirv. The narration printed in the Tranfadtions, and which is -alluded to by both Captain Wood and Mr. Engel, is to be foimd in Vol. IX. of the Philofophical Ttanfadlions, p. 209, for December, 1674. It coniifts of- a very curious " Narrative of fome obfervations made upon feveral voyages, under- " taken to find a way for failing about the North to the Eafl-Indies ; **• together with inflrudfions given by the Dutch Eall-India Company " for the difcovery of the famous land of JeflTo near Japan." Thefe in- llrudtions were, in 1643, g'^'cn to Martin Geritfes Vrics, captain of the Ihip Caftricum, " who let out to difcovcr the unknovvn E.UUrn cojft 7 " of 3'^ A P P E N D .1 X I. this navigation has been open for above a century and an half; and feveral veflels have at dift'erent times pafTed " of Tartary, the kingdom of Catay, and the Weft conft of America, " tor^ether with the iflcs fituate to the Ead ot Jipan, cried up tor their " riches of eold and fiK'cr." Thcfe inftrudtions contain no rcLdon of two Dutch vclfels, who paffed 300 leagues Eaft of Nova Zemla, Mention is made of two Dutch veffels, " who were fent out in the " year 16^9, under the command of Captain Kwaft, to difcover the " Eaft coaft of the Great Tartary, efpecially the famous gold and filvci: " iflands ; though, by reafon of feveral unfortunate accidents, they " both returned re infc'fta." Short mention is afterwards made of Cap- tain Kwaft's journal, together with the writings of the merchants who were with him, as foUoivs : " That in the South Sea, at the ^-^l 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 ijland, inhabited by a white, handfome, kind and civilized " people, exceedingly opulent in gold and filver, &c. Sec." From thefe extrads it appears, that, in the fliort account of the jour- nals of the two Dutch veilels, 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 Vrles afterwards, muft have failed round the Cape of Good Hope. The author of the narrative concludes, indeed, that the N. E. palfage is pradticable. In the follo.v- ing words : " to promote this pafTage out of the Eaft-Indies to the " North into Europe, it were neceflary to fail from the Eaft-Indies to " the Weftward of Japan, all along Corea, to fee how the fea-coafts " trend to the North of the faid Corea, and with what conveniency " Ihips 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 paft'ed the North corner of Nova Zemla, or, through Wey- " gatz, the North end of Yelmer land, one might go on South-Eaft- *' ward, and make a fuccefsful voyage." But mere conjedtures cannot be admitted as evidence. As we can find no other information relative to A P P E N D 1 X I. 31; pafTed round the North Eaftern extremity of Afia. But if we confult the Ruffian accounts, wefhall find, that fre- quent expeditions have been unqueftionably made fron^ the Lena to the Kovyma ; but that the voyage from the Kovyma round Tfchukotfkoi Nofs, into the Eaftern ocean, has been performed but once. According to Mr. Muller, this formidable cape was doubled in the year 1648. The material incidents of this remarkable voyage are as follow. " In 1 648 feven kotches or vefTels failed from the Keff-s"^ mouth of the river Kovyma t, in order to penetrate intoTfchukw&oi- Nofs. the Eaftern Ocean. Of thefe, four were never more heard of : the remaining three were commanded by Simon Deftineff, Gerafim Ankudinoff^, two chiefs of the Coflacs, and Fedot Alexeeff", the head of the Promyfli- lenics. DeftinefF and AnkudinofF quarrelled before their to the fadt mentioned by Captain Wood and Mr. Fngel, (namely, that two Dutch veflels have palled 300 leagues to the Ealt of Nova Zemla) that we have no reafon to credit mere aflertions without proof: we may therefore advance as a fadt, that hitherto we have no authentic ac- count, that any veflcl has ever palled the cape to the Eaft of Nova Zemla, which lies North of the river Piafida. See Relation of Wood's Voyage, &c. in the Account of feveral late Voyages and Difcaveries to the South and North, &c. London, 1694, p. 148. See alfo Engel, Mem. et Obf. Geog. p. 231 to 234. I fhould not have fwelled my book with this extra(f>, if the Eng- lifh tranflation of Mr. Muller's work was not extremely erroneous in fome material paffages. S. R. G. III. p. 8 — 20. 'Y Mr. Muller calls it Kolyma. S s departure : 3'4 APPENDIX I. departure : this difpute was owing to the jealoufy of DellinefF, who was unwiUing that AnkudinoiF Ihould fliare with him the honour, as well as the profits, which might refult from the expedled difcoveries. Each velTel was probably manned with about thirty perfons ; An- kudinoff's, we certainly know, carried that number. Deflmeff promifed before-hand a tribute of feven fables, to be exacted from the inhabitants on the banks of Ana- dyr ; fo fanguine were his hopes of reaching that river. This indeed he finally effected; but not fo foon, nor with. fo little difficulty, as he had prefumed.. On the 20th of June, 1648, the three veffels failed upon this remarkable expedition from the river Kovyma. Confidering the little knowledge we have of the extreme regions of Afia, it is much to be regretted,, that all the incidents of this voyage are not circumffantially related. DeflinefF''-, in an account of his expedition fent to Yakutsk, * In order thoroughly to underftand this narrative, it is neceffary to inform the reader, that the voyage made by DcfhnefF was entirely for- gotten, until the year 1736, when Mr. Muller found, in the archives of Yakutflt, the original accounts of the Ruffian navigations in the Frozen Ocean. Thefe papers virere extradted, under his infpedtion, at Yakutfk, and fent to Peterfburg ; where they are now preferved in the library belong- ing to the Imperial Academy of Sciences : they confift of feveral folio volumes. The circumftances relating to Defhneff are contained in the fecond volume. Soliverftoff and Stadukin, having laid claim to the dif- 1 covery APPENDIX!. 515 Yakutsk, feems only as it were accidentally to mention his adventures by fea : he takes no notice of any occur- rence covery of the country on the mouth of the Anadyr, had aflcrted, in confequence of this claim, that they had arrived there by fea, after having doubled Tfchukotfkoi Nofs. Defhneff, in anfwer, fent feveral memorials, petitions, and complaints, againft Stadukin and Soliverftoff, to the commander of Yakutlk, in which he fets forth, that he had the fole right to that difcovery, and refutes the arguments advanced by the others. From thefe memorials Mr. Muller has extradled his account of Deflineff's voyage. When I was at Peterlburg I had an opportunity of feeing thefc papers : and as they are written in the lluflian language, I prevailed upon my ingenious friend Mr. Pallas to infped: the part which relates to Delhneff. Accordingly Mr. Pallas, with his ufual readi- nefs to oblige, not only compared the memorials with Mr. MuUcr's ac- count, but even took the trouble to make fome extracts in the mofl: material paflages : thefc extraifts are l.ere fubjoined ; becaufe they will not only ferve to confirm the cxarefents itfelf un- '' der the name of Svatoi Nofs ■-••'■.. It is known by the «' two * We may colledt from Defhneff's reafoning, that SoliverftoiT, in en- deavouring to prove that he had failed round the Eallern extremity of 319 320 •APPENDIX I. " two iflands fituated oppofite to it, whofe inhabitants *' (as is before-mentioned) place pieces of the fea-horfe " tush into holes made in their lips. DefhnefF alone *' had feen thefe people, which neither Stadukin nor <' SoliverftofF had pretended to have done : and the " Korga, or fand-bank, at the mouth of the river Anadyr, *' was at fome diftance from thele iflands." While DefchnefF was furveying the fea-coaft, he faw in an habitation belonging to fome Koriacs a woman of Yakutsk, who, as he recolle<5led, belonged to P'edot AlexiefF. Upon his enquiry concerning the fate of her matter, flie replied, " that Fedot and Gerafim (Ankudi- " noff) had died of the fcurvy ; th^^t part of the crew had *' been llain ; that a few had efcaped in fmall veiTels, " and have never fince been heard off." Traces of the latter were afterwards found in the peninfula of Kamt- Afia, had miftaken a promontory called Svatoi Nofs for Tfchukotikoi Nofs : for otherwife, why lliould Dcflmeff, in his refutation of Soli- verftoffj begin by allerting, that Svatoi Nofs was not Tfchukotfkoi Nofs? The only cape laid down in the Ruffian maps, under the name of Sva- toi Nofs, is fituated 25 degrees to the VVefl of the Kovyma : but we cannot poffibly fuppofe this lo be the promontory here iiUuded to ; be- caufe, in failing from the Kovyma towards the Anadyr, "the firft promon- " tory which prefents itfelf " mull neceifarily be Eaft of the Kovyma, Svatoi Nofs, in the Ruffian language, fignifies Sacred Promontory ; and the Ruffians occafionally apply it to any cape which it is difficult to double. It therefore molt probably here relates to the firft cape, which Soliverftoff reached after he had failed from Kovyma. 7 chatka ; APPENDIX I. chatka ; to which place they probably arrived with a favourite wind, by following the coaft, and running up the Kamtchatka river. When Volodimir Atlaflbff, in 1697, firft entered upon the redudion of Kamtchatka, he found that the inhabi- tants had already fome knowledge of the Ruffians. A common tradition ftill prevails amongft them, that lonp- before the expedition of Atlaffoft, one •'•- Fedotofr (who was probably the fon of Fedot AlexeefF) and his compa- nions had refided amongft them, and had intermarried with the natives. They ftill {hew the fpot where the Ruffian habitations flood ; namely, atthe mouth of the fm all river Nikul which falls into the Kamtchatka river, and is called by the Ruffians Fedotika. Upon Atlaflbff's arrival none of the firft Ruffians remained. They are faid to have been held in great veneration, and almoft deified by the inhabitants, who at firft imagined that no human power could hurt them, until they quarrelled amonoft thcmfelves, and the blood was feen to flow from the ;Wounds which they gave each other : and upon a fepara- tion taking place between the Ruffians, part of them had been killed by the Koriacs, as they w^ere going to the fea of Penfliinsk, and the remainder by the Kamtcha- dals. The river Fedotika falls into the Southern fide of * Fedotoff, in the R.uffian language, fignifies the fon of Fedot. T t the 3^1 322 A P P E N D I X I. the Kamtchatka river about an hundred and eighty verft^ below Upper Kamtchatkoi Oftrog. At the time of the firft expedition to Kamtchatka, in 1697, the remains of two villages flill fubfirted, which had probably been in- habited by Fedotoff rsnd his companions : and no one knew which way they came into the peninfula, until it was difcovered from the archives of Yakutfk in 1636." * No other navigator, fubfequent to Deflineff, has ever pretended to have pafled the North Eaftern extremity of Afia, * Mr. Engel indeed pretends that lieutenant LaptiefF, 101739, dou- bled Tfchukotlkoi-Nofs, becaufe Gmelin fays, that " he paffed from the " Kovyma to Anadirsk partly by water and. partly by land." For Mr. Engel afferts the impoffibility of getting from the Kovyma to Anadirsk, partly by land and partly by water, -without going from the Kovyma to the mouth of the Anadyr by ka.; and from thence to Anadirsk by land. ButMr.Muller(whohas given a more particular account of theconclufion of this expedition) informs us, that LaptiefF and his crew, after having wintered near the Indigirka, paffed from its mouth in fmall boats to the Kovyma ; and as it was dangerous, on account of the Tfchutski, to fol- low the coafl any farther, either by land or water, he went through the Interior part of the country to Anadirsk, and from thence to the mouth of '-he Anadyr. Gmelin Reife, vol.. II. p. 4^0. S. R. G. III. p. 157. Mention is alfo made by Gmelin of a man who paffed in a fmaLl boat from the Kovyma round Tlchukotskoi-Nofs into the fea of Kamt- chatka : and Mr. Engel has not omitted to bring this pallage in fupport of his fyftem, with this difference, that he refers to the authority of Muller, inftead of Gmelin, for the truth of the fadt. JBut as we have no account of this expedition, and as the manner in which it is mentioned by Gmelin implies that he had it merely from tradition, we cannot lay any ftrefs C/iAKT of S l\A L A'CJi O ¥ 's I'fiyyv ■ ^^luM,An/.^l lO^yJIit ,„n'"''- had explored before him. He fleered into it on the 25th, and got upon a flioal between a fmall ifland, and a point of land which juts from the Eaftern coaft of this bay. Having got clear with much dif- ficulty, he continued for a Ihort time a S. E. courfe, then turned S. W. He then landed in order to difcover a fpot proper for their winter refidence ; and found two fmall rivulets, but neither trees nor drift wood. The veflTel 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 faflened the veflel to a large body of ice, and was carried along by a current towards W. S. W. at the rate of five verfls an hour. On the loth, he faw far to the N. E. by N. a mountain, and fleered the nth and 1 2th towards his former wintering place in winters a fe- coikI Time at the river Kovyma. Shalauroff^ propoied to have made ■'"= ^owma, aid returns to ♦Up the Lena. . 3:8- APPENDIX 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 w^ere obferved by Shalauroff near the point wh^re the coaft turns to the N. E. towards the channel which feparates the ifland Sabadei from the continent ; thefe rocks mav ferve to direft future navigators : one is called Saetfliie Kamen, or Hare's Rock, and rifes like a crooked horn; the other Baianei Kamen, or Sheep's Rock ; it is in the fliape of a pear, narrower at the bottom than at top, and rifes twenty-nine yards above high-water mark. Second Expe- Shalauroff, who concluded from his own experience, dition of Sha- laurotf. ^j^^t ^i^Q 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 fliitik, and in 1764 departed as be- fore from the river Lena. We have no pofitive ac- counts of this fecond voyage ; for neither Shalauroff or any of his crew have ever returned. The following circumftances 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 P E N D I X I. 329 About that time the Koriacs of the Anadyr refufed to take from the Ruffians the provifion of flour, which they are accuftomed to purchafe every year. Enquiry being made by the governor of Anadirsk, he found that they had been amply fuppUed with that commodity by the Tfchutfki. The latter had procured it from the plunder of Shalauroff's veffel, the crew of which appeared no Account of tilis Expcdi- to have periflied near the Anadvr. From thefe facts, 1"'"^'"= ^"'l ■i J ■ ' lii"i Lrew being which have been lince confirmed by repeated intelli-Tfchmfki!'^ gence from the Koriacs and Tfchutfki, it has been af- ferted, that ShalaurofF had doubled the N. E. cape of Alia. But this aflertion amounts only to conjecfture ; for the arrival of the crew at the mouth of the Anadyr affords no decifive proof that they had paffed round the Eartern extremity of Afia; for they might have penetrated to that river by land, from the Wellern 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 exiftence of a paffage round Tfchukotfkoi Nofs refts npon the fingle authority of Delhneff. Admitting however a pradlicable navigation round thefe two promontories, yet when we confider the difficulties and dangers which the Ruffi.ans en- U u countered 33° APPENDIX I. countered 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 refled at the fixme time, that thefe voyages can only be performed in the midft of a fhort fummer, and even then only when particular winds drive the ice into the fea, and leave the fhores lefs obftru6ted ; we fhall reafon- ably conclude, that a navigation, purfued along the coafts in the Frozen Ocean, would probably be ufelefs for commercial purpofes. A navigation therefore in the Frozen Ocean, calculated to anfwer any end of general utility, muft (if poflible) be made in an higher latitude, at fome diftance from the Ihores of Nova Zemla and Siberia. And fliould 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 muffc 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 ^. free paffage, becaufe If we conclude from the narrative of Defnneff 's voyage, that there really does exifl: fuch a paffage ; yet if that paffage is only occafionally navigable (and the Ruffians do not pre- tend to have paffed it more than once) it can never be of any general and commercial utility. ' quilitions APPENDIX I. quifitions aa tliefe do not fall under the intention of this work, which is meant to ftate and examine fad;s, not to lay down an hypothefis, or to make theoretical enquiries '••'. * I beg leave to aflure the reader, that throughout this whole work I have entirely confined myfelf to the RuIEan accounts ; and have care- fully avoided making ufe of any vague reports concerning the difcoveries lately made by captains Cooke and Gierke in the fame feas. Many of the geographical queftions which have been occafionally treated in the courfe of this performance, will probably be cleared up, and the true pofition of the Weftern coafts of America afcertained, from the jour- nals of thofe experienced navigators. ?5« U u 2 APPENDIX [ 33^ ] APPENDIX II. Tartarian rhubarb brought to Kiachta by the Bucha- rian Merchants — Method of examining and pur chafing the roots — Different /pedes of rheum zvhich yield the Jinefl rhubarb — Price of rhubarb in Ruffia — Exporta- tion — ^Superiority of the Tartarian over the Indian rhubarb. UROPE is fupplied with rhubarb from Ruffia and the Ealt hidies. The former is generally known by the name of Turkey rhubarb, becaufe we ufed to im- port it from the Levant in our commerce with the Turks, who procured it through Perlia from the Buchanans. And it ftill retains its original name, although inftead of being carried, as before, to Conftantinople, it is now brought to Kiachta by the Bucharian merchants, and T.tanaii, or thcre dlfpofcd of to the Ruffians. This appellation is Ri.ubaib. indeed the moft general; but it is mentioned occafionally iDy feveral authors, under the different denominations of Ruffian, Tartarian, Bucharian, and Thibet, Rhubarb. This fort is exported from Ruffia in large roiindiili pieces, freed from the bark, with an hole thjough th.e middle : they are externally of a yellow colour, and when cut appear variagated with lively reddifli ilreaks. The A P P E N D I X II. 233 The other fort is called by the Driiggifts Indian Rhu- Kii.b barb; and is procured from Canton in longer, harder, heavier, more compadt pieces, than the former ; it is more aftringent, and has fomewhat lefs of an aromatic flavour ; bvit, on accovint of its cheapnefs, is more gene- rally ufed than the Tartarian or Turkey Rhubarb. The government of Ruffia has referved to itfelf the exclulive privilege of purchafing rhubarb ; it is brouffht toKiachta by fome Bucharian merchants, whoTf"''^" <--'■' ' Rhubarb pio- have entered into a contract to fupply the crown with Kudu. that drug in exchange for furs. Thefe merchants come from the town of Selin, which lies South Weftward of the Koko-Nor, or Blue Lake toward Thibet. Selin, and all the towns of Little Bucharia ; viz. Kalhkar, Yerken, Atrar, &c. are fubjed to China. The beft rhubarb purchafed at Kiachta is produced upon a chain of rocks, which are very high, and for the moft part deftitute of wood : they lie North of Selin, and ftretch as far as the Koko-Nor. The good roots are -t diftinffuiflied by larsie and thick flems. The Taneuts, Ti'eRin.i.arb ^ '^ '^ '.Plant grows who are employed in digging up the roots, enter upon^!,'™^*^ that bufniefs in April or May. As faft as they take them Buchldl out of the earth, they cleanfe them from the foil, and hang them upon the neighbouring trees to dry, where they 334 APPENDIX II. they remain until a fufEcient quantity is procured : after which they are dehvered to the Bucharian merchants. The roots are wrapped up in woollen facks, carefully preferved from the leaft humidity ; and are in this man- ner tranfported to Kiachta upon camels. The exportation of the beft rhubarb is prohibited by the Chinefe, under the fevereft penalties. It is procured however in fufficient quantities, fometimes by clandef- tinely mixing it with inferior roots, and fometimes by means of a contraband trade. The College of Com- merce at Petersburg is folely empowered to receive this drug, and appoints agents at Kiachta for that purpofe. fxaminb"the Much carc is taken in the choice ; for it is examined, in kTachta. the prefence of the Bucharian merchants, by an apothe- cary commiffioned by government, and refident at Kiach- ta. All the worm-eaten roots are rejected ; the remain- der are bored through, in order to afcertain their found- nefs ; and all the parts which appear in the leaft da- maged or decayed are cut away. By thefe means even the beft roots are diminiflied a fixth part ; and the refufe is burnt, in order to prevent its being brought ahother year *. * Pallas Reife, part III. p. 155 — 157. When Mr. Pallas was at Kiachta, the Bucharian merchant, who fupplies the crown with rhubarb, brought feme pieces of white rhubarb (von miichveiflen rha- barber) which had a fweet tafte, and was equal in its effects to the beft fort. Linnaeus APPENDIX II. 33 « Linnaeus has diflinguiflied the different fpecies of ^^^o^Rhul'" rhubarb by the names Rheum Palmatum, R.Rhaphonti- cum, * R. Rhabarbarum, R. Compadtum, and R. Ribes. Botanifts have long differed in their opinions, which of thefe feveral fpecies is the true rhubarb ; and that queftion does not appear to be as yet fatisfadlorily cleared up. However, according to the notion which is moft generally received, it is fuppofed to be the Rheum t Pal- j^i,''™ ^'^' matum ; the feeds of which were originally procured from a Bucharian merchant, and diftributed to the prin- cipal botanifts of Europe. Hence this plant has been cultivated with great fuccefs ; and is now very common in all our botanical gardens. The learned dodlor I 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 effedls ; and from thence con- clufions have been drawn with great appearance of pro- * See Murray's edition of Linnaeus Syftema Vegetab. Gott. 1774. In the former editions of Linnseus 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. X Phil. Tranf. for 1765, p. 290. I bability. -336 A P P t^. N D I X II. bability, tKat iiiis IS me plant which produces the true rhubarb. But this inference does not appear to be ab- folutely conckifive ; for the fame trials have been re- peated, and with fimilar fuccefs, upon the roots of the R. Rhaponticum and R. Rhabarbarum. fum^''"'™" The leaves of the R. Rhaponticum are round, and fometimes broader than they are long. This fpecies is found abundantly in the loamy and dry deferts between the Volga and the Yaik •'=", towards the Cafpian Sea. It w^as probably from this fort that the name Rha, which is the Tartarian appellation of the river Volga, was firft ap- plied by the Arabian phyficians to the feveral fpecies of rheum. The roots however which grow in thefe warm plains are rather too allringent ; and therefore ought not to be ufed in cafes where opening medicines are required. The Calmucs call it Badfliona, or a ftomachic. The young flioots 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 lize than the wild ones : the leaves were large, and of a roundilh cordated figure. * The Yaik falls into the Carpian Sea, about four degrees to the Eaft of the Volga. 4 The A P P E N D I X If. 337 The R. Rhabarbarum grows in the crevices of bareR.RUabai- barum. rocky mountains, and alfo upon gravelly foils : it is more particularly found in the high vallies of the roman- tic 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 f jhafmodic contraction of the throat, which goes off in a few hours ; it returns however at every meal, iuntil they become habituated to this kind of diet. The Ruffians make ufe of the leaves in their hodge-podge : accordingly, foups of this fort afFe6t ftrangers in the man- ner above mentioned. In Siberia the ftalk is fometimes preferved as a fweet-meat ; and a cuftom prevails anitong the Germans of introducing at their tables the buds of this plant, as well as of the Rheum Palmatura, inllead of cauli-flower. The R. Rhaponticum which commonly grows nearR.Rhapon- licum. the torrents has, as well as the R. Rhabarbarum of Sibe- ria, the upper part of its roots commonly rotten, from too much moifture : accordingly, a very fir.all 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 pre • paring it are fo ill initruited for that purpofe, that its X X -heft 33^ APPENDIX ir. befl juices are frequently loft. Thefe roots ought to be ilrawn up in fpring, foon after the melting of the fnows, when the plant retains all its lap and ftrength ; uhereas they are not taken out of the ground before Augull, when they are wafted by the incrcafe of the ftem, and the expanfion of the leaves. Add to thiS;, that the roots are no fooner taken up, than they are immediately fliced in fmall pieces, and thus dried : by which means the medicinal qualities are fenfibly impaired. K'5°e Rootr For the fam^ roots, which in this inftance were of pontkum. 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 ilove, where being gradually dried, they were cleanfed from the earth : by thefe means, although they were a6lually taken up in autumn, they fo nearly refembled the beft Tartarian rhubarb in colour, texture, and purgative qua- lities, that they anfwered^^ in every refi'jecft, the fame medicinal piu-pofes.. A German apothecary, named Zuchert, made fimilar trials with the fame fuccefs, both ©n the Rheum Rha- barbarum and R. Rhaponticum, which grow in great Rhuinubiii perfe«5lion on the mountains in the neighbourhood of Nerfliinilc. He formed plant.'itions of thefe herbs on &ib«r]a. A P P E N D I X II. 335 the declivity of a rock ■•, covered with one foot of good mould, mixed with an equal quantity of fand and gravel. If the fummcr 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 fliade 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 pe- netrating too deep; and when they were properly dried, the R^Rh^po^. one fcruple was as efficacious as half a drachm of Tarta- ^'"bntbarum, equal in their rian rhubarb. {f^'f' '" ''■<= KhuUrh. From the foregoing obfervations it follows, that there are other plants, befides the Rheum Palmatum, the roots whereof have been fovmd to be fimilar both in their ap- pearance and efte6ls, to what is called the heft 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 roundifli fcolloped leaves, and moft probably the R. Rhaponticum : for Mr. Pallas, when he was at Kiach- ta, applied for information to a Bucharian merchant of Selin-Chotton, who now fupplies the crown with rhu- * In order to fuccced fully in the plantation of rhubarb, and to pro- cure found and dry roots, a dry, light foil with a rocky foundation, where the moifture eafily filters off, is eflentially neceflary. X X 2 barb J 340 A P P E N D I X II. barb ; and his defcription of that plant anfwered to the figure of the Rheum Rhaponticum. The truth of this defcription was ftill further confirmed by fome Mongol travellers who had been in the neighbourhood of th& 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. Rhapon- ticum, fufficiently prove, that this valuable drug was procured from thofe roots in great perfedtion. But as the feeds of the Rheum Palmatum were received from the father of the above-mentioned Bucharian merchant as taken from the plant which furnifhes the true rhu- barb, we have reafon to conje6ture, that thefe three fpecies, viz. R. Palmatum, R. Rhaponticum, and R. Rha- barbarum, when found in a dryer and milder alpine b^irh""ob^i!i''' climate, and in proper fituations, are indifcriminately .Merenfbpe-" drawu up *, whcncver the fize of the plant feeras to pro- cies of Rheum. mife a fine root. And perhaps the remarkable dirrerence of the rhubarb, imported to Kiachta, is occafioned by this indifcriminate method of coUeding them. Moft certain it is, that thefe plants grow wild upon the mountains, without the leaft cultivation ; and thofe are efteemed the beft which are found near the Koko-Nor, and about the fources of the river Koango. Formerly A P P E N D I X ir. 341 Formerly the exportation of rhubarb was confined to the crown of Ruflia ; and no perfons but thofe em- ployed by government were allowed the permiflion 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 ri>u. barb in Ru!T;a, 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. Peterf- burg, and it is calculated that the price of a pood ftands the crown at 30 roubles. The largeft exportation of rhubarb ever known from Ruflia, was made in the year 1765, when 1350 pood were exported, at 65 roubles per pood. EX^ ;42 APPENDIX II. EXPORTATION of RHUBARB From St. Petersburg. fat 76^ Dutch* dollars, Kxpnrut'ion of Kliuliai!) fiomS-L.PetCif- , , ,1 , , bu.g. In 1777, 2,9 poods 13 pouiids< or 91 roubles, 30 co- [pecs per pood. In 1778, 23 poods 7 pounds, at 80 ditto, or 96 roubles. In 1778, 1055 poods were brought by the Buchanan merchants to Kiachta ; of which 680 poods 19 pounds were fele6ted. The interior confumption of the whole empire of Ruffia for 1777 amounted to only 6 poods 5 pounds t. superiority of 'pj^g fuperiorlty of this Tartarian Rhubarb, over that Rhubarb." "" procured from Canton, arifes probably from the follow- ing circumilances. 1 . The Soutliem j^rts of China are not fo proper for the growth of this plant, as the mountains of Little Bucharia. 2. There is not fo exa£t an examination made in receiving it from the Ghinefe at Canton, as from the * If we reckon a Dutch dollar, upon an average, to be worth i rouble 20 copecs. ■f- This calculation comprehends only the rhubarb purchafed at the different magazines belonging to the College of Commerce ; for what jvas procured by contraband is of courfe not included. Bu- A P P E N D I X rr. 343 Bucharians at Kiachta. For the merchants, who pur- chafe this drug at Canton, are ohUged to accept it in the grofs, without feparating 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 mull: necefTarily contraifi: during fo long* a voyage. TABLE [ 344 D TABLE OF LONGITUDE and LATITUDE. FOR the convenience of the Reader, 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 firil meridian of the Ifle of Fero, and from that of the Royal Obfervatory at Greenwich. The longitude of Greenwich from Fero is computed at 17° 34' 45". The longitude of the places marked - has been taken from aftronomical obfervations. TaWe of Lon^rtuile and Latitude. Latitude. *Peterfburg — * Mofcovv — * Archangel — * Tobollk — * Tomfk — * Irkutfk — * Selenginik. — Kiachta — « Yakutflc — * Ochocflt — * Bolcherefk. — * Port of Sr. Peter andPaul Eaftern Extremity of Siberia According "^ to the gene- | ral map of Ruffia (According ') to the chart I ofKrenitzin j &LevalhcflJ Unalalhka I i D. 59 55 64 58 56 32 51 35 62 59 52 53 66 58 53 56 45 33 12 30 18 6 o I 22 55 I S. 23 45 24 22 o 15 o o 50 o o o D. 48 55 56 85 102 122 124 124 147 160 174 176 200 Fero. M. o 6 15 40 50 13 18 18 o 7 13 10 Longitude. Greenwich. D. M. S. o 30 o o o o 30 o o o o o 223 205 30 30 37 38 68 85 104 106 106 129 142 156 158 182 ^5t 31 40 26 15 38 44 43 25 3^ 38 36 25 20^ 25 187 55 X I have omitted the feconds in the longitude from Greenwich. INDEX. I N D E X. A. AGIAK, an interpreter, p. 133. Aguladock, a leader of the Unalafh- kans, taken prilbner by SoloviofF, Agulok, a dwelling-place on Una- lafhka, 137. Aifchin-Giord, chief of the Manfliurs at the beginning of the 17th cen- tury, 198. Aktunak, an idand to the Eafl of Kadyak, 108. Akun (one of the Fox Iflands), 159. Akutan (one of the Fox Iflands), 159. Alakfu, or Alachjhak, one of the mofl; remote Eaftern iflands, 65. Cuftoms of the inhabitants, 68. Animals found on that ifland, ib. Conjectured 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, deflroyed by the Chinefe, 198. The Ruffians ta- ken there refufe to return from Pekin, 208. Aleutian I/les difcovered, 21. 29. their fituation and names, 24. Names of perfons there, bear a furprifing refemblance to thofe of the Greenlanders, 40. Inhabi- tants defcribed, 41. 46. Account of thofe iflands, 45. 55. The manners and cuftoms of the inha- bitants referable thofe of the Fox Iflands, 173. Are entirely fubjedt to Ruflia, 174. Their number, 289. Specimen of the Aleutian language, 303. Sat Fox IJJands, Ibiya, Novodtjikcff, Tfniprojff: Alexeeff (Feodot). See Dejhnefi. Aleyuf. See Fox IJlands. AUai (a prince of the Calmucs), his fuperflitious regard for the me- mory of Yermac, 1 94. Amagauak, a toigon of Unalafhka, 143- America, moft probable courfe for difcovering the neareft coaft of that continent, pointed out, 27. See IJlands, Delijle, Alakju, Kadyak, Fox I/lands, Stelkr. Anilach, one of the AndreanolFskyc Iflands, 7(5. Yy Ana- I N D X. Ana dinky JJIes, or IJles of Anadyr,- fo called by Mr. St^hlin, and .after him by Buffon, p. 25. 284 —288. Amoor river, called by the Man- fhurs Sakalin-Ula ; and by the Mongols, Karamuran, or the Black River. Aiidrianr.jj'skie IJlands, 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 Eai1:, ibid. Pofition of the Andreanoffskie- Iflands, 289. Arachulla, fuppofed by the Chinefe a wicked fpirit of the air, 229. Archangel, voyages from theuce to the Yenisei, 305. Artie, .or lee Foxes, defcription of, 15- Ajia, the firfl: report of its vicinity to America, learned from the Tfchutflci, 293. Atachtak, a great promontory N. E. ofAlakfu, 118. Ataku, one of the Aleutian Iflands, 45- Atclni, one of the Andreanoffsky Iflands, defcription of, 76. Atehu, Atckaky Atach, Gorelot, or Burnt IJJand, one of the Fox Iflands, 61. Atlapjff (Volcdimir), takes poffeflion of the river Kamtchatka, 4. Atrar, a town of Little Bucharia, 333- Att, one of the Aleutian Ifles, 30. Ayagh, or Kayachu, one of the An- dreanofisky Iflands, 72. Defcrip- tion ofj 75. Bacchof. See l^ovikoff. Baranei Kamen, or Sheep's Rock, de«^ fcription of, 328. Bear IJlands. See Medvioedkie Of- trova. Beerifig, his voyage made at the ex- pence of the crown, 8. His voyage (with Tfchirikoff) in fearch of a junction between Afia and America, in 1728 and 1729, uniuccefsful, 20. Shipwrecked, ibid, and death on an iflind called after his name, 2 i. See Di/- ccveries, Stellcr ; fee alfo p. 323. Beering's JJIand, the winter-flation of all the fhips failing tor the new-difcovered iflands, 52. Belayeff {Larion), treats the inhabi- tants of the Aleutian Iflands in an hoftile manner ; in which he is under-hand abetted by TfiuprofFj 34- Bolcheretjk, a diftrift of Kamtchat- ka, 5. See Kamtchatkoi OJlrogs. Bolkojky (prince), appointed way- wode of Siberia, 190. See 2>r mac, Boris and Glebb. See Trapefnikoff. Bucharia {Little), all fubjeft to China, 333. Biiaehe (Mr.). See Longitude. Burgoltei, a mountain in the valley of Kiachta, 214. Burnt Jfland. See Atchu. Buttons (of different colours), ufed as marks of diflinftion among the Chinefe, 218. C. Calumet of peace, a fymbol of friend- &ip peculiar to America, 280. Camhif I N D X. Cemht, the fecond Chinefe emperor of the Mandiur race, 197. Ex- pels the Ruflians from his domi- nions, for their riots and drun- kennefs, 205. Camphor wood (the true), drove by the fea on Copper Illand, 107. Caravans (RuiTian), allowed to trade to Pekin, 203. Difcontinued, and why, zcg. See RnJJia. Chatanga, the cape between that river and the Piafida never yet doubled, 509 — 313. Chinefe, origin of the difputes be- tween them and the Ruffians, 197. Hoftilities commenced between them, 198. Treaty of Nerfliinfk concluded, 200. Beginning of the commerce between the two nations, 202. Their trade with the Ruffians, 20S, &c. Reckon it a mark of difrepeft to uncover the head to a fuperior, 228. Their fuperdition in regard to fires, 229. Manner of their pro- nouncing foreign expreffions, 232. No Ipecie but bullion current among them, 233. Advantage of the Chinefe trade to Ruffia, 240. Cholodikff. Voyage of a vefTel fitted out by him, 48. Ckt/ho, (or the Fire-god), a Chinefe idol, 226. SeeChinefe. Copper ljland,\vh'y' fo called, 2 1. 1 07. 252. Probable that all the hil- locks in that country have for- merly been vulcanoes, ibid. Sub- jeft to frequent earth-quakes, aj:d abound in fulphur, 253 Cyprian (Hrlt arciibifliop ot Siberia), colleds the archives of the Sibe- rian hiitor)\, i9i. D. Daurkin (a native Tfchutfki), em- ployed by Plenifner to examine the iflands to the Eafl of Siberia, 295. The intelligence he brought back, ibid, Belijle, millaken concerning the Weftern coaft of America, 26. Dejlmeff, his voyage, 313. Ex- trads from his papers, 315, 316. His defcription of the great pro- montory of the Tfchutfki, 317. AnkudinofF's veilll wrecked on that promontory, ibid. DelhnefF builds Anadirikoi-Ollrog on the river Anadyr, 318. Difpute be- tween him and Soliverftoff, con- cerning the difcovery of the Kor- ga, 319, 320. No navigator lince Defhneff pretends to have palfed round the N. E. extremity of /^fia, 322. Difcoveries. The profecution of thofe begun by Beering moflly carried on by individuals, 8. The veffels equipped for thofe difco- veries defciibed, ibid. Expences attending them, 9. Profits of the trade to the new difcovered idands very confiderable, 10. Lift of the principal charts of the Ruffian difcoveries hitherto pub- liQied, 28:. Bogs, ufed for drawing carriages, 247. Drufinin (Alexei), wrecked at Beer- ing's Illand, »i<5. His vovage to the Fox lilsnds, Sc— 88.' Win- ters at UnalaOika, 82. All tlie ciev/, except four Ruffians, vi?. Stephen Korelin, Dmitri Bragin, Yy 2 Gre ■egor^ N D X. Gregory ShafFyrin, and Ivan Ko- kovin, deftroyed by the natives, 83. See Unalafloka, Dtirneff {Jiod'wii). His voyage, 45. E. EcHpfe, behaviour of the Chinefe at one, 228. Emprefs. of Rujfia. See Rujfm, Enge! (Mr.) Difputes the exaflnefs of the iongiiudes laid down by Muiler and the Ruffian geogra- phers, 267. Efquimauxindians, fimllarity between their boats and thofe of the Fox Iflands, 260. 264. Feathers (peacock's), ufed for a dif- tinftion of rank by the Chinefe, 218. Fedotika. See Nikul. Foxes, different fpecies of, defcrib- ed, 14. Value of their fkins. Fox IJlands, fometimes called the fartheft Aleutian Ifles, 29. Their land and fea-animals, 148. Man- ners and cuftoms of the inhabi- tants, 149. Warm fprings and native fulphur to be found in forae of them, 149. Their drefs, 151. 169. Their veffelsdefcrib- ed, 152. Are very fond of fnuff, 153. Their drums defcribed, 154. Their weapons, 155. 170. Food of the inhabitants, 168. Their feafts, 171. Their funeral cere- monies, 173. Account of the inhabitants, 256 — 261. Their extreme naftineff, 258. Their boats made like thofe of the Ef- quimaux Indians in North Ame- rica, 260. 264. Are faid to have no notion of a God, 261 •, yet have fortune-teller?, who pretend to divination, by tlie information of fpirits, ibid. The inhabitants called by the Pvuffians by the ge- neral name of Aleyut, 263. Proofs of the vicinity of thole iflands to America, 291. Geographers {RuJJian), their accu- racy, 273. Ghejfur-Chan, the principal idol at Maimatfchin, 224. Chttoff {Stephen), his voyage, 106 — 123. Winters upon Copper Ifland, 106. Arrives at Kadyak, the moft Eaftward of the Fox Iflands, loS. Is attacked by the natives, whom he defeats, no, and finally repulfes, 112. Win- ters at Kadyak, 113. Is recon- ciled to the natives, 114. Curi- olities procured by him at that ifland, ibid. No chart of his voyage, 117. Departs from Ka- dyak, and arrives at Umnak, 1 18, 119. Defeats a defign formed againfl him by the natives, 120. Meets vi^ithKorovin, 121. Win- ters on Umnak, 122. Journal of his voyage, 124 — 130. Set So!o- 'oioff, Korovin. ■ {Ivan), an Aleutian inter- preter, lOI. Golodoff, killed at Unyumga, 65. Goreloi. See Atchu. Greenlandersy N- D X. Greenlanders, their proper names nearly fimilar to thofe ufed in the Aleutian Ifles, 40. H. Hare's Rock. See Saetjlne Kammen. Hot Springs, found in Kanaga, 75. in Tfetchina, 76. I. Ibiya, Rick/a, and 0/as, Three large populous iflands to the Eaft of the Aleutian Iflands, 46. Je/uits, their compliance with the Chinefe fuperflition, 220. Jgonok, a village of Unalalhka, 142. Igunok, a bay N. E. of UnalaQika, 255- Ikutchlok, a dwelling place at Una- laflika, 137. Imperial Academy, their chart of the New Difcovered Iflands, not to be depended on, 24. 27. Jndigirka, 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. J/lands (jSlew Difcovered), firfl: tri- bute brought from thence to Ochotfk, 22. Liftof thofe iflands, according to Mr. Muller, 297. Their names altered and corrupt- ed by the Rufllan navigators, 299. See Aleutian IJlcs and Fox IJIands. Ijleniefi (Mr.), fent to Yakuifk to obferve the tranfit of Venus, 274. Itchadck 2.w^Kagumaga, two friend- ly Toigons, 137. 7 Ivan Shilkin, his voyage, 57. 60. Shipwrecked on one of the Fox Iflands, 58. Great diflrefies of his crew on that ifland, 59. Ship- Wrecked a fecond time, 60. Ivan Vajfilievitth I. makes the firfl: irruption into Siberia, 177. Ivan Vajfilicvitch II. took the title of Lord of all the Siberian lands before the conquefts of Yermac, 179. See Rujfta. Ives (IJbrandJ, a Dutchman. Em- baffador from Peter I. to Pekin, 203. Iviya, one of the Akuiian Iflands, Si- K. Kadyak, one of the Fox Iflands, 35. The fondnefs of the natives for beads, 1 14. Animals and ve- getables found there, 115, 116, Great reafon to think it is at no great diflance from the continent of America, 1 17. Account of the inhabitants, 1 1 8. See Ghttoff. Kagumaga. See Itchadek. Kalaktak, a village of Unalaflika, Kama, a river, 180. Kamtchatka, difcovered by the Ruf- fians, 3. The whole peninfula re- duced by theRufnans,4. Of little advantage to the crown at firfl, but fince the difcovery of the iflands between Afia and America its fur-trade is become a confiJerable branch of the Rufllan commerce, ibid. Its fituation and boundaries, 5. Its dirtrifts, government, and population, ihid. Fixed and other tributes to the crown, 6. Its foil and I N D E X. an^l 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, com, anil manufaftures, from Ochotllc, ibiJ. Rout for tranfporting turs from thence to Kiachta, 247. Manner of procuring fire there, and which Vakfel, Beering's lieu- tenant, found practifed in that part of North America which he faw in 1 741, 158. See Mo- rofko, AtlaJfojf\ Koriacs, Ochotjk and Penjhinjk, Bokbercjk, tigil- Jka'ui, Krcpojl, Verchnei, Nijhnci, Kanitch^.tla Ojirogs, Volcanos, Furs ami Skins. Kanitcbatkoi OJlrogs (Upper and Lower) and Bolcheretfk built, 4. Kdtidga, one of the Andrea noffflk,an interpreter employed by the Rullians, 92. Katagkayekiki, name of the inhabi- tants of Unimak and Alaxa, 263. Kayacru. See Ayagh. Kiachta, a frontier town of Siberia, 12. Treaty concluded there be- tween the Ruffians and Chinefe, 2c6. 209. Is at prefent the cen- tre of the Ruffian and Chinefe commerce, 210. That place and Zuruchaitu asireed on for tranf- O acting the commerce between Ruffia and China, 211. Defcrip- tion of Kiachta. i'i>id. Kighiguft, inhabit uits of Akutan fo called, 263. Kttaika, a Chinefe ftuff, 2 38. Kogholiighi, inhabitants of Unalafhi- ka fo called, 263. Kopeikina, a bay of the river Ana- dyr, 43. Korenqff. See Solovioff. K^rga, A fand-bank at the mouth of the river Anadyr, 318. See Solivcrjloff. Koriacs, their country the Northern boundary of Kamtchatka, 5. Tri- butary to Ruffia, 43. Korovin {Ivan), his voyageSg, — i o^. Arrives at Unalallika, his tranf- a(flions there, 90 — 96. Builds an hut, and prepares for winter- ing, 93. Being attacked by the favages, deftroys his hut, and re- tires to his veffel, 95. Attacked again, repulfes the favages, and is ftrahded on the ifland of Umnak, 96. After different fkirmillies with the natives, is relieved by Glottoff, 99. His defcription of Umnak and Unalafhka, with their inhabitants, 103. '&tt Solovioff. Kovyma, a river of Siberia, 14. Ivenitzin (Captain), commands a fecret expedition, 23. Krenitzin and Levajloeff', their jour- nal and chart fent, by order of the Emprefs of Ruffia, toDr, Ro- bertfon, 23, Extratf from their journal, 251 — ■:c^^. They arrive at the Fox Iflands, 253. Krenit- zin winters at Alaxa, and Leva- Iheff at Unalaftka, 254. I'hey return to the river of Kamtchat- ka, 266. Krenitzin drowned, /i^i''^. See Vak'tjf. Krajfdnikcff, Voyage of a veffel fitted out by him, 52. Ship- wrecked on Copper Ifland, ibid. The crew return to Bea'ing's Ifland, $2>' Kraf- N D X. KraJJUnikoJf (a Ruffian aftronomer), his accuracy in taking the longi- tude of Kamtchatka, 27^. Krajhimnikofi', his hiftory of Kamt- chatka, .'.56. Krsjlova, a river of Siberia, 324, Knigloi, or Round ^Jlc.nd, one of the Aleutian Iflands, 69. Kulkoff^ his vefTel deftroyed, and his crew killed by the favages, 94. 157. Kiillara, a fortrefs belonging to Kutchum Chan, 190. Kuril IJlcs, fubjedt to i^iifGa, 5. Kutchum Chan (a defcendant of Zinghis Chan), defeats Yediger, and takes him prifoner, 179. The moft powerful fovereign in Sibe- ria, 182. See7~crmac,Silpir. L. Lapticff" (Chariton), his unfnccefs- ful attempt to pafs from the Lena to the Yenisei, 309. See p. 322. Latitude of BolchereJ];, Appendix I. N" II. See Long-itude. Lena, a river of Siberia, 14. At- tempts of the Ruffians to pafs from thence to Kamtchatka, 311. See Menin. Leontiejf(-i. RuJJianJ, has tranflated feveral interefting Chinefe publi- cations, 208. Levapeff. See Krenitzin and Le- •vajlxff. Lobafckkoff (Prokopei), killed at A- lakfu, 66. Longitude, of the extreme parts of Afia, by Mr. Muller and the R.uflian geographers, 267. By Mr. Engel, ibid. By Mr. Vau- gondy, 268. The Ruffian fydem fupported by Monf. Buache, a- gainfl: Engcl and Vaugondy, ibid. See Krajilnikcj}'. Longitude of Ochotsk, Bolchcrcsk, and St. Peter and St, Paul, 269. Longitude and Latitude of the prin- cipal places mentioned in this work, 344. Ly/Jie Of r ova, or Fox Tflands, 14. Their lituation and names, 25. Defcription of the inhabitants, 62. M. Maimalfchin (the Chinefe frontier town), dcfcribed, 214. Houfes there defcribed, 216. An ac- count of the governor, 2 18. The- atre defcribed, 219. The fmall pagoda, 220. I'he great pagoda, 22 1. Idols worfliiped there, ibid. — 227. See Sitting-Rooms,. Manjhun, their origin, 197. Mdooang, a Chinefe idol, 225. Mednoi fir off, or Copper I/land, Difcovered, 2 1 . See Copper I/land. Medvedeff {Dennis), his crew maflacred by the favages, 90. He and part of Protaffbff's crew found murdered on the ifland of Umnak, 99. Menin (Feodor), his unfucccfsful attempt to pafs from the Yenibci to the Lena, 306. Merghen, a Chinefe tovi?n, 244. Medviodkie Ojlrova, Krejffioffskie Of- trova, or Bear Iflands, Difcovery of, 324. Minyaehin (a Coffac), a colleftor of the tribute, 69. Mongol, I N D X. Mongol, the commerce between the RulTians and ChineTe, modly car- ried on in that tongue, 2^1. Norosko (Lucas Semanoff), com- manded the firft expedition to- wards Kamtchatka, 3. Muller, (Mr.) His conjefture re- lating to the coafl: of the fea of Ochotfl<, confirmed by Captain Synd, 23. Part of a letter writ- ten by him in 1774, concerning the vicinity of Kamtchatka and America, 283. His lift of the New Difcovered Iflands, 297. N. Nankin, 231. Naun, a Chincfe town, 244. Nerfljinsk. See Chinefe. Nevodtfikoff (Michael), fails from Kamtchatka river, 29. Difcovers the Aleutian Iflands, ibid. Nar- rative of his voyage, 31 — 36. Nevj Moony ceremonies obferved at, by the Chinefe, 228. Nikid, or Fedotika, a river which falls into that of Kamtchatka, 321. Nijhnei, or LowerKamtchatkoi Ojirog, a diftrift of Kamtchatka, 5. Niu-o, Chinefe idol, 226. North Eajl Pajfage, Ruffians attempt to difcover, 304 — 731. Novikojf' and. Baccboff, their voy- age from Anadyrilv, 42. 44. Are (hipwrccked on Beering's Ifland, where they build a fmall boat, and return to Kamtchatka, 44. Ochotsk and Penjloinsk, Weflerii boundaries of Kamtchatka, 5. See Kamtchatka, Midler. Offzin and Koskeleff (Lieutenants), fufl effected the paflage from the bay of Oby to the Yenisei, 306. 0/flj. See Ibiya. Olotorian IJles, whence fo called, 284, Olotorians, invade the ifland of Ka- raga, and threaten to deftroy all the inhabitants who pay tribute to Rufiia, 36. Oncinenskaya, a bay in the river Anadyr, 43. Oracles (Chinefe), i?.'j, Orel, a Ruffian fettlement, 18 r. Otchercdin, (Aphanajfci), his voy- age to the Fox Iflands, 156 — 163. Winters at Umnak, 157. The toigon of the Five Mountains gives him hoflages, 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, 159. Is joined by Popoff from Beering's Ifland, and pre- vails on the inhabitants to pay tribute, 161. Receives an ac- count of Levafheff's arrival at Unalaflika, ibid. Returns to Ochotft, with a large cargo, leaving Popoff at Umnak, 162. Brings home two iflanders, who were baptized by the names of Alexey SolovicfF and Boris Ot- cheredin, 103. Siqc Pokskcf'. O. Ol>y (bay of), 306. P. N D X. P. Tagoda. See Maimatfchin. Paikojf' (Bemetri), his voyage, 6i -63. Pallas, receives from Bragin a nar- rative of hie adventures and el- cape, p. 88. Account of Kiachta and Maimatfchin, extrafted from his journal, p. 2.29. His pub- lication concerning the Mongol tribes, 230. Lift of plants found by Steller upon the coaftdifcovcr- ed by Bcering in 1741, com- municated by Mr. Pallas — quo- tation from a treatife of his, rela- tive to the plants of the new-dif- covered iflands, 279. Extrafts made by him relative toDeflineff's voyage, p 314—316. Pauloffskj, his expedition, in which, after feveral fuccefsful iL'irraiilies ■with the Tfchutski, he is furprifed and killed by them, 296. Peacock. See Feathers, Pekin. Ruflian fcholars allowed to fettle there, to learn the Chinefe tongue, 209. SceQiravans. PcnJJjinsk, 5. Peter I. fiill projefled making di(- coveries in the feas between Kamtchatka and America, 20. Peterjlurg, length of the different routs between that city and Pekin, 248. Piafida, a river of Siberia, 309. Plenifner (a Courlander), feut on difcoverjes to the N. E. of Sibe- ria, 294. See Daurkin. Poloskoff, (Mattheiv), Sent by Ot- cheredin to Uualaflika, 159. Spends the autumn at Akun, and after twice repulling the favages, returns to Otcheredin, 1 59 — 16 1 . Popoff (Ivan), a veffel fitted out by him arrives at Unala(hka, 158. See Otcheredin. Prontjhlfljhe^ (Lieutenant), his un- fuccefsful attempt to pafs fromthe Lena towards the Yenisei, 306 — 309- Protaffojf, he and his crew deflroyed by the favages, 133. 157. See Med-vedcff. Pufljkareff (Gabriel), his voyage, 64 — 6q. Winters uponAlakfu, 65. He, with Golodoff and twenty others, attempting to vio- late fome girls, on the ifland Unyumga, are fct upon by the .natives, and at lad obliged to retreat, 65, 66. He and his crew tried for their inhuman behaviour to the iflanders during their voy- age, 67. R. Rheum. See Rhubarb. Rhubarb, that from Ruffia gene- rally 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. Ex- portation of, 342. Superiority of the Tartarian over the Indian Rhubarb, accounted for, 342. Riikfa. See Ibiya. Roaring Mountain. See UnalaJJ^ka. Robert/on (Dr.) See Krenitzln and Levajhejf. Round IJland. Sec Krugloi, P\.uffia (prcfent Emprefs of), a great promoter of new difco- Z z veries. N D 3?; vcries, 22. No communication between that country and Siberia till the reign of Ivan VaflTilievitch II. 17,8. The emprefs aboliflies the monopoly of the fur- trade, and relinquifhes the exclufive pri- vilege of fent-ling caravans to Pekin, 210. Riijpa, a curious and interefting "Hiflorica! Account of the nations which compofe that Empire" lately publithed, 2 18. Ruffians, qui: Siberia after the death of Yermac, 19+. 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 priells to officiate in it) within their caravanfary at Pekin, 208. Commerce between them and the Chinefe carried on only by barter, 232. Method of tranfafling bu- finefs between them, 233. Ruf- fian exports, 234 — 237. Im- ports, 237 — 239. 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 difcover a North Eaft paffage, 304 — 331. Held in great vene- ration by the Kamtchadals, till they quavrelled among them- itlves, 321. See Siberia, Cbinejr, Albtifin, Lena. Snbya, an ifland at a diflance from Att, 30. See Att, Sacred Helmet, at Maimatfchin, 227. Saetfhie Kamen, or Hare's Rock, Defcription of, 328. SagcHgamak, one of the Fox Iflands, '57- St. Feterfiiirg, the geographical ca- lendar of not tobedepended on, 24. Saktunak, an ifland near Alakfu, 1 19. Sandchite,-7i northern province of China, 23 1. Sea-horfe teeth, their value, 1 6. Sea-lion, or Scivutiba, its Hclli deli- cate food, 265. Sea-otters, Many writers miftaken concerning them, 12. Defcription of, ibid. Value c>f their fkins, 13, 5?//'k, a to-ivn of Little ffucharia, 333. Seiebranikof, voyage of a velTel fitted out by him, 49 — 52. Ship- wrecked on an iiland oppolite . Katyrskoi Nofs, in the peninfula of Kanuchatk;*, 50, Defcription of the ifland, 51. Sbaffyrin (Sila), a CoiTac, colleaor of the tribute,40. 45. 61. killed, 63- Shalaurojf, his firft voyage from the Lena, 323 — 328. Winter^ at a mouth of the Kovyma, 325. Not being able to double She- letskoi Nofs, rettn-ns to the Ko- vyma, winters there a fecond time, and returns to the Lena, 327. No account of his fecond expedition, he and his crew be- ing killed by the Tfchutski, 328. Sheep's Rock. See Baranei Kamen, Shelatskoi Nofs, w^hence that name is derived, 526. She?niya, one of the Aleutian Iflands, 78; Shilk'in {Ivan), his voyage, 45. Wrecked on one of the Fox Iflands, 58. where the Ruffians are attacked by the fav.iges, •whom they repuife, 59. After fuffering thegreaceltdiftrefs, they build I N X. buUd afmall veffel, in which they are a fecond time wrecked, and return at lad in Serebranikoff's veffel to Kamtchatka, 59, 60. S/juntfcbi, The firft Chinefe empe- ror of the Manfliiir race, 198. Shujhu, the firfl: of the Kuril Ifles, 301. SU'ir, the principal refidence of Kutchum Chan, 182. Siberia, conqueft of by Yermac, 19. Second irruption of the Ruffians into that country, i-jg. State of at the time of Yermac's invafion, 182. Conjefiure con- -cerning the derivation of that name, ibid. Totally reduced by the Ruffians, 196. Tranfport of the Ruffian and Chinefe commo- dities through that country, 2^5. ■ See Ivan Vajjilievitcb I. Rtiffia. Kutchum Chan. Sit kin, one of the Fox Ifiands, 62. Sitting-rooms, {Chinefe), defcribed, 216. Soliverjioff {TuJko\ his expedition to the Korga, to coUeft fea-horfes teeth, 319. Solovioff fjvan), his voyage, 131 — 155. Arrives atUnalafhka, 132. Learns the particulars of a con- federacy formed by the Toigons ■of Unalaffika, Umnak, Akutan, and Tolhko, againft theR-uffians, 134. Is joined by Korovin, 135. Hoftilities between him and the natives, ibid. Winters at Una- lafhka, with other tranfaftions at that ifland, 136. Makes peace with the natives, and receives hoftages, 139. Meets with Koro- vin, 140. His crew being greatly affliifled with the fcurvy, the in- habitants of Makufliinik confpire to feize his veffel, 141. But are happily prevented, 142. Is vi- fited by Glottoff, ibid. Receives hoflages from the inhabitants of Kalaktak, 143. Sends Korenoff in different hunting parties, 144. Journal ot his voyage homewards, 144, His defcription of theFox Illands, 1 48. ' Sohjtpcgodjkaia. See Strogonof. Sleller, His arguments to prove that Beering and Tfchirikrffdifcovered America, 277. Strcgonqff (Anika), a Ruffian mer- chant, eftablidies a trade with Solvytfliegodilcaia in Siberia, 178. Makes fettlementsupon the Kama and Tfchuffovaia, 180. Sceilfr- mac. Studentzoff, aCoffac, colleftor of the tribute, 45. 57. Svatoi Nofs, that name explained, 3-0. Sulphur found on the ifland of Ka- naga, 75. Stt Copper IJlands. Synd (capt.) his voyage to theN.E. • of Siberia, 300. Difcovers a cluf- ter of iQands, and a promontory, which he fuppofes to belong to America, 301. T. TahaetJInmkian, a mountain of Kamtchatka, emitting a coaltant fmoke, 6. Tagalaky one of the Andreanoffskye Iflands, defcription of, 76. Tartarian Rhubarb. See Rhubarb. Tcbingi, a town on the banks of the Tura, 185. ^ctT'ennac. Tea, finer in Ruflia than in Europe, and why, 238. Temnac, an Aleutian interpreter, 30. Zz 2 Tien. I N D X. Tien, an idol worfliiped in the fmall pagoda at Malmatfchin, 220. Tigil/kiua Krepojf, a dilbift of Kamtchatka, 5. 'Toljiyk, {Andrean), his voyage to the Aleutian Ifles, in 1748, 30. Ditto, in 1756, 54. Ditto in 1760, 71 — 79. Difcovers the Andreanoil and 1775. Written by James Cooke, Commander of the Refolution. In which is included, Captain Furneaux's Narrative of his Proceedings in the Adventure, during the Separation of the Ships. Elegantly printed in 2 Vols. Royal. Illuftrated with Maps and Charts, and a Variety of Portraits of Perfons and Views of Places, drawn during the Voyage by Mr. Hodges, and engraved by the moft eminent Matters. 2I. I2S. 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