^ vr v^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 <^ iiii K2.2 !if l£& 12.0 UA |!iilU4U4 <— 6" » V '^ !_• [|]fiii^:ii Sciences Carporatian ^. ^^ M WHT MAM ITRMT INIWTN,N.Y. 14IM (7U)tn-4S0S ^^ ^\ ^^ 4r CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. C«»d*.n l«tltut. ..r Hl.t«)cl Mlcr (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha eymbol ▼ (meening "END"), whichever appliae. Les exemplalras originaux dont la couvarture an papier est Imprimte sont fiimto en commen^ant par la premier plat at en terminent solt par la darnlAre page qui comporte une emprelnta d'Impresslon ou d'lllustretion, solt par le second plet, selon le ces. Tous les eutres exempleires originaux sont fllmis en commen^ant par la premiere pege qui comporte une emprelnte d'impreasion ou d'illustratlon et en terminent par la darnlAre pege qui comporte une telle emprelnte. Un dee aymboias suhrsnts eppereftra sur la darnlAre Image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: la symbde — ► slgnifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols ▼ slgnifie "FIN". Meps, pistes, charts, etc., may be filmed et different reduction retios. Those too large to be entirely included in one expoaure are filmed beginning In the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, aa many framea aa required. The following diegrems iilustrete the method: Les certes, pienches, tebleeux. etc., peuvent Atre fiimis i des teux de rMuctlon diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grend pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, 11 est film* A pertir de i'angie supArieur geuche, de geuche A drolte, et de haut en baa, an prenant la nombre d'imegea nAcaaaaire. Las diegrammas suivants iilustrent le mAthode. 1 2 3 12X 1 2 3 4 5 6 * .•if m-"- TH M i G *i #' . '•■■j^f thi wa S4C . COLLECTIONS » VARIOUS DEPART|#|;]>TT$ OF LITERATURp. (d rnt yOYAOB of GRBOORY tHBLSKHOFjA RUSSIAit MERCHANT, FROM 0KH0T2K*, ON THE BAflTBRK OCEAN, TO THE COAST OP AMERiqA, IN THB TEARS 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786, I787f, > ;^ AND HIS RETURN TO RUSSIA.^ FROM HIS OWN JOURNAL. ^; 1 N the year 1783. a company of merchants buih three galleots in the harbour of Okhotzk. To the firfk . waa given the name of. The three church-dolors, the * ♦ - ,, fecond *¥ Okhotzk it fituated in $9 dcg. 17 min. north latitude, an4 348 -> . ■#■ . -m * VOYAGE FROM OKHOTZK ftcond was called, The St. Simeon*, and St. Anna the prophetefs ; the third, The St. Michael. Witli thefe I Tailed, on the i6th of Auguft, 1783. ftofti the mouth of the river Ourak, falling into the fea of Okhotzk, mto the eaftern ocean, with a company of 192 work- people'}-. I myfelf was on board the firft galleot, with my wife, who was refolved to accompany me wherever I went ; from which fhe was not to be deterred by the teprefentation of all the toils and dangers Ihe was likely to undergo. In c^afe the veflels Ihould be difperfed by contrary winds, I appointed the Bering's ifland to be the place of rendezvous. I had a variety of difficulties to conquer previous to my departure. However, on the 30th of Auguft we reached the firft Kourilli ifland ; but a contrary wind obliged us to defer our landing till em oceaoj tothecoaft of America, in the years 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787. and hit return to RuiHa ; with a circumftantial account of the difcovery made by him of two new iflands Kuki'aft and Aphagnak, to which ev^ii the famous englifh navigator Captain Cook did not come. To which is added a defcription of the way of life, manners, ufages, habitations, and drefi of the people dwelling on them ; Who fubmitted themfelves to the ruffian do- minion ; as alfo of the climate, of the feafons, of the animals, both wild and tame, iifli, birds, vegetables, and many other re- (ttarkable particulars found there, all of which arc Autbinti tally •nd accurately defcribed by himfelf. * In the MS* it is the St* Simeon who took God in his armi ; and a note upon it refers us to the Gofpel of St. liuke, chap, ii. ver. a8. 36. t So he calls his fliip*s company all along. Sometimes by that term he fc^erns indeed to mean artificers ; but in general it muft dffiify the failori* ch« ib tHE COAST OF AMERICA. jj \ke i^of September. On that day we dropped an- chor, went on the ^and, and fupplied ourfclves with ifrefli Vater. Qn^c S^^f September we purfucdoiir voyage; (([t on the 12th we were met by a violent: ftife, which 'iafteci eight and ferty hours, and fe- pa&il all our ihips. The ftorm raged fo furioufly, that %e even loft all hope of (aving bur lives ; and though, on the 14th the two lirft galleots met again^ and landed on the 24th at Bering's ifland, in the re- folution of wintering upon itj as well in order to wait there for the third gafleot, on Board of which were 62 perfohs, as alio on account of the advei^f<^ winds ; yet eyen this expeiftation Was fruftrated during the whole iime of our flay on Bering's ifland. On the 25th, Of •September I difpatched fortie peopJle from the two vcf- fels, on baidars"*^, with orders to fail round the ifland, as I was curious to know whether they mig^t not meet with fomethihg remarkable. They refurnodfl* on the 27th, without having feenanjr thing worthy o£ notice. ^e whole winter tnrough, all the produte of our nuhting confifted of no more than fome, very fewj little rbck-foxcs; no othei* game being there to be Ifound. The provifiohs afforded by the ifland conlift of rea-|ip, which dbound there in great variety, and the flefh Of fea-ariimals : fuch as fea-bears and fea-dogs. Of bird's arc found gecfe, ducks, fwans, mews, gulls. With other water-fowl and birds of the foreft j to which ^ Accordiof to Kratcheniniknf thefe are veflels la feet long^ knd 2 feet broil, romctimes coiidrui^ed of poplar wood andfomt) itimes of fc«l-ftiui. B i r* •r 4 VOYAGE VROM OKHOTZt ^ we may add the i^ots kutargande and faraaa^y'as xna-^ *\ful to the fupport of life; ** The winter was long and feverf; th* wjodt moftly from the north or eaft; fnow and fleet almoft ^ery day, ^^ , *' ' J.# As tne failors could not be kept from the fcu^vy, it was neceflary to think of remedies ; accordingly when it fnowedj they went about the fea-fhore, and on dfear days, on fnow-lhoes, to the mountains farther off. On the line we drew there we found the deviation of the magnetic needle to be i i rhomb to the eaft. On the 1 6th of June, 1784, we left this illand ; and I appointed, in cfftfe of a feparation, Unalaihka, one of the Fox-illands, for our place of rendezvous. But, in order tliat the third veflel, which had ftrayed from the two firft, might be informed of this our agreement, and folbc tnabled to follow us thither, I took care to leave a letter on Bering*s ifland for it. We were de- tained till the XQth ; the wind being fometimes flack ind fometimes contrary, when we very tediou0|^j;ot again on board : on the 19th, during a thick fog, we jtofl: fight of the St. Simeon. On the 20th, one of our veflels brought to at the Copper-ifland ; here w« look in frefli water and fome flelh of fea-bears ; on the jt3d> we again fet fail. The 6ih of July we came to * From KratcbcBinikofs deicription of Kamtcbotlta we Ie«m tViac the (arana is a fpecies of lily, lilium fiore atro fubente, with a dark red flower, which at the beginning of j||ihnier is found in Kamtchatka growing wild in the fields, and from the dried roots whereof th*^ Kamtchadales prepare a fort of grift ormeal ; which, mixed wi:h bramble-beiries and cranberries, is fatd to have a very nj^reeable taile; 3 the m ."Jf: to 7BE COAST OP AMERICA* ^thij? ifland Achta, one of the Andrew-iflands; the 7th, we paflfed Omla""; the 8th and 9th, we were in fight of the ifland^iugatn Achmata, and iftcrwards of the four Berg-iflands. The 10th, we pafled throu^ the ftraits ^between them, and bent our courfe from fouth to north. On the X2th, at a fmall diftance from this ifland, we got fight again of the St. Simeon, purfued our courfe, and came on the 13th, to the iiland Una- lafli^a and the bay of Natukiulk ; oa the 14th, we drew our galleots into the Captain*s haven, where we remain- ed till the 2 2d, emptoyed in refitting them, and pro- Tiding ourfeives with neceflaries. On our way to the abovementioned iflands, we could not but remark, that this whole chain of illands, from Bering*s ifland to Kuktak, of which I ihall fpeak more liereafter, confifts of high rocky tz^owitains ; among which are fome tliat vomit fire. They are entirely •deftitute of forefls; though fingle trees grow difperfcd between the rocks, namely brufhwood, alders, and abrefchenbaume, but even thefe n^t in all parts. The inhabitants c6Ue6t for firewood whkt the fea throws up upon the fhor-e. At Unalafhka I fupplied myfelf with neceflaries, took two interpreters and ten Aleutans with me, who voluntarily came and offered me their fervices, ;<'> longer waited for the galleots that were left behina, but profecuted my voyage on the 2 2d of July ; only leaving diredions for the galleot St. Michael to land if flie thought fit, at the ifland Kuktak*, which is other- * This and the following contradi^i the title | .but it U eafil/ feen from the whole on which fide the truth lie«« « 3 wife .5» J • VOT A6B FROM OKHOTSK . wife called Kadyak; as this was appointed the^ommoi^ place of rendcivous. We now paiTed the ftraight that runs from north tq fouth between the two Fox-iflands Unimak and Akun. This paHage is no Iiindrance to fuch velTels as pafs it, it being clear and broad ; only at the time of ebb and flood the current is extremely rapid. On the 3d of Auguft we came to the ifland Kuktak; entered the fouthern harbour^ and there dropped an- chor. On the 4th I fent fome workmen, on four bai- dars, two and two together, for the purpofe of exami^ ning whetlicr the ifland was inhabited. Two of the bai-r dars returned that very day, without having found any iflanders ; but, prefently after, one of the laft baidars that had been fent, came into the haven, with tidings that they had feen fome inhabitants : on the 5 th, came back the laft baidar bringing one of the inhabitants in it, whom I endeavoured to entertain as well as I could, made him fome trifling prefents, and difmifled him the following day. Itt afterwards came again, and flaid with us till our departure ; making one in all our ex- curfions, and not only difcovered no inftance of trea- cher}% hut even warned us of the hollile difpofitions of fome of the natives who were laying fnares for our lives. This their bafc delign alfo betrayed itfelf through their own undertakings, of which I fliall fpeak here- , after. On the third day after our arrival there came to lis three men from the Konacgcs,the people we had firft feen, on 3 fmall baidars; we invited them to come on bojird oar veflcl with figns of friendfhip and good will, taking from them a few animals in return for things that were particularly acceptable to them. During their Tifit^ TO THE COAST OP AMERICA. ^ Tifit, there happened, on the 5th of Auguft, about a in the afternoon, an eclipfe cf the fun, which con- tinued for an hour and a half. This excited great af- tonifhment in the Konaeges, as people who had not the ilighteft notion of the caufe of this phacnonienon, but was attended with no farther confequences. On the 7th of Auguft, I fent workmen, for the fe« cond time, in four baidars, partly for the purpofe of looking for the coverts of animals, partly for exploring the ifland itfelf^, with orders to go as far about it as they (hould find it poflible. They faw, on the 9th of Auguft, at the diftance of about 40 verfts from the har- bour, a multitude of favagcs affembled on a very fteep and broad rock, ftanding done, and inaccellible from the fea, which on one lide was five feet in height, but on the other more than feven. My people fpoke to thefc favages; telling them, " that they might fafely recei^'e us as friends ;" but, inftead of regarding what theyfaid, the favages fternly infifted, *' that we ftiouM retire from their coafts, if we had any regard for our lives, and never come near them again !" As foon as I was made acquainted with this, I immediately went tliither with my people, and reprefented to them ; ** that they might as well lay afidc their infolence, and rather -enter into a friendly traffic with us ;'* at the fame time aflliring them, ** that we, on our parts, were come, not for' engaging in quarrels and hoftilities, but to gain their affection in a friendly intercourfe ; and, as 9, proof of it, I promifed to make them prefents to the utmoft of my ability, cf fuch articles as were moft eC- timable to them.*' There was then a great number of them, at leaft 4000 perfons. They paid no^the leaft B 4 ftttention f VOYAGE FROM OKHOTCi ** ^ attention to my affurances ; but began to fhoot at u9 from their bows. I was therefore compelled to retire, not without uneafinefs at the uncertain termination of this tranfacftion. Yet, conlidering their perverfc and obftiijate behaviour towards us, and their firm refolu* tion either to remove us from their coafts or deftroy ua all, I proceeded to take every poflible precaution againft an unexpected attack. The 12th of Auguft, exaftly at midnight, juft as my people had left the watch, the javage^ came down from their rocks in great numbers, itod fdl upon us with fuch fury, that I verily believe they wpuld have efteitations ; by which they fo mucli intimidated the others, that they immediately fan back again. Notwithftanding all this, the favagcs, * The diminutive of Baidars. excepting fO THE COAST PF AUIiHIlCif jff /excepting my cdonifts, afterwards ventured to make &? ycral attempts. They |flembled, one rainy and ftoifmy night, in great multitudes, ihd fell with much fury on the baidars that la^jf^ln the bay of Igatazk, throwing on all fides darts and arrows ; but our people with the fire of their fmall arms, repelled this attack ; yet whether any of them were flain by them^, we could not learn : on our fide five men were wounded, but only fo that they might fpon be cured. Our baidars were indeed much damaged ; as the darts of the Konaeges had eur tirely gone through their fides, and in fiich numbers, that fome of them had at leaft a hundred holes. The attack wa$ indeed tremendous. I had been previoufly Informed of thie favage nature of the nation of Konaeges, as likewife of the caufes of the fuccefs of their endea- yours to find out the ftate and cpndition of the feveral trading hunters *, astheycametothem, whereby they very eafily drove them aiway. But my zeal for the interefis of my native country armed me againfl every apprehen- fion I entertained in regard to the earlier accounts of the tradine hunters who had been on the propiontory * It is thus that I have veotured to tranflate the ruffian term • promninilennik, which M. Muller in his contributions to niifian lli(tory doe* not tranflate at aU; and of which ip vol. vi. p. 491. he gives the following explanation : *Mn Siberia under this name afe comprized alt thof«> people who addiA theinielves at oitee to trade, to hunting and fiQiing, and whofe forefathers fettled there foou after the difcoyery of Siberia^ ''^ order to gain their livelihood by tradingin furs, of which, as is well known, there is great abun- dance in that country." As we ice already from this account of Shelekhof> V9]ra|e, ^hey jbfavf pow uiiited in iievef al coipm|ircial /eemoaniei. of Agayecbtalik at this ifland, wbo,. ha^zj^ of thent experienced the rage of thefe favag^s. I g|pt tlie bet^ ter of thefe discouraging ibnti&ents ; and it was not merely in the tranfa(5):ions with the members of oyr foctety that I made it my firft duty to endeavour at promoting the advantage of the crown by foothing the favages, but I ilrove to bring all my people to aflift qie in that intention. The Konaeges thought it an cafy matter either to beat us off frwn their ifland, or not to leave a man of us alive if we Ihould be fo obfti- nate as to perlift in oppofing their attacks ; or, if any ihould efcape death, to fhare them among them as (laves, according to tlieir cuftom in the wars they ^rc inceffantly carrying on with the nations of their kind, and afterwards employ them in all forts of work. What ftrengthened them in their purpofe, was, 1 . The fmallnefs of our number ; for we were in all but i5operfons. 2. The fuccefs they had had in the year 1 76 1 . againft a velfel containing a party of trading hunters that had imprudently landed at Agayechtalik, in order to winter there ; when the favages permitted not the people of the veffel to go farther than five verfts at moft from that place, robbed them of almofl all they caught, and af- terwards forcctl them to depart before the winter was at fin end. 3. In the year 1778. they fucceeded in entirely dri- ving away a veffel belonging to the Chodoliltzeflki ♦ company of merchants, within eleven days after their coming upon their coafts. * Probably fo denoinitiated from the namei of the perfont by whom they were iirft eftabliflied| or of the principal partneri. 4 In to AST OP AMERICA. 4. In the year 1 780. a veflel of the commercial compa- ny of Panpf touched it tlie fame promontory, under thte command of the^^ot Otfhercdin; who, notwithf^and- ii% his delign of wintering there, after many contefts,^ 4 in which he lofk fevoral of his men, was obliged to run away. 5 . In the year 1 780. a few hunters on the Fox-iflands, in the fervice of feveral trading companies, fitted out thiec veflels to faiWor the coafts of North America, having near 300 men onboard. Thefe veflels were under the command of (he pilot Potap Saikof ; they canle at the latter end of Ausoifl: to the ihores of North America, ran into the Tfhugatlkoi ftraights, t6 which Cook gave the name of Sandwich Sawn, intending there to winter. They thought thfemfelves ftrong enough to repell any attack that 'fliould be made upon them ; but they were at laft convinced of their miilake. The inhabitants prevented them from taking any kind of game, and allowed them not, though fingle and^ unarmed, to proceed farther than one verft from their people. However, with great difficulty they main- tained their ftation during the winter, abandoned all their former projects, and fled away, after feveral of their people liad periflied by hunger. Thefe knew at that time of my purpofe to go to the ifland of Kadyak, and endeavoured by all means to difluade me from it, reprefenting the natives to me as a blood-thlrfty and implacable race ; and tHat not only from the juft mentioned examples, but alfo from the experience I myfelf had made of the inhabitants of the Tfliugatfkoi promontory, who are of like difpofitions with tliofe of Kadyak ; but t paid little attention to ail thefe ■w«y w »si ^ i»< H |>»>i ij p t ** " m u H »i M i> r*J ] ■!»» ■' } r. i4 v6yA6E FRGIM OKHOT^k thefe remdnftrance^; and flighted all dangers, io 1 might only actomplifh my defi|^ and that of my eni- plovers. - The above related attacks upon us promifed no fc- curity for the future ; and fo much the lefs as they Hill never ceafed from falling upon our baldafs Which from time fo time we fent oUt upon difcoveries, not- . withftanding that after every attempt they gave us frefh hoftages. Yet, with all this, wc refolved to winfcr ort the ifland, and tfcr induce them by friendly treatment and little prefents to a peaceable acquaintance with Us, at the fame time to corivintc theqi that by a favage behaviour they would deprive themfelvcs of their own repofe, and frequently of their lives. In order to fheW them a manner of life with which they were hitherto? tmacquainted, I applied myfelf to the building of little dwclling-houfes) and a fort, though at firlt they were onlv of wood and plaifter. In this building we were very fuccefsfulj though it coft us great trouble. But ;is they did not even now defift from their perpetual ffoftilities as well on the baidars as 6n ourfelves, I ftrovtf^ in order as much as poilible to prevent the fhedding of blood, and yet to provide for our own fafety, to iSt them fee the force and violent efFcdls of our powder. I caufcd a hole to be boredi in one of the largeft rocks, had it filled with powder, an(j» m.i •iiini.^.mipii 18 VOYAGE FROM OKHOTtlC 11 they now ftrovc to imitate the manners and cuAoms of the Ruffians, they afFeftecJ to ridicule the other fava- geS) as very ignorant people in compsu'ifon of them. Many of them I frequently took to my houTe with me, where they iiw a pi(5ture o{ our fovereign, and various books, aiking them what they faw remarkable ; I then told them, with all due reverence, of her imperial ma- jefty, of her gracious government, her power and fu- premacy, and how happy they thought themfelves whofc duty it was to obey her commands, and who lived under her Cway ; on the other hand, that they were extremely miferable who evaded her laws, and abs and other dried fruits. My mellen- ger, unable to refift the temptation, ate up half of them by the way, as I found by comparing the quan- tity he brought me with that mentioned in the letter. For this I chid him ; obferving to him that it had been c 2 ^ly flQ VOYAGE FROM OKHOTZK my intention to give him a few for his trouble, on his detivering to me the quantity d^tire. On tliii^he expreffed- the moft extreme furprize, perfuaded as he was that the letter had feen him eat them. However, returned he, I know how I fhall prevent the fame thing hap- pening for the future. Now, in order to try how far his ftupidity would go, I fent him s fecond time, aod found in like manner, by the letter and the weight, that there* was a deficiency of more than half; he frankly confefied the fraud, but was ftruck with iliU greater amazement than before ; as this time he had the precaution to keep the letter buried in the fand all the while he was eating the fruit ; however, the- only conclufion he made from it was, tlut the letter muft have fpied him through the fand *. A farther example of this dulnefs of apprehenfion was exhibited on occailon of a looking-glafs, that I had put up in my room, before which the favages ne- ver Hood without inexpreftible admiration at feeing perfons in it exadUy like themfelves. That they them- felves produced theie perfons was what they could not * I (hould not have tranflated thk anecdote, had I not hoped that many of my readers would not be difplcafed to fee that thi« tranfa£tion, which they .will recoUcA to have read in their youth, and which almoft every jeft book relates, is properly appropriate to an ifland of North America. The credibility however of my travlller I think cannot well be leflened by tbb little (lipj efpe- cially if we confider how natural it is to every illrrator, on co- ming to a favourite anecdote, to bring himfelf into play by the little preface of *• I faw it ;'* I myfelf was pretent, &c.'* ty ■:»!., f TO THB COAST OF AMERICA. ai by by any means bt made to conceive, and therefore held it to be in inexplicable cfFedt of magic. At length, howeverj I was able to give them fomc ikint idea of books, and promifed to teach tlieir chil- dren to read, if they were delirous of it. A fpecies of wifdom in their opinion fo extraordinary found fome admirers, who actually fent their children to me. Here I muft do juftice to the good capacities of thefe people ? their children conftantly very foon comprehended the talk I fet them ; and fome of them, at my departure had learnt to fpeak Ruilian (b well, as to be underflood without difficulty. I left 25 boys that were able to read a little, and fhewed a for greater inclination to live with us than with the favages their parents. By all thefe means I endeavoured to bring them to the con- fcioufnefs of their ignorance. I was obliged to be al- ways reproving my people for their difpofition to wrangle with the favages, till I at length convinced .them of the utility of my behaviour towards them. The natives had even now found out that my letters were of confequence ; and, whenever they were obliged to travel to fome diftance on their own affairs in traf- fic, they always took a fort of pafs-port from me, in order, if thfcy fhould meet witji any of the people fent out by me, they might fhew it to them as a certificate of their adlually belonging to the Konaeges in peace and amity with us. By thus protedling them from the attacks of favages in other places, I furniflied them with aR example how much it behoved them to live in peace: for according as they did fo their enemies would never venture to moleft them. As they law immediately by this, that the obedience they Ihewed c 3 f 2S VOYAGE FROM OKHOTSK to me, was not withaut its reward, fo thcjr cxprcflfe^ their wiflies that I woiild ftay with them for e^er. And J can boaft, with the itriAeil attachment to truth, that on iirft hcarmg of my intended departure, they were as dejected as if they were about to lofe their all ; though I refigned all niy eftablilhments and inftitutions to my pverfeer whom I intended to leave behind on the illand, a merchant of Yenifei, by name Samoilef; a man on whom I could fafely depend for the religious obfervance of all my directions ; and whom I moreover provided with rules foi his conduct in writing. Both from the declaration of the favages, which indeed they did not know how.to prove with accuracy, and by their own relations in conjundlion with my remarks, the number of the new fubje failors, 1 1 Aleutes from the Fox-iflands, and 1 10 Konaeges in baidarks, to the eaAern lide, with di- rections to make theml'ehes acquainted with the in- habitants of the iflands on the coaft of America, as far as the bays of Kinaiik and Ergatik, to examine the pro- dufts, and to take notes in writing of whatever they faw ; and to continue their navigation, till the weather would allow them to proceed no farther. The miffion c 4 returned a4 VOYAGE PROM OKIIOTZK I. returned at the latter end of Auguft. They had navi- gated the ilrait between the ifle of Kiiktak and the main coaft of America ; and the whole fummer through had never met with any attack, either from the Konaeges, the Tlhugatlhes, or the Kinaitzes : which nations had even given them 23 perfons as hoftages. But the trade they carried on was very infignificant ; for, as inha- bitants were unknown to them, they were apprehenlivc, notwithftanding the hoftages they had received, of any cloftr intercourle with them. They therefore came to the refc/^ution to winter on the ifland Kuktak; and for that purpoCe made choice of the more inhabited region of KarliitfK. During the winter the baidars went to the northern and weftern ftdes of the ifland, and as far as Yukat Maka on the american coaft, and the bav of Kamufhatfk. By civil behaviour to the natives, by treating tliem conftantly witli humanity and kifidnefs, by entertaining them with Jiofpitality and giving them prcfent.i_, they brought them into an alliance, took hoftages of them, and traded with them on fo peaceable a footing, that not the Icaft quarrel or controvcrfy hap - pened between them. From the harbour where I lay, I difpatchcd tliroughout tlic winter various parties, for the purpofe of exploring tiie fouthern and eaftcrn fides of the ifland Kuktak ; as alfo to the other if lands in thofe parts. Great multitudes of Konasges, bV kind behavifuir and commerce, were induced to live upon an)icable terms with us, gave us likewile hoftages, and thus confirmed their real fubmiflion to tlio ruflian fo- vereignty. In the latter days of December I ordered two failors and an interpreter to make for the Kinailki bay ; where tliay wtrc to give thcmfdvcb out for traders, and TO THE COAST OP AMERICA. ^5 ^d under that character to have an opportunity for examining the country, of which they were to bring me an account. I accordingly furniflied them with fe- vcral forts of commodities for barter; and for the reft configned them to the proteftion of the Afkak* of the ifland Sliuyek, who had been given to me as a hoftage. On the loth of January I fent ii workmen to the eaftern fide of the ifland Kuktak, to the pine-foreft there, at about i6o verfts from the harbour, in order to build boats for us at that place. On arriving there, the firft thing they did was to conftrudl for themfelves a winter-habitation; next they proceeded to execute my commiflion, at the fame time made purchaces of valuable furs ; and returned to me in the harbour on the I ft of May. On the 23th of February I received a letter dated at Katmanfkoi-Shik, from the Greek, Euftrathios De- larof, informing me that the galleot St. Michael, of our company, had, according to my directions, (ailed from the ifland Unalaflika on the lath of May, 1785. but no fooner were they out at fea, than they were driven back by contrary winds, and were forced for near fix weeks to beat on and oft' the faid ifland ; after which, during a ftorm, they loft a maft, which broke bciow the yards, and obliged tliem to put back into the port of Unalaflika ; that having repaired the maft, on getting out to fea, in the month of Auguft, they were ftopped by a fecond misfortune : for, by a milUike of and * Afkak, ai well at the above explained Chnflcak, and Tien, wliich will appear a good way facther on, fignifiei, a Uudcr, com- uundcr, or chief. 1 the ft6 ^ VOYAGE FROM OKUOTZK the under-pilot, the galleot Aruck upon a rock, and was fo much damagad that they were forced to re- turn and winter at Unalaflika. In the mean time, on hearing accounts of us, they were very defirous of fend- ing i;s 30 men on baidarks to our afliftance, which they did accordingly ; but thefe were overtaken by a ftorm, and forced to pafs fix weeks on the am^rican coafl, where fix of their number perilhed by cold and hun- ger ; the others were delivered by fuccour fent after them ; but even of them five more died foon after their return to harbour. As I now began to think of my departure, I fent five Ruflians, on the 7th of March, to the promontory of Blias, to make obfervations for completing the def- cription I could not finilh in the foregoing year ; and for the purpofe of building a fort, which might be of great fervice to us in our future undertakings ; taking with them 1000 Konaeges from Kadiak and other iflands, and 70 Aleutes from the Fox-illands, who very willing- ly entered my fervice for pay ; giving them orders to fet up croflbs on the fhore, and to bury potfherds, birch-bark and coals in the earth at the foot of them. Thefe my milfionaries fent to me on fome of the lall days of March, two men from the habitations of Tflii- nigatfk, with the account that the Tien of Shuyck had betrayed me and was fled, after having prcvioufly mur- dered the two workmen and the interpreter wliom I had deputed to go and examine the bay of Kinaifk. They therefore requefted people of me to enable them to make a fiand againll the Kinaitzes, who came down from the american coafl almofl as far as Shuyek, and whofe number amounted to about a thoufand men. On receiving TO THE COAST OP AMERICA. ftj! receiving this intelligence, I difpatched thither from the harbour two parties ; the firft confifting of thirty rufiian workmen, and the fecond of Konaeges and Fox- Aleutes, under a particular leader, with orders to look out for a convenient place on Aphagnak for making a harbour, over againft the ifle of Shuyek, and there, according to a plan I gave them, to ere^l a fort ; ill the mean time they were to fit out in the harbour the galleot, the three church-do6lors, as a tranfport. On the 19th of May I received from the illands Aphagnak and Shuyek the news,, that after the jundlion of our forces there, every attack of tlie Kinaitzes had been de- feated. Afterwards a fort was raifed on Aphagnak; and the foundation of another, according to a plan I had given with them, at the Kinaillcoi Lay : and then, lea- ving behind them a number of people for completing the building, they proceeded along the fliores of Ame- rica quite down to the promontory of St. Elias. The ifland Aphagnak, as well as the oppofite Ihore of Ame- rica and the iflaud Kadyak, poffefs excellent harbours, a fertile foil^ iiih and fowl of various kinds in abun- tlance ; the meadows produce line grafs and excellent pafturagc ; like wife plenty of timber tliat migtit be em- ployed in building veflels and houfes, as well on Shuyek ^s on the fliure of America. '^rii i s y c :ir came far greater numl )e r s than in the firft year, of the iniiabitunts of America as well as of the iflands, to our fcvcral harbours: at lirir v/:th great variety of ccremoiMcs, and afterwards familiarly, almoft every day. At tlicfc vilits \\c ncg'efted nothing that could give them prorjf of our obliging and friendly dilpoliti- qiij. The wind in thisycarblov/cd moft ftrongly from the north ftS VOYAGE FROM OKHOTZK north and weft; from the eaft very rarely; and from the fouth fcarcely once during the whole winter. Rain fell in winter very feldom ; on the other hand much fnow, which, in thofe places where the wind could not come, lay upwards of an arlhine in depth. On the 2 2d of May I failed, accompanied by fome Tiens from America, Kuktak and other illands, and the beft people of Konaegcs ; and in the fame hour we defcried on the fea our tliird galleot the St. Michael, which, with out-fprcad fails, was haftening to the har- bour. I immediately went on board of her, changed her captain, and brought her into the harbour ; where I gave orders to him I had appointed commander there, to take this galleot to the fortified harbour at Aphag- nak. In regard to the galleots, I made this difpofition : One of them I entrufted to my faithful Samoilof, with directions to navigate from the 40th to the 47th degree of longitude of the meridian of Okhotzk, which I adopted for the firft; and of latitude from the 40th to the 6oth degree ; in order to examine the feas of thofe parts : the fecond I commiflioned to fail to the north, where the two quarters of the world approximate each other, for the purpofe of difcovering places and iflands as yet unknown; tiie third, on which I failed from Kadyak, was altered into a tranfport-veflel, in which I intended every year to perform the agreeable office of carrying intelligence to the government of the accounts of our enterpriles in thefe parts. Thus we quitted Ame-* rica, in the ilcfign of failing as far as the 45th degree of latitude ; and in that direction to keep towards the weft, till we lliould be oppofttc to the promontory of Kamtfliatka, then to proceed to the Kurilli ftraits, and ? , from TO THB COAST OF AMERICA. tg from thence to bend our courfe for Okhotzk. I fettled this phn in hopes that I might difcover fome hitherto unknown iflands fomewhere between the 40th and 50th degree of longitude ; however by reafon of the unlucky winds that almoft the whole fummer through kept in- ceffantly blowing from the weft, I could not execute my project ; but found myfelf under the neceffity of bear- ing as direct as poilible for Okhotzk ; and even in this I was- greatly impeded by the contrary winds. On our courfe we perceived of the chain of iflands tlie four Berg-iflands and Amuchta, which, from their burning- mountains, appeared to be all in flames. Being fre- quently obliged to beat to windward, we alfo defcried Siugam, Amulu, Atka and other of the Andreanoflki iflands. On the 30th of July we caft artchor, for the firft time, at the foremoft of the Kurilli iflands. The 12 ruflian workmen that I had on board with me, being entirely laid up with tlie fcurvy, the Americans that had come with me out of curiofity were obliged to work the fliip,. and on the 31ft of July we took in 40 caflcs of frefti water from thefe iflands. In regard to the fea I obfcrved but one thing remarkable, that its current is the ftrongeft round about Kamtfliatka ; and not only in windy weather, but alfo in a perfefifh they catch rays, fcaits, and thorn' /acks, ftock- filh, and herrings. Of river-fifh, Tfhavutfha, keta, nerki, goletz-{-, chaiko, karakahtza -}-, and a peculiar kind of crabs. The * The former of thefe two animals I have lercr found any where elfe mentioned. Evraflika is explained in the Lexicon of our ruflian academy by lepus dauricus ; and this animal is thus de> fcribcd by the celebrated Dr. Fallas : MagnituciO paulo infra lepo- rem alpinum, cui ftmillimus. DifTert forma nragis ad leporem pu« fiUumaccedente,pcoportionibus quibufdam, coloreetformaauriumi teneritudine velleris, colore, et anatcmicis quibufdam momentis ; de- inde moribus. Auriculas rotundato fubtriangulae, albidas. Vellus tcnerrimum, nitidum, totum fiipra gryfeo-pallidum, fubtus albi- dum. Palmae pcntadaftylas, dentefque, ut in cognatis. Cauda nulla, neque coccyx adipofo tuberculoprominula. — Vivit in cam- pis, montiumque declivibus arcnolls, apricis, per totam Danu- riam, cuniculo labyrinthico ; fub autumnum focni acervos globo- fos congeric et compingit. Vox fcic Icporis a'.pini. See Pallas's Travels, vol. iii. p. 691, german edition. f Of thefe other untranflated names I have not bee:> able to find any explanation. Goletz, according to the tranflation of Lefchk's natural hiflory by M. Ofererzkoflkoi, torn iv. p. 65, 66, fi 2 . it 3f ' , VOYAGE FROM OKHOTZK The Konacges are well-built, robufl", and healthy people, and have ufually a round vifagc of a fvvarthy complexion, with generally black, feldom auburn hair, which both men and women cut round about the head. . The wives of the principal perfonages diftinguifh them- felves from others by combing the hair flrait down all round, cutting it clofe to the eye-brows and wearing a fillet ; fome alfo wear artificial beards, and fome again, inftead of wearing a neck-kerchief, cover their breulU and fhoulders with pundlures in the Ikin. Men, wo- men, and girls, bore a hole through the partition griftic of the noftrils ; all likewife pierce their ears and the lower lip. Some of the males alfo punctuate their neck, but not many, though aTl cut through the under lip, in fuch manner that at iirft light one is inclined to think they Jiave a double mouth. In the hole bored in the partition of the noftrils they ftick a longifh bone ; and whoever have pieces of ore or coml, hang them rh ■ their ears, lips, and nofe ; which is Iield to be a great diftin<5lion as well as a beautiful ornament. They ne- ver cut the beard; wear no Ihirt, go barefoot, and when at home are quite naked, except tliat before they wear a little apron of fur ornamented with flowers ami '¥. ■T,-}-:'^ is a groundling or loach. Karakalitza, toiu. vi. p. 36, Sepia, tba ink-iifli. Naik, according to the rufGan lexicon, I'alnio ^ a ipecies of falmon about, three quarters of an arfluiie in length, fmootht red like a falmon, has a very little head, fmall reddifh teeth, cai- rulean on the'iides, white tongue, on each Tide five ree:h, a broad fjiark red fpotted back, the fides fijver colour, the bcHy white, the tail foniewhat arched, with large round fcnlcs which cafily come off. They come in vaft flioalt in the rivers of the Ealkrn and the Venflitnlkiaii fea. grafs. ■■■n} [altKy [arthy hair, [head. Ihem- /nall fing a Igain, [reull-s wo- TO THE COAST OP AMfiRICA. 3^ grafs. They are fometimes feen in pellices of beavor, fox or bear fur, of bird's feathers, the flans of evraihes,' tarbaganS, otters, fables, hares, reindeer, gluttons, and lynxes. A fort of upper garment they make of ♦lie entrails of the porpois, the feal, and the whale. On the head they wear hats made of pine-roots or grafs matted, or inftead of caps a piece of wood arched and hollowed out. In catching the marine animals they ufe arrows which they caft fr9m a wooden board, ami in war they employ the bow and the dart pointed with iron, copper, bones, or ftone. They have iron hatchets of a peculiar conftrui^ion ; namely, fmall rude pieces of iron : alfo pipes, knives of iron and of bon« ; iron needles, whicli, till our arrival, were made by the women. Inftead of thread they ufe the dried iinews of animals. Their velfels are of wood, and of the horn of the wild (heep, or of clay and hollowed ftonc ; their large and fmall baidars, or canoes, inftead of being planked, have their ribs covered with leather. In thefe-they go out to angle on the fea, with hooks of bone, fattened to tlie end of a long Itring of dried fea- cabbage ; the ftalk of the fca-cabbage being frequendy forty fathom in length, and upwards. In the rivers they take the filh by means of a pole with a kind of a net at the end of it, in the opening whereof is a point of bone, iron, or ftone, fattened to tiie wood of the fpcar by fmews. Tlie red-fifli [falmo alpinus] that abound in the bays and bites of the fea, they ftrike dead in a moment as foon as ever they put their heads above wa- ter. Their manner of producing fire is by rubbing two fticks together ; and inftead of lamps th'ey liave earthen vellels, wherein they lay a wick of twifted hay, D ^ which 38 VOYAGE FROM OKHOTZK which is fed by the melted greafe of fea-dogs, bears, fea-bears, whales, or the fea-cat. Of their marriages I know nothing, nor of their cuf- toms at the birth of a child, except that to the new- born babe they give the name of whatever thing firft ftriiics their fight ; whether it be beaft or bird, or any objedl of like nature. -' The feveral races of Konapges bury their dead with various ceremonies. The cultoms ufed on thefe occa- lions having never had an opportmiity of feeing, I con- fequendy am not in a capacity to defcribe ; only thus much I know, that fome of their dead are interred with the bell of what they had, inclofed in a baidark for a coffin, which is iVrewn over with earth ; with others of the dead a living Have is buried. But the Kinaitzes burn their dead, with the Ikins of animals, which the relations are obliged to coUedl for that purpofe. For teftifying their forrow they cut off their hair, befmearing their faces with black. In this manner they mourn their relations, father, mother, brother, fillers, and fuch as were dear to them ; but frequently even for an acquaintance with whom they lived in friendfhip ; however they mourn for no one who was their enemy, or only was not their friend, though ever fo nearly re- lated to them. . ' ' V Popular difeafes are not known among them, the ve- nereal excepted ; and to the fmall-pox they are utter ftrangers. In general they are of athletic habits, and live frequently to a hundred years. When they expedl guefts, their cullom is to go to meet them, properly fmeared over with red paint, and hung about with their bell pieces of drefs, dancing as they t i ■!k TO THE COAST «P AMERICA. 39 they go, to the beat of drum; and bearing their wea- pons of war ; but the guefts make their appearance ia the very fame drefs in which they go forth to battle. As foon as they approach the fea-coaft, the perfons who give the entertain meint jump into the water, breaft- high, and drag as many baidars and baidarks as they can to the Ihore ; then each takes on^ of the guefts on his back, .and runs with him to the firft place prepared for the entertainment and the games ; there they fquat down in due order. And now all are filent, till they have fuffici«ntly eaten and drunk. Their firft hofpita- ble mark of honour, is the giving of cold water all round ; tlicn little youths bear about the eatables, which confift partly in a mifh-malh of the fat of the above- mentioned fea- animals, partly in the berries before de- fcribcd, fometimes mixed, fomctimes unmixed. Then other dilhes are ferved round, of dried filh, called by them yukol ; of flelh of beafts and birds; of all forts always the beft that can be procured. They know no- thing of fait. Of all thefe the hoft muft firft eat and drink, otlierwife the guefts would not take of them ; from whence we may conclude that at times they may be poifoned. The hoft then paflcs the difh to the gueft that fits next him ; who, after taking what he pleafes, hands it to his neighbour, and fo on to the laft. What then remains is brought back to the firft, who lays it by, in order that afterwards when the time for parting comes, each of the guefts may take a portion of it away with him. When tlicy have done eating, they converfe for fomc time, and then begin to play on drums and other fmall inftruments ; fome at the fame time put on a peculiar kind of woodeu maiks, varioufly D 4 painted. VOYAGE PROM OICHOTZK painted, and dance for the entertainment 6f the guefts. The games being ended, they conduct their guefts in- to a building erected txprellly for fuch occaiions, ca- pable of containing a great number of perfons. This building in feme fort refembles a fmall church, but built in a very irregular, rude, and barbarous llyle. Here commences a different kind of paftime, which lafts as long as the guefts continue their ftay. When any one is weary, he goes to fleep; and, having had his nap out, mixes again in the fports, till the company prepares to depart. On taking leave they receive pre- fents, or make mutual exchanges of whatever they have about them. In thcfe buildings they ufually hold their confultations, enter into negotiations, form compacts, and in fliort tranfacft all bufinefles of a general nature : but to thefe meetings their wives are never admitted. The Konacges and Tfhugatfhes fpeak the fame dia- led ; but the Kinaitzes have a language peculiar to themfelvcs; thefe latter likcwife follow a mode of life entirely diflcrent. They dwell in huts of earth, the walls whereof they cafe with boards ; the window is in tlie cover ; for panes of glafs they make ufe of the bladder and other intef- tmes of animals, the little and narrow pieces whereof they neatly few together with thread made of nerves jind fmews ; tlie place for going out of them is upwards from below. They have no ftoves, nor are they in want of firing, as thefe habitations are fuihcicntly warm without them, "i'lieir fweating baths are the fame kind of caves in the earth, in \ hich they cleanle themfelves withgrafs and birch-twigs. The heat is produced by ftones prcvioufly made glowing hot in the kitchen; which method, TO THE COAST OF AMERICA. 41 is. |Tictho(l, belides that the heat produced by it is ex- tremely great, has yet this other advantage, that it cauibs no vapour at all. In general, 11 e the Ruffians, they are exceedingly fond of hot-bathing. The kitchen belongs to numbers of huts in common, being provided •with large apertures all round it, for that purpofe. To conclude ; their way of life is very thievifh : he that can Ileal the ofteneft, the moft at a time, and the moft dextroufly, acquires the greateft reputation. Polyga- my is not in uie among them. It but rarely happens that a man has two wives ; but it is a very common thing for a beautiful and buxom woman to have two or three hulbands ; who, in that cafe, are never jealous of one another, but live on the bell terms and in perfect harmony. None of thcfe tribes liave any land-carriages ; neither are there in thofe parts any animals that could be ufed for draught. To this aflertion dogs may perhaps b^ an exception ; but they are never employed in that manner. The inhabitants of the coaft of America and the cir- cumjacent iflands travcrle the lakes and rivers in their baidars : of the culloms of thofe that live farther within the country I can fay nothing, as 1 have had no inter- courfe with them. Of the deity they have not even the flighted concep- tion ; and, though they relate that there are two rulers of the world, or fovereign fpirits, tlie one good and the other evil, yet they make no hkenefs whatever of eithtr ; neither do they pay them any worfliip, and liavc no fort of idols. Nor have they any thing far- ther to fay of thcfc two beings, than tiiat the good one taught 4* TOYAGB PROM OKHOTZK, &C. taught them to make baidars, and that the malignant one is delighted in deftroying and wrecking them. Hence we may draw conclufions of the narrow bounds by which their underftand'ing is confined. And yet witchcraft and forcery are matters of no fmall confe- quence among them. JuiJice and jurifprudehce are not only not fubmitted to any regulations ; but they know fcarcely any tiling about them; in general they and the irrational animals do not differ greatly in their manner of life. They are of a very warm temperament, cfpecially the women. They are by nature artful and enterprifing ; in committing and revenging injuries mifchievous and malicious, though they wear the fern- blance of gentlenefs and affection. Of their fidelity and fincerity I cannot fay much, by reafon of the Ihortnefs of my flay among them. I have had proofs of attach- ment and conflancy, but I have had alfo proofs of the contrary qualities. Reprefent to them any thing in fuch a manner as that they fhall perceive the utility Of it ; they will fct to work at the execution and attain- ment of it with the utmoft activity and diligence, and will afluredly never fparc themfelves in any labour how- ever arduous, when once they are certified of profit. On the whole, they are a merry, harmlcfs people, as is evinced by their daily fports and paflimes; ffom ,their perpetual and unbounded carelefTnefs all improve- ments in their domcflic concerns are entirely neglcdlcd ; nayj they have not even an idea of any fuch thing ; and therefore frequently obliged to fufFer hunger and na- Vedncfs. {«•> fll}llJU |%U Y IS L '0 ^i^ !iy^,:-> 0'