M?y! *°n barged with the moveable property belonging to the faftory. I f
'--- v— ' we underftood them right this fettlement had been thus eftabliffied twelve
years, notwithftanding which we did not perceive. that any attempt had
been made either to cultivate the land, or to fupply themlelves more
comfortably by the introduftion of domeftic animals. The only refreffi-
ment they had to offer, was fome cold boiled halibut, and raw dried fal-
mon intended to be eaten with it by way of bread. This very homely
fare produced us no difappointment; for had;it been otherways, and
confifting of the greateft niceties, we Ihouid not have been inclined to
have partaken of the repaft, in a place, where the atmofphere we inhaled
was fo extremely offenfive, that every fenfation that is unpleafant was
excited, excepting that of hunger. This occafioned the Ihortening of
our vifit as much as common civility would allow, and as we prepared to
feek the relief of a purer air, we were attended by our two leaders in
taking a view of the reft of the fettlement. We found it to confift o f a
fmaller houfe fituated at the weft end of the, large one, in which Mr.
Zikoff.the commander refided, and two or three and twenty others, of
different dimenfions all huddled together without any kind of regularity,
appropriated to the depofiting of (lores, and to the educating of Indian
children in the Ruffian language and religious perfuafion; they were
alfo the refidence of fuch of the natives as. -were the companions, or .the
immediate attendants on the Ruffians compofing the eftabliffiment. Our
attention was next dire&ed to the veffel we had been informed belonged
to this place. She was found hauled up juft above the general line of
high water mark, dole under the cliffs on which their houfes were
erefied. Her burthen I eftimated at about fixty or feventy tons; ffie
was very clumfily rigged with two mails, and her hull had the oakum
dropping out of the feams, and was in other refpefts much out of repair.
In this fituation (he had been for two years, and was ftill to. remain, there
two years longer, when this party would be relieved, and .the, veffel repaired,
in which they would, return to Kamtfchatka-
The place where the veffel was laid up was hardly within fight of their
habitation, ffie could therefore in the event of any mifunderftanding with
the natives have been eafily fet on fire, or. otherwife deftrpyed, which
could
could not have been fo eafily accompliffied had ffie remained in the creek, 179-1-
where the Water Teemed to b e'of fufficient depth to keep her conftantly ■ ■ ,
afloat, and by that means to afford' the Ruffians a retreat that might
prove very defirable in the event of any infurreftion. Their apprehen-
fions however bn this* fcore did not Teem very great, for they were very
ill provided to defend themfelves agairtft any attack. The whole of their
armour confifted of two1-final! brafs fwivcl guns, each carrying about a
pound ffiot,' mounted on the balcony at the top of the large houfe, which
is fufficiently high to overlook all the inclofed premifes; a fimilar piece
of ordnance at the door of the entrance, about a dozen mulkets hanging
apparently, in conftant readinefs near the'upper end of the great room,
with two or three piftols, and a few ffiort daggers.
Our curiofity and inquiries, thus fatisfied, I invited thefe two gentlemen
to. accompany us on board, with which they readily complied. They
prefented me with a few fkins "of the land animals found in the neighbourhood,
and a very fine halibut, which was highly acceptable, as it
was the firft freffi fiffi we had procured this feafon. A brilk northerly
breeze prevailed on our reaching the ffiip; this temptation to proceed
was too great, to allow of our remaining at anchor, though it neeeffarily
ffiortened the ftay of our vifitorsi1 On their departure I gave them a
fmall affortment of fuch things as were molt likely to prove ferviceable
in their retirement, which they very thankfully accepted.
We now direfled our courfe along the eaftern ffiore, towards the entrance
o f the inlet; but the northerly breeze being foon lucceeded by
light variable airs,' our progrefs became fo flow, that it was ten at night
on monday; before we had arrived within about eight miles o f point Bede, Monday 12.
bearing by compafs s. 44 E. Here we anchored in- go fathoms water,
and were vifited by three of the natives, who brought the letter Mr. Puget
had given in charge to fome. of the Ruffians, and who prefented us with
four halibuts, which they faid were fent by Mr. Berrenoff;■ this gentleman
they faid was on ffiore, and that he had direfted them to- fay, that if we
ffiould remain at anchor until the next morning, he would pay us a vifit-.
As I much wiffied for the. pleafure of feeing Mr. Berrenoff, who we
had been given to underhand was the commandant of all the Ruffian
eftabliffi