June* fiances would permit him fo to do, in the hope of his being able to-acquire
1— ---- ' fome geographical information from the Ruffians, eflablilhed in that place,
whofe.baffitation in-the morning'of ithe yth. they found fituated- in the
north-weft part of that: port. Here they were received by the principal
perfon, Mr. Peter Colomenee, with every mark of polite cordiality that
might have been expefied from a'perfon in his fituation, 'and intrufted
with the direction of an exterifive.'commercial eftabliffiment. Mr. Colomenee
inftantly condufted the party to the Ruffian refiden-qe; which in
molt refpedls refembled that which I had yifited in Cook's inlet, though
on a fmaller fcale. This however was better defended, as a galiot of
about feventy tons burthen was j hauled :,on (hore, placed erksl, and
formed nearly one fide of theftjuare, within which their houfes were
built; the whole of which it overlooked, and .commanded the adjacent
country, which is a low narrow ’ peninfula, - to- a confiderablendiftance
round. On board this velfel fome Ruffians:well armed conftantly re-
fided, and on her decks fome fwivel and carriage guns were mounted:
and three of the latter were alfo feen at the (.entrance of the large .common
dwelling-houfe. Here, they were feated to breakfaft, confrfting of
boiled feals’ flefli, train oil, and a few boiled eggs, ferved; up .with a degree
of neatnels correfpondent to the delicacy-of the. articles-: of which
the repaid was compofed. The Ikinand: moft of : the hair were ftill -adhering
.to the flelh of the real, and the -other .articles not being very
inviting ito perfons accuftomedto a different diet, Mr. Johnftone'begged
leaveto add their portion of chocolate, beef and bread, :to.the ibreakfaft,
which was readily admitted/ and to which their Ruffian hoft did ample
juftice.
Mr. Johnftone obferved, that there were only a few Indians in the
neighbourhood of this fettlement, but is of opinion that they have a
confiderable village at the head of the port. The Ruffians were iaid to
amount to an hundred, who, with thofe eflablilhed in the-upper parts
of Cook’s inlet, under Mr. Zikoff, were in the intereft of one particular
company of merchants, diftinft from thofe under the direflion of
Mr. Berrenoff, who they now underftood resided- chiefly :at the -Kodiak-;
that his party extended their traffic principally- along the exterior coaft
2 . of
R O U N D T H E W O R L D .
of the peninfula, towards Montagu ifland ; that the accounts of the efta-
blifh-ment under the authority of Mr. Berrenoff in Blying found were
eorrefil; and that the Englifhman’s name who was employed there in
building a Ihip, was Shields.
From -the refult of Mr. Johnllone’s inquiries, it did not appear that
the Ruffians had formed any eftabliffiment to the eafl-ward of this ftation,
but that their boats make excurfions along the-.exterior coaft as -far as
cape Suckling, and their gaKots much further. In one of thefe expeditions
a ferious difpute had lately(arifen with the natives of Admiralty bay;
but the particulars could not be learned. On Mr. Johnftone’s inquiring
for the chart of the Ruffian difcover-ies in thefe regions, he found that
Mr. Colomenee-had no faeh thing in his poffeffion; but he underftood that
Mr. Smyloff, who commanded the galiot, was well informed, and Mr.
Colomenee believed that he poffeffed fome documents-that would have afforded
Mr. Johnftone much fatisfaflion, had not that gentleman been ab-
fent'on an excurfion, by which means little interefting information could
be obtained by this vifit; not however refulting from an improper
mode of direftirig the inquiries on the one part, or a difinclinatipn to
communicate on the other; but, from the -infurmountable impediment
which had fo- cohftantly attended on all our inquiries; from the, want
of a; common language, by which we might have been enabled to comprehend.
each others meaning; •
During the-day tlje weather was fair, but as the-wind blew a ftrong
gale from the weftward, 'againft- which the boats could have made very
little jif any progrefs, Mr. johnftone'was induced to prolong: his flay until
the 'evening, at which time thefe - winds generally fubfide. After
dinner, to fhew the fenfe he entertained o f Mr. Colomenee’s cordial and
attentive reception, and in return for the fervices our party had received
from the Ruffians at the Indian village, Mr. Johnftone prefented
their hofpitable hoft with the'few articles pf traffic, .and the fmall flock
of pro-vifions tWey had remaining, amon-gft which was about halfagallon
of -rum. This appeared to be by far the moft acceptable part of the
whole; and' Mr. Colomenee faid, it was a great length of time fince he.
had pofleffed fueli a quantity of fpirituous liquor; indeed, the immediate