peninfula o f Kamtfchatka, where the Ruffian Commander
o f this province u fua lly refides.
It is ve ry remarkable, that they had not feen the Iliip the
preceding day, when w e came to anchor in the bay, nor
indeed this morning, till our boats were pretty near the ice.
T h e panic with w hich the difcovery had ftruck them, we
found, had been ve ry coniiderable. T he garrifon was im mediately
put under arms. T w o fmall field-pieces were
placed at the entrance o f the Commander’s houfe, and
pointed toward our boats ; and fhot, powder, and lighted
matches were all ready at hand.
T h e officer, in whofe houfe we were at prefent entertained,
was a Serjeant, and the Commander o f the ojirog. Nothin g
could exceed the kindnefs and hofpitality o f his behaviour,
after he had recovered from the alarm occafioned by o u r
arrival. We found the houfe infufferably hot, but exceedin
g ly neat and clean. After I had changed m y clothes,
w hich the Serjeant’s civility enabled me to do, by furnifh-
in g me with a complete fuit o f his own, we were invited to
fit down to dinner, w hich I have no doubt was the bed he
could procurej and, confidering the ihortnefs o f time he
had to provide it, was managed with fome ingenuity. As
there was not time to prepare foup and bouilli, we had, in
their Head, fome cold be e f iliced, with hot water poured
over it. We had next a large bird roafted, o f a fpecies with
w hich I was unacquainted, but o f a very excellent tafte.
A fte r ha vin g eaten a part o f this, it was taken off, and we
w ere ferved w ith fiflx dreffed two different ways ; and, foon
after, the bird again made its appearance, in favory and
fweet path. Our liquor, o f which I fliall have to fpeak
hereafter, was o f the kind called by the Ruffians qrtafs, and
was much the word part o f the entertainment. T he Serjean
t’s w ife brought in feveral o f the difhes herfelf, and was
not permitted to fit down at table. Ha vin g finiihed our repail,
d uring which it is hardly neceffary to remark, that
our converfation was confined to a few bows, and other
figns o f mutua l refpeft, w e endeavoured to open to our hoft
the caufe and objedls o f our vifit to this port. As Ifmyloff
had probably written to them on the fame fubjetff, in the
letters we had before delivered, he appeared ve ry readily to
conceive our meaning ; but as there was unfortunately no
one in the place that could talk any other languag e except
Ruffian or Kamtfchadale, w e found the utmoil difficulty in
comprehending the information lie meant to convey to us.
A fte r fome time fpent in thefe endeavours to underlland
one another, we conceived the fum o f the intelligence we
had procured to be, that though no fupply, either o f provi-
fions or naval (lores were to be had at this place, yet that
thefe articles were in great plenty at Bolcheretfk. That the
Commander would, moil probably, be ve ry w illin g to g iv e
ms what we wanted ; but that, till the Serjeant had received
orders from him, neither he nor his people, nor the natives,
could even venture to go on board the (hip.
It was now time for us to- take our le a v e ; and, as my
clothes were ilill too wet to put on, I was obliged to ha ve
recourfe again to the Serjeant’s benevolence, for his leave to
carry thofe I had borrowed o f him on board. This requeit
was complied with very cheerfully, and a fledge, drawn b y
five dogs, with a driver, was immediately provided for. each
o f our party. T h e failors were h ig h ly delighted with this
mode o f conveyance ; and what diverted them ilill more
was, that the two boat-hooks had alfo a fledge appropriated;
so themfelves. T he fe fledges are. fo, ligh t, and their con-
q ' Hr. udtioni