May thrown, had feized upon a galliot, then ly in g at the entrance
> o f the Bolfchoireeka, and had forced on board a number o f
Ruffian failors, fufficient to navigate her: that he had put
on ihore a part o f the crew at the Kourile Iflands; and,
among the reft, Ifmyloff, who, as the reader w ill re coiled ,
had puzzled us exceedingly, at Oonalafhka, with the hiftory
o f this tranfadion ; though, for want o f underftanding his
languag e, we could not then make out all the circumftances
attending it: that he pafled in fight o f Japan ; made Luco-
n ia ; and was there directed how to fleer to Canton: that, arriv
in g there, he had applied to the French, and had got a
paflage in one o f their India ffiips to France: and that moft
o f the Ruffians had lik ewiie returned to Europe in French
fhips ; and had afterward found their w a y to Peteriburg.
We met with three o f Beniowiki’s crew in the harbour o f
Saint Peter and Saint P au l; and from them we learnt the
circumftances o f the above ftory.
On our arrival at Canton, we received a farther corroboration
o f the fa ils , from the gentlemen o f the Engliih fa&ory,
who told us, that a perfon had arrived there in a Ruffian
galliot, who faid he came from K am tfchatk a ; and that he
had been furniihed by the French factory, with a paflage to
Europe *.
We could not help be in g much diverted with the fears
and apprehenfions o f thefe good people, and particularly
with the account M. Port gave us o f the ferjeant’s wary proceedings
the day before. On fee ing me come on ihore, in
company with fome other gentlemen, he had made him and
the merchant, who arrived in the fledges we had feen come
* It hath Cnee appeared, from the account of Kerguelen’s Voyage, that this
extraordinary perfon, who had entered into the French fervice, was commander of a
new fettlemeht at Madagafcar, when Kerguelen touched there in 17-74.
7 in
in the morning, hide themfelves in his kitchen, and liften !779-
May.
to our eonverfation with one another, in hopes, that by this u * .
means, they might difcover whether w e were really E n glifli
or not.
As we concluded, from the commiffion and drefs o f M.
Port, that he might probably be the Commander’s fecretary,
he was received as fuch, and invited, with his companion,
the merchant, to dine with Captain Clerke : and though we
foon began to fufpedl, from the behaviour o f the latter toward
him, that he was only a common fervant, yet this bein
g no time to facrific.e our little comforts to our pride, we
prevented an explanation,, b y not fuffering the queftion to be
put to h im ; and, in return fbr the fatisfailion w e reaped
from his abilities as a linguift, we continued to let him. liv e
on a footin g o f equality w ith us.
C e 2 C H A P..