1779' than that this, and the fo llow in g night, w e flept on the
»_ „> banks o f the river, under our marquée; and fullered ve ry
Tuefday much from the feverity o f the weather, and the fnow,
w h ich llill remained on the ground.
wedmf. 12. At da y-light on the 12th, w e found we had got clear o f
the mountains, and were entering a low extenfive plain, covered
w ith fhrubby trees. About n ine in the forenoon, we
arrived at an ojlrog, called Opatchin, which is computed to
be fifty miles from Natcheekin, and is n early o f the fame
fize as Karatchin. We found here a ferjeant with fou r
Ruffian foldiers, w ho had been two days w a itin g fo r our
arrival ; and who immediately difpatched a ligh t boat to
Bolcheretik, w ith intelligence o f our approach. We were
n ow put into the trammels o f formality ; a canoe, furnilhed
with fkins and furs, and equipped in a magnificent manner,
was prepared for our reception, in w hich we were accommodated
much at our eafe, but to the exclufion o f the
reft o f our fellow-travellers. It was with much regret we
found ourfelves obliged to feparate from our old companion
Monfieur Port, w hom we had obferved to g row every day
more ih y and diftant, as we drew nearer the end o f our jo u r ney.
Indeed, he had h im fe lf told us, before we fet out,
that we paid him a refpeft he had no title to ; but as we
found him a very model! and difcreet man, w e had infilled
on his livin g with us during the whole o f our journey. T he
remainder o f our paffage was performed with great facility
and expedition, the river g row in g more rapid, as we descended,
and lefs obftrutfted by fhoals.
As we approached the capital, w e were forry to obferve,
from an appearance o f much ftir and buftle, that we were
to be received in form. Decent clothes had beçn, for fome
time,
time, a fcarce commodity amongft u s ; and our travelling ^9-
drefies were made up o f a burlefque mixture o f European, t .—
Indian, and Kamtfchatdale fafhions. We therefore thought it
would be too ridiculous to make a parade in this trim through
the metropolis o f K am tfch a tk a ; and as we faw a crowd
collected on the banks o f the river, and were told the Commander
would be at the water-fide to receive us, we flopped
ihoft at a foldier’s houfe, about a quarter o f a mile from the
town, from whence we fent Port with a meflage to his Excellency,
acquainting him, that the moment we had put o ff
our travelling drefies, we would pay our refpefts to him at
his own houfe ; and to b e g he would not thin k o f waiting to
condudl us. Finding, however, that he perfifted in his intentions
o f payin g us this compliment, we loft no farther
time in attiring ourfelves, but made all the hafte in our
power to join him at the entrance o f the town. I obferved
m y companions to be as awkward as I felt myfelf, in makin
g our firft Salutations ; bowing and fcraping being marks
o f good-breeding that we had now, for two years and \ a
half, been totally unaccuftomed to. The manner in which
we were received by the Commander, was the moft eng a g
in g that could be conceived, and increafed my mortification,
at finding, that he had almoft entirely forgot the French
la n g u a g e ; fo that the fatisfaiilion o f converting with him
was wholly confined to Mr. Webber, who fpoke the German,
his native tongue.
In company with Major Behm, was Captain Shmaleff, the
fecond in command, and another officer, with the whole
body o f the merchants o f the place. T h e y conducted us
to the Commander’s houfe, where we were received by his
lady with great civility, and found tea and other refrefh-
ments prepared for us. After the firft compliments were
. V o l . III. E e over,