Thurfday 13.
ferjeant came with the report, o f his guard to Captain
Gore.
Early in the morning, we received the compliments o f the
Commander, o f Captain Shmaleff, and o f the principal in;
habitants o f the town, who all honoured us with vifits foon
after. T he two firft having fent for Port, after we were
gone to reft, and inquired o f him, what articles we feemed
to be moft in want o f on board the ihips ; we found them
prepared to infill on our iha rin g with the garrifon under
their command, in what little flock o f provifions they had
remaining. At the fame time they lamented, that we had
arrived at a feafon o f the year, when there was always the
greateft fcarcity o f every thing amongft th em ; the floops
not being yet arrived, with their annual fupply, from
Okotfk.
We agreed to accept the liberality o f thefe hofpitable-
ftrangers, with the beft grace we co u ld ; but bn condition,,
that we might be made acquainted with the price o f the articles
we were to be fupplied with ; and that Captain Clerke-
lhould give bills to the amount, upon the V ictualling Office-
in London. This the Major pofitively refufed ; and-whem-
ever it was afterward urged, flopped us fhort, by telling us*,
he was certain, that he could not oblige his Miftrefs more,
than in giv in g every afllftance in his power to her good
friends and allies the Englifh ; and that it would he a particular
fatisfaftion to h e r, to hear, that in fo remote a part o f
the world, her dominions had afforded any re lie f to ihips
engaged in fuch fervices as o u r s ; that he could not therefore
a ft fo contrary to the charafter o f his Emprefs, as to
accept o f any b i l ls ; but that, to accommodate the matter,
he would take a bare atteftation o f the particulars, with
w hich
w hich we might be fu rn ifh e d ; and that this he ihould 079-
tranfmit to his Court, as a certificate o f having performed —
his duty. I fhall leave (he continued) to the two Courts, all
farther acknowledgments ; but cannot confent to accept any
thin g o f the kind alluded to.
When this matter was adjufted, he began to inquire about
our private wan ts; faying, he ihould confider him fe lf as ill
ufed, i f we had any dealings with the merchants, or applied
to any other perfon except himfelf.
In return for fuch fingular generofrty, we had little to -
beftow but our admiration and our thanks. Fortunately,-
however, Captain Clerke had fent by me a fet o f prints and
maps, belonging to the laft voyage o f Captain Cook, which
he defired me to prefent in his name to the Commander;
who being an enthufiaft in every thing relating to difcove-
ries, received it with a fatisfaftion which fhewed, that,
though a trifle, nothing could have been more acceptable.
Captain Clerke had likewife intrufted me with a difcretion-
- ary power o f fhewin g him a chart o f the difcoveries made
in the prefent voyage ; and as I judged, that a perfon in his
fituation, and o f his turn o f mind, would be exceedingly
gratified by a communication o f this fort, though, out o f
delicacy, he. had forborn to afk more than a few general
queftions on the fubjeft, I made no fcruple to repofe in him
a confidence, o f which his whole conduft fhewed him to be
deferving.
I had the pleafure to find, that he felt this compliment
as I hoped he would, and was much ftruck at feeing, in one:
view, the w hole o f that coaft, as w e ll on the fide o f Afia-asdn
that o f America, o f which his countrymen had been fo many
7 years