aiiortment o f every article prefented to him by Captain
Clerke. On this occafion I muil not pafs over an inftance o f
great generofity and gratitude in the Tailors o f both ihips-
who, when they were told o f the handfome prefent o f tobacco
that was made them b y the Major, defired, entirely
o f their own accord, that their g ro g migh t be flopped, and
their allowance o f fpirits prefented, on their part, to the
garrifon o f Bolcheretik, as they ¿aid they had reafon to -conclude
that brandy was fcarce in the country, and would be
very acceptable to them, ffince the foldiers on lhore had o ffered
four roubles a bottle for it. We, who k n ew how
much the failors always felt, whenever their allowance o f
g ro g was flopped, w hich was generally done in warm weather,
that they might have it in a greater proportion in cold,
and that this offer would deprive them o f it during the inclement
feafon we had to .expeff in our next-expedition to
th e North, could not but admire fo extraordinary a.facrifice-
and that they migh t not fuffer by it, Captain Clerke, and
the reft o f the officers fubftituted in the room o f the yerv
fmall quantity the Major could be prevailed on to accept fhe
fame quantity o f rum. This, with a dozen or two o f Cape
wine, for Madame Behm, and fuch other little prefents as
were in our power to bellow, were accepted in the moft
o b h gm g manner. T h e next morning the tobacco was di
vided betweenthe.crews oft thc two ffiips, three pounds being
allotted to every man that chewed o r im o k ed tobacco, and
one pound to thofe that did not.
I have before mentioned, that Major Behm had refigned thP
command o f Kamtfc'hatka, and intended to fet out in a ffiort
time fo r Peteriburg; and he mow offered to charge h im fe lf
w ith any difpatches we might truft to his care. This was
an opportunity not to be negleffed ; and accordingly Captain
rain Clerke acquainted him, that he would take the liberty '779-
o f fending by him fome papers relating to our voyage, to >— -a
be delivered to our Ambaffador at the Ruffian court. O u r
firft intentions were to fend only a fmall journal o f our proceedings
; but afterward, Captain Clerke being perfuaded
that the whole account o f our difcoveries migh t fafe ly be
trailed to a perfon who had given fuch ftrikin g proofs both
o f his public and private virtues ; and confidering that w o
had a very hazardous part o f the voyage Hill to undertake,
determined to fend, by him, the whole o f the journal o f our
late Commander, with that part o f his own, which completed
the period from Captain Cook’s death, till our arrival
at Kamtfchatka; together with a chart o f all our difcoveries.
Mr. Bayly, and myfelf, thought it alfo proper tofend
a general account o f our proceedings to the board o f longitude
; by which precautions, i f any misfortune had afterward
befallen us, the Admiralty would have been in poffef-
fion o f a complete hiftory o f the principal fa ffs o f our vo y a
g e . It was alfo determined, that a fmaller pacquet ihould
be fent by an exprefs from Okotfk, which, the Major- faid,
i f he was fortunate in his paffage to that port, would reach
Peteriburg by December j and that he h im fe lf Ihould be there
in February or March-
During the three followings days, the Major was entertained
alternately in the two fliips, in the beft manner w e
were able. On the 25th, he took his leave, and was faluted TSurìàSy»«.-
w ith thirteen guns ; and the failors, at their own defire,
gave him three cheers. The next morning, Mf. Webber, Wednef. 26,.
and myfelf, attended him a few miles up the Awatfka
River, where we met the Ruffian prieft, his w ife and children,
who were waiting to take the laft fare.wel o f their
commander.