at Verchnei, which had prevented their fetting out. We
made the beft anfwer we were able, to fo much, politenefs
and gen era lity ; and the next day, on coming on board the
Refolution, he was faluted w ith eleven guns. Specimens
o f all our curiofities were prefented to him ; and
Captain Gore added to them a gold watch, and a fow lin g -
piece.
T he next day, he was entertained on board the Difcov ery ;
and on the 25 th, he took leave o f us to return to Bolcheretik.
He could not be prevailed on to lengthen his vilit, having
fome expectations, as he told us, that the Sub-governor General,
who was at this time m akin g a tour through all the
provinces o f the Governor General o f Jakutfk, might arrive
in the Hoop that, was daily expeCted from Okotilc. Before
his departure, and without any interference o f ours, he re-
inilated the Serjeant in the command o f this place, having
determined to take the Put-parouchick along with him ; at the
fame time, we underftood that he was h igh ly difpleafed with
him, on account o f the punifhment that had been infliiied
on the Serjeant, and for which there did not appear to be
the flighted grounds.
Captain Shmale ff’s great readinefs to give us every pof-
Cble proof o f his defire to oblige us, encouraged us to alk a
fmall favour, for another o f our Kamtfchadale friends. It
was to requite an old foldier, whofe houfe had been, at all
times, open to the inferior officers, and who had done
both them, and all the crew, a thoufand good offices. The
Captain m o t o bligin gly complied with our requeft, and
dubbed him (which was all he wiffied for) a corporal, upon
the fp o t; and ordered him to thank the Engliffi officer's fo r
his great promotion. It may not here be improper to ob-
3 ferve,
ferve, that, in the Ruffian army, the inferior .clafs o f officers s
enjoy a degree o f pre-eminence above the private men, w ith '---- »---- '
which we, in our fervice, are in a great meafure unacquainted.
It was no fmall aftonifhment to us, to fee a Serjeant
keep up all the ftate, and exaCt all the refpedf, from all
beneath him, b e longing to a field officer. It may be farther
remarked, that there are many more gradations o f rank
amongft them, than are to be met with in other countries.
Between a feTjeant and a private man, there are not lefs
than four intermediate fieps ; and I have no doubt, but that
the advantages arifing from this fyftem are found to be very
confiderable. The falutary effe&s o f little fubordinate ranks
in our fea-fervice, cannot be queftioned. It gives rife to
great emulation, and the fuperior officers are enabled to
beftow, on almoft every poffible degree o f merit, a reward
proportioned to it.
Having been incidentally led into this fubje<ft, I fliall beg
leave to add but one obfervation more, namely, that the dif-
cipline o f the Ruffian army, though at this diftance from
the feat o f government, is o f the ftri&eft and fevereft kind ;
from which even the commiffioned officers are not exempt.
T h e punifhment o f the latter for fmall offences is imprifon-
ment, and a bread and water diet. An Enfign, a good friend
o f ours at this place, told us, that for ha vin g been concerned
in a drunken riot, he was confined in the black
hole for three months, and fed upon bread and w a te r ;
which, he faid, fo ffiattered his nerves, that he had never
fince had fpirits for a common convivial meeting.
I accompanied Captain Shmaleff to the entrance o f Awat-
lk a River, and, having bid him farewel, took this opportunity
o f paying a vilit to the Prieft o f Paratounca. On Sunday
the