1779- in their tu rn ; and the Coffacks, being thus in open rebel-
• oa°DC1,, ¡jon t0 the Ruflian government, and with arms in their
hands, were let loofe upon the natives. The hiftory o f this
country from that period, till the grand revolt o f the Kamt-
fchadales in 1731, prefents one unvaried detail o f maf-
facres, revolts, and favage and fanguinary rencounters between
fmall parties, from one end o f the peninfula to the
other.
What led to this revolt, was the difcovery o f a paffage
from Okotik to the Bolchoireka, which was firft made by
Cofmo Sokoloff, in the year 1715. Hitherto the Ruffians
had no entrance into the country, but on the fide o f Ana-
d ir ik ; fo that the natives had frequent opportunities o f both
plundering the tribute, as it was carried by fo long a journey
out o f the peninfula, and haraffing the troops in their
march into i t . ' But by the difcovery o f this communication,
there exifted a fafe and fpeedy means, as, w.ell o f exporting
the tribute, as o f importing troops and military
ñores into the very heart o f the country; which the natives
eafily faw gave the Ruffians to great an advantage, as mult
foon confirm their dominion, and therefore determined
them to make one grand and immediate ftruggle for their
liberty. T he moment refolved upon, for carrying their de-
figns into execution, was when Beering ihould have fet fail;
who was at this time on the coaft with a fmall fquadron,
and had difpatched all the troops that could well be fpared
from the country, to join Powloutiki, in an expedition
againft the Tfchutfki. T he opportunity was well, clrofen;
and it is altogether furprizing, that this confpiracy, which
was fo general, that every native in the peninfula is faid to
have had his ihare in it, was at the fame time conducted
with
with fuch fecrecy, that the Ruffians had not the fmalleft 1 3 1 J m O f to b e r . •
fufpicion that any thing hoftile to their interefts was in a— .—
agitation. T h e ir other meafures were equally well taken/
T h e y had a Itron gb od yin readinefs to cut o ff a ll communication
with the fort Anadirfk; and the Eaftern coaft was ■
liltewife lined with detached parties, with a view o f feizing
on any Ruffians that might by accident arrive from Okotik.
Thin gs were in this ftate, when the commiffary Cheek-
haerdin marched from Verchnei with his tribute, efcorted
by the troops o f the fort, for the mouth o f the Kamt-
fchatka River, where a veffel was ly in g to convey them to ■
the Anadir. Befides waiting for the departure o f Beering, .
the revolt was to be fufpended till this veffel ihould be out
at fea, notice o f which was to be given to the different
Chiefs. Accordingly, the moment fhe was out o f f ig h t ,..
they began to maffacre every Ruffian and Coffack that came
in their way, and to fet fire to their houfes. A large body
afcended the River Kamrfchadta, made themfelves mailers
o f the fort and ojtrog the commiffary had juft quitted, put to
death all that were in it, and, except the church and the •
fort, reduced the whole to aihes. Here it was that they firft I
learned that the Ruffian veffel, in which the commiflary had
embarked, was ftill on the coaft, which determined them
to defend themfelves in the fort. The win'd' fortunately
foon brought the veffel back to the h a rb o u r ; for had fhe
proceeded in her voyage, nothing probably could have prevented
the utter extirpation o f the Ruffians. The Coffacks,
finding, on their landing, that their houfes had been burnt
to the ground, and their wives and children either'maflacred :
or carried off prifoners, were enraged to madnefs.' T h e y
marched diretftly to the fort, which they attacked with
great fury, and the natives as refolutely defended, till at
■f length