1779- this fuit. The Ruffians in Kamtfchatka wear the European
—-j drefs ; and the uniform o f the troops quartered here, is o f a.
dark green, faced with red.
As the people fituated to the North and South o f this
country are yet imperfectly known, I ihall conclude the account
o f Kamtfchatka with fuch information concerning
the Kurile Iflands, and the Koreki and Tfchutiki, as I have
been able to acquire.
T h e chain o f iflands, running in a South Weft direction
from the Southern promontory o f Kamtfchatka to Japan,
extending from latitude 51° to 450, are called the Kuriles.
T h e y obtained this name from the inhabitants o f the
neighbourhood o f Lopatka, who being themfelves called
Kuriles, gave their own name to thefe iflands, on firft becoming
acquainted with them. T h e y are, according to
Spanberg, twenty-two in number, without reckoning the
very fmall ones. The Northernmoft, called Shoomika, is
not more than three leagues from the promontory Lopatka,
and its inhabitants are a mixture o f natives and Kamtfcha-
dales. T h e next to the South, called Paramoufir, is much
larger than Shoomika, and inhabited by the true n ative s;
their anceftors, according to a tradition among them, having
cqme from an ifland a little farther to the South, called
Onecutan. Thofe two iflands were firft vifited by the Ruffians
in 1713, and at the fame time brought under their dominion.
T he others in order, are at prefent made tributary
down to Ooiheiheer inclufive, as I am informed by the
worthy Paftor o f Paratounca, who is their Miffionary, and
vifits them once in three years, and fpeaks o f the iflanders
in terms o f the higheft commendation, reprefenting them
as a friendly, hofpitable, generous, humane race o f people,
5 and
and excelling their Kamtfchadale neighbours, not lefs in
the formation o f their bodies, than in docility and quick - 1 .—
nefs o f underftanding. T h o u gh Qoffieffieer is the Southern-
moft ifland that the Ruffians have yet brought under their
dominion, yet I underftand that they trade to Ooroop, which
is the eighteenth •, and, according to their accounts, the
only one where there is a good harbour for ffiips o f burthen.
Beyond this, to the South, lies Nadeegfda, which was repre-
fented to us by the Ruffians, as inhabited by a race o f men
remarkably hairy, and who, lik e thofe o f Ooroop, live in
a ftate o f entire independence *.
In the fame dire&ion, but inclining fomewhat more to
th e Weftward, lie a group o f iflands, which the Japanefe
call Jefo; a name which they alfo give to the whole chain
o f iflands between Kamtfchatka and Japan. The Southern-
moft, called Matmai, hath been long fubjeiit to the Japanefe,
and is fortified and garrifoned on the fide toward the continent.
The two iflands to the North Eaft o f Matmai, Kuna-
chir, and Zellany, and likewife the three ftill farther to the
North Eaft, called the Three Sifters, are perfectly independent.
* Spanberg places the ifland here fpoken of in 430 50' North latitude, and mentions
his having watered upon i t ; and that this watering party brought off eight of the
natives $ of whom he relates the following circumftances : That their bodies were covered
all over with hair; that they wore a loofe ftriped iilk gown, reaching as low as
their ankles j and that fome of them had filver rings pendant from the ears: that, on
fpying a live cock on deck, they fell on their knees before it j and likewife, before the
prefents that were brought out to them, doling and ftretching forth their hands, and
bowing, their heads, at the fame time, down to the ground; that, except the peculiarity
of their hairinefs, they refembled the other Kurile iflanders in their features and
figure, and fpoke the lame language. The journal .of the Ihip Caftricom alfo mentions
this circumftance o f the inhabitants of the country difcoYered by them, and
called Jefo, being hairy all over the body.
3 c 2 A trade