A trade o f barter is carried on between Matmai and the
iflands laft mentioned; and between thofe again and the
Kuriles, to the.Northward; in which, for furs, dried fiih, and
oil, the latter get fdk, cotton, iron, and Japanefe articles o f
furniture *.
The inhabitants o f as many o f the iflands as are brought
under the Ruffian dominion, are, at prefent, converted to
Chriftianity. And probably the time is not very diftant,
when a friendly and profitable intercourie w ill be brought
about between Kamtfchatka and the whole o f this chain o f
iflands ; and which w ill draw after it a communication with
Japan itfelf. T h is may eventually be greatly facilitated by
a circumftance related to me by Major Behm, that feveral
Ruffians, who had been taught the Japanefe language, by
two men belonging to a veffel o f that nation, which had
been fih ipw re ck ed on the coaft o f Kamtfchatka, had been
fent among thofe iflands.
The
H This accounts for what KracheninicofF lays, that he got from Faramouiir a
japanned table and vafe, a fcymeter, and a filver ring, which he fent to the cabinet of
her Imperial Majefty it Peterlburg. And if what Mr. Steller mentions, on the
authority of a Kurile, who was interpreter-to Spanberg in his voyage to Japan, is to
be credited, that nearly the fame language is fpoken at Eunaihir and Paramouflr, it
cannot be queftioned, that forne- intercourfe has always fublifted between the inhabitants
of this extenfive chain of iflands. '
t The veffel here fpoken of was from Satfma, a port in Japan, bound for another
Japanefe port, called Azaka, and laden with rice, cotton, and filks. She failed with
a favourable wind j but, before ihe reached her deftination, was driven out to fea by
a-violent ftorm, which carried away her malls and rudder.
On the llbrm’s abating, not one of the crew, which' conlifted of feventeen (having
probably never made other than coafting voyages), knew who they were,, or what
courfe to fleer. After remaining in this fituation fix months, they were driven on
ihore near the promontory Lopatka; and having call out an anchor, began to carry
on Ihore fuch articles as were neceffary to their exiftence. They next erefled a tent,
and had remained in it twenty.three days, without feeing a human being ; when chance
- conducted
T he advantages that would accrue to the Ruffians by an
immediate trade to Japan, have bien already adverted to, ' —
and are too many, and too obvious, to need infilling upon.
T h e Koreki country includes two diftinft nations, called
the Wandering and Fixed Koriacs.
T h e former inhabit the Northern part o f the iftbmus- o f
Kamtfchatka, and the whole coaft o f the Eaftern Ocean, from:
thence to the Anadir.
T h e country o f the Wandering Koriacs ftretches along1
the North Eaft o f the fea o f Okotlk to the river Penfkina;
and Weftward toward the river Kovyma.
conduced' a. Coflack officer, called Andrew Chinnikoff, with a few K-amtfchadales to-
their habitation. The poor unfortunate Japanefe, overwhelmed with joy at the fight
of fellowc-creatures, made the moil fignifieant tenders,, they were able, of friend (hip and
affe&ion ; and prefented their vifiters with filks,. fabres,. and a part of .whatever' elfe'
they had brought from the ihip.. The treacherous Chinnicoff made reciprocal returns,
of kirfdneis and good-will"; and, after remaining with them long enough to make-
fuch obfer-vations a& fuited.his defigns, withdrew from them in the night.. The Japanefe
finding that their, vifiters did.not return,, knew not what courfe to take. In :
defpair they manned their boat, and were rowing along the coaft in fearch o f a habitation,
when they came up with their veffel, which had been driven afhore ; and found
Chinnicoff and his. companions pillaging her, and pulling her in pieces for the.fake of
the iron. This fight determined them to continue their, courfe,-which Chinnicoff
perceiving, ordered his men-to purfueand -maffacre them. The unfortunate Japanefe,
feeing a canoe in. purfuit, and which they could not efcape, | apprehended what was to •
follow. Some of them leaped ipto the fea j others, in vain, had recourfe to prayer
and intreaties. They were all maffacred but two, by the very fabres they had prefented
to their fuppoféd. friends a few days before. One of the two was a boy about
eleven years old, named Gowgà, who had accompanied his father, the ihip’s pilot, to-
learn navigation j the other was a middle-aged-man, the fupereargo, and called Sofa. -
Chinnicoff foori met with the pu-niihment due to his crimes. The two ftrangers
were condu&ed to Peteriburg, where they were fenf to the academy, with proper in-
ftru<ftors and attendants j and feveral young men were, at the fame, time, put about-
them for the purpofe of learning the Japanefe language^
• They were thrown on the coaft of Kamtfchatka in 1730. The younger furvivedi
the abfence from his country five, the other fix years. Their portraits are to be.feen-j
in. the cabinet of the emprefs at Peteriburg.
Vid. Krafcheninicoff,. Vol. ii. part 4, Er: Ed.-.
T h e