T hat Peninfula
-conquered and
colonifed by : the;Ruffians•
The following year Atlaffoff himfelf at the head of
a larger body of troops penetrated into the Peninfula,
took poffeffion o f the river Kamchatka hyi cVeclLng a
crofs upon its banks ; - and built fome huts upon the
fpot, where Upper Kamtchatkoi Oftrog now ftand-s.
Thefe expeditions were-continued during'th'e following
years : tipper and Lower'Kamtchatkoi Oftrogs and Bol-
-eheretfk were built ; the Southern diftrict conquered
and colonifed ; -and in 17 11 the whole Peninfula was
.finally reduced under the dominion of the Ruffians.
During fome yeats the 'poffeffion of Kamtchatka.
-brought -very -little advantage -to the crown, excepting
the fmall tribute of furs exacted from the . inhabitants.
The Ruffians indeed occafionally.hunted in that Peninfula
foxes,... wolves, ermines,, fables, and• other,'.animals,
whole .valuable fkins- form an extenfiye article of commerce.
among the Eaftern nations,. ... But th,e fur trade •
carried on from thence was inconfiderahleuntil the
Ruffians difcovered the iflands -fituated between Alia and
America, in a feries of voyages, the journals, of which
will be exhibited in the . fubfequent trahilation. Since
-thefe difcoveries, the variety of rich furs, which are
procured from thofe Ifiands, has greatly encreafed the
trade of Kamtchatka, and rendered it a very important
branch of the Ruffian commerce.
The
The Peninfula of Kamtchatka lies between 5 x and
'62 degrees, of j North-latitude,- and 173 and 182 of
longitude from the Me of Fero. It is bounded on
the 'Eaft and South- by the Sea o f Kamtchatka, on the
Weft by the Seas of-Ochotik and Penfhinlk, and on the
-North by the country of the Koriacs.
It is divided into four diftridts, Boicherefk, Tigilfkaia Prefc".e 1 0 State oFICamt-
Krepoft, Yerchnei or Upper Kamtchatkoi Oftrog, and chatka'
Niffiriei or Lower Kamtchatkoi Oftrog. The govern- Government,
ment is vefted in the chancery o f Bplchere/k, which depends
upon and is fubjetSt to the infpection of the chancery
of Ochotfk. The whole Ruffian force, ftationed in
the- Peninfula. confifts of no more than three hundred
hienffi .
. Theprefent population-of Kamtchatka is very fm all, Population,
amounting-to fcarce-four thoufand fouls. Formerly the
inhabitants w-ere more numerous, but in 1768, that
couhtry w;as.:.greatly-depopulated -by the ravages . of the
finall-pox, .by which diforder five thoufand three hundred
and fixty-eight perfons were carried off. There are
now only feven hundred and fix males in the whole Peninfula
who -are tributary, and an hundred and fourteen
in the Kuril I-fles, which are fubjeft to Ruffia.
* Journal o f St. Peterfburg for April 1777. .