with a large ftore of the flefh of fea animals, which
are caught and cured upon Beering’s Ifland, where the
veffels for the moft part winter.
After all expences are paid, the equipment o f each
veffel ordinarily cofts from 15,000 to 20,000 Roubles.
And fometimes the expences amount to 30,000. Every
veffel is divided into a certain number of fhares, generally
from thirty to fifty ; and each fhare is worth
from 300 to 500 Roubles.
The rifk o f the trade is very great, as fhipwrecks are
common in the fea of Kamtchatka, which is full of rocks
and very tempeftuous. Befides, the crews are frequently
furprifed and killed by the iflanders, and the veffels
Profits, deftroyed. In return the profits arifing from thefe
voyages are very eonfiderable, and compenfate the in-
conveniencies and dangers attending them. For i f a
fhip comes back after having made a profitable voyage*,
the gain at the moll moderate computation amounts
to cent, per cent, and frequently to as much more.
Should the veffel be capable of performing a fecond
expedition, the expences are of courfe confiderably
leffened, and the fhares are at a lower price.
Some notion of the general profits arifing from
this trade (when the voyage is fuccefsful), may be-
deduced from the fale of a rich cargo of furs, brought
to
to Kamtchatka, on the ad of June, 1772, fr»m the
new-difeovered iflands, in a veffel belonging to Ivan
Popoff.
The tenth part o f the fkins being delivered to the
cuftoms, the remainder was diftributed in fifty-five
fhares. Each fhare confifted of twenty fea-otters,
fixteen black and brown foxes, ten red foxes, three
fea-otter tails; and fuch a portion was fold upon the
fpot from 800 to xooo Roubles: fo that according to
this, price the whole lading was worth about 50,000
Roubles *.
* Georgi Reife Tom. I. p. 23, & feq. Journal of St; Feteriburg.