the Ruffians, they took their leave. Soon after their departure,
Tfiuproff, Shaffyrin, and Nevodfikoff, accompanied
with feven of the crew, went after them, and found them
among the rocks. In this interview the natives behaved
in the moft friendly manner, and exchanged a baidar and
fome Reins for two fliirts. They were obferved to have
hatchets of lharpened Rone, and needles made of bone :
they lived upon the fleffi of fea-otters, feals, and fea-
lions, which they killed with clubs and bone lances.
So early as the 24th of October, Tfiuproff had lent
ten perfons, under the command of Larion Belayeff, upon
a reconnoitring party. The latter treated the inhabitants
in anhoftile manner;.upon which they defended them-
felves as well as they could with their bone lances. This
refiftance gave him a pretext for firing; and accordingly
he fhot the whole number, amounting to fifteen men,
in order to get at their wives.
Shekurdin, Ihocked at thefe cruel proceedings, retired
unperceived to the ffiip, and brought an account of
all that had paffed. Tfiuproff, inftead of punifhing thefe
cruelties as they deferved, was fecretly pleafed with them;
for he himfelf was affronted at the iflanders for having
refufed to give him an iron bolt, which he faw in their
poffeffion. He had, in confequence of their refufal,
committed feveral ads of hoftilities againft them; and
had even formed the horrid defign of poifoning
them with a mixture of corrofive fublimate. In order
however
however to preferve appearances, he difpatched Shekurdin
and Nevodfikoff to reproach Belayeff for his diforderly
conduit; but fent him at the fame time, by the above-
mentioned perfons, more powder and ball.-
The Ruffians continued upon this ifland, where they
caught a large quantity of fea otters, until the 14th
of September, 1746 ; when, no longer thinking them-
felves fecure, they put to fea with an intention of looking
out for fome uninhabited iflands. Being however overtaken
by a violent ftorm, they were driven about until
the 30th of October, when their veffel ftruck upon a
rocky Ihore, and was fliipwrecked, with the lofs of al-
moft all the tackle, and the greateft part of the furs.
Worn out at length with cold and fatigue, they ventured,
the firft of November, to penetrate into the interior
part of the country, which they found rocky and uneven.
Upon their coming to fome huts, they were informed,
that they were caft away upon the ifland of
Karaga, the inhabitants of which were tributary to Ruffia,
and of the Koraki tribe. The iflanders behaved to them
with great kindnefs, until Belayeff had the- imprudence
to make propofals to thS wife of the chief. The woman
gave immediate intelligence to her hulband; and the
natives were incenfed to fuch a degree, that they threatened
the whole crew with immediate-death: but means
were found to pacify them, and they continued to live
with the Ruffians upon the fame good terms as before.
F 2 The