Cholodiloff's
Ship fails froi
Kamtchatka
«753.
C II A P. IV.
* Voyages from 1753 V 175^.
Some of the further Aleutian or Fox Iflands touched at by
Serebranikoff’s vejfel.— Some account of the Natives.
T H R E E veffels were fitted out for the iflands in
1753, one by Cholodiloff, a fécond by Serebrani-
koff agent for the merchant Rybenfkoy, and the third by
Ivan Kraflilnikoff a merchant of Kamtchatka.
CholodilofFs fhip failed from Kamtchatka, the 1 9th o f
' Auguft, manned with thirty-four men ; and anchored
the a 8th before Beering’s Ifland, where they propofed to
winter, in order to lay-in a flock o f provifions : as they
were attempting to land, the boat overfet, and nine of
the crew were drowned.
June 30, T j 54, they flood out to fea in queftof new
difcoveries : the weather however proving ftormy and
foggy, and the fhip fpringing a leak, they were all in
danger of perifliing : in this fituation they unexpectedly
reached one of the Aleutian iflands, were they lay from
the 15th of September until the 9th of July, 17 5 5 • In
the
the autumn of 1754 they were joined by a Kaiptchaijal,
and a Koriac ; thefe perfons, together with four others,
had deferted from Trapefnikoff’s crew; and had remained
upon the ifland in order to catch fea-otters for their
■ own profit. Four of thefe deferters were killed by the
iflanders for having debauched their wives: but as the
two perfons above-mentioned were not guilty of the fame
diforderly conduct, the inhabitants fupplied them with
women, and lived with them upon the heft terms. The
crew flew upon this ifland above 1600 fea-otters, and
came back fafe to Kamtchatka in autumn 1755.
Serebranikoff’s veffel failed in July 1753, manned
alfo with thirty-four Ruffian^ and Kamtcliad.als: they
difeovered feveral new iflands, which were probably
fome of the more diftant ones '; but were qot fo fortunate Depart of
. # ~ SerebranikofF m hunting fea-otters as Cholodiloff’s crew. They fleered Vcifd.
S. E. and on the 17th of Augufl anchored under an unknown
ifland ; whofe inhabitants fppke a language they
did not underhand. Here they propofed looking out for
a fafe harbour; but were prevented by the coming on of
a fudden ftorm, which carried away their anchor. The
flnp being toll about for feveral days .towards the Eafl,
they, difeovered not far from the fo-ft ifland four ethers :
ftill more to the Eafl three other iflands appeared in fight;
but on neither of thefe wrere they able ,to land. The
veflel continued driving until the ad.of September, and
was confiderably fliattered, when they fortunately came |
H near