The firft ifland is about an hundred verbs long and
from five to twenty broad. They efteemed the diftance
from the firft to the fecohd, which lies Eaft by South, to
be about thirty verfts, and about forty from the latter to
the third, which Hands South Eaft. The original drefs
of the iflanders was made of the fkins of birds, fea-otters
and feals, which were tanned; but the greateft part had
procured from the Ruffians dog-fkin coats, and under-
garments of flieep-fkin, which they were very fond of.
They are reprefented as naturally talkative, quick of ap-
prehenfion, atid much attached to the Ruffians. Their
dwellings are hollowed in the ground, and covered with
wooden roofs refembling the huts in the peninfula o f
Kamtchatka. Their principal food is the flefh of fea
animals, which they harpoon with their bone lances ;
they alfo feed upon feveral fpecies of roots and berries:
namely ^cloud—berries, crake-berries, bilberries, and fer-
vices. The rivulets abound with falmon, and other
fifh of the trout kind fimilar to thofe of Kamtchatka;
and the fea with turbot, which are caught with bone
hooks.
Thefe iflands produce quantities of fmall offers and
underwood, but no large trees; the fea however drives
afhore fir and larch, fufficient for the conftrucftion of
~ * Rubus Chamsemorus—Empetrum—Myrtillus—Sorbus.
their
their huts,- There are a great number of ardtic foxes
Upon the firft ifland, as well as fea-otters ; and the fhores,
during ftormy weather, are covered with wild geefe and
ducks.
The Ruffians, according to the order of the chancery
o f Bolcheretfk, endeavoured to perfuade the Toigon of
thefe iflands to accompany them to Kamtchatka, but without
fuccefs: upon their departure they diftributed among
the iflanders fome linen, and thirteen nets for the pur-
pofe of catching fea-otters, which were very thankfully
received. This veflel brought to Kamtchatka the fkins
of 5030 old and young fea-otters, of 1040 old and
young ardtic foxes, and of 330 Medwedki or cubs of
fea-otters.
In the year 1737, Ivan Nikiphoroff, a merchant of
Mofcow, fent out a veflel; but we have no further account
of this voyage, than that flie failed to the Fox
Iflands, at leaft as far as Umnak.
The fmall veflel Capiton, the fame that was b llilt Vovaee o f
Ivan Shi kin in
upon Beering’s Ifland, and which was given to the mer- *hc capita
chant -Ivan Shilkin, put to fea September 26, 1-757, f l
Carrying on board the Coflac Ignatius StudentfofF, who
has given an account of the voyage.
* See chap. IU.
ifi
1 They