pedition, they faw feveral remains of fox-traps which
had been fet by the Ruffians ; and met with feveral
natives who fhewed fome tribute-quittances. The
fame day letters were brought by the iflanders from
Medvedeff and Korovin who were juft arrived at
Umriak and Unalafhka in two veffels fitted out by the
merchants ProtaflbfF and Trapefnikoff. Anfwers were
returned by the fame meffengers.
On the 2 ad, Drufinin failed to the Northern point of
Unalafhka, which lies about fifteen verfts from Umnak :
the crew, having laid up the veflel in a fafe harbour,
and brought the lading afhore, made preparation to confirma
an hut. Soon after their arrival, two Toigons
of the neareft village brought hoftages of their own accord
; their example was immediately followed by feveral
of the more diftant villages. Here they received information
of an hunting party fent from Trapefnikoff’s
fliip. Upon which Maefnyk alfo difpatched three companies
upon the fame errand, one confifting of eleven
men, among whom was Korelin, under the command of
Peter Tfekaleff; a fécond of the fame number,, under
Michael Kudyakoff; and a third of nine men, under
Yèphim Kafkitfyn. Of thefe three parties, TfekalefFs
was the only one of which we have received any cir-
eumftantial account : for not a fingle perfon of the
ether two parties, or of the crew remaining on board,
ever returned to Kamtchatka^
*■ See the, following Chapter..
Kafkitfyn.
Kafkitfyn remained near the haven, and the two
other companies were difpatched to the Northern point
of the ifland. Kudyakoff flopped at a place called
Kalaktak, which contained about forty inhabitants ; Tfekaleff
went on to Inalok, which lies about thirty verfts
from Kalaktak. He found there a dwelling with about
feventy inhabitants, whom he behaved to with kindnefs:
he built an hut for himfelf and his companions, and
kept a conftant watch.
December the 4th, fix of the party being difpatched
to look after the pit-falls, there remained only five Ruffians
: namely, Peter Tfekaleff, Stephen Korelin, Dmitri
Bragin, Gregory Shaffyrin, and Ivan Kokovin : the
iflanders took this opportunity of giving the firft proofs
of their hoftile intentions, which they had hitherto
concealed. As Tfekaleff and Shaffyrin were upon a
vifit to the iflanders, the latter fuddenly, and without
any provocation, ftruck Tfekaleff upon the head with
a club, and afterwards ftabbed him with knives. They
next fell upon Shaffyrin, who defended himfelf with an
hatchet, and, though defperately wounded, forced his
way back to his companions. Bragin and Korelin, who
remained in the hut, had immediate recourfe to their
fire-arms ; but Kokovin, who was at a fmall diftance,
was furrounded by the favages, and thrown down.
They continued ftabbing him with knives and darts,
until Korelin came to his affiftance ; the latter having
M a wounded
A ll the Crew,
except four
Ruffians, de-
ftroyed by the
Natives.