The following day they fcooped out a cavity at the
foot of a mountain fituated about three verfts from the
haven,. and covered it with a piece of a fail. In the
evening they returned to the haven, and found there an
image of a faint and a prayer book ; all-the tackle and
lading were taken away, excepting the facks for provifion.
Thefe facks were made of leather: the natives had
ript them up probably to fee if they contained any iron,
and had left them, together with the provifion, behind
as ufelefs. The Ruffians collected all that remained, and
dragged as much as they were able to carry into the
mountains to their retreat, where they lived in a very
wretched ftate from the gth of December to the ad of
February, 1764-
Mean while they employed themfelves m making a
little baidar, which they covered with the leather of the
facks. Having drawn it at night from the mountains to
the fea, they rowed without waiting for break of day
along the Northern coaft of Unalafchka, in order to reach
Trapefnikoff’s veffel, which, as they had reafon to think,
lay at anchor fomewhere upon the coaft. They rowed
at fome diftance from the ffiore, and by that means palled
three habitations unperceived. The following day
they obferved at fome diftance five iflanders in a baidar,
who upon feeing them made to Makuffiinlk, before
which.
which place the fugitives were obliged to pafs. Darknefs
coming on, the Ruffians landed on a rock, and pafled the
night afhore. Early in the morning they difcovered the
iflanders advancing towards them from the bay of Ma-
kufhinlk. Upon this they placed themfelves in an advantageous
poft, and prepared for defence.
The favages rowed clofe to the beach : part landing,
and part remaining in their baidars, they commenced
the affault by. a volley of darts ; and notwithftanding, the
Ruffians did great execution with their fire-arms, tlie-
fkirmifh continued the whole day. Towards evening the
enemy retired, and the fugitives betook themfelves with
their canoe to an adjoining cavern. The attack’was again
renewed during the night; but the Ruffians were fo ad-
vantageoufly potted, that they repulfed the aflailants:
without much difficulty. In this encounter Bragen
was {lightly wounded- They remained in this place
three d ay sb u t the fea riling at a lpringrtide into the
rock, forced them to fally out towards a neighbouring
cavern, which they reached without lofs, notwithftanding
the oppofition of the illanders.
They were impriftoned in this cave five weeks, and kept
watch by turns. During that time they feldom ventured
twenty yards from the entrance and were: obliged
to quench their thirft with fnow-water, and with the-,
moifture dripping from the rock. They fullered alfcr-
3 ■ greatly