lafhka, where Glottoff had formerly obferved great numbers
of black foxes. On account of ftorms and contrary
winds, they were thirty days before they fetched Umnak.
Arrive at Here they arrived the 24th of Auguft, and without drop-
Kadyak,
ping anchor or lofing any time, they refoLved to fail f u r ther
for the difeovery of new iilands : they palled eight
contiguous toeach other and feparated by ftraits, which
were to- the beft- o f their eftimation from twenty to an-
hundred verfts broad. Glottoff however, did not' land,
till he reached the laft and moft. Eaft ward of thefe iflands,,
called by the inhabitants Kadyak, from which the natives
faid it waS‘ not far to the coaft of a- wide extended
woody continent No land however was to befeen from
a little ifland called by the natives Aktunafe,-which is fitu--
ated about thirty verfts more to the Eaft than Kadyak..
September 8th,. theveffel ran up a creek, lying South
Eaft of Aktunak, through which a rivulet empties itfelf
into the fea; this rivulet comes from a lake fix verfts
long, one broad, and about fifty fathoms deep. During
the ebb of the tide the veflel was left aground ; but the
return of the water fet her again afloat. Near the fhore
were four large huts, fo crouded with people, that their
number could fcarcely be counted : however, foofi after
Glottoff’s arrival, all thefe inhabitants quitted their dwellings',
and retired with precipitation. The next dayfome
iflanders in baidars approached the veffel, and accofted
the
the people on board : and as Ivan Glottoff, the Aleutian
interpreter, did not well underftand the language of thefe
iflanders, they foon afterwards returned with a boy whom
they had formerly taken prifoner from Ifanak, l one o f
the iflands which lie to the Weft of Kadyak. ‘ Him the
Aleutian interpreter perfectly underftood : and by his
means every neceffary explanation could be obtained
from.the iflanders.,
In this manner they converfed with the favages, and'
endeavoured to perfuade them to become tributary; they
ufed alfo every argument in their power to prevail upon
them to give up the boy for an interpreter; but all their
entreaties were for the prefent without cffeft. The fa*
vages rowed back to the cliff called Aktalin, which lies
about three verfts - to the South, o f Kadyak,. where they
feemed to have habitatipns-
Oii- the 6th o f September Kaplin was fent with thirteen
men to the cliff, to treat peaceably with the iflanders. •
He found there ten huts, from which about an hundred,
of the natives came out. They behaved feemingly in a
friendly manner, and anfwered the interpreter by the
boy, that they had nobody proper for an hoftage; but
that they would deliver up the boy to the Ruffians agreeable
to their defire. Kaplin received him very thankfully,
and brought him on board, where he was properly
taken care o f : he afterwards accompanied Glottoff
to
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