the whole of which, as he informed them, amounted to upwards of two
hundred rubles.'
P* 3ai* The 16th Captain Ifmyloff arrived, attended by the merchant who traded
with them when they were lately here, and. a gentleman who had been
baniihed to this extremity of the continent thirty-fix years ago.: this gentleman
was o f a noble family, and had been page to the Emprefs when he was
about the age of eighteen; but, having been guilty of fome indifcretions, he
was baniihed to this place, and his eilate confifcated.
Upon the arrival of Captain Ifmyloff on board, he was faluted with eleven
guns; and, having viewed the feveral parts of the fhip, he returned on ihore,
and dined with Captain Gore in a tent. He was a tall, hand fome, well made
P- 302* man, and appeared to be about thirty-fix years of age. The next day he dined
with Captain King on board the Difcovery, and the following day was entertained
by the gentlemen of the Refolution’s gun room; and on the 20th he
returned, to Bolfchaia-Reeka.
*. p. 303. Juft before their departure, all the young women of the village were invited
on board the Refolution by Captain Gore, and in the evening they had
a dance. The Ruffian dances are as dull and ftupid as can well be imagined;
but thofe o f the Kamtfchadales can be compared to nothing but the aukward
motions of a bear, the geftures of which animal they frequently imitate.
p. 304. O&ober the 7th both veffels weighed, but the wind proving contrary, they
were obliged to come to again; the next morning, however, they were more
fortunate, and at eight o’clock got up their anchors and flood out to fea.
When they arrived here -the fecond time, they found the Ruffians at the
hofpital, nearly .in as bad a ftate, with refpedt to the fcurvy, as during their
firfl vifit. And, notwithftanding this was a time of the year when fruits and
vegetables abounded, which would have proved an effectual remedy, they were
too lazy to gather them.
They
They are, in fa«fl, a flrange fet of beings, and feem totally void ofhumanity,
i f we may judge from their ¿offering a poor old man, who had loft the
ufe of his limbs, to ftarve in one of their outhoufes.
The men are, in general, reprefented as jealous of their wives; but they P- 3°5-
found that a glafs or two of rum would fometimes get the better of their natural
difpolition. The women, who have no averiion to fpirits, will drink them
without adulteration, and in as great quantities as the men.
Though the Kamtfchadales have in a great meafure adopted the religion of
the Ruffians, they have not totally diverted themfelves of their fuperftitious prejudices.
The language that prevails among them is the Ruffian; and but very p. 306..
few, except the oldell amongft them, can fpeak their native tonguej fo that
it is likely in a few years to become extinit.
As it was .now fummer, the inhabitants ‘of the village had retired into
their balagans, which ufually are their refidence during that feafon of the
year. They were alfo very bufily employed in drying fith for their winter ftock,
fo that the whole place was -nearly furrounded with them, which by no means
afforded an agreeable fcent. The fiih they cured, contifted principally of falmon '
and herrings: the latter were fet aiide entirely for their dogs; the bellies of the
former, which they efteem a delicacy, are divided from the body, and dried
feparately.
The dogs, by which, creatures the Hedges of the inhabitants, are drawn, as
before obferved, are always let loofe in the fummer feafon, during which time
they frequently run wild in the woods, but return at the approach of
winter, when they are again fecured. Upon the firft appearance of a fledge; 0
they fet up a general-howl, as if confcio'us of the labour they have, to undergo* P’ 3°
for the remaining part of the year.
Having put to fea on the 8th, they continued to trace the coaft to the fouth- p. ,0^
ward, and on the 12th faw Schumfchu, the firft of the Kurilikoy iilands;.
Z z . and