FATE OF THE SURVIVORS. 67 



Not long after the death of the captain, the Russians 

 saw their vessel wrecked before their eyes. It was 

 their only means of escape from the dreary spot in 

 which they were wintering-. A storm arose on the 

 29th of December, the cable snapped, and the ship 

 came ashore almost close to where the Russians were 

 living 1 . In the morning she was found buried eight 

 or ten feet in sand, and completely shattered. The sea 

 had spoiled a great proportion of their remaining pro- 

 visions. This was a fearful loss to them. 



They had now two important objects to attain. The 

 first was to discover on what part of the world they 

 had been cast. The second, to find the means of sub- 

 sistence. Parties were sent out to explore. After an 

 absence of three days, one returned, and stated that 

 they had not perceived the least trace of men, but they 

 had seen a great number of what were called in Kamt- 

 schatka sea-beavers. They had also seen a great num- 

 ber of blue and white foxes, which showed no signs of 

 fear upon observing them. Hence they concluded that 

 the country on which they had landed was not inhab- 

 ited. They set out again more in the interior of the 

 island, with the design to cross the country to the 

 opposite side from that where they had come on shore. 

 They found a high hill three or four leagues from the 

 sea, and, ascending it, could see the sea both to the 

 eastward and westward of them, from which observa- 

 tion they had no doubt they were upon an island. They 

 found no trees, except a few willows on the sides of a 

 rivulet. 



Having thus satisfied themselves they were upon an 

 island, they proceeded to examine what stores and pro- 

 visions had been left them that they could use. They 

 first made a reserve of eight hundred-weight of flour, 

 which was to serve as sea stock in their voyage to 



