1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 4/>5 



then laid before them my own chart, and found that 

 they were strangers to every part of the American 

 coast, except what lies opposite this island. One of 

 these men said, that he had been with Beering, in his 

 American voyage, but must then have been very 

 young, for he had not now, at the distance of thirty- 

 seven years, the appearance of being aged. Never was 

 there greater respect paid to the memory of any dis- 

 tinguished person, than by these men to that of 

 Beering. The trade in which they are engaged is 

 very beneficial, and its being undertaken and ex- 

 tended to the eastward of Kamtschatka, was the 

 immediate consequence of the second voyage of that 

 able navigator, whose misfortunes proved to be the 

 source of much private advantage to individuals, and 

 of public utility to the Russian nation. And yet, if 

 his distresses had not accidentally carried him to die 

 in the island which bears his name, and from whence 

 the miserable remnant of his ship's crew brought 

 back sufficient specimens of its valuable furs, pro- 

 bably the Russians never would have undertaken 

 any future voyages which could lead them to make 

 discoveries in this sea, toward the coast of America. 

 Indeed, after his time, government seems to have 

 paid less attention to this, and we owe what disco- 

 veries have been since made, principally to the 

 enterprising spirit of private traders, encouraged, 

 however, by the superintending care of the court of 

 Petersburg. The three Russians having remained 

 with me all night, visited Captain Gierke next morn- 

 ing, and then left us, very well satisfied with the re- 

 ception they had met with, promising to return in a 

 few days, and to bring with them a chart of the islands 

 lying between Oonalashka and Kamtschatka. 



On the 15th, in the evening, while Mr. Webber 

 and I were at a village at a small distance from Sam- 

 ganoodha, a Russian landed there, who, I found, was 

 the principal person amongst his countrymen in this 

 and the neighbouring islands. His name was Erasim 



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