17?8. THE PACIFIC OCEAN* 465 



to Major Behm ; and, to gratify him, I sent a small 

 spying -glass. 



After we became acquainted with these Russians, 

 some of our gentlemen, at different times, visited 

 their settlement on the island ; where they always 

 met with a hearty welcome. This settlement con- 

 sisted of a dwelling-house, and two store-houses. 

 And, besides the Russians, there was a number of 

 the Kamtschadales, and of the natives, as servants, or 

 slaves, to the former. Some others of the natives, 

 who seemed independent of the Russians, lived at 

 the same place. Such of them as belonged to the 

 Russians were all males ; and they are taken, or, per- 

 haps, purchased from their parents when young. 

 There were, at this time, about twenty of these, who 

 could be looked upon in no other light than as child- 

 ren. They all live in the same house ; the Russians 

 at the upper end, the Kamtschadales in the middle; 

 and the natives at the lower end ; where is fixed a 

 large boiler for preparing their food, which consists 

 chiefly of what the sea produces, with the addition 

 of wild roots and berries. There is little difference 

 between the first and last table, besides what is pro- 

 duced by cookery, in which the Russians have the 

 art to make indifferent things palatable. I have eat 

 whale's flesh of their dressing, which I thought very 

 good; and they made a kind of pan-pudding of sal- 

 mon roe, beaten up fine, and fried, that is no bad 

 succedaneum for bread. They may, now and then, 

 taste real bread, or have a dish in which flour is an 

 ingredient ; but this can only be an occasional luxury. 

 If we except the juice of berries, which they sip at 

 their meals, they have no other liquor besides pure 

 water ; and it seems to be very happy for them that 

 they have nothing stronger. 



As the island supplies them with food, so it does, 

 in a great measure, with clothing. This consists 

 chiefly of skins, and is, perhaps, the best they could 

 have. The upper garment is made like our waggon- 



VOL. VI. h H 



