46fi cook's voyage to oct. 



er's frock, and reaches as low as the knee* Besides 

 this, they wear a waistcoat or two, a pair of breeches ; 

 a fur cap ; and a pair of boots, the soles and upper 

 leathers of which are of Russian leather ; but the legs 

 are made of some kind of strong gut. Their two 

 chiefs, Ismyloffand Ivanovitch, wore each a calico 

 frock ; and they, as well as some others, had shirts, 

 which were of silk. These, perhaps, were the only 

 part of their dress not made amongst themselves. 



There are Russians settled upon all the principal 

 islands between Oonalashka and Kamtschatka, for 

 the sole purpose of collecting furs. Their great ob- 

 ject is the sea beaver or otter. I never heard them in- 

 quire after any other animal ; though those, whose 

 skins are of inferior value, are also made part of their 

 cargoes. I never thought to ask how long they have 

 had a settlement upon Oonalashka, and the neigh- 

 bouring isles ; but, to judge from the great subjec- 

 tion the natives are under, this cannot be of a very 

 late date. # All these furriers are relieved, from time 

 to time, by others. Those we met with arrived here 

 from Okotsk, in 1776, and are to return in 1?81 ; 

 so that their stay at the island will be four years at 

 least. 



It is now time to give some account of the native 

 inhabitants. To all appearance, they are the most 

 peaceable, inoffensive people, I ever met with. And, 

 as to honesty, they might serve as a pattern to the 

 most civilized nation upon earth. But from what I 

 saw of their neighbours, with whom the Russians 

 have no connection, I doubt whether this was their 

 original disposition ; and rather think that it has been 

 the consequence of their present state of subjection. 

 Indeed, if some of our gentlemen did not misunder- 

 stand the Russians, they had been obliged to make 



* The Russians began to frequent Oonalashka in 1762. See 

 Coze's Russian Discoveries, ch. viii. p. 80. 



