AH 



A VOYAGE TO 



1778. One of them then made many figns, taking ofF his cap, and 

 bowing, after the manner of Europeans. A rope being 

 handed down from the Ihip, to tliis he faflened a fmall thin 

 wooden cafe or box ; and having dehvered this fafe, and 

 fpoken fomething, and made fome more ligns, the canoes 

 dropped aftern, and left the Difcovery. No one on board 

 her had any fufpicion that the box contained any thing till 

 after the departure of the canoes, when it was accidentally 

 opened, and a piece of paper was found, folded up carefully, 

 upon which fomething wls written in the Ruffian language, 

 as was fuppofed. The date 1778 was prefixed to it ; and, in 

 the body of the written note, there was a reference to the 

 year 1776. Not learned enough to decypher the alphabet of 

 the writer, his numerals marked fufficiently that others had 

 preceded us in vifiting this dreary part of the globe, who were 

 united to us by other ties befides thofe of our common nature; 

 and the hopes of foon meeting with fome of the Ruffian 

 traders, could not but give a fenfiblc fatisfa(5tion to thofe 

 ■who had, for fuch a length of time, been converfant with the 

 favages of the Pacific Ocean, and of the continent of North 

 America. 



Captain Gierke was, at firfl, of opinion, that fome Ruffians 

 had been fliipwrecked here; and that thefe unfortunate 

 perfons, feeing our fliips pafs, had taken this method to in- 

 form us of their fituation. Imprefled with humane fenti- 

 ments, on fuch an occafion, he was dcfirous of our flopping 

 till they might liave time to join us. But no fuch idea oc- 

 curred to me. h feemed obvious, that if this had been the 

 cafe, it would have been the firfl ilcp taken by fucii fhip- 

 wrecked perfons, in order to fecure to themfclves, and to 

 their companions, the relief they could not but be folicitous 

 about, to fond fome of their body off to the fliips in the ca- 

 j noes. 



