T H E P A C I F I C O C E A N. 497 



voiins:, for he had not now, at the diftance of thirty-fcvcn '773. 



' ^' . ' Oaober. 



years, the appearance of being aged. Never was there v- — „ — -/ 

 greater refped: paid to the memory of any diftinguiflied 

 perfon, than by thefe men to that of Beering. The trade 

 in which they are engaged is very beneficial ; and its being 

 undertaken and extended to the Eaftward of Kamtfchatka, 

 was the immediate confequence of the fecond voyage of that 

 able navigator, whofc misfortunes proved to be the fource 

 of much private advantage to individuals, and of public 

 utility to the Ruffian nation. And yet, if his didrelTes had 

 not accidentally carried him to die in the iiland which bears 

 his name, and from whence the miferable remnant of his 

 fliip's crew brought back fufficient fpecimens of its valu- 

 able furs, probably the Ruffians never would have under- 

 taken any future voyages, which could lead them to make 

 difcoveries in this fea, toward the coaft of America. Indeed, 

 after his time, government feems to have paid lefs atten- 

 tion to this ; and wc owe what difcoveries have been fmce 

 made, principally to the enterprifmg fpirit of private traders, 

 encouraged, hov^^cver, by the fuperintending care of the 

 Court of Peterfburg. The three Ruffians having remained 

 with me all night, vifited Captain Gierke next morning; and Sunday n. 

 then left us, very well fatisfied with the reception they had 

 met with ; promifmg to return in a few days, and to 

 bring with them a chart of the illands lying between Oona- 

 laflika and Kamtfchatka. 



On the 14th, in the evening, while Mr. Webber and I wednef. 14. 

 were at a village at a fmall diftance from Samganoodha, a 

 Ruffian landed there, v/ho, I found, was the principal perfon 

 amongft his countrymen in this and the neighbouring 

 iflands. His name was Erafim Gregorioff Sin IfmylofT. He 

 arrived in a canoe carrying three perfons, attended by 



Vol. II. 3 S twenty 



