RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES.. 37 



CHAP. III. 



Succejfive voyages, from 1747 to 1753, to Beering'j- and 

 Copper Ifland, and to tb£ Aleutian Ifles. — Some account 

 of the inhabitants. 



Tn the year 1747* two vefTels failed from the Kamt- 

 chatka river, according to a peniiiffion granted by the 

 chancery of Bolckeretflc for hunting fea-otters. One 

 was fitted ®ut by Andrew WfevidofF, and carried forty- 

 fix men, befides eiglit Coflacs : the other belonged to 

 Feodor CholodilofF, Andrew Tolftyk, and company ; and 

 had on board a crew, confifting of forty-one Rufiians and 

 Kamtchadals, with fix Cofl^acs. 



The latter velTel failed the 20th of Odiober, and" was 

 forced, by ftrefs of weather and other accidents, to winter 

 at Beering's Ifland. From thence they departed May the 

 3ifl:, 1748, and touched at another fmall ifland, in order 

 to provide themfelves with water and other necefiaries. 

 They then fleered S. E. for a confiderable way without 



* It may be neceflary to inform the reader, that, in this and the two 

 following chapters, fome circumftances are occafionally omitted, which 

 are to be found in the original. Thefe omiffions relate chiefly to the 

 names of fome of the partners engaged in the equipments, and to a de- 

 tail of immaterial occurrences prior to the adual departure of the veflels. 



difcovering 



