4^ ACCOUNTOFTHE 



called Agataku ; and the third Shemya : they lie from 

 forty to fifty verlb afunder. Upon all the three iflands 

 there are(exclurive of children) but fixty males, whom they 

 made tributary. The inhabitants live unon roots which 

 iniuu'.:.:ns. grow wild, aud fea animals : they do not employ thernfclves 

 in. catching fifn, although the rivers abound with all kinds 

 of falmon, and the lea with turbot. Their cloaths are 

 made of the Ikins of birds and of fea-otters. The Toigon 

 or chief of the firll: iTiand informed them by means of a 

 bov, who underftood the Ruffian lane-uap-c, that Eaft- 

 ward there are three large and well peopled illands, 

 Ibiya, Rickfa, and Olas, whofc inhabitants fpeak a dif- 

 ferent language. ShefFyrin and DurnefF found upon the 

 ifland three round copper plates, with fome letters en- 

 graved upon them, and ornamented Vvith foliage, which 

 the waves had caft upon the fliore : they brought them, 

 together with other trifling curiolities, which they had 

 procured frona the natives, to New Kamtchatkoi Oflrog. 



Another fbip built of larchwood by the fame Trapef- 

 nikoif, which failed in 1752 under the condudl of Alexei 

 Drufinin a merchant of Kurfk, had been wrecked at Beer- 

 ing's llland, where the crew conftrudled another velTel 

 out of the wreck, which they named Abraham. In this 

 vellel they bore away for the more diftant iflands ; but 

 being forced back by contrary winds to the fame illand, 

 and meeting with the St. Nicholas upon the point of failing 

 for the Aleutian liles, they embarked on that fliip, after 

 having left the new confti-ucfed veiTel under the care of 

 I four 



