92 A C C O U N T O F T H E 



■ September 15, when every thing was prepared for- 

 wintering, Korovin and Barnaflieff fet ovU in two baidars, 

 each with nine men and one of the hoftages, who had 

 a flight knowledge of the Ruffian language. They 

 went along the Northern coall of the ifland, towards 

 its Weftern extremity, in order to hunt, and to enquire 

 after a certain interpreter called Kaflimak, who had been 

 employed by Glottoff on a fonner occafion. Having 

 rowed about twenty verfts, they pafTed by a village, 

 and landed at another which lay about five verfts fur- 

 ther. But as the number of inhabitants feemed to 

 amount to two hundred, they durft not venture to the 

 dwellings, but ftayed by the baidar. Upon this the 

 Toigon of the place came to them, with his wdfe and 

 fon : he Ihewed a tribute-quittance, and delivered his 

 fon,- a boy of thirteen years of age and whom Korovin 

 called Stepanka, as an hoftage, for which he received a 

 prefent of corals* 



They rowed now further to a third village, abou^ 

 fifteen verfts from the former, where they found the 

 interpreter Kaflimak ; the latter accompanied them to 

 the two Toigons, who gave them a friendly reception, 

 and fhewed their tribute-quittances. A few natives only 

 made their appearance ; the others, as the Toigons pre- 

 tended, were gone out to fifli. The next morning each* 

 Toigon gave a boy as an hoftage ; one of the boys Ko- 

 rovin called Gregory, and the other Alexey. The Ruf- 

 fians 



