RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. iij 



The iflanders now appearing to be fufficiently intimi- Jln^^efrf *"' 

 dated, the Ruffians began to build a winter hut of floated ^ ^' " 

 wood, and waited in a body the appearance of fpring 

 without further annoyance. Although they faw nobody 

 before the 25th of December, yet GlottofFkept his peo- 

 ple together ; fending out occalionally fmall hunting and 

 fifliing parties to the lake, which lay about five verfts 

 from the creek. During the whole wdnter they caught 

 in the lake feveral different fpecies of trout and falmon, 

 foles, and herrings of a fpan and a half long, and even 

 turbot and cod-fifli, which came up with the flood into 

 the lake. 



At lafl, on the 25th of December, two illanders came 

 to the fliip, and converfed at a diflance by means of 

 interpreters. Although propofals of peace, and trade 

 were held out to them in the molt friendly man- 

 ner, yet they went off without feeming to put much 

 confidence in thefe offers : nor did any of them 

 appear again before the 4th of April, 1764. Want 

 of fufficient exercife in the mean time brought on a 

 violent fcurvy among the crew, by which diforder nine 

 perfons were carried off. 



On the 4th of April four iflanders made their appear- 

 ance, and feemed to pay more attention to the propo- 

 fajs : one of them at laft advanced, and offered to barter 

 two fox-fkins for beads. They did not fet the leaft va- 



Q lue 



