294 APPENDIX L 



of the Tfcliutski in their intercourfe with the Ruffians. 

 Vague and uncertain accounts, drawn from a barbarous 

 people, cannot deferve implicit credit ; but as they have 

 been uniformly and invariably propagated by the inhabi- 

 tants of thofe regions from the middle of the laft century 

 to the prcfent time^ they muft merit at leafl: the attention 

 of every curious enquirer. 



JoZ^ZTL Thefe reports were firft related in Muller's account of 

 Am~."kl\o the Ruffian difcoveries, and have been lately thought 



tln;ir Coaft. 



worthy of notice by Dr. Robertfon -•••, in his hiftory of 

 America. Their probability feems ftill further increafed 

 by the following circumftances. One Plenifner, a na- 

 tive of Courland, was appointed commander of Ochotsk, 

 in the year 1760, with an exprefs order from the court 

 to proceed as far as t Anadirsk, and to procure all pof- 

 fible intelligence concerning the North Eaftern part of 

 Siberia, and the oppofite continent. In confequence of 

 this order Plenifner repaired to Anadirsk, and proceeded 

 likewife to Kovimskoi Oftrog : the former of thefe Ruffian 

 fettlements is lituated near the Southern ; the latter near 

 the Weftern limits of the Tfchutski. Not content how- 

 ever with colleiling all the information in his power from 

 the neighbouring Koriacs, who have frequent intercourfe 



* Hift. of America, vol.1, p. 274 — 277. 



'f Anadirlk has been lately deftroyed by the Ruffians themfelves. 



with 



