APPENDIX I. 



with the Tfchutski ; he alfo fent one Daurkin into their 

 country. Tliis perfon was a native Tfchutski, who 

 had been taken prifoner, and bred up by tlie Ruffians : 

 he continued two years with his countrymen, and made 

 feveral expeditions with them to the neighbouring iflands, 

 which he off the Eaftern coaft of Siberia. 



The fum of the intelHgence brought back by this 

 Daurkin was as follows : that Tfchukotflcoi-Nofs is a 

 very narrow peninfula ; that the Tfchutfki carry on a 

 trade of barter with the inhabitants of America ; that 

 they employ fix days in paffing the flrait which feparates 

 the two continents : they diredt their courfe from ifland 

 to ifland, and the diitance from the one to the otlier is 

 fo fmall, that they are able to pafs every night afliore. 

 More to the North he defcribes the two continents as ap- 

 proaching flill nearer to each other, with only two iflands 

 lying between them. 



This intelligence remarkably coincided with the ac- 

 counts collecfted by Plenifner himfelf among the Koriacs. 

 Plenifner returned to Peterfburg in 1776, and brought 

 with him feveral * maps and charts of the North Eaflern 



parts 



* The moft important of thefe maps comprehends the country of the 

 Tfchutiki, together with the nations which border immediately upon 

 them. This map was chiefly taken during a fecond expedition made by 



major 



295 



