@04 cook's voyage to may, 



of distinction that it was in our power to pay him. 

 He was attended by the commander of one of the 

 Russian galliots, the master of a sloop that lay in the 

 harbour, two merchants from Bolcheretsk, and the 

 priest of the neighbouring village of Paratounca, for 

 whom he appeared to entertain the highest respect, 

 and whom I shall hereafter have occasion to mention, 

 on account of his great kindness to Captain Clerke. 



After visiting the captain, and taking a view of 

 both the ships, he returned to dinner on board the 

 Resolution; and, in the afternoon, the various cu- 

 riosities we had collected in the course of our voyage, 

 were shown him, and a complete assortment of every 

 article presented to him by Captain Clerke. On this 

 occasion I must not pass over an instance of great 

 generosity and gratitude in the sailors of both ships ; 

 who, when they were told of the handsome present 

 of tobacco that was made them by the major, desired, 

 entirely of their own accord, that their grog might 

 be stopped, and their allowance of spirits presented, 

 on their part, to the garrison of Bolcheretsk, as they 

 said they had reason to conclude that brandy was 

 scarce in the country, and would be very acceptable 

 to them, since the soldiers on shore had offered four 

 roubles a bottle for it. We, who knew how much 

 the sailors always felt, whenever their allowance of 

 grog was stopped, which was generally done in warm 

 weather, that they might have it in a greater propor- 

 tion in cold, and that this offer would deprive them 

 of it during the inclement season we had to expect in 

 our next expedition to the north, could not but admire 

 so extraordinary a sacrifice; and that they might not 

 suffer by it, Captain Clerke, and the rest of the 

 officers, substituted in the room of the very small 

 quantity the major could be prevailed on to accept 

 the same quantity of rum. This, with a dozen or 

 two of Cape wine, for Madame Behm, and such 

 other little presents as were in our power to bestow, 

 were accepted in the most obliging manner. The 



