1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 259 



three miles distant. The wind about this time died 

 away ; but the tide being in our favour, we sent the 

 boats ahead, and towed beyond the narrow parts of 

 the entrance ; and at one o'clock in the morning of 

 the 24th, the ebb-tide setting against us, we dropped 

 anchor. At nine, we weighed, and turned up the 

 bay with light airs, and the boats still ahead till one; 

 when, by the help of a fresh breeze, we anchored, 

 before three in the afternoon, in the harbour of Saint 

 Peter and Saint Paul, with our ensign half-staff up, 

 on account of our carrying the body of our late 

 Captain -, and were soon after followed by the Dis- 

 covery. 



We had no sooner anchored, than our old friend, 

 the serjeant, who was still the commander of the 

 place, came on board with a present of berries, in- 

 tended for our poor deceased captain. He was 

 exceedingly affected when we told him of his death, 

 and showed him the coffin that contained his body. 

 And as it was Captain Clerke's particular request to 

 be buried on shore, and, if possible, in the church of 

 Paratounca, we took the present opportunity of 

 explaining this matter to the serjeant, and consulting 

 with him about the proper steps to be taken on the 

 occasion. In the course of our conversation, which, 

 for want of an interpreter, was carried on but imper- 

 fectly, we learned that professor de L'Isle, and 

 several Russian gentlemen, who died here, had been 

 buried in the ground near the barracks, at the ostrog 

 of St. Peter and St. Paul ; and that this place would 

 be preferable to Paratounca, as the church was to be 

 removed thither the next year. It was therefore 

 determined, that we should wait for the arrival of the 

 priest of Paratounca, whom the serjeant advised us 

 to send for, as the only person that could satisfy our 

 inquiries on this subject. The serjeant having, at 

 the same time, signified his intentions of sending off 

 an express to the commander at Bolcheretsk, to 

 acquaint him with our arrival, Captain Gore availed 



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