304 cook's voyage to oct. 



two feet in height. It was of this sort we made our 

 essence for beer, and found it excellent for the pur- 

 pose. The other grows on the mountains, to a greater 

 height, and bears a small nut or apple. We were 

 told by the old Toion at Saint Peter and Saint Paul, 

 that Beering, during the time he lay in that harbour, 

 first taught them the use of the decoction of these 

 pines, and that it had proved a most excellent re- 

 medy for the scurvy ; but, whether from the great 

 scarcity of sugar, or from what other cause we could 

 not learn, we were sorry to find that it was no longer 

 in use amongst them. 



The birch was by far the most common tree we 

 saw, and of this we remarked three sorts. Two of 

 them fit for timber, and differing only in the texture 

 and colour of the bark ; the third of a dwarfish kind. 

 This tree is applied to a great variety of uses by the 

 inhabitants. The liquor, which, on tapping, it yields 

 in great abundance, they drink without mixture, or 

 any preparation, as we had frequent opportunities of 

 observing, upon our journey to Bolcheretsk, and 

 found it ourselves pleasant and refreshing, but some- 

 what purgative. The bark they convert into vessels, 

 for almost all their domestic and kitchen purposes ; 

 and it is of the wood of this tree the sledges and 

 canoes are also made. * 



The birch, and every other kind of tree in the 

 neighbourhood of the bay, were small and stunted ; 

 and they are obliged to go many miles up into the 

 country for wood of a proper size to work into ca- 

 noes, for the principal timbers of their balagans, and 

 the like uses. 



Besides the trees above-mentioned, Krascheninicoff 

 relates, that the larch grows on the banks of the river 



* Krascheninicoff says, that the natives likewise convert the 

 bark into a pleasant wholesome food, by stripping it off whilst it 

 is young and green, and cutting it into long narrow stripes, like 

 vermicelli, drying it, and stewing it afterward along with their 

 caviar. 



