344 



COOK S VOYAGE TO 



OCT. 



to us by the Russians as inhabited by a race of men 

 remarkably hairy, and who, like those of Ooroop, 

 live in a state of entire independence.* 



In the same direction, but inclining somewhat 

 more to the westward, lie a group of islands, which 

 the Japanese call Jeso; a name which they also give 

 to the whole chain of islands between Kamtschatka 

 and Japan. The southernmost, called Matmai, hath 

 been long subject to the Japanese, and is fortified 

 and garrisoned on the side toward the continent. 

 The two islands to the north-east of Matmai, Kuna- 

 chir, and Zellany, and likewise the three still farther 

 to the north-east, called the Three Sisters, are per- 

 fectly independent. 



A trade of barter is carried on between Matmai 

 and the islands last-mentioned ; and between those 

 again and the Kuriles, to the northward ; in which, 

 for furs, dried fish, and oil, the latter get silk, cotton, 

 iron, and Japanese articles of furniture, t 



* Spanberg places the island here spoken of, in 43° 50' north 

 latitude, and mentions his having watered upon it ; and that this 

 watering party brought off eight of the natives, of whom he re- 

 lates the following circumstances: That their bodies were covered 

 all over with hair ; that they wore a loose striped silk gown, reach- 

 ing as low as their ankles ; and that some of them had silver rings 

 pendant from the ears : that, on spying a live cock on deck, they 

 fell on their knees before it; and likewise before the presents that 

 were brought out to them, closing and stretching forth their hands, 

 and bowing their heads at the same time down to the ground ; 

 that, except the peculiarity of their hairiness, they resembled the 

 other Kurile islanders in their features and figure, and spoke the 

 same language. The journal of the ship Castricom also mentions 

 this circumstance of the inhabitants of the country discovered by 

 them, and called Jeso, being hairy all over the body. 



-j- This accounts for what Krascheninicoff says, that he got from 

 Paramousir a japanned table and vase, a scimetar, and a silver 

 ring, which he sent to the cabinet of her imperial majesty at Pe- 

 tersburg. And if what M. Steller mentions, on the authority of 

 a Kurile, who was interpreter to Spanberg in his voyage to Japan, 

 is to be credited, that nearly the same language is spoken at Ku- 

 nashir and Paramousir, it cannot be questioned that some inter- 

 course has always subsisted between the inhabitants of this exten- 

 sive chain of islands. 



