THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 193 



£ree of fatisfaction was vifible in their countenances, on the '779- 



May. 



German's finding a perfon amongft us, with whom he could <• — » — -» 

 converfe. This was Mr. Webber, who fpoke that language 

 perfectly well; and at laft, though with fome difficulty, con- 

 vinced them, that we were Englishmen, and friends. Mr. 

 Port being introduced to Captain Clerke, delivered to him 

 the Commander's letter, which was written in German, and 

 was merely complimental, inviting him and his officers to 

 Bolcheretfk, to which place the people, who brought ir, 

 were to conduct us. Mr. Port, at the fame time, acquainted 

 him, that the Major had conceived a very wrong idea of the 

 fize of the mips, and of the fervice we were engaged in ; 

 Ifmyloff, in his letter, having reprefented us as two fmall 

 Englifh pacquet boats, and cautioned him to be on his 

 guard ; infinuating, that he fufpected us to be no better 

 than pirates. In confequence of this letter,, he faid, there 

 had been various conjectures formed about us at Bolche- 

 retfk: that the Major thought it mod probable we were on a 

 trading fcheme, and for that reafon had fent down a mer- 

 chant to us ; but that the officer, who was fecond in com- 

 mand, was of opinion we were French, and come with fome 

 hoftile intention, and were for taking meafures accordingly. 

 It had required, he added, all the Major's authority to keep 

 the inhabitants from leaving the town, and retiring up into 

 the country; to fo extraordinary a pitch had their fears rifen,. 

 from their perfuafion that we were French. 



Their extreme apprchenfions of that nation were princi- 

 pally occafioned, by fome circumftances attending an infur- 

 rection that had happened, at Bolcheretfk, a few years be- 

 fore, in which" the Commander had loft his life. We were 

 informed, that an exiled Polifh officer, named Beniowfki, 

 taking advantage of the confufion into which the town was 



Vol. III. C c thrown, 



