f A VOYAGE TO 



ailbrtmcnt of every article prefented to him by Captain 

 '".'•'". . Gierke. On this occafion I muft not pafs over an inftancc of 

 great generofity and gratitude in the Tailors of both (hips ; 

 who, when they were told of the handfomc prcfent of to- 

 bacco that was made them by the Major, defired, entirely 

 of their own accord, that their grog might be flopped, and 

 their allowance of fpirits prefented, on their part, to the 

 garrifon of Bolcheretfk, as they faid they had reafon to con- 

 clude that brandy was fcarce in the country, and would be 

 very acceptable to them, fince the foldiers on more had of- 

 fered four roubles a bottle for it. We, who knew how 

 much the iailors always felt, whenever their allowance of 

 grog was flopped, which was generally done in warm wea- 

 ther, that they might have it in a greater proportion in cold, 

 and that this offer would deprive them of it during the in- 

 clement feafon we had to expect in our next expedition to 

 the North, could not but admire fo extraordinary a facrificc; 

 and that they might not fufFer by it, Captain Gierke, and 

 the reft of the officers fubftitutcd in the room of the very 

 imall quantity the Major could be prevailed on to accept, the 

 lame quantity of rum. This, with a dozen or two of Cape 

 wine, for Madame Behm, and fuch other little prefents as 

 were in our power to bellow, were accepted in the moil 

 obliging manner. The next morning the tobacco was di- 

 vided between the crews of the twofliips, three pounds being 

 allotted to every man that chewed or fmoked tobacco, and 

 one pound to thofe that did not. 



I have before mentioned, that Major Behm had refigned the 

 command of Kamtichaika, and intended to fet out in a fhort 

 time for Petcrfburg ; and he now offered to charge himfelf 

 with any difpatches we might trull to his care. This was 

 an opportunity not to be neglected ; and accordingly Cap- 

 tain 



