THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



2 99 



Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The party to which I belonged, '77* 



r September. 



took the courle or the river, at the mouth of which we had 

 fiihed for the falmon ; and, after being thoroughly foaked 

 by the heavy rains that fell all the morning, we came about 

 three in the afternoon to fome old balagans, where a Kamtf- 

 chadale village had been formerly fituated, without meet- 

 ing with a fingle bear during the whole of a long and tedi- 

 ous walk. It was our firft intention to have remained here 

 all night, in order to have refumed our chace early the next 

 morning ; but the weather clearing, and at the fame time 

 a frcfh breeze fpringing up from a quarter unfavourable to 

 our dcfigns, the Hofpodin, whom former fuiferings had 

 made very unfit to bear much fatigue, and who feemed, at 

 prefent, more particularly diftrefled from having emptied 

 his fnuff-box, began to be very importunate with us to return 

 home. It was fome time before the old corporal confented, 

 alleging, that we were at a great diftance from the harbour; 

 and that, on account of the badnefs of the way, the night 

 would probably overtake us before we reached the end of 

 our journey. At length, however, he yielded to Ivaikin's 

 intreaties, and conducted us along the fide of a number of 

 fmall lakes, with which the flat part of this country feems 

 much to abound. Thefc lakes are from half a mile to two 

 miles in length, and about half a mile broad ; the water is 

 frefli and clear, and they are full of a red coloured fifh, re- 

 fcmbling, both in fhape and fize, a fmall falmon ; of which 

 a more particular defcription will be given hereafter. The 

 banks of thefe lakes were covered with the fragments of 

 fifh that the bears had half eaten, and which caufed an in- 

 tolerable flench. We often came upon the fpots which the 

 bears had juft left, but were never able even to come within 

 fight of them. 



Q^q 2 It 



