304 AVOYAGETO 



1779- the 26th, I attended him to church. The congregation con- 



Septcmbcr. <J ° 



v_ — k > Med of his own family, three Kamtfchadale men, and three 



boys, who a Hilled in finging part of the fervice ; the whole 

 of which was performed in a very folcmn and edifying 

 manner. The church is of wood, and by far the heft building 

 cither in this town, or in that of St. Peter and St. Paul. It is 

 ornamented with many paintings, particularly with two pic- 

 tures of St. Peter and St. Paul, prefented by Beering ; and 

 which, in the real lichnefs of their drapery, would carry off 

 the prize from the fir ft of our European performances ; 

 for all the principal parts of it are made of thick plates of 

 folid filver, faftened to the canvafs, and fafhioned into the 

 various foldings of the robes with which the figures were 

 clothed. 



Ifoada? 27. The next day, I fet on foot another hunting party, and 

 put myfelf under the direction of the Clerk of the parifli, 

 who was a celebrated bear-hunter. VVe arrived, by fun-fet, 

 at the fide of one of the larger lakes. The next ftep was to 

 conceal ourfelves as much as pofhble ; and this we were able 

 to do very effe (flu ally, among fome long gral's and brufh- 

 wood, that grew clofe to the water's edge. We had not 

 lain long in ambufh, before we had the plcifure to hear the 

 growlings of bears in different parts round about us ; and 

 our expectations were foon gratified, by the fight of one of 

 them in the water, which feemed to be fwimming directly 

 to the place where we lay hid. The moon, at this time, 

 gave a confiderable light ; and when the animal had ad- 

 vanced about fifteen yards, three of us fired at it, pretty 

 nearly at the fame time. The beaft immediately turned 

 iliort on one fide, and fct up a noife, which could not pro- 

 perly be called roaring, nor growling, nor yelling, but was 



a mixture 



