THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 361 



he found among the Mungalians. From the whole of '779- 

 •which he draws this conclulion, that they fled ior fafety to 

 this peninfula, from the rapid advances of the Eaftern con- 

 querors ; as the Laplanders, the Samoides, &c. were com- 

 pelled to retreat to the extremities of the North, by the 

 Europeans. 



The Ruffians having extended their conquefts, and efta- 

 blifhed ports and colonies along that immenfe extent of 

 coaft of the frozen fea, from the Jenefei to the Anadir, ap- 

 pointed commiflaries for the purpofe of exploring and fub- 

 jecting the countries Hill farther Eafhvard. They foon be- 

 came acquainted with the wandering Koriacs inhabiting 

 the North and North Eafl coaft of the fea of Okotfk, and 

 without difficulty made them tributary. Thefe being the 

 immediate neighbours of the Kamtfchadales, and likewife 

 in the habits of bartering with them, a knowledge of Kamt- 

 fchatka followed of courfe. 



The honour of the firft difcovery is given to Feodot 

 AlexeiefF, a merchant, who is faid to have failed from the 

 river Kovyma, round the peninfula of the Tfchutfki, in 

 company with feven other veilels, about the year 1648. 

 The tradition goes, that being feparated from the reft by a 

 ftorm, near the Tfchukotfkoi Nofs, he was driven upon the 

 coaft of Kamtfchatka, where he wintered ; and the fummer 

 following coafted round the promontory of Lopatka, into 

 the fea of Okotfk, and entered the mouth of the Tigil; but 

 that he and his companions were cut off by the Koriacs, 

 in endeavouring to pafs from thence by land to the Ana- 

 dirik. This, in part, is corroborated by the accounts of 

 Simeon Defhneff, who commanded one of the feven veffels, 



Vol. III. 3 A and 



