364 A V O Y A G E T O 



»779- in their turn ; and the CofTacks, being thus in open rebel- 



Oflober. ' _, i . , 



««-— v ' lion to the Ruffian government, and with arms in their 



hands, were let loofe upon the natives. The hiftory of this 

 country from that period, till the grand revolt of the Kamt- 

 fchadales in 1731, prefents one unvaried detail of maf- 

 facres, revolts, and lavage and fanguinary rencounters be- 

 tween fmall parties, from one end of the peninfula to tha 

 other. 



What led to this revolt, was the difcovcry of a paffa gc 

 from Okotfk to the Bolchoireka, which was fir ft made by 

 Cofmo SokolofF, in the year 17 15. Hitherto the Ruffians 

 had no entrance into the country, but on the fide of Ana- 

 dirfk; fo that the natives had frequent opportunities of both 

 plundering the tribute, as it was carried by fo long a joui> 

 ncy out of the peninfula, and haralling the troops in their 

 march into it. But by the difcovery of this communica*- 

 tion, there exifted a fafc and fpeedy means, as well of ex- 

 porting the tribute, as of importing troops and military 

 ilores into the very heart of the country; which the natives 

 eafily faw gave the Ruffians fo great an advantage, as muft 

 foon confirm their dominion, and therefore determined 

 them to make one grand and immediate ftruggle for their 

 liberty. The moment refolved upon, for carrying their de- 

 figns into execution, was when Beering mould have fet fail, 

 who was at this time on the coaft with a fmall fquadron, 

 and had difpatched all the troops that could well be fparcd 

 from the country, to join Powloutflci, in an expedition 

 againft the Tfchutfki. The opportunity was well chofen ; 

 and it is altogether furprizing, that this confpiracy, which 

 was fo general, that every native in the peninfula is faid to 

 have had his fliarc in it, was at the fame time conducted 



with 



