THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



437 



During our abfence, a brifk trade had been carrying on l 779- 

 with the Chinefe, for the fea-otter fkins, which had, every 

 day, been rifing in their value. One of our feamen fold his 

 flock, alone, for eight hundred dollars ; and a few prime 

 fkins, which were clean, and had been well preferved, 

 were fold for one hundred and twenty each. The whole 

 amount of the value, in fpecie and goods, that was got for 

 the furs, in both mips, I am confident, did not fall fhort of 

 two thoufand pounds fterling ; and it was generally fup- 

 pofed, that at leafl two-thirds of the quantity we had origi- 

 nally got from the Americans, were fpoiled and worn our, 

 or had been given away, and othcrwife difpofed of, in 

 Kamtfchatka. When, in addition to thefe facts, it is re- 

 membered, that the furs were, at firft, collected without 

 our having any idea of their real value ; that the greatefl 

 part had been worn by the Indians, from whom we pur- 

 chafed them ; that they were afterward preferved with lit- 

 tle care, and frequently ufed for bed-clothes, and other 

 purpofes, during our cruize to the North ; and that, proba- 

 bly, we had never got the full value for them in China ; the 

 advantages that might be derived from a voyage to that 

 part of the American coaft, undertaken with commercial 

 views, appear to me of a degree of importance fufficient to 

 call for the attention of the Public. 



The rage with which our feamen were pofTefled to return 

 to Cook's River, and, by another cargo of fkins, to make 

 their fortunes, at one time, was not far fhort of mutiny ; 

 and I muft own, I could not help indulging myfelf in a pro- 

 ject, which the difappointment we had fuffered, in being 

 obliged ro leave thejapanefe Archipelago, and the Northern 

 coaft of China unexplored, firft fuggefted ; and, by what I 

 conceived, that object might ftill be happily accomplifhed, 

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