THE FORTUNES OF THE WHALEBOAT PARTY. 831 



following the river, came into what appeared to be a 

 large bay. The channel was very tortuous, sand spits 

 were continually interrupting their course, but at 

 length, shortly after noon, they effected a landing near 

 a collection of huts. They had taken their dinner and 

 were pulling off to get nearer the huts, when they 

 espied three natives approaching them in their canoes. 

 They beckoned to the natives to come close, and, after 

 some hesitation, one of the canoes came alongside the 

 whaleboat, when it was seized by one of the sailors. A 

 little alarm followed, but by various signs Mr. Melville 

 made the natives understand that they were friendly, 

 and followed them to their landing-place. Here they 

 feasted upon venison and goose and fish, and by an 

 interchange of civilities soon became on excellent terms 

 with the three natives. Mr. Melville tried by panto- 

 mime and drawing to persuade the natives to pilot them 

 to Bulun, and the natives in turn, making out his wish, 

 used very expressive pantomime to reply that it would 

 be sure death to them to attempt it. 



The place proved to be Cape Borkhia, and was a 

 fishing camp of the natives. They stayed there all 

 night and tried again, but in vain, to induce one of the 

 natives to conduct them to Bulun. Then they pushed 

 off again, but after a day and night of great discomfort 

 on the river, a gale coming on, they were forced to re- 

 turn to the huts they had left, and reached Cape 

 Borkhia in the evening. They found then that the 

 Starosti, or head man of the village, had been sent for, 

 and, on his arrival, Mr. Melville succeeded in persuading 

 him to pilot the party to Bulun, which they made out 

 from him to be six days distant. 



They started on their journey the next day, Septem- 

 ber 22d, and on the 25th had reached a collection of 



