ARRIVAL OF THE HELENA. 65 



hoped to procure a passage for Canton, and there 

 to dispose of his merchandise to advantage. 

 These skins are usually sold in China for two 

 Spanish dollars each. 



On the arrival of Captain Blanchard's ship in 

 port, the whole crew, he himself not excepted, 

 were in a state of intoxication ; and it appeared 

 to be mere good luck that they had escaped 

 the dangers of so many rocks and shallows ; but 

 the North Americans are such clever sailors, 

 that even when drunk they are capable of 

 managing a ship. It is also probable, that 

 these had lived more soberly during the voyage, 

 and had been tempted by the joy of completing 

 it, to extraordinary indulgence. On my visit to 

 the ship, I could not help remarking the great 

 economy of all its arrangements : no such thing, 

 for instance, as a looking-glass was to be seen, 

 except the one kept for measuring the angle of 

 the sextant, and that, small as it was, assisted 

 the whole crew in the operation of shaving. 



On the 30th of July, the ship Helena, belong- 

 ing to the Company, arrived in New Archangel 

 from Petersburgh, bringing an ample provision 

 of necessaries for the colony. To us this ship 



