120 Russian Expedition to Japmu 



sions. Our sour crout had become spoilt at St. Cathe- 

 rine's, and was thrown overboard. A pthisicky German 

 cook, who would not remain in Brazil though every kind 

 of support was offered to him, died three days after we had 

 crossed the line. The heat of Nukahivah had entirely ex- 

 hausted him. He would certainly have died in Europe, 

 but perhaps some months later. 



The arrival of the Nadeshda was a very fortunate circum- 

 stance for this country. The beneficial eft'ects of it are al- 

 ready felt by all Kamtcbatka. Many necessary articles could 

 no lunger be obtained, and others had risen to a most ex- 

 orbitani price. This evil has been remedied. Brandy, for 

 example, at certain times had been sold for fifty rubles per 

 can : from eighleej:i to twenty rubles was the common 

 price; and at present it is six rubles : all other things were 

 m the same proportion. The ambassador Resanof, and 

 general Koschelef, a fine young man, settle the price, and 

 superintend all public transactions. 



In regard to the Kamtchatdales I have little to say ; few 

 of them now remain. All those in Paratunka have become 

 extinct. Those left have, in a great measure, lost their 

 originality of character: the only thing by v.hich they are 

 at present distinguished is, that they are excellent bear- 

 hunters. There are here a great many bears, which feed 

 on fish, I was told that above forty of them were seen 

 round a whale lately cast on shore : this, perhaps, may be 

 exaggeration, but it is nevertheless certain that they are 

 very numerous. 



I lately was present at an original Kamtchatdale dance : 

 it represents the courtship of a bear. The bear, animated 

 by the passion of love, gesticulates with great violence ; 

 emits wild tones, which die away almost in the throat ; 

 the female, by no means insensible to these strong indica- 

 tions of tenderness, answers v;ith a kind of growling and 

 sn3.rling; her motions, however, were much more mode- 

 rate. The whole was exceedingly disgusting, and a re- 

 main, no doubt, of the antient Schamans, as well as the 

 dance of birds. 



We lately received a visit on board ship from two of the 

 natives. As' we gave them a good reception they were 

 highly pleased, and praised us much ; telling us that wo 

 were very good men, just like the Kamtchatdales. 



All the houses here, without exception, smell like stock- 

 fish, The degree of the smell is determined by the greater 

 or less cleanliness of the inhabitants. The people eat 

 scarcely any thing but fii&h. The howling of the dogs, 



>^■hich 



i 



