Rtissian Expedition to Japan. 121 



which are a kind of shepherds' dogs, is heard here almost 

 every evening. Thev are very numerous ; but tame, and 

 never hurt any one. This harmlessness of disposition arises 

 from their beina: fed by all the inhabitants ; for everv person 

 who catches fish, as soon as the nets are drawn, throws a 

 few to the dogs, which are accidentally present, and tiiere- 

 fore they are iond of frequenting the sea shore. In winter 

 thev are chained up. 



Captain Clark's grave is below an old birch tree. The 

 epitaph La Perouse caused to be engraved on a plate of 

 copper, and under it was inscribed, — " By the order of 

 fount de la Perouse, chef d'escadre," 8cc. The copper plate 

 was fixe<l up with nails, but was nevertheless stolen. After 

 this circumstance a voice was heard every night demanding 

 it back ; and it was at length restored. It is not nailed up 

 at present, vet no person touches it. 



The ship Slava Rossic, in w hich Billings performed his 

 voyage, lies here sunk in the harbour. 



Great complaint havin^r been made here that there was 

 no establishment for taking care of the sick, and that many 

 perished for want of proper assistance, general Koschelef 

 proposed a subscription, which was seconded by the am- 

 bassador ; and each having subscribed 1000 rubles, the sum 

 of 4000 was collecied in the course of less than an hour. 

 On its being remarked that, this circumstance would give 

 great satisfaction to the emperor, the enthusiasm became 

 general. All this was done on board the ship, and it is 

 n(jt improbable that something has been collected on shore. 

 I shall send you a further account of Ivaintchatka when I 

 return from Japan, 



Our water continued sweet, and never became corrupted: 

 for this we were indebted to the care of the captain, who 

 always caused the casks to be charred. When at Copen-, 

 hagcn he had read in a journal, edited by Pfaft'and Fried- 

 lander, that water would keep a long time uncorrupted in 

 charred casks; and this we have found perfectly confirmed. 



The Ibllowino; irait will serve to show Joseph's way of 

 thinking, and what he considered allowable in Nukahivali. 

 When the ship wa.". ui^Joaded iiere, it was found that a orcat 

 deal of mischief !:ad I^een done bv the rats ; thev had emp- 

 tied several pipes of wine, or at least gnaw ed the ca.^ks in 

 oupli a manner that the wine had run out. As the whole 

 almost of onr provisions were on shore, they became \ery 

 jreslless, and appeared in great numbers. ! recollected that 

 \ Jiad among my medicines mix vomica, some of which I 



niix'.() 



