TO KAMTSCHATKA. 175 



fearful of a small vessel ; and, observing . every 

 motion of ours, they loudly expressed their sur- 

 prise, when they saw the boat hauled out of the 

 Rurick. I dispatched Lieutenant Schischmareff) 

 M. Von Chamisso, and M. Choris, the artist, in 

 order to gain the confidence of our savages by pre- 

 sents. They, however, were thrown into the greatest 

 alarm by the arrival of the boat, and, while they 

 were warmly debating whether they should remain, 

 or fly, our people had already come up to them, 

 and tried to insinuate themselves into their favour 

 by friendly gestures and small presents, which the 

 savages readily accepted. Lieutenant Schischma- 

 reff, who thought he had already established a 

 friendly intercourse, attempted to get into their 

 boat, to admire the neat work closer ; an attempt 

 which quite confounded them ; they hastily threw 

 some pandanus fruit, and a handsome mat, which 

 was probably intended as a present in return, into 

 our boat, and then sailed off as quick as possible. 

 We did not succeed in having any further inter- 

 course with them, though they always sailed about 

 the ship, making many signs to invite us to come 

 on shore. But I could not venture to accept their 

 invitation, the island being entirely surrounded by 

 coral reefs, which occasioned a violent surf, and it 

 would have cost me too much time to look for a 

 tolerable landing-place. We admired the rapidity 

 with which their boats sailed close to the wind : 

 it had only one disproportionably large sail, of fine 



