TO OONALASHKA. '213 



rowed several times round the ship without speak- 

 ing a word, observing it with great attention, but 

 were by no means to be prevailed upon to come on 

 board, though they very well understood our signs ; 

 after they had pointed first to some fur and then 

 to their habitations, whither they invited us, they 

 took the way thither ; probably therefore they were 

 sent to reconnoitre us. Among their arms we also 

 observed a musket ; if the Russian merchants often 

 take the liberty to sell them muskets, it may have 

 very bad consequences for the Russian colony in 

 Kamtschatka, because if such a warlike nation as 

 the Tschukutskoi are furnished with fire-arms, 

 the inhabitants of Kamtschatka must tremble at 

 their attacks. 



I immediately gave orders to put out two boats, 

 and at two o'clock wc commenced our tour to shore. 

 Their reception of us seemed friendly, though not 

 without distrust, for they would not allow us to 

 go up to their habitations. Fifty men, armed with 

 long knives, came to meet us, and invited us to sit 

 down on skins spread out on the beach, while they 

 formed a circle round us ; the other lialf seemed 

 to be placed as sentinels behind their habitations. 

 This superiority deprived me of the pleasure of 

 examining their huts, and besides made our stay 

 on shore not quite safe ; we conversed as well as 

 we were able, and 1 made a present to the two 

 chiefs, who were apart from the rest, and were 

 sitting near me, of different trifles, and hung a 



K o 



