274? FROM kotzebue's sound, kc. 



cboly, tune, consisting of only tliree notes Only 

 one female-dancer appeared at a time, who made 

 a few springs, without any expression, and then 

 vanished among the spectators. The sight of these 

 people, who, with mournful countenances, were 

 obliged to dance before me, gave me pain ; and 

 my sailors, who also felt themselves uncomfortable, 

 commenced, in order to cheer themselves, a joyful 

 song ; and two of them, placing themselves in the 

 middle of the circle, executed a national dance. 

 This sudden transition pleased us all ; and a ray 

 of pleasure beamed even in the eyes of the Aleu- 

 tians, who, till now, had. stood with their heads 

 bowed down. A servant of the American Com- 

 pany, who had left his native Russia a robust 

 youth, and had here grown old and grey, now 

 suddenly rushed in at the door, and cried, with his 

 folded hands raised to Heaven, " They are Rus- 

 sians ! they are Russians ! Oh, dear, beloved, na- 

 tive land !'* His venerable countenance expressed 

 his delight; tears of joy ran down his pale, emaciated 

 cheeks, and he concealed himself to indulge in his 

 feelings. The scene deeply affected me ; I placed 

 myself in the situation of this old man, while the 

 remembrance of his happy youth, passed in his 

 native country, now pressed with sorrow on his 

 soul. He had come hither, with the hope of pass- 

 ing a comfortable old age in the bosom of his 

 family, and was now obliged, like so many others, 

 to end his days in this desert. 



