THE ST. LAWRENCE ISLANDS. 163 



day, when it was falling in very large flakes, gave 

 iiimself the trouble to catch some, and was seized 

 with a shuddering, when it suddenly vanished 

 in his hand ; full of mistrust, he looked at all of 

 us, and thought himself transported into a land of 

 enchantment. 



On the 24th, with the assistance of a violent S. 

 wind, we penetrated the channel between the islands 

 of Oonalashka and Oonalga, and, after much tack- 

 ing, reached the harbour in the night, when a very 

 severe storm arose. I would advise nobody to 

 visit this ocean so early in the year, for the storms 

 are frightful. 



Early on the 25th w^e were visited by the agent 

 of the American Company, M. Kriukof, to offer us 

 all the assistance in his power. The baydares, and 

 all the other things which I had ordered for my 

 voyage to the north, were in hand, and in May he 

 expected the interpreters I had desired from the 

 island of Kodiak. As the ship required many re- 

 pairs, we immediately went to work, by unrigging 

 her, which had not been done during the whole 

 voyage, and was now necessary, because the 

 rigging had become quite useless. Besides this we 

 discovered that the top part of the mast was 

 rotten; the bowsprit, of which we fortunately had 

 the piece that was broken off, was obliged to be skil- 

 fully joined, as there was no wood to be had here 

 for a new one. We were likewise forced to content 

 ourselves with a joined fore-mast, inconvenient as it 



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