164 FROM RADACK TO 



was, as we should be unable to brace the fore-sails 

 so tight as the contrary wind sometimes requires. 

 The copper sheathing was quite gone in some 

 parts ; in others the plates still hung on, which im- 

 peded the progress of the ship ; she was there- 

 fore obliged to be careened and unloaded. It 

 would have been impossible to have had all these 

 repairs tinished in proper time if M. Kriukof had 

 not given us active assistance. Every thing still 

 looked wintry in the harbour ; the mountains were 

 covered with snow, and the thermometer at noon 

 was only three degrees of heat. During our 

 stay we had for the most part bad weather, which 

 hindered us very much in our work. 



On the 27th of May, to our great joy, the two 

 interpreters arrived from Kodiak, who affirmed 

 that they were acquainted with the language of the 

 islands lying to the north of Alaska. 



On the 31st, I sent the mate, Chramtschenko, 

 with a small baydare, to survey the islands of Akun 

 and Aketan, where he remained some days. 



The 4 th of June. A dead whale, which had strand- 

 ed here, put every thing in motion ; the Aleutians 

 flocked in crowds, and swarmed about the half-putre- 

 fied fish, as flies about honey. We were prevented 

 from going near it by the nauseous smell. By an 

 arrow which still stuck in the flesh, it was immedi- 

 ately known who had killed it, and consequently 

 was the owner. The district in which such a trea- 

 sure is stranded is entitled to a part of it, and the 



