198 FROM THE ST. LAWRENCE ISLANDS 



most miserable situation, as of course they could 

 not have provisions without payment. Fortu- 

 nately I had laid in such a provision of stock-fish 

 at Oonalashka, as enabled me to send these poor 

 creatures provisions for a month. Taracanof, who 

 seemed to me a very sensible man, had concluded 

 a contract with M. Hebet, the owner of two ships 

 lying here, by w^hich he bound himself to maintain 

 and clothe the Aleutians a whole year, on con- 

 dition that he should bring them to California, 

 where they should employ themselves in catching 

 sea-otters on the islands there. After the expira- 

 tion of this year, Hebet brings them to Sitka, and 

 gives the Company half of the skins obtained. This 

 contract was advantageous to the Company, which 

 often lets out Aleutians in this manner ; for these 

 unhappy people will be the victims of their op- 

 pressors, as long as the Company is subjected to 

 the dictates of a monster, who purchases every 

 gain with the blood of his fellow-creatures. 



The necessary preparations were now made on 

 board the ship, that we might leave Woahoo as 

 soon as possible. M. Chamisso, in the mean time, 

 made a short tour through the country. 



The 6th of October. To-day the American 

 brig Boston ran in here, after having doubled 

 Cape Horn and touched at Sitka, and intended 

 from this place to proceed to Canton. The captain 

 let us have, on payment, some biscuit, of which 

 we were entirely out. 



