EXPEDITIONS TO N.E. ASIA ir 



peninsula. But the period of Cossack rule and blood- 

 shed was drawing to a close. In 1727 the Government 

 fitted out two expeditions to north-eastern Asia; one 

 of them, under the command of Shestakoff and 

 Pavlutzki, was instructed to quell fermentation among 

 the Tchuktchi tribes of the Anadyr district ; the 

 other, under Behring, was to delimit the frontier 

 between the two continents of Asia and America. 

 Though the Behring expedition was intended merely 

 for scientific purposes, yet the presence in Kamchatka 

 of men far superior in every way to the Cossacks 

 (they had spent the winter of 1727-8 in Avatcha 

 Bay, and discovered Petropavlovsk harbour) could not 

 fail to influence the state of affairs in the peninsula, 

 and lower, in the eyes of the half-wild Kamchadales, 

 the prestige of their tormentors. Cossacks now 

 appeared to them in their true light ; they were but 

 rough bands of adventurers, unsupported by their 

 Government and plundering on their own account. 

 These ideas crraduallv spread throuohout the countrv, 

 and resulted in what may be termed the last stand of 

 the Kamchadales for independence. 



In 1 73 1 two hryons, or native chiefs, placed them- 

 selves at the head of their tribes. They were, more- 

 over, encouraged to rebellion by news of the defeat 

 and massacre of Shestakoff and his followers by the 



