THIRD VOYAGE 413 



notwithstanding all the respect we wished to entertain for a 

 Russian ostrog, we were under the necessity of concluding 

 to be Petropaulowska. However, in justice to the generous 

 and hospitable treatment we found here, I shall beg leave to 

 anticipate the reader's curiosity, by assuring him that our 

 disappointment proved to be more of a laughable than a 

 serious nature. For in this wretched extremity of the earth, 

 barricaded with ice, and covered with summer snow, in a 

 poor miserable port, we met with feelings of humanity, 

 joined to a greatness of mind, which would have done 

 honour to any nation or climate. 



" During the night much ice drifted by us with the tide, 

 and at day-light I was sent with the boats to examine the 

 bay, and deliver the letters we had brought from Oona- 

 lashka to the Russian commander. 



" As we approached, we observed a few men hurrying 

 backward and forward, and presently after, a sledge drawn 

 by dogs, with one of the inhabitants in it, came down to the 

 sea-side opposite to us. Whilst we were gazing at this 

 unusual sight, and admiring the great civility of this 

 stranger, which we imagined had brought him to our assist- 

 ance, the man, after viewing us for some time very atten- 

 tively, turned short round, and went off with great speed 

 towards the ostrog. We were not less chagrined than 

 disappointed at this abrupt departure, as we began to find 

 our journey over the ice attended not only with great 

 difficulty, but even with danger. 



" WTien we were within a quarter of a mile of the ostrog, 

 we perceived a body of armed men marching towards us, 

 consisting of about thirty soldiers, headed by a decent look- 

 ing person with a cane in his hand. He halted within a 

 few yards of us, and drew up his men in a martial and good 

 order. I delivered to him Ismyloff's letters, and en- 

 deavoured to make him understand as well as I could 

 (though I afterwards found in vain), that we were English, 

 and had brought them papers from Oonalashka. After 

 having examined us attentively, he began to conduct us 

 towards the village in great silence and solemnity, frequently 

 halting his men to form them in different manners, and 

 make them perform several parts of their manual exercise. 



" At length we arrived at the house of the commanding 

 officer of the party, into which we were ushered ; and after 

 no small stir in giving orders, and disposing of the military 

 without doors, our host made his appearance, accompanied 

 by another person, whom we understood to be the secretary 

 of the port. One of Ismyloff's letters was now opened, and 

 the other sent off by a special messenger to Bolcheretsk, a 

 town on the west side of the peninsula of Kamtschatka, 



