THIRD VOYAGE 433 



this country was in the beginning of May, 1779, when the 

 whole face of it was covered with snow from six to eight feet 

 deep. On our return, the 24th of August, the foliage of the 

 trees, and all sorts of vegetation, seemed to be in the utmost 

 state of perfection ; but at the beginning of October, the 

 tops of the hills were again covered with new fallen snow. 



" The real riches of this country must always consist in 

 the number of wild animals it produces ; and no labour can 

 ever be turned to so good an account as what is employed 

 upon their furrieries. Their animals are the common fox ; 

 the stoat or ermine ; the zibeline or sable ; the isatis or 

 arctic fox ; the varying hare ; the mountain rat or earless 

 marmot ; the weasel ; the glutton or wolverene ; the 

 argali or wild sheep ; rein-deer ; bears ; wolves ; dogs. 



" The Russian government established over this country 

 is mild and equitable, considered as a military one, in a very 

 high degree. The natives are permitted to choose their own 

 magistrates from among themselves, in the way, and with 

 the same powers, they had ever been used. One of these, 

 under the title of toion, presides over each ostrog ; is the 

 referee in all differences ; imposes fines, and inflicts punish- 

 ments for all crimes and misdemeanours ; referring to the 

 governor of Kamtschatka such only as he does not choose, 

 from their intricacy or heinousness, to decide upon himself. 

 The toion has likewise the appointment of a civil officer, 

 called a corporal, who assists him in the execution of his 

 office, and in his absence acts as his deputy. 



"By an edict of the present empress, no crime whatso- 

 ever can be punished with death. But we were informed 

 that in cases of murder (of which there are very few), the 

 punishment of the knout is administered with such severity 

 that the offender for the most part dies under it. 



" Our instructions from the Board of Admiralty, having 

 left a discretionary power with the commanding officer of 

 the expedition, in case of failure in the search of a passage 

 from the Pacific into the Atlantic Ocean, to return to 

 England by whatever route he should think best for the 

 farther improvement of geography, Captain Gore demanded 

 of the principal officers their sentiments in writing respec- 

 ting the manner in which these orders might most effectually 

 be obeyed. The result of our opinions, which he had the 

 satisfaction to find unanimous, and entirely coinciding with 

 his own, that the condition of the ships, of the sails and 

 cordage, made it unsafe to attempt, at so advanced a season 

 of the year, to navigate the sea between Japan and Asia, 

 which would otherwise have afforded the largest field for 

 discovery ; that it was therefore advisable to keep to the 

 eastward of that island, and in our way thither to run 



