52 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



was quite obvious, would have aroused the interest of these 

 savages much more.^^ But to this it was objected that such 

 presents might be regarded as a sign of hostility, as if the inten- 

 tion were to declare war. How much more likely was it, par- 

 ticularly if they attempted to use the tobacco in the wrong way, 

 for them to conclude that we had intended to poison them ! On 

 the other hand, we learned later how gladly the savages had 

 accepted a few knives from Captain Chirikov^^ and how eager 

 they were to have more. 



I had been on the ship scarcely an hour when Khitrov with 

 his party of about fifteen men also returned in the great boat and 

 made the following report :^^ He had discovered among the 

 islands lying close to the mainland a harbor where one could 

 anchor without any danger. Although he had seen no human 

 beings on land, he had nevertheless come across a small dwelling 

 built of wood, the walls of which were so smooth ^^ that it 

 seemed as if they had been planed and in fact as if it had been 

 done with cutting tools. ^^ Out of this building he brought with 

 him various tangible tokens, for instance, a wooden vessel, such 

 as is made in Russia of linden bark and used as a box; a stone 

 which perhaps, for lack of something better, served as a whet- 

 stone, on which were seen streaks of copper, ^^ as if the savages, 



»^ Sarychev (Voyage, St. Petersburg, 1802, Vol. 2, pp. 52-53; English 

 edit., London, 1806-07, Vol. 2, p. 25) relates that the natives near 

 Nuchek told him that an expedition like Bering's came to Kayak and 

 that the people of the ship came ashore and left some knives (see also 

 Vol. I, p. 98, footnote 38). In the account of this incident in the log book 

 (Vol. I, p. 97, 4 P. M. entry) and also in Khitrov's report {ibid., p. 99) it is 

 stated that two knives were ordered to be left in the cellar. (G) 



95 See the journal of the St. Paul (Vol. i, p. 304). 



96 Khitrov's report is printed in Vol. i, p. 99. In the log book (ibid., 

 P- 97. 9 P- M. entry) there is also a brief account of his reconnaissance. 



" The MS has "the walls of which were so smooth on the inside." 

 9« Instead of "and in fact as if it had been done with cutting tools" 

 the MS reads "wherefore it would almost appear that they have instru- 

 ments of iron and must know the use and working of iron." 



9» The stone on which Steller thought he recognized some stains of 

 copper was probably a whetstone which had been used on some copper 



J 



