90 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



that just a year ago today the provisions were lost at the mouth 

 of the Okhota through this same man's cleverness. At two 

 o'clock in the afternoon we came to anchor behind this outer- 

 most island two versts from shore. 



On September 4, likewise with quiet weather, we attempted 

 to get out to sea by going round the western side of this island, 

 but as it could not be done on account of the west wind we found 

 ourselves compelled to turn back east to our former position, 

 which we finally reached 2°^ and dropped anchor. Through this 

 event it came about that without expectation or search we 

 chanced to meet with Americans. We had scarcely dropped the 

 anchor when we heard a loud shout from the rock to the south 

 of us, which at first, not expecting any human beings on this 

 miserable island twenty miles away from the mainland, we held 

 to be the roar of a sea lion. A little later, however, we saw 

 two small boats paddling toward our vessel from shore. We all 

 waited for them with the greatest eagerness and full of wonder 

 in order, on the arrival of these islanders, to pay special attention 

 to their appearance and characteristics. — When yet about half 

 a verst distant from us both men in their boats began, while still 

 paddling, simultaneously to make an uninterrupted, long speech 

 in a loud voice of which none of our interpreters could understand 

 a word. We construed it therefore as either a formula of prayer 

 or incantation, or a ceremony of welcoming us as friends, ^o^ 

 since both customs are in use in Kamchatka and the Kurile 



20* The MS has in addition: "at four o'clock in the afternoon." This 

 talUes with the entry in the log book for 4 p.m., September 5 (i.e. Sep- 

 tember 4, civil date); see Vol. i, p. 147. 



205 In order to secure the viewpoint of modern ethnology on this and 

 other matters, the whole passage describing the meeting with the Aleuts 

 was submitted for comment to Mr. F. W. Hodge of the Museum of the 

 American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York. Footnotes 207 (partly), 

 211, and 216 (partly) are based on the information kindly supplied by Mr. 

 Hodge. 



With regard to the "uninterrupted long speech in a loud voice" Mr. 

 Hodge knows of no explanation other than the second here suggested by 

 Steller, which is also given by Captain Cook (see Vol. i, p. 148, footnote 

 92). (J) 



