FIRST MEETING WITH NATIVES 93 



shore and beckoned us to follow in order that they might give 

 us to eat and drink. All the time while these two islanders stayed 

 around the vessel their companions on land called continually 

 and shouted loudly without our being able to make out their 

 purpose. 



After a short consultation the boat was let down, in which I, 

 besides Lieutenant W'axel, the Koryak interpreter, and nine 

 sailors and soldiers decided to pull ashore. We provided our- 

 selves with lances, sabers, and guns but covered all with canvas 

 so as not to arouse suspicion. In addition we took along biscuits, 

 brandy, and other trifles, in order to be able to make presents to 

 the islanders. The greatest misfortune was that we were not 

 able to make a landing, because the beach was very rocky, the 

 tide rapidly rising; wind and waves were likewise so high that 

 with the greatest difficulty we kept the boat from being dashed 

 to pieces. From the place on the beach where their boats and 

 also our presents were lying scattered about unappreciated, both 

 men and women, who because of the uniformity of the dress 

 could hardly be distinguished from each other, all came to meet 

 us at our approach, full of wonder and friendliness and continu- 

 ally beckoning with their hands towards land. As we saw that 

 we ourselves had no hope of getting ashore, we let our interpreter 

 and two other persons undress and go through the water to them, 

 in order that they might observe a thing or two. The islanders 

 received the interpreter and the others in a very friendly way 

 and led them by the arms, quite deferentially as if they were 

 very great personages, to the place where they had been seated, 

 presented them there with a piece of whale blubber, talked a bit 

 with them, though nobody understood the other, and pointed at 

 the same time frequently over the mountain, perhaps to indicate 

 that they had come here on our account only but that they had 

 their dwellings on the other side of the mountain, as, indeed, 

 [later] in going to sea towards the east around the island we got 

 sight of a few huts from a distance. A part of the islanders re- 

 mained standing on the beach abreast of us, gazing at us without 

 taking their eyes away, and frequently inviting us to them by 



