104 AVOYAGETOTHE 



^ ^y^ ^- have plenty of iifli the next morning. I embraced this 



u— r offer, with great pleafure, and left one of my failors, who 



jliiy.' had fome little knowledge of the Ruffian language. 



Friday 21. 



The Ruffian fettlcment, if I may be allowed to call 

 that one where the refidence is only temporary, was litu- 

 ated on a pleafant piece of flat land, about three miles 

 in length, and 200 yards over, bounded by a good fandy 

 beach on one fide, and a fmall lake of frefh water, which 

 empties itfelf into the fea, on the other. In this lake they 

 catch plenty of fine falmon. The beach terminates at 

 each end in high points of land, which form a fnug bay, 

 where fmall craft might lie with great fafety. 



The Ruffians were twenty-five in number, exclufive of 

 the Indians, which I now found were brought from Ko~ 

 diac and Oonalafka. They had two fkin boats, each cal- 

 culated to row twelve oars, and the thwarts were double 

 banked. I underftood that the chief and the Indians 

 took up their abode in a fmall tent covered with canvas, 

 and the remainder flept under the two boats juft men- 

 tioned. 



They have no bread; their diet feems toconfifl princi- 

 pally of fifh, and a mefs is made of the root of a plant, 

 called by Steller the Serena, vv'hich would tafte very well,, 

 were it not rendered unpalatable, by being mixed with ani- 

 mal oil: they had alfo fome very good tea. ' 



X 



Amongst the party were three Indian women ; one of 

 whom I was informed came from Oonalafka, the others 

 from Kodiac. ; 



I COULD 



