TO THE COAST OP AMERICA. 



all our pains and hardfhips, we reached Irkutzk on thq, 

 6th of April, in good condition. And here I efteem 

 it my duty, in this public manner, to teftify my grati- 

 tude to two perfons highly deferving of our common 

 country, the captains Timotheus and Balilius Shnalef, 

 of whom one has the fuperintendance of fort Tigil, 

 and the other a command in the fettiement of Kamenfk 

 for preventing of quarrels between the hordes of the 

 Koraeki and the Tfhukotfki ; as alfo to the corporal 

 Popof, and to the Kozaks and the interpreter Sufdalef ; 

 who accompanied me on the road ; and, as they had 

 relations among the Koraski, the more eafily defended 

 me from harm : for only to their care and kindnefs I 

 believe myfelf indebted for the prefervation of my life. 



Nothing now remains but to defcribe as briefly as I 

 can the foil of the american illands, the people that 

 inhabit them, their manners, ufages and drefs, and to 

 give fome account of the beafts and birds that are 

 found upon them. 



The american iflands, extending eaftwards from 

 ,Kuktal, are, like north-eaitern America, for the moft 

 part ftoney and naked mountains, yet among them is 

 very good land, extremely lit for cultivation ; of which 

 I thoroughly convinced myfelf by my own experiments, 

 namely, by fowing barley, millet, peafe, beans, gourds, 

 parfnips, muftard, beets, potatoes, turneps, and rhubarb. 



All thefe fucceeded as well as could be deiired, ex- 

 cepting that the millet, peafe, beans, and gourds, pro- 

 duced no feed ; but this for no other reafon than be- 

 caufe the proper time for fowing them was neglected. 

 For hay there are plenty of meadow-lands, which pro - 

 duce excellent grafs ; and in many places, the cattle 



vol. ii. p will 



