TO THE COAST OF AMERICA. ft 



.excepting my colonifb, afterwards ventured to make fe- 

 deral attempts. They affembled, one rainy and llormy 

 flight, in great multitudes, and fell with much fury on 

 the baidars that lay in the bay of Igatazk, throwing on 

 all fides darts and arrows ; but our people with the fire 

 of their fmall arms, repelled this attack ; yet whether 

 any of them were flain by them, we could not learn : 

 on our fide five men were wounded, but only fo that 

 they might foon be cured. Our baidars were indeed 

 much damaged ; as the darts of the Konaeges had en- 

 tirely gone through their lides, and in fuch numbers, 

 that fome of them had at leall a hundred holes. The 

 attack was indeed tremendous. I had been previoufly 

 informed of the favage nature of the nation of Konaeges, 

 as likewife of the caufes of the fuccefs of their endea- 

 vours to find out the Hate and condition of the feveral 

 trading hunters # , as they came to them, whereby they very 

 ealily drove them away. But my zeal for the interefts of 

 my native country armed me againft. every apprehen- 

 lion I entertained in regard to the earlier accounts of 

 the trading hunters who had been on the promontory 



* It is thus that I fyave ventured to tranflate the ruffian term 

 promuifidennik, which M. Muller in his contributions to ruffian 

 hiftory does not tranflate at all; and of which in vol. vi. p. 491. he 

 gives the following explanation : " In Siberia under this name are 

 comprized all thofe people who addi£t themfelves at once to trade, 

 to hunting and fifhing, and whofe forefathers fettled there foqii 

 after the difcovery of Siberia, in order to gain their livelihood by 

 trading in furs, of which, as is well known, there is great abun- 

 dance in that country." As we fee already from this account of 

 Sfcelekhof s voyage, they have now united in feveral commercial 

 companies. 



