OF FOUR RUSSIAN SAILORS. 115 
their arrival on the island, until that of their embarkation for 
their native country. 
The necessity of converting the most essential parts of their 
clothing, such as their shirts and drawers, to the use above 
specified, exposed them the more to the rigor of the climate. 
They also found themselves in want of shoes, boots, and other 
articles of dress ; and as winter was approaching, they were 
again obliged to have recourse to that ingenuity which neces- 
sity suggests, and which seldom fails in the trying hour of 
distress. 
They had abundance of skins of foxes and rein-deer, that 
had hitherto served them for bedding, and which they now 
thought of employing to some more essential service, but they 
were at a loss how to tan them. After some deliberation, they 
resolved to adopt the following method : they soaked the skins 
for several days in fresh water, till they could pull off the 
hair pretty easily ; they then rubbed the wet skin with their 
hands until it was nearly dry, when they spread some melted 
rein-deer fat over it, and again rubbed it well. By this pro- 
cess the leather was rendered soft, pliant and supple, and 
proper for every purpose for which they wanted to employ it. 
Those skins that were designed for fars, they soaked only one 
day to prepare them for being wrought, and then proceeded 
in the manner before mentioned, excepting only that they did 
not remove the hair. Thus they soon provided themselves 
with the necessary materials for all the parts of dress they 
wanted. 
They made a curious needle out of a piece of vdre ; and 
the sinevv^s of the bear and rein>deer, Avhich they split into se- 
veral threads, served them to sew with. 
Excepting an uneasiness, Vv^iich generally accompanies an 
involuntary solitude, these people having thus, by their inge- 
nuity, so far overcome their wants, might have had reason to 
be contented with what Providence had done for them in their 
distressful situation. But that melancholy reflection, to v/hich 
each of these forlorn persons could not help giving wa}^ that 
perhaps he might survive hds companions, and then perish for 
want of subsistence, or bec'ome a prey to the wild beasts, in- 
cessantly disturbed their minds. The mate, Alexis Himkofti 
more paiticnlar-ly suffered ; having left a wife and three chil- 
dren behind, he was deeply afflicted at his separation from 
them. He declared, after his return, that they were con- 
stantly in his mind, and that the thought of never more see- 
ing them rendered him very unhappy. 
