A PRISONER IN RUSSIAN HANDS 179 
up some clothes and went on board the steamer. 
Before I left the schooner, the shipkeeper heard that 
they intended to take me to Petropaulsky, and that, 
if he wished to get me on board again, he must go 
there too. I little thought he would be fool enough 
to go. 
The action of the Alexander's people, indeed, 
took us somewhat by surprise, as she was but a 
merchant-vessel, without any special authority. We 
could easily have got away, had we so chosen, with 
the breeze then blowing, the Alexander being only 
able to make eight knots. 
Both vessels now got under way, the schooner 
proceeding to the westward, and the steamer in the 
opposite direction, anchoring off the rookery and 
village. Here we took on board 13,000 sealskins, 
which had been salted and bundled ready for ship¬ 
ment. I was perfectly comfortable on board the 
steamer, being given a berth off the saloon, and 
messing with the captain. Next day S. and my 
two boats were brought on board, and we left the 
rookery and steamed to Nicolski, the chief place 
on the island. Owing to thick weather, we could 
not make the harbour until the evening. When 
S. was brought on board he did not recognize me, 
nor I him. I learned later that he had been cap¬ 
tured through running back into the arms of the 
natives, as he thought he heard the word given to 
stand by the skins. They took him to the village 
that night, and locked him up in an old yurt , from 
which he tried to escape by setting fire to it, but 
without success. I ascertained that the natives had 
been on the watch for us night and day, but, as 
we had put off landing so long, thought we had 
