180 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
given it up. On the day we did land, it was only 
by chance that our boats were seen by some natives 
who were crossing the island, who returned to the 
village and reported it. 
From Nicolski we sailed for Petropaulsky, 
arriving there two days later. I was asked to give 
my word not to leave without permission, which I 
did. Next day I went out berrying with a party of 
native girls and men from the ships, and on return¬ 
ing found the Russian flagship Skobeleff had arrived, 
with the Admiral on board. I spent the next day 
on board one of the steamers in port, the Kamchatka , 
and in the evening called on Mr. Malavenski, 
the principal trader of Petropaulsky. He happened 
to be a Freemason, and, as I am a member of that 
fraternity myself, he could not do too much for me. 
By his advice I called on the Admiral. On the 
21st I handed in a protest against the action of 
Lieutenant Gribnitsky, with a request to be sent 
down to Vladivostock, and thence to Japan by the 
steamer which was to leave in a day or two. The 
Admiral, I afterwards heard, censured Lieutenant 
Gribnitsky for taking me out of my vessel, telling 
him he ought, if taking any action, to have seized 
the vessel. 
The following is a description of Petropaulsky 
as it then was, which I sent to a friend, and I do 
not think the place has altered much since : 
“ Petropaulsky contains some 350 to 400 in¬ 
habitants. The town, consisting of about a hundred 
log houses and a few clamp-boarded dwellings, 
storehouses, church, and other buildings, stands on 
the north side of the harbour. All the best buildings 
have been erected by the Alaska Commerical Com- 
