CERIOtS ANECDOTE ©F AN AMERICAN SAVAGE. ^3 
out of one’s hand what struck their fancy, and instantly 
made their escape to the shore. As an American was once 
conversing very familiarly with one of our hunters, he all on a 
sudden snatched his cap from his head, and springing into his 
baidar, was making off in all haste to the shore, when he was 
overtaken, and obliged to restore the plunder. Another plucked 
the scissars out of our taylor’s hand, and made his escape. Our 
sailors, however, treated these savage people with great civility, 
and conducted themselves so peaceably, that only one difference 
arose, which was however quickly settled. An Artell of sailors 
had invited an American to dine with them on buck-wheat 
grits, of which he took a spoonful in his mouth, and swallowed 
a little, but as he did not like it, he spit out the remainder into 
the common dish. At this the sailors were highly provoked, 
and in the heat of their anger, were going to deal their blows 
upon the poor wretch ; but on hearing the noise, we hastened 
to the spot, and delivered him from the assailants. He him¬ 
self, however, was all the time at a loss to conceive the cause 
of their anger, and requested an explanation; which was no 
sooner given him, by observing, that he had made the mess 
unpalatable to the rest, than he in his turn was no less 
offended at the indignity offered him, assuring them that his 
mouth was not unclean, and that none of his countrymen would 
have objected to eat after him. 
On the £3d, I set off on my excursion, having an inspector 
of the mines with me, to collect natural curiosities, sixteen 
men for my crew, and one of the Kadjak interpreters. At 
lirst, we passed the bay of Nutschek, which is about two miles 
broad, having in its centre three lofty rocks rising out of the 
water. 
From the bay of Nutschek, the shore winds for eleven miles 
towards the north, and then turns to the east. We continually 
kept close to the land, and found it, for the first four miles, 
mountainous and steep, but farther on more woody and more 
level. Here we were overtaken by four baidars with six Ameri¬ 
cans, who continued as our guides until evening. On our look¬ 
ing out for a station for the night, they advised me to go on as 
far as the mouth of the brook, which we found abounded greatly 
in fish; but as 1 would not follow their advice, they left us, and 
pursued their own course. We took up our night’s abode in a 
little creek, and after going on shore to prepare and eat our 
food, we returned to our bark, hauled it off a little from land, 
and Jying-to with a small anchor, kept a watch all night, to pre¬ 
vent being surprized by any unexpected attack of the savages. 
The next morning I pursued my course, and soon passed the 
brook, to which the Americans had, the evening before, invited 
