THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
poffible, the two men who had boat-hooks in their hands, 
were ordered into the rear, and Mr. Webber and myfelf 
marched in front. The Ruffian party, confifting of about 
thirty foldiers, was headed by a decent-looking perfon, with 
a cane in his hand. He halted within a few yards of us, 
and drew up his men in a martial and good order. I deli¬ 
vered to him Ifmyloff’s letters, and endeavoured to make 
him underhand, as well as I could (though I afterward 
found in vain), that we were Engliffi, and had brought 
the papers from Oonalalhka. After having examined us 
attentively, he began to conduct us toward the village, in 
great filence and folemnity, frequently halting his men, to 
form them in different manners, and make them perform 
feveral parts of their manual exercife, probably with a view 
to ffiew us, that if we had the temerity to offer any violence, 
we ffiould have to deal with men who were not ignorant of 
their bulinefs. 
Though I was all this time in my wet clothes, fhivering 
with cold, and fufficiently inclined to the moft uncondi¬ 
tional fubmiffion, without having my fears violently alarm¬ 
ed ; yet it was impoffible not to be diverted with this mili¬ 
tary parade, notwithftanding it was attended with the moft 
unfeafonable delay. At length, we arrived at the houfe of 
the Commanding Officer of the party, into which we were 
uffiered; and, after no frnall ftir in giving orders, and dif- 
pofing of the military without doors, our hoft made his ap¬ 
pearance, accompanied by another perfon, whom we un- 
derftood to be the Secretary of the port. One of Ifmyloff’s 
letters was now opened, and the other fent off, by a fpecial 
meffenger, to Bolcheretlk, a town on the Weft fide of the 
peninfula of Kamtfchatka, where the Ruffian Commander 
of this province ufually refides. 
B b 2 
It 
