20S 
A VOYAGE TO 
1779. halt mile we had ripplings and fhoals, 1 over which we were 
>_ obliged to haul the boats. The country, on each tide, was 
very romantic, but unvaried; the river running between 
mountains of the moft craggy and barren afpeff, where 
there was nothing to diverfify the fcene, but now and 
then the fight of a bear, and the flights of wild-fowl. So 
uninterefting a patfage leaves me nothing farther to fay, 
Tiiefday 11 . than that this, and the following night, w r e flept on the 
banks of the river, under our marquife ; and buffered very 
much from the feverity of the weather, and the fnow, 
which ftill remained on the ground. 
Wednef. 12. At day-light on the 12th, we found we had got clear of 
the mountains, and were entering a low extenfive plain, co¬ 
vered with ilirubby trees. About nine in the forenoon, we 
arrived at an ojtrog , called Opatchin, which is computed to 
be fifty miles from Natcheekin, and is nearly of the fame 
fize as Karatchin. We found here a ferjeant with four 
Ruffian foldiers, who had been two days waiting for our 
arrival; and who immediately difpatched a light boat to 
Bolcheretfk, with intelligence of our approach. We were 
now put into the trammels of formality; a canoe, furnifhed 
with fkins and furs, and equipped in a magnificent man¬ 
ner, was prepared for our reception, in which we were ac¬ 
commodated much at our eafe, but to the exclufion of the 
reft of our fellow-travellers. It was with much regret we 
found ourfelves obliged to feparate from our old companion 
Monfieur Port, whom we had obferved to grow every day 
more fliy and diftant, as we drew nearer the end of our jour¬ 
ney. Indeed, he had himfelf told us, before v r e fet out, 
that we paid him a refpecft he had no title to; but, as we 
found him a very modeft and difcreet man, we had infilled 
oil his living with us during the whole of our journey. The 
remainder 
