224 
A VOYAGE TO 
1779. bacco that was made them by the Major, deffred, entirely 
uJtw of their own accord, that their grog might be hopped, and 
their allowance of fpirits prefented, on their part, to the 
garrifon of Bolcheretfk, as they faid they had reafon to 
conclude that brandy was fcarce in the country, and would 
be very acceptable to them, lince the foldiers on fhore had 
offered four roubles a bottle for it. We, who knew how 
much the bailors always felt, whenever their allowance of 
grog was flopped, which was generally done in warm wea¬ 
ther, that they might have it in a greater proportion in cold, 
and that this offer would deprive them of it during the in¬ 
clement feafon we had to expert in our next expedition to 
the North, could not but admire fo extraordinary a facrifice; 
and, that they might not buffer by it, Captain Clerke, and 
the reft of the officers, fubftituted in the room of the very 
bmall quantity the Major could he prevailed on to accept, 
the fame quantity of rum. This, with a dozen or two of 
Cape wine, for Madame Behm, and buch other little prebents 
as were in our power to beftow, were accepted in the moft 
obliging manner. The next morning the tobacco was di-^ 
vided between the crews of the two bhips, three pounds 
being allotted to every man that chewed or fmoked to¬ 
bacco, and one pound to thobe that did not. 
I have before mentioned, that Major Behm had reftgned 
the command of Kamtfchatka, and intended to bet out in a 
fhort time for Peterfburg; and he now offered to charge 
himbelf with any dibpatches we might truft to his care. 
This was an opportunity not to be neglected; and accord¬ 
ingly Captain Clerke acquainted him, that he would take 
the liberty of bending by him borne papers relating to our 
voyage, to be delivered to our Ambaffador at the Ruffian 
court. Our firft intentions were to bend only a bmall journal 
of 
