358 
A VOYAGE TO 
CHAP.. VII. 
General Account of Kamtfchatka continued. — Of the Inhabi¬ 
tants.—Origin of the Kamtfcbadales.—Difcovered by the 
Ruffians.—Abflradl of their Hi/lory. — Numbers.—Prefent 
State .— Of the Ruffian Commerce in Kamtfchatka.—Of 
the Kamtfchadale Habitations and Drefs.—Of the Kurile 
IJlands.—'The Koreki.—The Tfchutjki. 
)dober f I ^HE prefent inhabitants of Kamtfchatka are of three 
—v-- A forts. The natives, or Kamtfchadales. The Ruf¬ 
fians and Cofiacks : and a mixture of thefe two by mar¬ 
riage. 
Mr. Steller, who refided fome time in this country, and 
feems to have taken great pains to gain information on this 
fuhjedt, is perfuaded, that the true Kamtfchadales are a 
people of great antiquity, and have for many ages inha¬ 
bited this peninfula; and that they are originally defcended 
from the Mungalians, and not either from the Tongu- 
fian Tartars, as fome, or the Japanefe, as others have ima¬ 
gined. 
The principal arguments, by which he fupports thefe 
opinions, are : That there exifts not among them the trace 
of a tradition of their having migrated from any other 
country: that they believe themfelves to have been created 
and placed in this very fpot by their god Koutkou: that they 
are 
