28 
one is fold by the Ruffians to the Chinefe 
at Kiatchta at from $0 to 100 rubles, or 
¥6 to z0/. The breed of the fea-otter, 
cwing to the place of its refort, can 
never be exterminated, as is nearly the 
cafe with many other animals in Afiatic 
Ruffia, from the rapacity of the colle&- 
ors. The natives of Prince William’s 
Sound gave their fine fea-otter fkins for 
any kind of beads, of which they were 
very fond. For long pieces of iron they 
alfo exchanged ‘the fkins of white and 
dark-brown bears, common and fine 
martins, feals, racoons, {mall ermines, 
foxes, and the whitifh cat or lynx. In 
fome parts of Cook’s River the natives 
gave their fur dreffes of fea-otters, mar-- 
tins, hares, white rabbits, and red foxes 
for old clothes, beads, and pieces of 
iron ; in others, for knives and tobacco. 
On the fhips homeward paflage they 
anchored at Macao; and captain King, 
who went up to Canten, difpofed of 
about 20 fkins of fea-otters, moftly be- 
longing to the late captains Cook and 
Cleik, to a Chinefe merchant for 800 dol- 
Jars. During captain King’s abfence a 
very brifk traffick had been carried on at 
Macao for fea-otter kins, the value of 
which had augmented every day. One 
of the failors difpofed of his ftock alone 
for 800 dollars; and a few of the beft 
fkins, which were clean, and had been 
carefully preferved, produced 120 dollars 
each. The amount, in goods and cath, 
obtained for the whole was 2000 flerling, 
although at leaft two thirds of the quan- 
tity originally procured from the Ameri- 
cans, were then fpoiled, and worn our, 
or had been difpofed of in Kamtfchatka. 
‘The failors were fo improvident, that, on 
their firfi return from the northward into 
tropical climates, their fur-jackets were 
kicked about deck as things of no value, 
though it was known in both fhips they 
were to make another voyage towards 
the pole. They were however picked up 
by the officers, and packed in cafks to be 
reftored to the owners when needed. If 
to thefe faé&ts be added, that the furs 
were collected without any jut ideas as 
to value; that moft of them had been 
worn by the favages; that, inftead cf 
care being afterwards taken for their pre- 
fervation, they were ufed as bed clothes 
and for other purpofes during the cruife 
to the northward; and that the full value 
was never given for them in China, 
(articles of traffick not being looked 
after on board king’s fhips, nora know- 
Jedge how, to difpofe of them to advan. 
tage, if they happen to come in their way, 
being to be learnt there) the benefits to 
Advantages of the American Fur Trade, 
[Feb. 1; 
accrue from a voyage to that part of the 
American coaft, with commercial views; 
will be apparent. Captain King was 
fully perfuaded that this obje&t might be 
eafily obtained, by means of our Eaft 
India Company, not only with a trifling 
expence, but even with the profpeét of 
very beneficial confequences ; and he lays 
down the following {cheme for carrying 
it into execution. He propofes that the 
Eatt. India Company’s China fhips fhould, 
each, carry an additional number of men, 
making roo in the whole. Two veffels, 
one of 200 tons, and the other of 150, 
might, according to his calculation, be 
purchafed at Canton, and equipped for 
fea with one years provifion and pay for 
Goool. The expence of the requifite arti- 
cles for barter is, he fays, very inconfi- 
derable. - He particularly recommends 
that each of the fhips fhould have a forge, 
five tons cf unwrought iron, and fkilful 
perfons to make occafionally {uch tools 
as the Indians fhould have the greatett 
liking to. For though half a dozen of 
the fineft fkins were purchafed with 12 
large green glafs beads, yet the fancy of 
the natives for ornamental articles was as 
capricious and variable as any Europe-~ 
an’s; the only fure commodity was. iron. 
To this might be added feveral bales of 
coarfe woollen cloth, two or three barrels 
of glafs and copper trinkets, and a few 
groce cf large pointed cafe knives, 
When the fhips are prepared for fea, 
they will fail with the firlt South Weft 
Monfoon, which ufuvally fets in about the 
commencement of April. He then gives 
direétions for purfuing the courfe, but as 
captain King confiders the prime cbjeét 
of the voyage to be ior making dilcoveries, 
and the purchafe of fkins as a fecondary 
concern tor delraying the expence, and 
it is intended here to confider it folely as 
a commercial. undertaking, the com- 
mander of any veflel, which may here- 
after go upon fuch an expedition, mutt 
of courfe ke left to his own judgment, 
and the profpect of the markets. 
Captain King alfo propofes that two 
veffels be fent, not only for the greater 
“fecurity of the voyage, but becaaufle tingle 
{hips ought never, in his opinion, to be 
fent for the purpofe of difcovery. For 
where rifques are frequently to be run, 
and uncertain and dangerous experiments 
tried, it can by no means be expected 
that fingle fhips fhould venture fo far, 
as where fome fecurity is provided againtt 
an unfortunate accident. Although this 
opinion may be extremely well founded 
with an eye to voyages of difcovery, yet 
it appears that the North Weit Coalt of 
America 
