ait some time for the baidars and Professor Eschscholtz.
Meanwhile, to our great surprise, a boat with six oars, one day, entered
the bay from the open sea, and lay to beside our ship. It belonged to an
English whaler, which had been tacking about for some days, and was
prevented by the contrary wind from getting into the bay. The greater
part of his crew being sick of the scurvy, the captain at length
resolved on sending his boat ashore, in hopes of being able to get some
fresh provisions for his patients. I immediately furnished the boat with
an ample supply both of fresh meat and vegetables, and having completed
its little cargo, it proceeded again to sea forthwith. The next day the
whaler succeeded in getting into the bay, and came to anchor close
alongside. It was evident, from their manner of working the vessel, that
she had but few hands on board capable of labour. The captain, who
shortly afterwards visited me, was himself suffering severely, and his
mates were all confined to their beds; seven months the vessel had been
at sea off the Japanese coast, holding no communication with the shore;
and this without having succeeded in the capture of a single whale,
though numbers of them had been seen on the coast. The scurvy with which
the crew was afflicted, was mainly attributable to unwholesome food,
selected on a principle of unpardonable economy, and to the want of
cleanliness; a vice not usual among the English, but which, during so
long an absence from land, is scarcely to be avoided; not the slightest
symptom of this fearful malady, formerly so fatal to seamen, manifested
itself on board my vessel throughout the whole course of our tedious
voyage.

The captain informed me that a number of whalers frequented the Japanese
coast, and often obtained rich cargoes in a short period: the principal
disadvantages with which they had to contend were violent storms, and a
strict prohibition against landing. The Japanese, as is well known,
refuse to have any foreign intercourse except with the Chinese and
Dutch, and treat all other nations as if they carried contagion with
them; hoping thus to preserve their ancient manners unchanged. During my
first voyage with Admiral Krusenstern, I spent seven months in Japan,
and may venture to assert, that whoever has an opportunity of becoming
acquainted with the people, cannot but respect them for the high degree
of intellectual development to which they have attained, through their