been
induced to relate to strangers, who might perhaps be of some little service
to him, but who could have no inducement to take advantage from any thing
he might say to do him an injury. No one here knew the cause of his
banishment, but they took it for granted that it must have been for
something very atrocious, particularly as two or three commanders of
Kamtschatka have endeavoured to get him recalled since the present
empress's reign; but far from succeeding in this, they have not been even
able to get the place of his banishment changed. He told us that for twenty
years he had not tasted bread, nor had been allowed subsistence of any kind
whatsoever; but that during this period he had lived among the
Kamtschadales on what his own activity and toil in the chase had furnished:
That afterward he had a small pension granted; and that, since Major Behm
came to the command, his situation had been, infinitely mended. The notice
that worthy man had taken of him, and his having often invited him to
become his guest, had been the occasion of others following his example;
besides which, he had been the means of getting his pension increased to
one hundred roubles a year, which is the common pay of an ensign in all
parts of the empress's dominions, except in this province, where the pay of
all the officers is double. Major Behm told us that he had obtained
permission to take him to Okotzk, which was to be the place of his
residence in future; but that he should leave him behind for the present,
on an idea that he might, on our return to the bay, be useful to us as an
interpreter.[37]

Having given orders to the first lieutenants of both ships, to let the
rigging have such a repair as the supply of stores we had lately received
would permit, we set out on our hunting party, under the direction of the
corporal of the Kamtschadales, intending, before we began to look for our
game, to proceed straight to the head of Behm's Harbour. It is an inlet on
the west side of the bay, (which we had named after that officer, from its
being a favourite place of his, and having been surveyed by himself,) and
is called by the natives Tareinska.

In our way toward this harbour we met the _Toion_ of Saint Peter and Saint
Paul in a canoe, with his wife and two children, and another Kamtschadale.
He had killed two seals upon a round island, that lies in the entrance of
the harbour, with which, and a great quantity of berries that he had
gathered