erous in the management of them than the latter. We
could not understand one another sufficiently for me to learn the cause of
this change; probably it was one of the not unusual effects of a forced and
imperfect state of improvement. It fell out very opportunely that the water
afforded us a little prey; for, besides our ill success in the chase by
land, we had also been disappointed in our expectations of shooting wild
fowl, on a supply of which we had in some measure depended for our
subsistence; and, on its failure, began to think that we had been full long
absent from head quarters.

Our Kamtschadales now discovered that the want of success in not meeting
with game, was owing to the party being too large, and to the unavoidable
noise that was the consequence of it. We therefore agreed to separate,
Ivaskin, the corporal, and myself, forming one party, Captain Gore, and the
rest of the company, the other.

Accordingly, after passing the night under our tent, we set out on the
morning of the 19th, by different routes, meaning to take a circuit round
the country, and meet at Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The party to which I
belonged took the course of the river, at the mouth of which we had fished
for the salmon; and, after being thoroughly soaked by the heavy rains that
fell all the morning, we came about three in the afternoon to some old
_balagans_, where a Kamtschadale village had been formerly situated,
without meeting with a single bear during the whole of a long and tedious
walk. It was our first intention to have remained here all night, in order
to have resumed our chase early the next morning; but the weather clearing,
and, at the same time, a fresh breeze springing up from a quarter
unfavourable to our designs, the Hospodin, whom former sufferings had made
very unfit to bear much fatigue, and who seemed at present more
particularly distressed from having emptied his snuff-box, began to be very
importunate with us to return home. It was some time before the old
corporal consented, alleging, that we were at a great distance from the
harbour, and that, on account of the badness of the way, the night would
probably overtake us before we reached the end of our journey. At length,
however, he yielded to Ivaskin's entreaties, and conducted us along the
side of a number of small lakes, with which the flat part of this country
seems much to abound. These lakes are from half a mile to two miles in
length, and about half