next morning conducted him to the ships; where, on his arrival, he was
saluted with thirteen guns, and received with every other mark of
distinction that it was in our power to pay him. He was attended by the
commander of one of the Russian galliots, the master of a sloop that lay in
the harbour, two merchants from Bolcheretsk, and the priest of the
neighbouring village of Paratounca, for whom he appeared to entertain the
highest respect, and whom I shall hereafter have occasion to mention, on
account of his great kindness to Captain Clerke.

After visiting the captain, and taking a view of both the ships, he
returned to dinner on board the Resolution; and, in the afternoon, the
various curiosities we had collected in the course of our voyage were shewn
him, and a complete assortment of every article presented to him by Captain
Clerke. On this occasion I must not pass over an instance of great
generosity and gratitude in the sailors of both ships; who, when they were
told of the handsome present of tobacco that was made them by the major,
desired, entirely of their own accord, that their grog might be stopped,
and their allowance of spirits presented, on their part, to the garrison of
Bolcheretsk, as they said they had reason to conclude that brandy was
scarce in the country, and would be very acceptable to them, since the
soldiers on shore had offered four roubles a bottle for it. We, who knew
how much the sailors always felt whenever their allowance of grog was
stopped, which was generally done in warm weather, that they might have it
in a greater proportion in cold, and that this offer would deprive them of
it during the inclement season we had to expect in our next expedition to
the north, could not but admire so extraordinary a sacrifice; and, that
they might not suffer by it, Captain Clerke, and the rest of the officers,
substituted in the room of the very small quantity the major could be
prevailed on to accept, the same quantity of rum. This, with a dozen or two
of Cape wine, for Madame Behm, and such other little presents as were in