CHAP. XII
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 May 2011
Summary
A voyage made in the year 1745 by Emilian Bassoff is scarce worth mentioning, as he only reached Beering's Island, and two smaller ones, which lie south of the former, and returned on the 31st of July, 1746.
The first voyage which is in any wise remarkable, was undertaken in the year 1745. The vessel was a Shitik named Eudokia, fitted out at the expense of Aphanassei Tsebaefskoi, Jacob Tsiuproff and others; she sailed from the Kamtchatka river Sept. 19, under the command of Michael Nevodtsikoff a native of Tobolsk. Having discovered three unknown islands, they wintered upon one of them, in order to kill seaotters, of which there was a large quantity. These islands were undoubtedly the nearest Aleütian Islands: the language of the inhabitants was not understood by an interpreter, whom they had brought with them from Kamtchatka. For the purpose therefore of learning this language, they carried back with them one of the islanders; and presented him to the chancery of Bolcheresk, with a false account of their proceedings. This islander was examined as soon as he had acquired a slight knowledge of the Russian language; and as it is said, gave the following report. He was called Temnac, and Att was the name of the island of which he was a native. At some distance from thence lies a great island called Sabya, of which the inhabitants, are denominated Rogii: these inhabitants, as the Russians understood, or thought they understood him, made crosses, had books, and fire-arms, and navigated in baidars or leathern canoes.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Conquest of SiberiaAnd the History of the Transactions, Wars, Commerce, etc. Carried on between Russia and China, from the Earliest Period, pp. 133 - 144Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1842