Page:Narrative of the extraordinary adventures of four Russian sailors (1).pdf/17

 hastened to light fires upon the hills nearest their habitations, and then ran to the beach, waving a flag, made of a rein-deer’s hide, fastened to a pole. The people on board, seeing these signals, concluded that their were men on the island who implored their assistance, and therefore came to an anchor near the shore. It would be in vain to attempt describing the joy of these people, at seeing the moment of their deliverence so near. They soon agreed with the master of the ship to work for him on the voyage, and to pay him eighty rubels on their arrival, for taking them on board, with all their riches; which consisted in fifty pud, or two thousand pound weight of rein-deer fat, in many hides of these animals; and skins of the blue and white foxes; together with those of the ten white bears they had killed, They took care not to forget their bow and arrows, their spears, their knife and axe, which were almost worn out, their awls, and their needles, which they kept carefully in a bone-box, very ingeniously made with their knife only; and in short, every thing they were possesed of.

Our adventurers arrived safe at Archangel on the 28th of September, 1749, having spent six years and three months in their rueful solitude.