Page:Voyages in the Northern Pacific - 1896.djvu/49

Rh of the fort, where a man is continually kept with a spy-glass in his hand, and if a canoe should heave in sight, a gun-boat is immediately dispatched after her. The town is enclosed by a high paling, and look-out houses built at the distance of twenty yards from each other, where there are people on the watch, both day and night. Every Russian has cleared a piece of ground, where they sow potatoes, turnips, carrots, radishes, sallad, etc., by which means, with plenty of fish and whale blubber, they live very comfortably, marrying the Kodiac and Oonalaska women, who are very industrious and make good wives. The Russians are extremely fond of rum, and will part with any thing for it; tobacco is also in great request. This country abounds with wood, chiefly of the pine kind. The hills are continually covered with snow, and it rains a great deal; we had not six fine days while we lay here. The whole of the population of this establishment does not exceed 1,000 souls.

September 27th. We made sail out of the Sound, and stood off towards Columbia river, on our passage to which nothing worthy of remarks occurred. We found the Isaac Todd had left the river on the 26th of September, 1814. The Chenook tribe of Indians were rejoiced to see us, and treated us in a very friendly way; then king Comley came on board as usual. I was therefore dispatched in the schooner-boat to bring the body of Mr. McTavish to the fort; which was done accordingly, and the corpse interred with funeral ceremonies. Captain Robson read the burial