In the morning of the 10th, the boats from both ships were sent to tow into the harbour a Russian galliot from Okotzk.  She had been thirty-five days on her passage, and had been seen from the light-house a fortnight ago, beating up toward the mouth of the bay.  At that time the crew had sent their only boat on shore for water, of which they now began to be in great want; and the wind freshening, the boat was lost on its return, and the galliot, being driven out to sea again, had suffered exceedingly.

There were fifty soldiers in her, with their wives and children, and several other passengers, besides the crew, which consisted of twenty-five, so that they had upward of an hundred souls on board.  A great number for a vessel of eighty tons; and that was also heavy laden with stores and provisions.  Both this galliot, and the sloop we saw here in May, are built like the Dutch doggers.  Soon after she had come to anchor, we received a visit from a put-parouchick, or sub-lieutenant, who was a passenger in the galliot, and sent to take the command of this place.  Part of the soldiers, we understood, were also designed to reinforce the garrison; and two pieces of small cannon were landed, as an additional defence to the town.  It should seem, from these circumstances, that our visit here had drawn the attention of the Russian commanders in Siberia, to the defenceless situation of the place; and I was told by the honest serjeant, with many significant shrugs, that, as we had found our way into it, other nations might do the same, some of whom might not be altogether so welcome.[36]

Next morning the Resolution hauled off from the shore, having repaired the damages she had sustained by the ice; and, in the course of the day, we got from the galliot a small quantity of pitch, tar, cordage, and twine; canvas was the only thing we asked for, with which their scanty store did not put it into their power to supply us.  We also received from her an hundred and forty skins of flour, amounting to 13,782 pounds English, after deducting five pounds for the weight of each bag.

We had a constant course of dry weather till this day, when there came on a heavy rain, accompanied with strong squalls of wind, which obliged us to strike our yards and topmasts.

The 12th, being Sunday, was kept as a day of rest; but the weather unfortunately continuing foul, our men could not derive the advantage from it we wished, by gathering the berries that grew in great quantities and varieties on the coast, and taking other pastime on shore.  The same day Ensign Synd left us to return to Bolcheretsk with the remainder of the soldiers that came in the galliot.  He had been our constant guest during his stay.  Indeed we could not but consider him, on his father’s account, as in some measure belonging to us, and entitled, as one of the family of discoverers, to a share in our affections.