The next day he was entertained on board the Discovery, and on the 25th he took leave of us to return to Bolcheretsk.  He could not be prevailed upon to lengthen his visit, having some expectations, as he told us, that the sub-governor-general, who was at this time making a tour through all the provinces of the Governor-general of Jakutzk, might arrive in the sloop that was daily expected from Okotzk.  Before his departure, and without any interference of ours, he reinstated the serjeant in the command of this place, having determined to take the Putparouchick along with him; at the same time we understood that he was highly displeased with him on account of the punishment that had been inflicted on the serjeant, and for which there did not appear to be the slightest foundation.

Captain Shmaleff’s great readiness to give us every possible proof of his desire to oblige us, encouraged us to ask a small favour for another of our Kamtschadale friends.  It was to requite an old soldier, whose house had been at all times open to the inferior officers, and who had done both them and all the crew a thousand good offices.  The captain most obligingly complied with our request, and dubbed him (which was all he wished for) a corporal upon the spot, and ordered him to thank the English officers for his great promotion.  It may not here be improper to observe, that in the Russian army the inferior class of officers enjoy a degree of pre-eminence above the private men, with which we, in our service, are in a great measure unacquainted.  It was no small astonishment to us, to see a serjeant keep up all the state, and exact all the respect from all beneath him belonging to a field-officer.  It may be farther remarked, that there are many more gradations of rank amongst them than are to be met with in other countries.  Between a serjeant and a private man, there are not less than four intermediate steps; and I have no doubt, but that the advantages arising from this system are found to be very considerable.  The salutary effects of little subordinate ranks in our sea-service cannot be questioned.  It gives rise to great emulation, and the superior officers are enabled to bestow, on almost every possible degree of merit, a reward proportioned to it.

Having been incidentally led into this subject, I shall beg leave to add but one observation more, namely, that the discipline of the Russian army, though at this distance from the seat of government, is of the strictest and severest kind, from which even the commissioned officers are not exempt.  The punishment of the latter for small offences is imprisonment, and a bread and water diet.  An ensign, a good friend of ours at this place, told us, that, for having been concerned in a drunken riot, he was confined in the black hole for three months, and fed upon bread and water; which, he said, so shattered his nerves, that he had never since had spirits for a common convivial meeting.