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NARRATIVE OF THE ADVENTURES OF FOUR RUSSIAN SAILORS, WHO
WERE CAST IN A STORM UPON THE UNCULTIVATED ISLAND OF EAST
SPITZBERGEN, ON WHICH THEY LIVED FOR SIX YEARS AND THREE
MONTHS.
[Tranflated from the German of Profeffor P. L. Le Roy, Member of the Imperial Academy Der Wiffen-
{chaften, at Peterfburg.* ]
« Tnventrix confiliorum omnium neceffitas.” Hexioporus, Lib. VII.
TRAVELS of older ftanding, and particularly thofe by fea, have often been the
fource of exaggerated relations, fuch fometimes as greatly exceed the bounds of proba-
bility. As highly as we efteem thofe authors who have given us juft accounts of adven-
tures of this nature, as much do we hefitate to give credit to thofe whofe narratives,
abandoning likelihood, are obnoxious to our judgment. Among thefeit has more than
énce occurred that writers charged with fallacies, have in after time been found to have
related truths in what have been looked upon as idle tales. It were ufelefs to inftance
here examples of this defcription.
The adventures which I purpofe to relate, in as few words as poffible, may be placed
among the learned refearches of individuals into the globe ; they will, it is not unlikely,
be worked upon with little regard to probability, and the matters related (in fome degree
wonderful of themfelves) be enlarged with different variations. I muft certainly own
that I knew not at firft what opinion I ought to form of them myfelf, when M. Vene-
zobre, director of the offices of the pitch merchants, gave me the firft information re-
fpecting them from Archangel. The failors, whofe hiftory I write, were dependants in
a degree on Count Peter Iwanowitz Schuwalow, to whom the Emprefs Elizabeth had
granted the privilege of fifhing for whales. I begged this nobleman to give an order
that thefe failors fhould be permitted to come over from Archangel, that I might have
converfation with them as I wifhed. ‘The count had the goodnefs to comply with my
requeft ; he was himfelf anxious to fee and fpeak to them. Accordingly they were
wrote for, and two of them were fent to Peterfburg ; the boatfwain, called Alexis
Himkoff, fifty years of age, and a failor, who was his godfon, and who bore the name of
Iwan Himkoff. They arrived in this city at the beginning of the year 1750, and the firft
difcourfe I held with them was on the eighth of January. They brought with them
different articles of their workmanfhip, which I fhall notice as I proceed, to prefent to
Count Schuwalow. I had full opportunity to queftion them on every point which I
could think of, and reiterated my enquiries at different periods ; from which I had no
doubt of their veracity. I believe alfo that I do not aflume too much in faying, that
nothing of what I am about to relate can with any reafon be called in queftion.
Now a ground of certainty is furnifhed which will eftablifh the truth of thefe adven-
tures. At the time of the arrival of thefe unfortunate failors at Archangel, M. Von
Klingftadt, fub-auditor of the admiralty of that town, caufed them to be brought before
him ; he was the firft to interrogate them on what had befallen them, put down their
anfwers in writing, and decided on publifhing the ftatement. Shortly after he came to
Peterfburg, and faw the narrative which I had written, he told me he found it to
coincide exaétly with that which he had fketched ; and gave up his intention of publifhing
hisown. He had the civility to compare his draught with mine, in order to difcover if
® Riga, 1768. 8v°,
4G 2 I had
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