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620 BACSTROM’S VOYAGE TO SPITSBERGEN.
geon, who atted all along as interpreter, “ and killed one of our men on the {pot. We
returned the fire and wounded fome of his men, and caufed them to retreat precipitately.
When the Englifh were gone, our captain counted his rubles, and found that there were
fix hundred mifling.”” He intended to fend a ftatement of the affair to the Ruffian go-
vernment.
After having ftaid above twelve hours with the Ruffians, highly entertained, we in-
vited them to come to fee us on board, and took our leave, returning the fame way by
the compafs, and arrived fafe on board, after having been abfent almoit eighteen hours.
We now prepared for the voyage home ; and after having filled our empty cafks
with good water from the fhore, and made a clear fhip, we fet fail with a fine north-
eafterly breeze in the middle of July 1780. We failed again through a great quantity
of floating ice, and, our fhip being a good failer, pafled feveral full fhips bound home-
wards.
The firft pleafing change we experienced was to have fome night, and to be obliged
to light a candle in the cabin, O what a luxury !—When you have no darknefs fora
confiderable time (during May, June, and July), light becomes tedious at laft; and the
firft time you fee a candle burning in the cabin, and a dark night, the pleafure is inde-
fcribable. Before we came into this more fouthern latitude, I ufed to obferve the fetting
of the fun, refting, as it were, on the horizon, appearing of a very large fize, furrounded
with moft-beautiful and glorious colours of various tints, and then the rifing of it fhortly
after in full majefty. Language cannot convey an idea of the fcene.
We came to anchor at Larwick towards the end of July, and were received in the
kindeft manner by Mr. Innes and all our friends in the place.
After three weeks ftay we took leave of our Shetland friends, and failed in company
with a number of full fhips for England. When we came on the coaft of Northum-
berland and Yorkfhire, the breeze and weather being favourable, we were delighted
with the fmell of the hay from the fhore, and the fight of the pretty little towns and
villages built on the fea-fide, and refrefhed with excellent frefh cod and haddock, which
the Yorkfhire cobles (a kind of fifhing-boats) bring on board; in return for which they
prefer taking a piece of beef or pork to money: they bring fometimes eggs, potatoes,
&c. We had an uncommonly pleafant voyage home, and conftant fine weather, ac-
companied with northerly breezes.
We arrived about the latter end of Auguft fafe in Greenland-dock, after having been
out five months.
Captain Souter kept an excellent table in the cabin, anda conftant fire in thé ftove:
his {tudy was to make every perfon on board comfortable. In the fifteen voyages I have
been to fea, I have only twice had the good fortune to fail with men of equal worth ;
Mr. Charles Paterfon, of the Sea-horfe, and Mr. William Alder, now a lieutenant in the
Britifh navy.
#
LETTERS
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