A Voyage Round the World in 1803, 4, 5 & 6 in the Ship Neva (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1814 edition. Excerpt: ...till some of our people arrived, who were sent to lift him up, and conduct him, with his companion, into the fort; for so we called our fortified station on the top of the hill. The ambassador received a present of a warm dress from Mr. Baranoff, in return for an otter skin he had brought with Uim for that gentleman. He was then sent back with the same answer as before, that we required, as a necessary preliminary to pacification, that the chiefs themselves should come to us. At noon we saw thirty men approaching, all having fire-arms. They stopped when at the distance of a musket-shot from the fort, and commenced their parley; which, however, was quickly terminated, as they would not agree to a proposal made by Mr. Baranoff, that we should be permitted to keep perpetual possession of the place at present occupied by us, and that two other respectable persons should be given as hostages. On the 1804. conclusion of this interview, the savages, who were sitting, rose vffIli up, and after singing out three several times Oo, oo, oo meaning End, end, end retired in military order. However, they were given to understand by our interpreters, that we should instantly move our ships close to their fort (for their settlement was fortified by a wooden fence, as represented in Plate II), and they would have no one to reproach but themselves for any consequences which might ensue.' On the 1st of October we carried this menace into execution, October by forming a line with four of our ships before the settlement. 1&t' I then ordered a white flag to be hoisted on board the Neva, and presently we saw a similar one on the fort of the enemy. From this circumstance, I was not without hope that something would yet occur that might prevent bloodshed; but...