r daughter, weeping over the body of an elderly man, who had but
just expired, being still warm. The first step they took was to cover the
body with cloth, after which, lying down by it, they drew the cloth over
themselves, and then began a mournful kind of song, frequently repeating,
_Aweh medooah! Aweh tanee!_ Oh my father! Oh my husband! A younger daughter
was also at the same time lying prostrate, in a corner of the house,
covered over with black cloth, repeating the same words. On leaving this
melancholy scene, I found at the door a number of their neighbours
collected together, and listening to their cries with profound silence. I
was resolved not to miss this opportunity of seeing in what manner they
dispose of the body; and, therefore, after satisfying myself before I went
to bed that it was not then removed, I gave orders that the sentries should
walk backward and forward before the house, and, in case they suspected any
measures were taking for the removal of the body, to give me immediate
notice. However, the sentries had not kept a good look-out, for in the
morning I found the body was gone. On enquiring what they had done with it,
they pointed toward the sea; indicating most probably thereby, that it had
been committed to the deep, or perhaps that it had been carried beyond the
bay, to some burying-ground in another part of the country. The chiefs are
interred in the _morais_, or _He-ree-erees_, with the men sacrificed on the
occasion, by the side of them; and we observed that the _morai_, where the
chief had been buried, who, as I have already mentioned, was killed in the
cave after so stout a resistance, was hung round with red cloth.
CHAPTER VI.
TRANSACTIONS DURING THE SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH, BY THE WAY OF
KAMTSCHATKA; AND ON THE RETURN HOME BY THE WAY OF CANTON AND THE CAPE OF
GOOD HOPE.
SECTION I.
Departure from Oneeheow--Fruitless Attempt to discover Modoopapappa.--
Course steered for Awatska Bay.--Occurrences during that Passage.--Sudden
Change from Heat to Cold.--Distress occasioned by the leaking of the
Resolution.--View of the Coast of Kamtschatka.--Extreme Rigour of the
Climate.--Lose Sight of the Discovery.--The Resolution enters the Bay of
Awatska.--Prospect of the Town of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.--Party sent
ashore.--Their Reception by the Commanding-Officer of the Port.--Message
dispatched to the Commander at Bolcheretsk.--Arrival of the
Discovery.--Return of
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