roach. We were now
put into the trammels of formality; a canoe, furnished with skins and furs,
and equipped in a magnificent manner, was prepared for our reception, in
which we were accommodated much at our ease, but to the exclusion of the
rest of our fellow-travellers. It was with much regret we found ourselves
obliged to separate from our old companion Monsieur Port, whom we had
observed to grow every day more shy and distant as we drew nearer the end
of our journey. Indeed, he had himself told us, before we set out, that we
paid him a respect he had no title to; but as we had found him a very
modest and discreet man, we had insisted on his living with us during the
whole of our journey. The remainder of our passage was performed with great
facility and expedition, the river growing more rapid as we descended, and
less obstructed by shoals.

As we approached the capital, we were sorry to observe, from an appearance
of much stir and bustle, that we were to be received in form. Decent
clothes had been for some time a scarce commodity amongst us; and our
travelling dresses were made up of a burlesque mixture of European, Indian,
and Kamtschadale fashions. We therefore thought it would be too ridiculous
to make a parade in this trim through the metropolis of Kamtschatka; and,
as we saw a crowd collected on the banks of the river, and were told the
commander would be at the water-side to receive us, we stopped short, at a
soldier's house, about a quarter of a mile from the town, from whence we
sent Port, with a message to his excellency, acquainting him, that the
moment we had put off our travelling dresses, we would pay our respects to
him at his own house; and to beg he would not think of waiting to conduct
us. Finding, however, that he persisted in his intentions of paying us this
compliment, we lost no farther time in attiring ourselves, but made all the
haste in our power to join him at the entrance of the town. I observed my
companions to be as awkward as I felt myself in making our first
salutations; bowing and scraping being marks of good breeding, that we had
now, for two years and a half, been totally unaccustomed to. The manner in
which we were received by the commander, was the most engaging that could
be conceived, and increased my mortification at finding that he had almost
entirely forgot the French language; so that the satisfaction of conversing
with him was wholly confined to Mr Webber, who spoke the Germa