ised us to send for, as the
only person that could satisfy our enquiries on this subject. The serjeant
having, at the same time, signified his intention of sending off an express
to the commander at Bolcheretsk, to acquaint him with our arrival, Captain
Gore availed himself of that occasion of writing him a letter, in which he
requested that sixteen head of black cattle might be sent with all possible
expedition. And because the commander did not understand any language
except his own, the nature of our request was made known to the serjeant,
who readily undertook to send, along with our letter, an explanation of its
contents.

We could not help remarking, that, although the country was much improved
in its appearance since we were last here, the Russians looked, if
possible, worse now than they did then. It is to be owned, they observed,
that this was also the case with us; and, as neither party seemed to like
to be told of their bad looks, we found mutual consolation in throwing the
blame upon the country, whose green and lively complexion, we agreed, cast
a deadness and sallowness upon our own.

The eruption of the _volcano_, which was so violent when we sailed out of
the bay, we found had done no damage here, notwithstanding stones had
fallen at the _ostrog_ of the size of a goose's egg. This was all the news
we had to enquire after, and all they had to tell, excepting that of the
arrival of Soposnikoff from Oonalashka, who took charge of the packet
Captain Cook had sent to the Admiralty, and which, it gave us much
satisfaction to find, had been forwarded.

In the morning of the 25th, Captain Gore made out the new commissions, in
consequence of Captain Clerke's death, appointing himself to the command of
the Resolution, and me to the command of the Discovery; and Mr Lanyan,
master's mate of the Resolution, who had served in that capacity on board
the Adventure in the former voyage, was promoted to the vacant lieutenancy.
These promotions produced the following farther arrangements: Lieutenants
Burney and Rickman were removed from the Discovery to be first and second
lieutenants of the Resolution; and lieutenant Williamson was appointed
first lieutenant of the Discovery. Captain Gore also permitted me to take
into the Discovery four midshipmen, who had made themselves useful to me in
astronomical calculations, and whose assistance was now particularly
necessary; as we had no _ephemeris_ for the present year. And, th