displeased with him on account
of the punishment that had been inflicted on the serjeant, and for which
there did not appear to be the slightest foundation.

Captain Shmaleff's great readiness to give us every possible proof of his
desire to oblige us, encouraged us to ask a small favour for another of our
Kamtschadale friends. It was to requite an old soldier, whose house had
been at all times open to the inferior officers, and who had done both them
and all the crew a thousand good offices. The captain most obligingly
complied with our request, and dubbed him (which was all he wished for) a
corporal upon the spot, and ordered him to thank the English officers for
his great promotion. It may not here be improper to observe, that in the
Russian army the inferior class of officers enjoy a degree of pre-eminence
above the private men, with which we, in our service, are in a great
measure unacquainted. It was no small astonishment to us, to see a serjeant
keep up all the state, and exact all the respect from all beneath him
belonging to a field-officer. It may be farther remarked, that there are
many more gradations of rank amongst them than are to be met with in other
countries. Between a serjeant and a private man, there are not less than
four intermediate steps; and I have no doubt, but that the advantages
arising from this system are found to be very considerable. The salutary
effects of little subordinate ranks in our sea-service cannot be
questioned. It gives rise to great emulation, and the superior officers are
enabled to bestow, on almost every possible degree of merit, a reward
proportioned to it.

Having been incidentally led into this subject, I shall beg leave to add
but one observation more, namely, that the discipline of the Russian army,
though at this distance from the seat of government, is of the strictest
and severest kind, from which even the commissioned officers are not
exempt. The punishment of the latter for small offences is imprisonment,
and a bread and water diet. An ensign, a good friend of ours at this place,
told us, that, for having been concerned in a drunken riot, he was confined
in the black hole for three months, and fed upon bread and water; which, he
said, so shattered his nerves, that he had never since had spirits for a
common convivial meeting.

I accompanied Captain Shmaleff to the entrance of Awatska River; and having
bid him farewell, took this opportunity of paying a visit to