Russian seamen, or furriers, who, with several others, resided at Egoochshac, where they had a dwellinghouse, some storehouses,[12] and a sloop of about thirty tons burden.

One of these men was either master or mate of this vessel; another of them wrote a very good hand, and was acquainted with figures: and all of them were sensible and well behaved persons, who were ready to give Captain Cook every possible degree of information.
The great difficulty, in the reception and communication of intelligence, arose from the want of an interpreter.

On the 14th, a Russian landed at Oonalashka, whose name was Erasim Gregorioff Sin Ismyloff, and who was the principal person among his countrymen in this and the neighbouring islands.

Besides the intelligence which our commander derived from his conversations with Ismyloff, and which were carried on by signs, assisted by figures and other characters, he obtained from him the sight of two charts, and was permitted to copy them.

Both of them were manuscripts, and bore every mark of authenticity.