mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i4-003

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of most excellent spruce trees, was very easy to accomplish,
and in two days succeeded in preparing not only the trees
needed for the boat, but for reserve, two topmasts in place
of broken ones, and around 30 sazhens of firewood. Although
the Koloshi [Tlingits] (as the native inhabitants of Sitka
Island called themselves) were at peas with the Company, their
cunning forced us to take all necessary precautions. For this
reason, everyone was armed with rifles, muskets, and spears.
At the place of work they placed guards in the forest, and
hurried with the work as much as possible. Cutting the trees,
they only cleared them of their tops and twigs, and lowering
them into the water, joined them into rafts and then towed
them to the fort where they began to shape them according to
designated use.

Since the building of the boat required constant watchful
supervision by an experienced officer, instructions were given
to the senior lieutenant of the sloop, "Good Intent," Ignatev,
to move ashore and attempt to finish the work by the end of
March 1821. To him was detailed one experienced ship's car-
penter with the rank of warrant officer, one sergeant, four
carpernters, one blacksmith, and one calker.

On the 16th, having set up the ways, we laid the keel
of the boat and sang a Te Deum.

After that we begain loading again. In place of the
reduced cargo consisting of the boat parts, it was necessary
to load rocks. For this we had to detail all of our longboats,

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