[40] The interest of the following passage, from the account of
    Krusenstern’s voyage, will form the only apology necessary for the
    largeness of the space it occupies.  “As it was evident, upon our
    arrival, that the many things necessary to be done on board, would
    occupy a space of not less than four or five weeks, the officers of
    the ship had formed a plan of renewing the monument which had been
    erected to Captain Clerke.  From Cook’s and La Perouse’s voyage, it is
    well known that Clerke was buried in the town of Saint Peter and St
    Saint Paul, under a large tree, to which a board, with an inscription,
    was affixed, mentioning his death, his age and rank, and the object of
    the expedition, in which he lost his life.  We found the escutcheon,
    painted by Webber, the draughtsman of the Resolution, and suspended by
    Captain King in the church at Paratunka, in the portico of Major
    Krupskoy’s house, nor did any one appear to know what connection it
    had with this painted board; and as there has been no church for many
    years either in Paratunka or Saint Peter and Saint Paul, it was very
    fortunate that the escutcheon was not entirely lost.  La Perouse,
    finding the board on the tree rotting very fast, had the inscription
    copied on a plate of copper, adding, that it had been restored by him;
    and as this inscription is not given in Cook’s voyage, and every thing
    relative to him and his companion must be interesting to all, I cannot
    avoid transcribing it here from La Perouse’s copy.

“At The Root Of This Tree Lies The Body Of
Captain Charles Clerke,
Who Succeeded To The Command Of His Britannic
Majesty’s Ships, The Resolution And
Discovery, On The Death Of Captain James Cook, Who
Was Unfortunately Killed By The Natives
At An Island In The South Sea
On The 14TH Of February In The Year 1779,
And Died At Sea Of A Lingering Consumption The
22ND August In The Same Year, Aged 38.

* * * * *

“Copie sur l’inscription Angloise par ordre de M^r le C^{te} de la
Perouse chef d’Escadre, en 1787.

“This plate La Perouse caused to be nailed on the wooden monument.  We found it there, although it had more than once been removed.  The monument itself, however, appeared to promise but short duration; for the tree, which was more than half decayed, could not stand above a few years longer, and it was become necessary to raise a more durable one to Cook’s companion.  We also found the coffin, containing the remains of De Lisle de la Croyere, as we were digging up the ground, a few paces from Clerke’s tomb, after having long sought for it in vain.  La Perouse had erected a monument to him also; and, upon a copper- plate, had engraved an inscription, containing a few of the particulars of his life.  Of this there was not the least vestige remaining,