CHAPTER VII 

 BERING STRAIT 



Native stories of the distant continent The Russians in Kamchatka 

 Bering's expedition The difficulties of his task Builds a vessel and 

 reaches Kamchatka Builds another vessel and discovers the strait named 

 after him by Captain Cook His second expedition Spangberg's voyage 

 to Japan Bering reaches the American coast His shipwreck and death 

 The influence of the sea-otter and the fur-seal on geographical dis- 

 covery The Arctic voyage of Captain Cook Clerke's voyage Beechey's 

 voyage Point Barrow reached by the barge of the Blossom Kellett's 

 voyage in the Herald Boat expedition to Hudson Bay Kellett reaches 

 72 51' Landing on Herald Island Kellett sights Wrangell Island 

 Berry in the Kodyprs explores Wrangell Island He reaches 73 44' 

 Frederick Whymper and W. H. Dall ascend the Yukon. 



RUMOURS of land over against the far corner of 

 Siberia had reached the Russians for years, and 

 many were the legends of those who had seen these 

 lands from the cliffs, or had been on the ice to look at 

 them more closely, or had gone away to them and 

 never come back. There was, for instance, the old 

 legend of Kraechoj, who believed he had found safe 

 shelter at Irkaipii from the Chukche vengeance, but 

 the Chukche made his way into the stronghold and 

 killed Kraechoj 's son, whereupon Kraechoj escaped by 

 letting himself down with thongs to the boat and fled 

 to the land whose mountains can be seen in clear sun- 

 shine from Cape Yakan ; and there he was among his 

 people who had left Asia before him. 



And among the official documents was the statement 



127 



