53G THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [( hap. 



the south that this peninsula was connected with Yezo, the 

 northernmost of the large Japanese islands. The distance 

 between Kamchatka and Japan, rich in wares, would thus have 

 "been quite inconsiderable. This nearness was believed to be 

 further confirmed by another Japanese ship, manned by seven- 

 teen men and laden with silk, rice, and paper, having stranded 

 in July 1729 on Kamchatka, south of Avatscha Bay. In this 

 neighbourhood there was, along with a number of natives, a 

 small party of Cossacks under the command of Andreas 

 ScHTlNNlKOV. He at first accepted several presents from the 

 shipwrecked men, but afterwards withdrew from the place where 

 the wreck took place. When the Japanese on this account 

 rowed on in their boats along the coast, Schtinnikov gave orders 

 to follow them in a haydar and kill them all but two. The cruel 

 deed was carried into execution, on which the malefactors took 

 possession of the goods, and broke in pieces the boats in order to 

 obtain the iron with which the boards were fastened together. 

 The two Japanese who were saved were carried to Nischni 

 Kamchatskoj Ostrog. Here Schtinnikov was imprisoned and 

 hanged for his crime. The Japanese were sent to St. Petersburg, 

 where they learned the Russian language and were converted to 

 Christianity, while some Russians in their turn learned Japanese. 

 The Japanese died between 1736 and 1739. Both were from 

 Smatsua ; the elder, SoSA, had been a merchant, and the younger, 

 GoNSA, was a pilot's son. Their vessel had been bound for 

 Osika, but having been carried out of its course by a storm, had 

 drifted about at sea for six months, stranding^ at last with so 

 unfortunate a result for the greater part of the crew. 



This sad occurrence further reminds us that much still 

 remained unaccomplished with respect to the geography of 

 north-eastern Asia. Behring's Kamchatka expedition had 

 besides yielded no information regarding the position of the 

 northern extremity of Asia, or of the part of America lying 

 opposite to Kamchatka. A number of grave doubts appear 

 besides to have been started as to the correctness of the 

 observations during Behring's first voyage. All this induced 

 him to make proposals for a continuation of his explorations, 

 offering, along with his former companions, Spangberg and 

 Chirikov, to take the command of the maritime expedition 

 which was to start from Kamchatka to solve the questions 

 proposed, both eastwards to ascertain the position of the east 

 coast of Asia in relation to the west coast of America, and 

 southwards to connect the areas which the West-Europeans and 

 the Russians were exploring. 



The Russian senate, the Board of Admiralty, and the Academy 

 of Sciences were commissioned to develop this plan and to carry 

 it into execution. With respect to the way in which the com- 



