548 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [ciiAr. 



find his lost men, Chirikov determined to return to Kamchatka. 

 He first sailed some distance northwards along the coast of 

 America without being able to land, as both the vessel's boats 

 were lost. Great scarcity of drinking-water was thus occasioned, 

 which was felt the more severely as the return voyage was very 

 protracted on account of head -winds and fog. During the voyage 

 twenty-one men perished, among them de I'lsle de la Croyere, 

 who died, as is said often to be the case with scurvy patients on 

 board ship, while he was being carried from his bed ujd on deck 

 to be put on land.^ 



The voyages of Behring and Chirikov, attended as they were by 

 the sacrifice of so many human lives, gave us a knowledge of the 

 position of North-western America in relation to that of North- 

 eastern Asia, and led to the discovery of the long volcanic chain 

 of islands between the Alaska peninsula and Kamchatka. 



7. Voyages to Japan. — For these Captain Spangberg ordered 

 a h'ucher, the Erkcengdn Michael, and a double sloop, the 

 Nadeschda, to be built at Okotsk, the old vessel Gabriel being 

 . at the same time repaired for the same purpose. Spangberg 

 himself took command of the Michael, that of the double sloop 

 was given to Lieutenant Walton, and of the Gabriel to Midship- 

 man Cheltinga. Drift-ice prevented a start until midsummer, 

 and on that account nothing more could be done the first year 

 (17o8) than to examine the Kurile Islands to the 46th degree 

 of latitude. From this point the vessels returned to Kamchatka, 

 where they wintered at Bolschaja Eeka. On the .|^^; 1739, 

 Spangberg with his little fleet again left this haven. All the 

 vessels kept together at first, until in a violent storm attended 

 with fog Spangberg and Cheltinga were parted from Walton. 

 Both made a successful voyage to Japan and landed at several 

 places, being always well received by the natives, who appeared 

 to be very willing to have dealings with the foreigners. During 

 the return voyage Spangberg landed in 43° 50' N.L. on a large 

 island north of Nippon. Here he saw the Aino race, enigmatical 

 as to its origin, distinguished by an exceedingly abundant growth 

 of hair and beard which sometimes extends over the greater part 

 of the body. Spangberg returned to Okotsk on the ".^atiToctoi'er '' 

 Walton sailed along the coast in a southerly direction to 33° 48' 

 N.L. Here was a town with 1,500 houses, where the Russian sea- 

 farers were received in a very friendly way even in private houses. 

 Walton subsequently landed at two other places on the coast, 

 returning afterwards to Okotsk,where he anchored on the 'gi^^^^' " 



The very sjDlendid results of Spangberg's and Walton's voyages 



In this account of Behring's and Chirikov' s voyages, I have followed 

 Miiller (iii. pp. 187-268). More complete original accounts of Behring's 

 voyage are quoted further on in the sketch of our visit to Behring Island. 

 2 Miiiler, iii. p. 164. 



