592 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



As von Kotzebue two days after sailed past the north point of 

 the island he met three haydars. In one of them a man stood 

 up, held up a little dog and pierced it through with his knife, as 

 Kotzebue l3elieved, as a sacrifice to the foreigners.^ 



Since 1817 several exploring expeditions have landed on St. 

 Lawrence Island, but always only for a few hours. It is very 

 dangerous to stay long here with a vessel. For there is no 

 known haven on the coast of this large island, which is surrounded 

 by an open sea. In consequence of the heavy swell which almost 

 constantly prevails here, when the surrounding sea is clear of ice, 

 it is difficult to land on the island with a boat, and the vessel 

 anchored in the open road is constantly exposed to be thrown by 

 a storm rising unexpectedly upon the shore cliffs. This held 

 good in fullest measure of the Vegas anchorage, and Captain 

 Palander was on this account anxious to leave the place as soon 

 as possible. On the 2nd August at three o'clock in the afternoon 

 we accordingly resumed our voyage. The course was shaped at 

 first for Karaginsk Island on the east coast of Kamchatka, where 

 it was my intention to stay some days in order to get an oppor- 

 tunity of making a comparison between the natural conditions 

 of middle Kamchatka and the Chukch Peninsula. But as 

 unfavourable winds delayed our passage longer than I had 

 calculated on, I abandoned, though unwillingly, the plan of 

 landing there. The Commander's Islands became instead the 

 nearest goal of the expedition. Here the Vega anchored on the 

 14th August in a very indifferent harbour completely open to 

 the west, north-west, and south, lying on the west side of Behring 

 Island, between the main island and a small island lying off it. 



CHAPTER XV. 



Tlie position of Behrinp; Island — Its inhabitants — The discovery of the 

 island by Behring — Behring's death — Steller — The former and present 

 Fauna on the ishind : foxes, sea-otters, sea-cows, sea-lions, and sea- 

 bears — Collection of bones of the Rhytina — Visit to a "rookery" — 

 Toporkoff Island — Alexander Dubovski — Voyage to Yokohania— 

 Lightning-stroke, 



Behring Island is situated between 54° 40' and 55° 25' N.L. and 

 165° 40' and 166° 40' E.L. from Greenwich. It is the westernmost 

 and nearest Kamchatka of the islands in the long chain formed 



1 On the days after our arrival at Pitlekaj several dogs were killed. I 

 then believed that this was done because the natives were unwilling to 

 feed them during winter, but it is not impossible that they sacrificed them 

 to avert the misfortunes which it was feared the arrival of the foreigners 

 would bring with it. 



