CHAP. XV.] BEHRING ISLAND. 595 



northern fishing station. There are besides some scattered 

 houses here and there on other parts of the island, for instance 

 on its north-eastern side, where the potato is said to be cultivated 

 on a small scale, and at the fishing place on the north side where 

 there are two large sheds for skins and a number of very small 

 earth-holes used only during the slaughter season. 



Behring Island, with regard both to geography and natural 

 history, is one of the most remarkable islands in the north part 

 of the Pacific. It was here that Behring after his last unfortunate 

 voyage in the sea which now bears his name, finished his long 

 course as an exjilorer. He was however survived by many of 



Hfet. 



THE "colony" on COPPER ISLAKD. 



(After a photograph.) 



his followers, among them by the physician and naturalist Steller, 

 to whom we owe a masterpiece seldom surpassed — a sketch of 

 the natural conditions and animal life on the island, never before 

 visited by man, where he involuntarily passed the time from the 

 middle of November 1741, to the end of August 1742.' 



1 Original accounts of the wintering on Behring Island are to be found 

 in Miillei-'.s Sammlung Russischer Geschichte, St. Petersburg, 1758, iii. 

 pp. 228-238 and 242-2G8; (Steller' s) Topofjraphische mid 2^h/stf<:aUsche 

 Beschreibunrj der Bering.nnsel (Pallas' Neue Nordische Beytnifje, St. Peters- 

 l)urg and Leipzig, 1781-83, ii. p. 225) ; G. W. Steller's Tagehuch seiner 

 Seereise aus dem Petrlpauh Uafen . . . und seiner Begehenheiten auf der 

 Ruckreise (Pallas' Neueste Nordische Beyfn'ige, St. Petersburg and Leipzig, 

 1793-96, i. p. 130; ii. p. 1). 



Q Q 2 



