PREPARATION FOR SEA VOYAGE 35 



According to Steller, one of the scientists who went along, it 

 had been Bering's original plan to depart from Kamchatka for 

 America early in May, 1741, and, after discovering that conti- 

 nent, to winter on it and return to Asia in 1742; but owing to a 

 number of unforeseen accidents he was unable to bring this about. 

 While at Okhotsk he had prepared the sea biscuit for the voyage, 

 and these were lost at the mouth of the Okhota River in 1740 

 as they were being taken to Kamchatka. Then, again, because 

 the two freight boats were unseaworthy he had to leave them 

 behind at the Bolshaya River and have the supplies transported 

 by the natives in the course of the winter. This was such a huge 

 task that even the much-abused natives revolted, and it was 

 some time before they were humbled and forced to do the bidding 

 of the officers. As a result of all these misfortunes Bering was 

 late in starting and not oversupplied on his departure. 



On April 23, 1741, the navigation officers began to keep their 

 records, and from this date on we will let them tell their own 

 story. 



