98 LOG BOOK OF THE "ST. PETER" 



Footnotes to Log of July 21 on page gy. 



37 An arshin is equal to 28 inches. 



38 In 1790, when the Billings expedition visited this island one of the old natives 

 said that "he remembered that when he was a boy a ship had been close into the bay on 

 the west side of the island and had sent a boat on shore; but on its approaching land 

 the natives all ran away. When the ship sailed, they returned to their hut and found 

 in their subterraneous storeroom some glass beads, leaves (tobacco), an iron kettle, and 

 something else" (Martin Sauer: An Account of a Geographical and Astronomical Expedi- 

 tion to the Northern Parts of Russia ... by Commodore Joseph Billings, Londcn, 

 1802, p. 194.) 



Bering's coming must have made quite a stir among the natives of Alaska. The in- 

 habitants of one of the islands in Prince William Sound told Sarychev (one of Billings' 

 officers) that a ship came to Kayak Island and that the people came ashore and left 

 some knives (Sarychev: Account of a Voyage of Discovery, London, 1806, Part II, 

 PP- 52-53)- 



39 Khitrov's journal: "I came aboard from shore in the longboat and reported to 

 the Captain Commander that the channel to the island has a depth of 3. 3 K. and4fathoms, 

 that the bottom is sandy and in places slimy, and that it is sheltered from many winds. 

 I reported also that I found on that island a hut made of hewn boards, the floor of the 

 hut being also of boards. In place of an oven it had a kind of fireplace. From this hut 

 I brought along to show Captain Commander Bering a wooden basket, a shovel, a small 

 stone which had copper stains on it, and one common round stone with a hole. All of 

 these things I gave to the Captain Commander. During the whole time that we remained 

 at anchor we took in 35 barrels of water. At seven in the morning we weighed anchor, 

 set the topsails, foresail, mainsail, jib, and staysails, took on board the small and large 

 boats, and sailed away. . . That which happened to me on that island is noted down 

 in the report which I made on the island of St. Elias." 



*o A point on the mainland. 

 «l Cape Hinchinbrook. 



