DEATH OF BERING 231 



January 18, 1742 

 Statement on the Condition of the Ship 



Lieutenant Waxel, Master Khitrov, the lower officers and crew of the St. Peter 

 met on this day to inspect the ship and determine whether it is fit for the continua- 

 tion of our voyage. The condition of the ship was as follows: 



1. The bottom, keel, sternpost and stem were all damaged, and the rudder was 

 carried out to sea. 



2. There was not a single anchor for the voyage, and there was no hope that we 

 could recover one of those lost. 



3. The rigging, shrouds, cables are not to be depended on; they snap and tear, 

 and some are already torn. 



4. It is impossible that the ship could be moved from its present position because 

 it is already deeply buried in the sand. 



5. Below the water line on the left side there is a crack crossways. 

 Therefore, the ship is not fit for a continuation of our voyage further. 



Lieutenant Sven Waxel 

 Master Sofron Khitrov 



All the lower officers and crew of the St. Peter, except the sailor Dimitri 

 Ovtsin, signed this. 



Counterstatement by the Sailor Dimitri Ovtsin 



To His Highness Lieutenant Waxel: 



You commanded that the crew should meet on January 22 to sign the report that 

 the St. Peter is no longer fit for our voyage, and these were the reasons given. 



1. The bottom, keel, sternpost, and stem were damaged, and the rudder was 

 gone, and it is impossible to examine the inside because of the water in the hold. 



2. We have not a single anchor, and there is no hope of finding one. 



3. The rigging, shrouds, ropes are not to be depended on, for they break and in 

 many places are already broken. 



4. It is not probable that the ship can be moved from its place, since it is deeply 

 buried in the sand. 



5. Below the waterline there is a crack crossways. Therefore, the ship is unfit 

 for further service. 



On these points I should like to comment to your highness: 



1. The sternpost and stem are not so badly injured that they cannot be repaired; 

 although the false stem is gone, another can be made. As to the condition of the 

 bottom, it can hardly be ascertained now owing to the snow and ice. Another rudder 

 can be made, and timber for that purpose could probably be found. 



2. We have not yet tried to recover the anchors, and it is not too much to expect 

 that they may be found in summer. In the spring the winds are surely not as bad as 

 in the fall, and the weather may become favorable so that we could get the ship in a 

 position to repair it. 



3. Some of the bad rigging could be repaired, other parts could be replaced from 

 the stores; we have also spare ropes in case of need. If, of the four anchors, we find 

 two, we should have enough for our purpose. 



