CHAPTER VI 



LIEUTENANT WAXEL'S REPORT ON THE 

 VOYAGE OF THE ST. PETER 



Although the log book of the St. Peter gives an intimate, day- 

 by-day insight into the happenings of the voyage, and is there- 

 fore a valuable historical document, its stereotyped form and 

 routine information often obscure the human interest of the 

 story. This element is supplied by the simple and straightforward 

 narrative of Lieutenant Sven Waxel's report, which he, as officer 

 in command after Bering's death, forwarded to the Admiralty 

 College from Petropavlovsk by special messenger in November, 

 1742. A translation from the original 1 in the Russian archives 

 follows. 



To the Imperial Admiralty College, a Most 

 Humble Report 



Last May, 1741, the late Captain Commander Bering called a council, 

 in which participated Captain Chirikov, Professor de la Croyere, the 

 officers, and navigators, to decide on the first course to sail after leaving 

 the Harbor of St. Peter and St. Paul [Petropavlovsk] in order to discover 

 the Terra Juan de Gama which is marked on the map of the above- 

 named Professor de la Croyere and which extends northerly to the 47th 

 parallel. It was agreed to steer, after going out of Avacha Bay, SE by 

 E, true compass, to the 46th degree in order to see whether there is any 

 land on that parallel and if such be discovered to coast alongside of it 

 between north and east or north and west, depending on the lay of the 

 land. If, however, no land is seen on that parallel, it was concluded 

 to sail from there on an E by N course until land is found, and when 

 found to follow it in a northerly direction for the purpose of observation 

 as long as time will permit so as to return during the last days of Septem- 



1 Archives of the Ministry of Marine, Petrograd: Papers of the Admiralty 

 College, 1742-1746, No. 2, pp. 233 ff. On the top of the first page is written "Re- 

 ceived September 4, 1743, from the hands of Boatswain Alexei Ivanov, who was 

 sent here for that purpose." The report was passed on to the Senate two days later, 

 and to the Cabinet on September 17. 



