276 REPORT ON VOYAGE OF THE "ST. PETER" 



until November 4, on which day we sighted land [Copper Island] which 

 we looked upon as a godsend because it was beyond our strength to 

 keep any longer at sea. By observation this land is in latitude 54°, but by 

 dead reckoning we thought we were in latitude 53 and in longitude some 

 140 minutes from Vaua. From this reckoning we hoped that the land 

 in sight might be Kamchatka, some little distance north of Shipunski 

 Cape. Our faulty reckoning was due to the fact that we had for a long 

 time (as may be seen from our log book) thick weather and no sunshine 

 to set us right. 



We and our men were greatly weakened from the severe attack of the 

 scurvy and at the end of our strength and in great danger, for it may be 

 said at that time the ship was without control. Of our men there were 

 only eight who, with great pain, could look after themselves, and of 

 these three, one of them being the Captain Commander's man, could 

 come on deck. All the others were sick unto death. We had only six 

 barrels of water on board. As to provisions we had no sea biscuit or such 

 like and only a little flour, butter, and meat. On top of this the shrouds 

 on the mainsail above the catharpings on the right side were all torn, and 

 therefore we could not carry any sail on the mainmast and, as was noted 

 above, there was no one to do any repairing. At the particular time of 

 our misfortune the wind was contrary for getting around the cape seen 

 by us. Therefore, on November 5, realizing that we were in a bad state 

 to remain longer at sea and that it was dangerous to wait for fair winds 

 because our men were giving out so fast that we feared we should be left 

 without any help whatever and the ship would be lost with all on board, 

 the Captain Commander called together for consultation all the higher 

 and lower officers and those of the men who were still able to drag them- 

 selves to the cabin. The members of the crew announced that because 

 of their sickness and feebleness they were no longer able to do their work 

 at sea. Taking this into account the Captain Commander and the higher 

 and lower officers agreed to look for an anchoring place where we might 

 winter in order to save ourselves and not be entirely destroyed by such 

 a dreadful disease. All the men agreed to this, and we sailed before the 

 wind towards the land and drew near it about five o'clock in the after- 

 noon and anchored with the small bower in 12 fathoms of water and paid 

 out about three-fourths of a cable. It broke about 80 fathoms from the 

 end, and we were carried by the surf 5 fathoms, when we let go another 

 anchor with the same result, and we were carried by the surf over [the 

 reef] closer to the shore into 4K fathoms, where we let fall the best bower 

 and paid out three-fourths of a cable. By this time we had 49 of the 

 crew on the sick list. On November 6 we lowered the longboat and 

 moored the ship, but only after great difficulty since we were so short- 

 handed. After this week, with the help of those men who, although with 

 some effort, were still able to be on their feet, we did our best to transport 



