284 JOURNAL OF THE "ST. PAUL" 



June 4, 1 7 41 

 From Vaua we sailed on the rhumb S50°E, distance 8.5 knots. 



June 5, 1741 



From Vaua rhumb S68°E. 



Saw the St. Peter, Captain Commander Bering in command, on the 

 rhumb W by S, 5 knots distant. We fired a gun as a signal for the Cap- 

 tain Commander to come closer to us since the wind was such that we 

 could not go to him. From us it seemed that the course sailed was more 

 southerly than agreed upon. It had been decided by all the officers and 

 by Professor Delisle de la Croyere to sail SE by E true compass. That 

 same hour the Captain Commander acknowledged our signal by firing 

 a gun and stood straight for us. 



Although Juan de Gama Land is an island, consequently not a part 

 of the American continent, yet we decided on the course we did because 

 our instructions called for an examination of the islands lying on the 

 way to America. It was agreed in case we failed to find land in lati- 

 tude 46 N, to sail steadily E by N until we met with success. If 

 on either of the courses SE by E or E by N we discovered land it was 

 our plan to coast along it from east to north or north to west, depend- 

 ing on its position, but not to follow it up if it extended between south 

 and east. In that case we were to leave it and go east until we came 

 across [other] land and keep this in sight while likewise going norther- 

 ly, to latitude 65 or at least as far as, with the help of God, the time 

 would permit. If we reached latitude 65° in good time we planned to sail 

 due west to the Chukchi country and in this way determine the distance 

 between America and Asia and when that was accomplished to return 

 to this harbor. If on the above-mentioned rhumb we should run into 

 head winds then we agreed to keep as close to the rhumb as possible 

 until, with God's help, we discovered land, which we would examine 

 according to the instructions of the Captain Commander. In planning 

 the voyage we had to keep in mind that we must return to this harbor 

 towards the end of September. Although we discussed the plan sug- 

 gested by the Admiralty College, before we left, of sailing (because the 

 distance was supposed to be short) across from the Chukchi land to 

 America, yet we did not do so because it was too early. 



June 6, 1 7 41 

 Latitude by observation 52° 02' N; from Vaua, longitude i° 57' 3" E, 

 rhumb S54°3o'E, distance 87.9 knots. 2 



2 As in the log book of the St. Peter, the positions refer to noon of the astronomical 

 day. For the difference between the civil and the astronomical date, see foot- 

 note 6, p. 50. In the journal of the St. Paul, however, the rhumb and distance 



