VOYAGE OF THE "ST. PETER" 333 



In approaching land the vessel made slow progress against the 

 light head winds prevailing, and on the 18th foggy weather 

 obliged Bering to proceed with caution. No land was seen that 

 day, although there were many indications that the shore was 

 close aboard. At 8 p.m. on the 19th the fog lifted, and the St. 

 Peter found herself in the bight to the eastward of Kayak Island, 

 with the southern point of the island and its detached Pinnacle 

 Rock in plain view bearing SW by W. During the night the ship 

 was worked around the point, and on the morning of the 20th the 

 St. Peter dropped her anchor on the west side of Kayak Island 

 about midway of its length. Bering named the island St. Elias, 

 and the southern point Cape St. Elias. The two boats were put 

 overboard, and men were sent ashore to fill the empty casks. 

 Khitrov sounded out the passage between Kayak and Wingham 

 Islands to find sheltered anchorage in case of need; he also 

 landed and examined Wingham Island. 



SKIRTING THE ALASKAN COAST 



The next morning at daybreak, the wind being fair, Bering, 

 taking into consideration the lateness of the season and the signs 

 of scurvy among the crew, gave orders to weigh anchor and begin 

 the return voyage. After leaving Kayak Island early in the 

 morning of July 21, the St. Peter made Cape Hinchinbrook, 

 opened out the passage into Prince William Sound, and then 

 hauled to the southward along Montague Island. The officers 

 took bearings of the Wooded Islands, and at noon of the 22nd 

 the ship was just below Cape Cleare and about 25 miles distant. 

 The weather being thick no land was seen on the 23rd, 24th, 

 and 25th, although on the 24th the course was changed more to 

 the westward in order to draw near to land. At 4 a.m. on July 

 26 they suddenly made high land bearing NE by N distant about 

 8 miles and got bottom at 35 fathoms. This was Black Point, 

 the southern point of Sitkalidak Island. 4 After sighting Black 

 Point, the St. Peter stood about due south until noon, covering a 



4 It has been stated that Bering named the point Cape St. Hermogenes, but no 

 mention of this is made in any of the ship's records or in Steller's diary. 



