XL] BEEINffS LAST EXPEDITION. 243 



to Harchin's forces, and Chugotchi, having murdered all the Russians 

 in his own district, marched to join him. Hearing of the return of 

 Shacurdin's ships, they entrenched themselves in the fort and 

 awaited the Eussian attack. It would have been better for them 

 had they accepted the terms offered by their opponents, but they 

 refused to surrender. The place was retaken with great slaughter. 

 Hardly a man escaped alive, and thus the revolt, which at one time 

 bid fair to spread throughout the peninsula, was checked almost at 

 its outset. It was the last struggle engaged in by the natives, and 

 thenceforward the country remained in a condition of uninterrupted 

 peace. 



It was not until 1732 that proposals were made for the despatch 

 of another exploring expedition to the far east. They emanated 

 from Bering himself, wdio, with his two lieutenants Spangberg and 

 Tschirikov, was anxious to push across to the American coast, and 

 trace it northward to the strait that now bears his name. Another 

 point too remained to be elucidated. To the south-east of Kams- 

 chatka in the charts of Delisle and others of that day an appear- 

 ance of land was indicated, and described " Terre mic "par Jean de 

 Gama, Indien, en allant dc la Chine a la nouvelle Espagne." It was 

 intended to search for this mythical land before proceeding to 

 America, — an intention that, unluckily for the fate of the explorer 

 and his comrades, was ultimately carried out, — and emboldened by 

 the success of his earlier voyages, Bering ventured to lay his pro- 

 posals before the Empress. 



They were at once acceded to, and Anne, who appears to have 

 been as anxious to extend the dominions of Eussia as her pre- 

 decessor, resolved upon a simultaneous system of exploration over 

 a vast extent of country. Special attention was to be directed to 

 the possibilities of a north-east passage along the coasts of the 

 Polar Sea. Eight additional lieutenants were appointed, of whom 

 three were to be engaged in this work. Spangberg was to proceed 

 to Okhotsk, where two ships were to be built to enable liim to reach 

 Japan, while the two needed for Bering's voyage were also to be 



