136 THE SEA. 



Spanberg and Tschirikoff. They left St. Petersburg- on February 5th, 1725, proceeding- 

 to the Ochotsk Sea, via Siberia. It is a tolerable proof of the difficulties of travel in 

 those days, that it took them two years to transport their outfit thither. They crossed 

 to Kamchatka, where, on the 4th of April, 1728, Miiller tells us, "a boat was put upon 

 the stocks, like the packet-boats used in the Baltic, and on the 10th of July was launched, 

 and named the boat Gabriel." A few days later, and she was creeping along the coast of 

 Kamchatka and Eastern Siberia. Bering on this first voyage discovered St. Lawrence 

 Island, and reached as far north as 67 18', where, finding the land trend to the westward, 

 he came to the conclusion that he had reached the eastern extremity of Asia, and that 

 Asia and America were distinct continents. On the first point he was not, as a matter 

 of detail, quite correct ; but the second, the important object of his mission, settled for 

 ever the vexed question. 



A second voyage was rather unsuccessful. His third expedition left Petropaulovski on 

 the 4th of July, 1741. His little fleet became dispersed in a storm, and Bering pursued 

 his discoveries alone. These were not unimportant, for he reached the grand chain of 

 the rock-girt Aleutian Islands, and others nearer the mainland of America. At length 

 the scurvy broke out in virulent form among his crew, and he attempted to return to 

 Kamchatka. The sickness increased so much that the "two sailors who used to be at the 

 rudder were obliged to be led in by two others who could hardly walk, and when one 

 could sit and steer no longer, one in little better condition supplied his place. Many 

 sails they durst not hoist, because there was nobody to lower them in case of need." At 

 length land appeared, and they cast anchor. A storm arose, and the ship was driven on 

 the rocks; they cast their second anchor, and the cable snapped before it took ground. 

 A great sea pitched the vessel bodily over the rocks, behind which they happily found 

 quieter water. The island was barren, devoid of trees, and with little driftwood. They 

 had to roof over gulches or ravines, to form places of refuge. On the " 8th of November 

 a beginning was made to land the sick; but some died as soon as they were brought 

 from between decks in the open air, others during the time they were on the deck, some 

 in the boat, and many more as soon as they were brought on shore." On the following 

 day the commander, Bering, himself prostrated with disease, was brought ashore, and 

 moved about on a hand-barrow. He died a month after, in one of the little ravines, or 

 ditches, which had been covered with a roof, and when he expired was almost covered 

 with the sand which fell from its sides, and which he desired his men not to remove, as 

 it gave him some little warmth. Before his remains could be finally interred they had 

 literally to be disinterred. 



The vessel, unguarded, was utterly wrecked, and their provisions lost. They subsisted 

 mainly that fearful winter on the carcases of dead whales, which were driven ashore, 

 In the spring the pitiful remnant of a once hardy crew managed to construct a small 

 vessel from the wreck of their old ship, and at length succeeded in reaching Kamchatka. 

 They then learned that Tschirikoff, Bering's associate, had preceded them, but with the 

 loss of thirty-one of his crew from the same fell disease which had so reduced their 

 numbers. Bering's name has ever since been attached to the island where he died. 



There is no doubt that Kamchatka would repay a detailed exploration, which it 



