GEORGE WILLIAM STELLER. o.Jl 



( 



their mistake soon became apparent when, on rounding a small promontory, 

 some well-known islets were missed. As they had no doubt, however, that 

 the land Avas really Kamchatka, and the bad Aveather and tlie small number 

 of hands tit to do duty rendering it difficult to reach the Gulf of Avatscha. 

 it Avas resolved to run into the ba}' that lay before them, and to send notice 

 from thence to Nishne-Kamchatsk of their safe arrival. 



Steller Avas among the first to land, and probably the very first of the 

 party Avho discovered the mistake of the excellent navigators to whom the 

 expedition had been intrusted. Sea-otters came swimming to him from the 

 land, and he aa'cII kncAV that these much-jjersecuted animals had long since 

 disappeared from the coast of Kamchatka. The number of Arctic foxes, too, 

 Avho shoAved no fear at his approach, and the sea-coAvs gambolling in the 

 water, Avere sure signs that the foot of man had not often trodden this shore. 

 Steller Avas also the first to set the good example of making the best of a 

 bad situation, instead of uselessly bewailing his misfortunes. He began to 

 erect a hut for the following Avinter, and formed an association Avith several 

 of the creAV, Avho, whatever might await them, promised to stand by each 

 other. 



During the following days the sick were gradually conveyed on shore. 

 Some of them died on board as soon as they were brought into the open air, 

 others in the boat, others as soon as they Avere landed. " On all sides," says 

 Steller, in his interesting account of this ill-fated voyage, " nothing Avas to be 

 seen but misery. Before the dead could be buried, they Avere mangled by the 

 foxes, Avho even A'entured to approach the helpless invalids Avho Avere lying 

 without cover on the beach. Some of these wretched sufferers bitterly com- 

 plained of the cold, others of hunger and thirst — for many had their gums so 

 SAvoUen and ulcerated Avith the scurvy as to be unable to eat." 



" On November 13," continues the naturalist,''! Avent out hunting for the 

 first time Avith Messieurs Plenisner and Betge ; we killed four sea-otters, and 

 did not return be^re night. AVe ate their flesh thankfully, and prayed to 

 God that He might continue to provide us with this excellent food. The 

 costly skins, on the other hand, Avere of no value in our eyes ; the only ob- 

 jects Avhich Ave noAv esteemed were knives, needles, thread, ropes, etc., on 

 Avhich before Ave had not bestOAved a thought. We all saAV that raiik, sci- 

 ence, and other social distinctions were now of no avail, and could not in any 

 Avay contribute to our preservation : Ave therefore resolved, before Ave Avere 

 forced to do so by necessity, to set to Avork at once. We introduced among 

 us five a community of goods, and regulated our housekeej^ing in such a man- 

 ner as not to be in want before the winter Avas over. Our three Cossacks 

 were obliged to obey our orders, Avhen Ave had decided upon something in 

 common ; but Ave began to treat them Avith greater politeness, calling them 

 by their names and surnames, and Ave soon found that Peter MaximoAvitsch 

 served us with more alacrity than formerly Petrucha (a diminutive of Peter). 



" yoi\ 14. — The Avhole ship's company Avas formed into three parties. The 

 one had to convey the sick and provisions from the shi]); the second brought 

 wood; the third, consisting of a lame sailor and myself, remained at home, — 



