GEORGE WILLIAM STELLER. 253 



bay. The weather being beautiful, and the Avind favorable, we were all in 

 good spirits, and, as we sailed along the island, pointed out to each other the 

 well-known mountains and valleys which we had frequently visited in quest 

 "of game or for the purpose of reconnoitring. Towards evening we Avere op- 

 posite the farthest point of the island, and on the 15th, the wind continuino- 

 favorable, we steered direct towards the Bay of Avatscha. About midnight, 

 however, we perceived, to our great dismay, that the vessel began to fill with 

 water from an unknown leak, which, in consequence of the crowded and 

 overloaded state of the vessel, it was extremely difficult to find out. The 

 pumps were soon choked by the shavings left in the hold, and the danger 

 rapidly increased, as the wind was strong and the vessel badly built. The 

 sails were immediately taken in ; some of the men removed the bairu'a"-e to 

 look for the leak, others kept continually pouring out the Avater Avith kettles, 

 Avhile others again cast all superfluous articles overboard. At length, after 

 the lightening of the ship, the cai'penter succeeded m stopping the leak, and 

 thus Ave Avere once more saved from imminent danger. . . . On the 17th Ave 

 sighted Kamchatka, but as the Avind was contrary, Ave did not enter the har- 

 bor before the evening of the 27th. 



" In spite of the joy Ave all felt at our deliverance, yet the ncAvs Ave heard ^ 

 on our arrival aAvakened in us a host of conflicting emotions. We had been 

 given up for lost, and all our property had passed into other hands, and been 

 mostly carried away beyond hope of recovery. Hence joy and sorrow altei-- 

 nated Avithin a feAV moments in our minds, though Ave Avere all so accustomed 

 to privation and misery, as hardly to feel the extent of our losses." 



In the year 1744 Steller Avas ordered to return to St. Petersburg; but his 

 candor had made him poAverful enemies. Having reached Novgorod, and re- 

 joicing in the idea of once more mixing Avith the civilized world, he AA^as sud- 

 denly ordered to appear before the imperial court of justice at Irkutsk, on the 

 charge of having treacherously sold poAvder to the enemies of Russia. Thus 

 obliged to i-eturn once more into the depths of Siberia, he Avas at length dis- 

 missed by his judges, after Avaiting a Avhole year for their verdict. 



Once more on his Avay to St. Petersburg, he had already reached Mosccav, 

 when he was again summoned to appear Avithout delay before the court of 

 Irkutsk. A journey to Siberia is, under all circumstances, an arduous under- 

 taking ; Avhat, then, must have been Steller's feelings Avhen, instead .of enjoy- 

 ing the repose he had so Avell merited, he saAV himself obliged to retrace his 

 steps for the fourth time, for the purpose of vindicating his conduct before a 

 rascally tribunal ? On a very cold day his Cossack guards stopped to re- 

 fresh themselves with some biandy at an inn by the road-side, and Steller, 

 who remained in the sledge waiting for their return, fell asleep), and Avas 

 frozen to death. 



lie lies buried near the toAvn of Tjumen, and no monument apprises the 

 naturalist, Avhom the love of knoAvledge may lead into the Siberian Avilds, that 

 his unfortunate predecessor Avas thus basely requited after years of exertion 

 in the interests of science. ^ 



