CHAPTER V. 



THE BUILDING OF THE GABRIEL — THE DISCOVERY OF 

 BERING STRAIT. 



BERING now found himself upon the bleak shores of 

 an Arctic sea, with no other resources than those he 

 had brought with him, or could extort from these barren 

 tracts. He again began the work of ship-building, and 

 in the summer of 1728, a ship called the Gabriel, staunch 

 enough to weather a heavy sea, was launched. The 

 timber for this vessel had been hauled to the ship-yard by 

 dogs ; the tar they had prepared themselves, while rig- 

 ging, cable, and anchors had been dragged nearly two 

 thousand miles through one of the most desolate regions 

 of the earth. And as for the provisions, they would cer- 

 tainly strike terror in the hearts of Arctic explorers of 

 to-day. '' Fish oil was his butter, and dried fish his beef 

 and pork. Salt he was obliged to get from the sea,'' and 

 according to the directions of the Cossacks he distilled 

 spirits from ^' sweet straw."* Thus supplied with a 

 year's provisions, he started upon his voyage of discovery 

 along an unknown coast and on an unknown sea. *' It is 

 certain," says Dr. Campbell concerning Bering at this 

 stage, "that no person better fitted for this undertaking 

 could have been found ; no difiaculty, no danger daunted 



♦ Note 7. 

 29 



