43 



route as indicated on Miiller's map is an impossible one. 

 This much, however, seems to be irrefutable: shortly 

 after having crossed the Chukchee peninsula in a south- 

 erly direction, he came to a sea, and this sea could be no 

 other than Bering Sea.* Moreover, it appears from the 

 account, that he was on his return to the fort. Miiller 

 "goes on to say : '' From here he sent a part of his men in 

 boats, whither he himself with the majority of the party 

 proceeded by land, following the shore, which at this 

 place extended toward the southeast. Those in boats 

 were so near the shore that they reported to him every 

 evening. On the seventh day, the party in boats came to 

 the mouth of a river, and twelve days later, to the mouth 

 of another. At about seven miles from this point there 

 extends eastward far into the sea a headland, which is 

 first mountainous, but then flat, as far as the eye can 

 reach. This headland is probably what induced Captain 

 Bering to turn back. Among the mountains on this pro- 

 montory there is one which, as already noted, is by the 

 natives of Anadyrskoi Ostrog called Serdze Kamen. 

 From here Pavlutski started for the interior.'' On this 

 loose reasoning rests Serdze Kamen, — a process of reason- 

 ing which attempts to show clearly that this headland 

 must be a point on the Pacific coast, and that it must 

 have lain many days' journey west of Bering Strait. 

 But how is it possible, that Miiller could have been so 

 confused as to make such strange blunders ? The case 

 could not thus have presented itself to him. On the 

 basis of Deshneff's journey and Pavlutski's cruise, he 

 formed in his imagination a picture of northeastern 



* Note 25. 



