beeii^^g's great noetheri^ expedition. 95 



unqualified praise. JN'evertheless, all of these complaints 

 and accusations caused Bering much trouble and vexation. 

 The Admiralty, hard pressed by the Senate, found it diffi- 

 cult to furnish the necessary means for the continuation 

 of the expedition, and treated Bering severely and unrea- 

 sonably. It lacked the view which personal examination 

 gives. It was beset with deceitf ulness and circumvention, 

 and its experiences led it to take the worst for granted. 

 Hence, it sent Bering one message after the other repre- 

 hensive of his course. It threatened to fine him, to 

 court-martial him, to reduce him, and, in 1737, it even 

 went so far as to deprive him of his supplemental salary, 

 which was withheld several years.* Bering defended him- 

 self with the bitterness of despair. In his reports he gave 

 the most solemn assurances of his j^erseverance and fidelity 

 to duty, and the most detailed accounts of all difficulties. 

 He declared upon his honor that he was unable to see any 

 other means or resources than those he had resorted to. He 

 even appealed at last to the testimony of the chiefs of the 

 various expeditions and all the subordinate officers. He 

 was not believed. The Admiralty showed its lack of tact 

 by letting Chirikoif investigate a series of charges against 

 him. Furthermore, in spite of Bering's most urgent rep- 

 resentations, Pissarjeif continued to retain his position in 

 Okhotsk; and, although the government threatened the 

 Siberian authorities with the sternest punishments, still 

 the latter only very inactively participated in the work of 

 the expedition. 



Sokololf gives a very repulsive picture of Bering's 

 assistants. On account of the discomforts of the journey 



* Note 44. 



