98 VITUS BEEING. 



of the expedition without having completely ruined those 

 distant regions; for even Bering, far removed from all 

 selfishness, was scarcely able in this regard to keep his 

 men in check. The only fault of which the brave man 

 can be accused, is that his too great leniency was as detri- 

 mental as the spirited and oftentimes inconsiderate con- 

 duct of his subordinates/' It is undoubtedly true that 

 Bering was not fully equal to the task; but no one would 

 have been equal to this task. It is possible that his 

 humane conduct impaired the work of the expedition, but 

 this allegation still lacks proof, and Sokoloff, who wrote 

 his book as a vindication of Chirikoff against Von Baer's 

 sympathetic view of Bering, must be read with this reser- 

 vation. It is downright absurd to hold the leader respon- 

 sible for the moral weaknesses of his officers, for he had 

 not chosen them, and was as dependent upon them as 

 they upon him. "It seems to me," says Von Baer, 

 ^'^that Bering has everywhere acted with the greatest cir- 

 cumspection and energy, and also with the greatest for- 

 bearance. The whole expedition was planned on such a 

 monstrous scale that under many another chief it would 

 have foundered without having accomplished any results 

 whatever." 



