102 VITUS BEKING. 



Finally, in 1738, Spangberg found it possible to 

 depart for Japan, and in two summer expeditions he 

 charted the Kurile Islands, Yezo, and a part of the 

 eastern coast of Nipon (Hondo), whereupon the car- 

 tography of this part of the globe assumed an entirely 

 new appearance. 



The expeditions to Japan, which employed four 

 ships and several hundred men, had exhausted all the 

 provisions in Okhotsk. It was again necessary to raise 

 large supplies in West Siberia. A demand was made 

 upon the government office in Tobolsk for 40,000 

 rubles. From the district of Verkhoiansk 50,000 

 poods of provisions, while in part from West Siberia 

 and in part from the Admiralty 20,000 yards of cloth 

 were received. From other very distant places oil, 

 hemp, and other necessaries were obtained. The Admi- 

 ralty despatched to Irkutsk and Yakutsk two naval 

 officers. Lieutenants Tolbukhin and Larionoff, to super- 

 intend the ^transportation of these goods. The num- 

 ber of laborers was increased to a thousand, the roads 

 were improved, more attendants were provided, the 

 Siberian authorities exhibited more energy than before, 

 new river-boats were constructed, and pack-horses were 

 collected from a large radius of country ; by these 

 increased means it was possible to collect all necessa- 

 ries in Okhotsk by 1740. In the month of June the 

 ships for the American expedition, the St. Peter and 

 the St, Paul, were launched. They were two-masters, 

 80 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 9^ feet deep, rigged 

 as brigs, each of 108 tons burden, carrying 14 two 

 and three pound guns. 



