THE VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS. 157 



calls it St. Hermogenes Island, but later the Russians 

 changed it to Euratchey Island, on account of the great 

 number of marmots there, and since the United States 

 came into possession of it, the name has been translated, 

 and it is now known as Marmot Island.* Steller has not 

 a single word in his diary about St. Hermogenes, and 

 besides, his account at this point is full of inaccuracies. 

 ^'Consequently, until July 26," he says, "we sailed 

 along the coast, as these gentlemen thought it was 

 necessary to follow it, while it would have been sufficient, 

 at intervals of a hundred versts, to have sailed a degree or 

 two toward the north. "*' He thus blames them for not 

 having followed the method which at about that time 

 they had agreed upon, and later did follow. His story 

 of their having, for the first five days, sailed along the 

 coast, simply proves, in connection with a series of other 

 incidents in his work, that things were not entered in his 

 diary daily, but written down later from memory; hence 

 its value as proof is considerably diminished. 



Along the southeastern coast of Kadiak the voyage 

 was very dangerous. The average depth was twenty-five 

 fathoms; the water was very roily, the weather heavy with 

 fog and rain, and the wind violent. Not until the 31st 

 of July was che weather clear enough for an observation, 

 when they found themselves in a latitude of 54° 49', and 

 had passed the Kadiak archipelago. 



In accordance with the plan adopted, they here veered 

 to the northwest co seek the mainland for the purpose of 

 determining its trend. On the night of August 1 (and 3), 

 they suddenly approached land, having only four fathoms 



* Note 63. 



