166 VITUS BEKING. 



During the first week in October it became very cold; 

 heavy storms of hail and snow swept over the ship and 

 made the work on board almost unendurable. On the 

 6th the ship^s supply of brandy gave out, and, as the 

 storm from the southwest still continued to rage, Waxel 

 seriously proposed to return to America and seek s\^ harbor 

 of refuge, as it would be necessary in a few days, on 

 account of the number on the sick list, to resign the ship 

 to the mercy of the waves. 



Bering, however, refused to entertain this idea, and 

 exhorted the crew to make an offering to the church — 

 the Russians to the church in Petropavlovsk, the Luther- 

 ans to the church in Viborg, Finland, where Bering had 

 formerly resided. 



As elsewhere on this whole voyage, Steller was here 

 geographically confused, and imagined that they were 

 sailing in a latitude of 50-53°, while in reality they were 

 on the 48th parallel, and hence his complaint that the 

 officers would not sail to this parallel to get a better 

 breeze, signifies nothing. Miiller gives the correct posi- 

 tion of the ship when he says that on the 12th of October 

 it was in latitude 48° 18', but he too is wrong when he 

 states that the weather did not permit them to make an 

 observation, for just at this time they had fair weather 

 and sunshine, and on the 11th, at noon, determined the 

 latitude as 48° 15' and the longitude as 27° east of 

 Avacha. During the succeeding ten days the weather 

 was somewhat more favorable. Clear weather, with heavy 

 frosts, prevailed; some hail and snow fell, but never- 

 theless they succeeded in making ten degrees on the 

 parallel of 49° 30'. The condition on board was getting 



