172 VITUS BERING. 



rocks at any moment. The confusion became indescrib- 

 able. In order not to have a corpse on board, the dead 

 bodies of two of their companions were thrown over- 

 board. It had been the intention to take them ashore for 

 burial. At this juncture the second anchor was lost; 

 but at the last moment, just as the third was on the 

 point of being cast, Ofzyn succeeded in establishing order 

 and keeping the anchor on board. The vessel glided 

 safely across the reefs, and in a few moments the boat- 

 swain and Ofzyn were able to anchor in a sheltered place. 

 The St. Peter was safe for the time being. In this still 

 and bright November night (the night of Nov. 6, 1741) 

 the ship was riding at anchor off the center of the north- 

 east coast of Bering Island, scarcely 600 yards from 

 shore. Thus ended this frightful adventure. Very 

 fortunately, the ship had happened to strike the only 

 navigable channel on the east that leads to the coast of 

 the island. 



It yet remains to determine with more exactness the 

 place of stranding. On this point literature offers no 

 reliable information. I am aware that Steller says that 

 the vessel stranded on the northern coast of the island, 

 but this is not to be taken literally. After the St. Peter 

 had passed the northern point of Copper Island, which 

 lies parallel with the trend of Bering Island, it was car- 

 ried west and southwest by a northeasterly wind, and 

 hence would strike the coast of Bering Island off, or a 

 few minutes north of, the northern extremity of Copper 

 Island. At this point the eastern coast of Bering Island 

 recedes to the west and forms that bay which the officers 

 saw ahead. From this it is evident that the place where 



