200 VITUS BERIKG. 



tributed among the crews; but on account of the 

 great distance, and the reluctance of the Yakuts to 

 sell to others than the yassak collectors, exce23t when 

 in great need, the supply has been limited. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the authorities at Ok- 

 hotsk were directed to prepare fish for the expedition, I 

 found that nothing whatever had been done in this 

 regard; but, on the contrary, they monopolized the sup- 

 plies of the Tunguses, who furnished my first expedition 

 with an abundance of fish, and upon whom I had de- 

 pended. For this reason we are forced to give the men 

 leave of absence in the summer, so that they may obtain 

 food by fishing, thus causing a loss of time and neglect 

 of the work of the expedition. Our force might be 

 divided into different parties, for shipbuilding, fishing, 

 and miscellaneous work, but we have not found it ex23edi- 

 ent to do this. Especially on account of the fact that 

 many have been assigned to the work of transportation, 

 there are not as many engaged in shij)building as neces- 

 sary, or as was ordered by the Imperial College of Admir- 

 alty. Lack of sufficient provisions has prevented this. 

 Here in Okhotsk we have but a small number of laborers. 

 The rest, for whom there will be no provisions until in the 

 spring, we have sent to Yudomskaya Krest to bring pro- 

 visions and other necessary supplies on dog-sledges to the 

 Urak landing, and to construct at this place twenty new 

 barges for use in the spring of 1738. New barges must be 

 built every year, for those that are floated down the Urak 

 can not be returned on account of the swiftness of the 

 current. They are, however, used for other purposes in 

 Okhotsk. It takes four men ten days to build a barge. 



