NOTES. 209 



41. Part II. is based upon the works of Von Baer, Middendorff, 

 and Sokoloff. 



43. General List of Russian Naval Officers, St. Petersburg, 1882. 



43. Zapiski, IX., 250. — Beitrdge zur Kenntniss, etc., Introduc- 

 tion.— Sokoloff: " Chirikoff's Voyage to America," St. Petersburg, 

 1849. — Bering's wife was suspected of having acquired goods illeg- 

 ally, but there is no proof of this. When she, in the year 1738, ^/f^ 

 returned from Siberia, the Senate, influenced by the numerous 

 denunciations of her conduct, issued an ukase that her goods should 



be examined. At the inspection on the borders of Siberia it was 

 found that she had a suspiciously large quantity of furs and other 

 things. She rather overawed the authorities, however, and returned 

 to St. Petersburg unmolested. Sokoloff gives no information as to 

 whether the furs were illegally obtained or not. She was very much 

 younger than Bering; in 1744, on making application for a widow's 

 pension, she gave her age as 39 years. 



44. The author is indebted to Admiral Th. Wessalgo for the 

 following archival accounts. 



The Admiralty to Captain Bering, Feb. 26, 1736. 



Your expedition is a very protracted one, and apparently it is 

 being conducted somewhat carelessly on your part, which is shown 

 by the fact that it has taken nearly two years to reach Yakutsk. 

 Moreover, it appears from your report that your stay in Yakutsk will 

 be too long; in fact, there seems to be no reason to hope that you 

 will succeed in getting any farther. As a consequence of all this 

 the Admiralty is extremely dissatisfied with your arrangements, and 

 will not let matters go on without an investigation. If in the future 

 any negligence whatever occurs, an investigation will be instituted 

 against you for insubordination to the decrees of His Imperial 

 Highness and for negligence in an affair of state. 



The Admiralty to Captain Bering, Jan. 31, 1737. 



Inasmuch as you — in spite of the express orders of the Admiralty, 

 wherein it is stated that your expedition is protracted and is care- 

 lessly conducted — have not reported to the Admiralty the cause of 

 your delay, and say nothing about when you intend to leave 

 Yakutsk, you are hereby deprived of your supplemental salary, and 

 will receive only the regular salary, until you send such a report, 

 and until you continue on the expedition which has been entrusted 

 to you. 



