210 VITUS BERING. 



The Admiralty to Captain Bering, Jan. 23, 1738. 

 From Captain Chirikoff there has been received by the Admiralty 

 a report from Okhotsk with an accompanying copy of a proposition 

 laid before you by Chirikoff, suggesting measures for a more speedy 

 completion of the Kamchatka expedition under your charge. As no 

 steps had been taken by you in this direction as late as May 8 of the 

 same year, the Admiralty has concluded to demand an answer from 

 you, if any plans have been made on the basis of Chirikoff's proposi- 

 tion, and if, contrary to our expectations, nothing has been done, 

 we desire to know why, — since, according to the orders issued to you 

 Feb. 21, 1737, you were instructed to show zeal and solicitude for 

 the activity of the expedition, and that any neglect on your part 

 would make you liable to the same punishment as that suffered by 

 Lieutenants Muravjeff and Pauloff for negligence in conducting 

 expeditions entrusted to them.* 



(These officers were reduced to the rank of ordinary sailors.) 

 According to Bering's reports there were engaged in the Great 

 Northern Expedition, excluding the Academists and the crew on the 

 White Sea expedition, the following number of men : 



In the year 1737 1738 1739 



From the Admiralty 259 254 256 



From Siberia 324 320 320 



Total 583 574 576 



45. To an inquiry directed to the Russian Admiralty asking the 

 reason for Bering's long stay in Yakutsk, Admiral Th. Wessalgo 

 has given me the following information : 



"In Yakutsk, which was the base of operations for the whole 

 expedition, Bering was to secure wood, iron, and other materials for 

 the building of the necessary ships, and, what is most important, he 

 was to secure provisions, of which a yearly supply of 16,000 poods 

 was necessary. Although the furnishing of provisions had been 

 assigned to the Siberian authorities, they did nothing, in spite of 

 urgent and repeated demands ; hence Bering had to undertake this 

 work himself. Moreover, the immense amount of materials and 

 provisions collected here was to be sent to Okhotsk, a task which 

 presented insurmountable obstacles: the country was a wild and 



* The author gives extracts from other reports of the same tenor, which 

 the translator has seen fit to omit, referring the reader for further informa- 

 tion on this subject to Bering's own report, p. 195 of this volume. 



