Review of Bering’s First Hxpedition, 1725-30. 155 
Note.—The nautical day Aug. 15 extending from noon of the 14th to 
noon of the 15th is altogether omitted from the American translation of 
Lauridsen’s book. The position for the turning point estimated by 
Chaplin is manifestly by dead reckoning, as the sky was cloudy. It 
was not adopted in the list of positions published by Campbellin Harris’ 
Voyages nor on Bering’s map. In the former the longitude he adopts 
is 27° 37’ east of Lower Kamchatka fort, and this agrees exactly with 
the point on the coast in Du Halde’s engraving of Bering’s map where 
the mountains cease to be put down near the shore, the point on the 
north coast of Siberia where Lauridsen, and Chaplin as quoted by him, 
say Bering did not go, and the point which has been generally regarded 
as Bering’s farthest ! 
If we apply the distance and direction from Chaplin’s journal to the 
course of the Gabriel platted from his preceding data, literally, it will 
put the turning point of the voyage in N. latitude 67° 32’ and E. longi- 
tude 193° 37’ or thereabouts, which is about thirty-five miles off the 
American coast southwest from Cape Seppings. But if we do this the 
position is far from agreeing with Chaplin’s. By applying the hypo- 
_thetical correction which we have heretofore used. the position would 
be in latitude 67° 24’ and EK. longitude 193° 15’ from Greenwich or 31° 
east from Lower Kamchatka fort, agreeing more nearly with Chaplin. 
On the other hand the position off Cape Seppings agrees better with 
Chaplin’s figures for the remainder of the day. 
At this point the commander of the expedition determined to 
turn homeward. The Gadriel was put on a course 8. by E. by 
compass (S. by W. 4 W. true, the variation allowed being 24 
points easterly) before a brisk seven knot breeze, making better 
time than is recorded for any part of her outward voyage. 
Notes.—Lauridsen says* that, in terminating the outward voyage, 
Bering ‘‘announced that as he had now accomplished his task it was 
his duty, according to his orders, to return.” Miller and other authori- 
* Bergh (p. 54) quotes Chaplin’s journal, which says: ‘‘ At three 
o’clock Captain Bering announced : that it was necessary for him, in 
spite of his instructions, to turn back, and put the vessel about with 
orders to steer S. by E. by compass.” The italics are Bergh’s, who 
adds that, in the journal of Lieut. Chirikoff, the same statement is made 
in the same words. I transliterate the italicized phrases according to 
the schedule for Russian letters published in Natwre, Feb. 27, 1890. 
‘*Chto nadlezhit emu protiv ukazu vo ispolnenie vozvratit’sya.” This 
plain statement, which proves that (at the moment) Bering recognized 
that he was noi fulfilling his orders, is suppressed by Lauridsen and of 
course by Bering himself when he came to prepare his official report. 
Lauridsen however is not satisfied with suppressing the truth, which 
would have weighed so heavily against his hero and his argument, but, 
with the truth in his possession, he has inserted in his book a statement 
which is diametrically opposed to it as above cited. 
