156 National Geographie Magazine. 
ties quote, more or less modified in the translation, the reasons given ~ 
in Bering’s report. But, as there is no reason to suppose these were 
uttered to the ship’s company officially at the time, a consideration of 
them may be deferred until the total results of the voyage are discussed. 
The course set, according to Chaplin’s journal, would, if made good, 
have carried the Gabriel east of the Diomedes and close to Cape Prince 
of Wales. The northwesterly current referred to by Chaplin and rec- 
ognized by most navigators who have since visited those seas, would 
have carried the vessel more to the westward, as was actually the result, 
and it was probably allowed for. 
August 16/27. Saint Diomede’s day. The Gabriel had kept on 
her course with a free wind making more than seven knots (miles) 
an hour. At nine in the morning they found themselves off a 
high promontory on the west, where there were Chukchi habita- 
tions. On the east and seaward they saw an island, which it was 
proposed to call after the saint of the day. At noon the vessel 
had made since the previous noon 115 miles and had reached lati- 
tude 66° 02’. Continuing on their way, with a fresh breeze and 
cloudy weather, they sailed along the Asiatic coast near enough 
to observe many natives and at two places they saw dwellings. 
At three p. m. very high land and mountains were passed (proba- 
bly the highlands near St. Lawrence Bay). 
Notes.—From 3 Pp. M. Aug. 15th to 9 A. M. Aug. 16th is 18 hours, which 
at seven knots an hour (allowing the alleged excess to be the equivalent 
of the drift caused by the current) would amount to 126 miles. Deduct 
from this the seven miles sailed between noon and 3 P. M. Aug. 15th in 
the opposite direction and we have remaining 119 miles made on the 
homeward voyage at a time when the Gabriel was between the Dio- 
medes and East Cape, or at least in plain sight of both. But three 
hours later, at noon, according to Lauridsen, they had made only 115 
miles in all, although the breeze was fresh and fair. From Chaplin’s 
position for the turning point to latitude 66° 02’ off East Cape is 96 
miles. From our hypothetically corrected position for the turning 
point, off Cape Seppings, the distance would be to the same place 126 
miles, or thereabouts. It is evident that there is a miscalculation, or an 
error in the record here, which, without further data, it is not possible 
to correct. 
It is certain that Bering with whom the right of naming any new 
island would have rested, did not then name the island above men- 
tioned after St. Diomede. On all copies of the earlier version of his 
chart it appears if at all under the name of the Island of St. Demetrius. 
From this we may suspect that he identified it with the high land seen 
Aug. 14th, St. Demetrius’ day, while others on board, suspecting they 
were not the same proposed the name of Diomede for the present 
