Review of Bering’s First Expedition, 1725-30. 159 
Lauridsen has ascribed to Bering’s own initiative the willingness to 
make another search for land as if these ideas were original with him. 
It is evident that this is unjustified and fanciful. Miiller’s account 
shows that the incitement to a second attempt proceeded from the resi. 
dents of the country and that Bering complied with their suggestions ; 
and Bering says so himself in his report. 
On June* 5/16, 1729, the Gabriel left the mouth of the Kamchatka 
River and stood to the eastward, directly off shore. She continued on 
this course about forty-eight hours, sailing a distance variously esti- 
mated at from ninety to one hundred and thirty miles. The weather 
was foggy, no land was seen, the wind shifted to dead ahead at east 
northeast, and on the third day Bering gave up the search and steered 
for the southern coast of Kamchatka, the extreme of which is marked 
by the point known as Narrow (Ooskoi) Cape, or more generally as 
Shovel (Lopatka) Cape, from its low square termination. He deter- 
mined the latitude of this cape, and passing through the strait south of 
it reached Bolcheretsk on the west coast of the peninsula on the second 
of July. Most of this time was probably spent in tracing the form 
of the southern part of Kamchatka. Half way between the Kam- 
chatka River and the coast the variation was observed to be one point 
easterly, and off Avatcha Bay three-quarters of a point easterly. 
In the American translation of Lauridsen it is said (p. 51) that Bering 
fixed the difference of latitude (for which one should read longitude) 
between Bolcheretsk and Lower Kamchatka Ostrog at 6° 29’. But on 
Bering’s maps the difference is only 3° 50’, while in his list of positions 
no longitude is assigned to Lower Kamchatka post. In Campbell’s list 
it stands at 8°39’, which the correction of an evident error of 98° for 
95° reduces to 5° 39’. The true difference of longitude according to the 
latest charts is about 5° 25’. Where Lauridsen got his figures he does 
not state. Campbell, in Harris, states that Bering was the first navi- 
gator to double Cape Lopatka, but the Fortuna had made this voyage 
in 1728, though her commander is not known. 
At Bolsheretsk Bering left a crew for the Fortuna eh had returned 
thither ; turned over some of his surplus stores to the local authorities 
and on the 14/25 July sailed from the Bolshoia River for Okhotsk. 
Here he arrived pe and after some days spent in turning over gov- 
ernment property to the local officials and procuring his horses and 
outfit, he left Okhotsk a on the overland journey to St. Peters- 
burg. The second eclipse of the moon for the year occurred on this 
day, but during hours of daylight, and hence was invisible in this part 
of Asia. 
After an uneventful but successful journey Bering arrived in St. 
Petersburg Mar. 1/12, 1730, bringing with him, according to Du Halde, 
the map and report he had prepared upon his explorations. 
* Lauridsen says July, which is erroneous. 
VOL. II. 11 
