28o REPORT ON VOYAGE OF THE "ST. PETER" 



do with all the material on hand. We agreed to take with us a certain 

 amount of iron for ballast, such provisions as we needed, a supply of fresh 

 water, several barrels of salted sea cow meat, and all the crew with their 

 baggage and to sail for Kamchatka. All the other material and supplies, 

 the greater part of which was worthless, according to the testimony of the 

 Fleet Master and the petty officers, it was decided to leave behind in the 

 warehouse which we built for that purpose. Owing to the fall weather 

 and our ignorance of the seaworthiness of our craft we did not think it 

 wise to overload it. A list of all the material, good and bad, left behind 

 is sent to the Admiralty College. 



On August 10 we launched our newly constructed ship which we named 

 the hooker St. Peter, and we rigged it on August 13. Having taken on 

 board all the men to the number of 46, we started, with God's help, on our 

 way to Kamchatka. On the night of August 15, while out at sea, the ves- 

 sel, owing to her poor construction, sprang a big leak so that there was 

 soon about two feet of water in the hold. We were in great danger, and to 

 lighten the ship we threw out of the hold cannon balls and shot. By 

 means of buckets and pumps we got rid of some of the water. When the 

 leak had been somewhat attended to we proceeded on our course. On 

 August 26 we sailed safely into the Harbor of the Holy Apostles St. Peter 

 and St. Paul. There we heard that Captain Chirikov and his company 

 had left this same summer for Okhotsk. We repaired the hooker St. Peter 

 and set sail on September i with the intention of following him to 

 Okhotsk, but after being out at sea for five days another big leak was dis- 

 covered. In addition to other troubles the wind was contrary, so that 

 we decided, all agreeing, to return for the winter to the harbor so that 

 we might not suffer misfortune from such a leak in such an unreliable 

 vessel and so late a season. 



We are now in Kamchatka, where we plan to remain until the coming 

 April, when we will repair the hooker and go to Okhotsk. If Captain 

 Chirikov should still be there, I and my company will place ourselves at 

 his orders; if he should be gone, we will proceed to Yakutsk, where I will 

 try to carry out the instructions of the Admiralty College which I shall 

 there receive; if there are no orders on hand, I will wait until they come. 



I take this occasion to report to the Admiralty College that from the 

 time we left the Harbor of St. Peter and St. Paul in the year 1741, and 

 during the time we were out at sea and on the island, there died of scurvy 

 at different times, officers and others, 31 men. The names of these per- 

 sons and the dates of their death are sent on a special list. 



Article 9 of the instructions which the Admiralty College gave to Cap- 

 tain Commander Bering reads that when the expedition shall have come 

 to an end there should be forwarded to the Admiralty College the log 

 book and the chart that shall have been made by the officers who were 

 on the voyage. I and Fleet Master Khitrov fully meant to do that [make 



