12 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



which they followed the Kamchatkan coast in a northerly direc- 

 tion and never lost sight of it except in foggy weather. — The 

 object of the voyage^- was consequently anything but achieved, 

 for, if America were situated so close to Siberia, it would have 

 been discovered before then by the cossacks who in their baidars 

 (skin boats) had at various times sailed over this course from the 

 mouth of the Anadyr; as also the geodesist (surveyor) Gvozdev^^ 



Asia towards the North East. He was of opinion that from thence the 

 coast must continually run to the West; and was this the case, no con- 

 nection with Ajnerica could take place; consequently he believed that he 

 had fulfilled his orders. ... It must be allowed that the circum- 

 stances, on which the captain founded his judgment, was [sic] false; for it 

 was afterwards found that this was the promontory which, by the inhabi- 

 tants of Anadir skoi Ostrog, is called Serdze Kamen, on account of a rock 

 upon it in the form of a heart. And, although the country behind it winds 

 to the West, yet this winding composes only a large bay, in the innermost 

 part of which the rock Matkol lies, according to the above account given 

 by the Cossack Popow. But here the coast begins again to run regularly 

 to the North and North East, till in the 70th degree or more, of North 

 latitude, the proper Tchukischian Noss, as a great peninsula, appears; 

 where, and not before, it might be said, that there was no connection 

 between the two parts of the world, but who on board that ship could 

 know this?" 



Today the name Serdze Kamen is applied to a cape, 90 statute miles 

 northwest of East Cape, on the side of the (modern) Chukchi Promontory 

 facing the Arctic Ocean, in the position indicated by Captain Cook in 

 the following quotation (his reference to MuUer is to the passage just 

 cited): "... and that thus far Beering proceeded in 1728; that is, to 

 this head which Muller says is called Serdze Kamen, on account of a rock 

 upon it, shaped like a heart. But I conceive that Mr. Muller's knowl- 

 edge of the geography of these parts is very imperfect. There are many 

 elevated rocks upon this Cape, and possibly some one or other of them 

 may have the shape of a heart. It is a pretty lofty promontory, with a 

 steep rocky cliff facing the sea; and lies in the latitude of 67° 3' and in 

 the longitude of 188° 11' [E.]" (James Cook, A Voyage to the Pacific 

 Ocean, Vol. 2, London, 1784, p. 470). (G) 



12 To investigate how far America is from Asia and whether it joins 

 the Chukchi Peninsula (see items 2 and 3 of the instructions for the ex- 

 pedition. Vol. I, p. 11). 



13 For an account of this voyage, see Vol. i, Ch. III. (G) 



