30 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



the names of which I also knew, were drifting about; or that I 

 knew the reason why plants could grow in those regions but not 

 here in the north, where the sea water, on account of the different 

 effect of the sun, was quite differently constituted; or finally 

 that it is no secret what the nature of these [seaweeds] is and in 

 what manner they have been transplanted. 



It seemed to everyone absurd and incredible that anyone 

 should maintain the existence of a current* in the sea, although 

 we clearly observed its effects, inasmuch as the objects floating 

 in the sea kept to a definite direction frequently even contrary 

 to that of the winds, so that during the southwest and southeast 

 winds which we were having these things drifted toward us from 

 the north. On account of this incredulity the necessary precau- 

 tions which have to be observed in the ship's reckoning on 

 account of the currents were not taken, either on the outward or 

 return voyage; consequently through cocksureness many errors, 

 because of the great distance between the two continents, may 

 have crept in.^^ Afterwards, indeed, on the return voyage, they 

 saw with their own eyes how often — almost continuously — they 

 had previously been sailing close to land; that the sea was full of 

 islands, and that consequently such currents were entirely possi- 

 ble; also that even the reckoning itself had failed. 



Another argument from which it was to be infallibly concluded 

 that we were under the lee of the land and not far from it was 

 furnished by the frequent occurrence of marine animals which 

 are not commonly met with in the open sea. It is known that 

 the heart of the hair seals has the so-called foramen ovale as well 

 as the ductus arteriosus Botalli open, in consequence of which 

 these animals are enabled to remain a long time under water and, 



* This very current, however, in connection with the other circum- 

 stances, should have caused Steller to reflect that it did not come from the 

 continuous coast of a mainland but from a channel or from several straits 

 between islands. — P. 



56 How eminently valid this criticism was is evidenced by the error in 

 longitude which actually did result, amounting in the case of the St. 

 Peter to about 6° and in the case of the St. Paul to over ii° (see, on this 

 topic, Vol. I, pp. 210, 276, 308, 322. and 332). (J) 



