DISCOVERY OF LAND 33 



advantage of.* In fact, even on July 16, the Thursday on which 

 the land became for the first time clearly visible, it was as good 

 as decided that, if land were not sighted by July 20, we would 

 return to Avacha because our supply of water was already more 

 than half consumed. 



We saw land as early as July 15,^^ but because I was the first 

 to announce it and because forsooth it was not so distinct that a 

 picture could be made of it, the announcement, as usual, was 

 regarded as one of my peculiarities; yet on the following day, in 

 very clear weather, it came into view in the same place. The 

 land was here very much elevated; the mountains, ^^ observed 

 extending inland, were so lofty that we could see them quite 

 plainly at sea at a distance of sixteen Dutch miles. I cannot 

 recall having seen higher mountains anywhere in Siberia and 



* It is true that under these suppositions islands might have been 

 reached within the time mentioned, but not the mainland of America. — P. 



58 In Yushin's version of the log book there is a statement (Vol. i, 

 p. 89, 4 P.M. entry) that the course was modified on July 14 toward 

 "the land sighted." This date is according to the astronomic time used 

 by the navigators, which for that hour would correspond to July 13, 

 civil time. In view of the probable position of the St. Peter at that hour 

 in latitude 54° 34' (see "Decision to Change Course," ibid., p. 90), it 

 would have been impossible to see land then or earlier, as in this position 

 the vessel still had to go 190 nautical miles before entering the circle of 

 visibility projecting farthest out to sea in that region, namely that of 

 Mt. St. Elias (see map accompanying George Davidson: The Tracks 

 and Landfalls of Bering and Chirikof on the Northwest Coast of America, 

 San Francisco, 1901; or radius of circle may be computed if altitude is 

 known — in this case 18,008 feet — from the standard formula, e. g. in 

 Hermann Wagner: Lehrbuch der Geographic, loth edit., Hanover, 

 1920, p. 95). It is quite probable, however, that in view of her rate of 

 progress (see log book. Vol. i, p. 92) the St. Peter had entered that circle 

 before the end of July 15, civil time (according to which Steller reckoned; 

 see, below, footnote 131), which would bear out Steller's statement. 

 Even the official announcement of the discovery of land at 12.30 P. M. 

 on July 17, astronomic time (July 16, civil time) took place only I2j/^ 

 hours later, inasmuch as the end of July 15, civil, represents the middle 

 of July 16, astronomic. (J) 



53 Mt. St. Elias and other mountains in that region. For identifications 

 see Vol. I, pp. 92ff. 



