6o STELLER'S JOURNAL 



proved to me that we were really in America. I would have 

 enclosed the drawing herewith, were it not that I had to leave it 

 behind, as my return voyage had to be made on foot from Avacha 

 to the Bolshaya River, and consequently it will have to be for- 

 warded at some future time.124 



After this brief sketch of the discovered land, I proceed with 

 the account of our voyage. 



On July 21 in the morning, two hours before daybreak, the 

 Captain Commander, much against his usual practice, got up 

 and came on deck and, without consulting anyone, gave orders 

 to weigh anchor. Although Lieutenant Waxel earnestly re- 

 quested that we might stay long enough at anchor until all the 

 casks were filled with water, twenty being as yet empty, and 

 nothing but homesickness compelled us to hurry, nevertheless 

 and in spite of all the order was carried out, and we stood out 

 of the bay, gradually gaining the sea. It was considered reason 

 enough that the wind just then blew favorably for getting out 



[CyanociUa cristata (Linn.)] is figured, to which the bird observed by 

 Steller, it is true, has considerable resemblance, but is a different species, 

 as is sufficiently clear from Steller's description which will be published 

 elsewhere. This bird, consequently, could give no proof as to America. 

 But nobody, notwithstanding, will doubt that Steller really has been in 

 America. — P. 



Pallas is right with regard to Catesby, but singularly wrong in denying 

 that Steller's bird furnished proof of its American origin. It was de- 

 scribed by Gmelin, 1788, as Corvus stelleri and is a member of the same 

 genus as our blue jay, which genus, CyanociUa, is exclusively American, 

 CyanociUa stelleri, consequently, furnished conclusive proof that the 

 expedition had reached America and vindicates Steller's excellent 

 judgment. He must have had not only a wonderful memory to be able 

 to remember Catesby's figure so well, but also a fine appreciation of 

 zoogeographical relations to draw the above conclusion in 1741. (S) 



124 Steller sent twelve drawings of American and Asiatic birds, but 

 when the package reached the Academy M tiller examined it and made 

 the following note: "es sind nur 5 Zeichnungen von Vogeln and fehlen 

 sieben" (see Pekarski, Zapiski Imp. Akad. Nauk, Vol. 15, Suppl. i, 1869, 

 pp. 26-27). While in Petrograd in 1917 I made a search for the five 

 but could not locate them. (G) 



