132 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



we tried to do so by tacking until evening. — Towards evening 

 we turned northward, in order to get away from land, because a 

 storm was expected, that actually broke out in the night. The 

 shrouds of the mainmast broke from the violent force of the 

 wind and [the weight of] the sails, since the topsails and courses 

 remained set as they had stood during the day without being 

 reefed and since it was impossible for the feeble remnant of the 

 crew to take them in during the middle of the night in the grow- 

 ing storm; so that in the morning, after the turbulent and stormy 

 night had changed into a most pleasant day and weather, we did 

 not dare carry all the sail we could and should have carried. On 

 November 6,^°^ Master Khitrov, who had already won Lieutenant 

 Waxel over to his side and also brought around the petty officers 

 and the crew, therefore proposed that, in view of the late autumn 



Cape Shipunski, and the reentrant between them for the embayment 

 at the head of which Ues Avacha Bay. When the vessel had passed be- 

 yond the northwestern cape of Copper Island and the noon observation 

 of the sun had shown that they were not in the latitude of Avacha, they 

 tried to get back around (Steller: "um das Ende zuriicke herumzu- 

 kommen") the point which was then to the southeast of them, viz. the 

 northwestern cape of Copper Island. This they had difficulty in doing, 

 and in order not to be driven on a lee shore during the night (a northeaster 

 was blowing), they changed to a N/E and N course by tacking. On 

 thus changing their course at 5 p. M. the northwestern cape of Copper 

 Island bore SE }4 E (Khitrov's version of the log book: Vol. i, p. 210, 

 footnote 122; for thus his "S point" may reasonably be interpreted 

 inasmuch as to them it was Isopa, the point limiting the embayment 

 on the south). All during that night in their enfeebled condition they 

 fought against that northeasterly gale. While not able to keep a straight 

 northerlj^ course, they had succeeded in keeping far enough away from 

 Bering Island so that in the morning they were still at an estimated dis- 

 tance of six German miles (Steller) to the east of it. The "S point" 

 recorded by Yushin as bearing SE 1^ E 3 German miles at 5 A. M. may 

 again be taken to refer to the northwestern cape of Copper Island sighted 

 over the stern. At 8 a. m. the decision was made to steer straight for 

 the shore in sight, and accordingly the course was changed to WSW, 

 which led the vessel to Komandor Bay on Bering Island. (S) 



301 On November 5 (civil and astronomical) , according to the log book 

 (Vol, I, p. 209, 8 A. M. entry, and p. 210, footnote 123). 



