138 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



meantime Mr. Plenisner also came back, told what he had seen, 

 and brought half a dozen ptarmigans, ^^^ which he sent on board 

 to the Captain Commander with the Lieutenant, in order to 

 revive him by means of the fresh food. I, however, sent him 

 some nasturtium-like herbs ^^-^ for a salad. — Later two cossacks 

 and a cannoneer arrived, who had killed two sea otters and two 

 seals, news which appeared quite remarkable to us. When we 

 reproached them for^^^ not bringing the meat in for our refresh- 

 ment, they fetched us a seal, which seemed to them preferable 

 to the sea otter for eating. As evening came I made a soup from 

 a couple of ptarmigans and ate this dish with Mr. Plenisner, 

 young Waxel, and my cossack. In the meanwhile Mr. Plenisner 

 made a hut out of driftwood and an old sail, and under it we slept 

 that night alongside the sick. 



On November S^ie ^ve again enjoyed pleasant weather. This 

 morning Mr. Plenisner made the agreement with me that he 

 should shoot birds, while I should look for other kinds of food, 

 and that we should meet again towards noon in this place. With 

 my cossack I went at first along the beach to the eastward, 

 gathered various natural curiosities, and also chased a sea otter; 



313 The ptarmigan of the Commander Islands is a distinct species pecul- 

 iar to those islands {Lagopus ridgwayi Stejneger). A full account of the 

 natural history of this bird has been given by me in U. S. Natl. Museum 

 Bull. 29, 1885, pp. 194-202, and a colored plate has been published in 

 Zeitschr.fiir die Gesaimnte Ornilhologie, Vol. i, 1884, Budapest, Pi. 5. (S) 



314 The MS reads: "Nasturcische Krauter und Bach Brung." The 

 nasturtiums were undoubtedly Cardamine pratensis L. and C. hirsute L. 

 (C umbellata Green), probably also Cochlearia ojficinalis L., all of which 

 are common on Bering Island. "Bach Brung" is a lapsus for Bachbung 

 {yeronica americana Schwein.), the American brooklime. The European 

 Veronica beccabunga L. and the above crucifers are used extensively as 

 salads in Northern Europe and are credited with antiscorbutic prop- 

 erties. (S) 



315 To render the wording of the MS, insert here, between "for" and 

 "not" the words "having taken the skins and." 



316 Judging by the later reference to anchoring the vessel more securely, 

 this day was November 7 (civil date) according to the log book (Vol. i, 

 p. 212). 



