170 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



Ryechka went across the island for the first time, where on the 

 same day we effected a great slaughter among the sea otters, as 

 they were feeling secure and lying together in herds, ^^^ so that we 

 could have killed probably a hundred had we not thought more 

 of the meat and the general welfare than of the precious skins. 



Now that in the spring the snow had settled and it was possible 

 for us to go across the land to the south, where the sea otters and 

 seals had not yet been frightened away and were found by us in 

 great numbers, our hopes rose not a little and we visited the new 

 localities frequently, notwithstanding the fact that the way was 

 very long and toilsome because of the mountains. Three times, 

 however, there happened such disastrous accidents on this trail 

 that almost a third of our men might have been lost. — On April 

 I constable Roselius, ^°° assistant surgeon Betge, guard-marine 

 Sint, and a cossack left our camp as usual to hunt. Towards 

 evening there rose such a violent storm from the northwest that 

 no one could keep on his feet or see a step ahead of him. In addi- 

 tion six feet of snow fell during the night. We had never before 

 had such a tempest here. The men who had gone hunting, about 

 whom we all were greatly worried, came all near perishing. 

 After having passed the entire night lying under the snow, they 

 were hardly able in the morning to dig themselves out and reach 

 the beach. The guard-marine, however, had become separated 

 from the others and seemed lost. Fortunately for all of them the 

 snow stopped falling at the break of day, and we had hardly dug 

 out [a passage] from the entrance to our hut ■*°i when the three of 



399 The MS adds: "killing ten." This may have been at or near the 

 South Rookery (of 1883) shown on PI. II. 



<oo In the published version the name is given as "Rosdig." This 

 would seem to be a misreading of the correct form, Roselius. That this is 

 the correct form is attested by many references in the log book (Vol. i, 

 pp. 214, 225, 229, 235, 241, 242), The MS also reads Roselius here, al- 

 though the hand\vriting makes it plausible how the misreading could 

 occur. 



^oi This clause in the MS is expanded to: "The next day we worked 

 several hours before we could dig ourselves out of our quarters when, just 

 as the entrance was fortunately cleaned out, three of our men . . ." 



