BREAKING UP TPIE OLD VESSEL 179 



On May 11 and the following days not only did the snow 

 begin to thaw rapidly, but the steady rains that came with south- 

 east winds caused, in addition, such high water that the creeks 

 overflowed so much that we could scarcely remain in our under- 

 ground homes, which had one or even two feet of water in them. 

 This influenced us after the rain ceased to abandon the winter 

 huts and build summer homes above ground. ^-^ In the meantime 

 the building of the vessel w^as likewise delayed for some days, 

 but afterwards it was resumed with increased zeal, the more so 

 because of the headway^" made in the breaking up of the ship, 

 which in the beginning we had almost despaired of being able 

 to accomplish, as the vessel was new and very well built while 



MS for what is known in English as "bohea," or black tea, is 

 "Theeboy," which, with "Theeboh" and "Theebuh," are the 

 contemporary German equivalents. 



(i) Pyrola minor L., one of the true wintergreens, or shinleaves. 



(j) Veronica aphylla var. grandiflora (Gartn.) (or kamtschatica L. fil.), 

 one of the four species of speedwells found on Bering Island. 



(k) the scurvy grass, Cochlearia officinalis L. 



(1) the American brooklime, Veronica americana Schwein. 



(m) the bitter cress, Cardamine pratensis L., as well as C. hirsuta L., 

 both of which occur. See also, above, footnote 314. 



Upon his return to Kamchatka Steller sent a full catalog of all the 

 plants observed by him on Bering Island, which is preserved in the 

 archives of the Academy of Sciences in Petrograd (under Arkhiv Konfer- 

 entsia, Bundle 13 C, No. i Q: see, above, footnote 119; photostat copies 

 are in the Library of Congress, Washington, and the library of the 

 American Geographical Society). In this "Catalogus plantarum in insula 

 Beringii observatarum, 1742" he enumerated 218 species, some of which, 

 however, are only varieties. Most of these have been relocated by subse- 

 quent collectors, and a number of other species added, but a few species 

 recorded by Steller still await verification. Of Spermatophytes and 

 Pteridophytes 252 species were known in 192 1 from Bering and Copper Is- 

 lands, two of which have not been found elsewhere, viz. Saussiirea moro- 

 zeviczi Fedtsch. and Alopeciirus stejnegeri Vasey. Dr. Boris Fedtschenko 

 has published a general account of the plants under the title "Flore des 

 lies du Commandeur," Cracow, 1906. (S) 



«6 The MS has in addition: "although after the water had receded 

 they were again visited." 



«v The MS reads: "because of the unexpected headway." 



