DEPARTURE FROM BERING ISLAND 183 



another.^-'^ When we were all together on the vessel we realized 

 for the first time how cramped the quarters were and what a 

 hard voyage it would be on that account; we were lying one on the 

 other and crawled over each other. Lieutenant Waxel, Master 

 Khitrov, I, and the son of the Lieutenant had, after all, the best 

 place, in the cabin. The other forty-two men were King in the 

 hold, which was crammed so full with water casks, supplies, and 

 baggage that the people could hardly lie down between them 

 and the deck. As the crew was divided into three watches, two 

 places were assigned to three men. However, as the space was 

 still too narrow, we began to throw into the sea pillows, bedding, 

 and clothing, which had been brought from land."*"*^ Meanwhile 

 we watched the foxes on shore ransacking our dwellings ^^^ with 

 the greatest glee and activity and sharing among themselves what 

 was left of fat and meat. 



In the morning of August 14^^ the support of the Almighty 

 was invoked in a special pra>er for a good voyage, whereupon the 

 anchors were weighed. Because the west wind helped us to pass 

 the eastern ^•^^ point of the island, it was decided, although the 



**^ In the MS the relative clause reads as follows: "which was going to 

 bring us back to the border of Asia and of our beloved country or to 

 decide the outcome of our miserable pilgrimage after so much toil, hope, 

 and longing according to the will of the Almighty." 



444 In the MS the statement of the length of the vessel, which occurs in 

 the published version as here translated on p. 181, above, is inserted 

 at this point, in a paragraph by itself. 



*« The MS continues from here on: "and occupying them as living 

 quarters. It seemed to them very curious that nobody interfered with 

 them as formerly and, in addition, that they had all at once come into 

 secure possession of so much fat and meat left over, a pleasure to which, 

 on our part, they were heartily welcome." 



446 According to the log book (Vol. i, p. 243) the departure took place 

 on the morning of August 13 (both astronomical and civil date; the dis- 

 crepancy can therefore in this case not be ascribed to the fact that Steller 

 reckoned by civil time — see, above, footnote 131 — and the officers in the 

 log book by astronomical time). 



*" The MS has, more precisely, "southeastern," which term is also 

 used a few lines farther on in the published version. In the August 14 

 entry of the log book (Vol. i, p. 244) under 3 p. m., 8 p. m., 12 m., it 



