202 DESCRIPTION OF BERING ISLAND 



island and at high water has a depth of 6 to 8 feet^^ ^t its mouth. 

 This river flows out of^^ the largest inland lake^* of the island 

 and increases in depth from the sea to the lake, so that through 

 it without much trouble one can reach the lake, which lies a 

 verst and a half from its mouth, and can find shelter there all 

 the more securely because the lake is surrounded by steep slopes 

 like walls, which afford protection against all winds. I have 

 called this river Ozernaya.^^ The place can also be distinguished 

 by the fact that opposite its mouth to the south lies a small 

 island ^6 having a circumference of a mile and lying only a mile 

 away from the mouth of the river. From this point toward the 

 west the shore is sandy, level, even, and devoid of reefs for 

 five versts, because I was ne\'er able to observe either at rising 

 or at falling water" a movement of the waves {hurun) betraying 

 such sunken rocks, although I spent three days at this place for 

 this purpose. 



[Land Visible from the Island] 



From the highest mountains of Bering Island one sees in 

 sunshiny and clear weather on the southern side two islands,* 



52 The MS has "6 to 7 feet." 



" Instead of "flows out of" the MS reads "flows into" — presumably 

 a copyist's error, 



5* Gavanskoe Ozero is not the largest lake of the island. This position 

 is held by Saranna Lake (PI. II). This incorrect statement by Steller 

 is rather good evidence that he did not visit the part of the island oc- 

 cupied by Saranna Lake, unless possibly when it was covered with ice 

 and snow {Deutsche Geogr. Blatter, Vol. 8, 1885, p. 229, and Bull. U. S. 

 Fish Comrn., Vol. 16, 1896, p. 38). (S) 



55 Meaning Lake River {Deutsche Geogr. Blatter, Vol. 8, 1885, p. 229, 

 footnote 4). (S) 



56 Toporkov Island (PI. II; see also ihid., footnote 5). (S) 



57 The words "either at rising or at falling water" do not occur in 

 the MS. 



* It was forgotten to show these nearer islands, stated to lie off the 

 southern side, on the map of the islands between Kamchatka and America 

 published in Vol. i of the Nord. Beytr. On the other hand according to 

 several maps by Russian navigators two islands were there shown ofi 

 the northern side at a somewhat greater distance which presumably 



