LAND VISIBLE FROM THE ISLAND 203 



of which one ^8 is about a mile in circumference, long in shape, 

 and lies distant from the shore of Bering Island 50 versts, 

 or 7 miles, from [a point] one mile to the south of the north- 

 western cape; the other ^^ consists of two high split rocks in the 

 sea which have a circumference of two to three versts and may- 

 be about two miles distant from the island. This latter island 

 lies directly opposite the northwestern cape to the southwest. 



From the northwestern^" cape itself very high and snow- 

 covered mountains may be seen to the northeast at a distance 

 of about 15 or 20 miles, and I consider this to be a headland of 

 the mainland of America" rather than an island, because these 

 mountains seem too high to belong to an island and also because 

 from our dwellings ^2 on the northern side white mountains of 

 equal height were clearly observed many times at the same 

 distance. ^^ Indeed, between this surmised mainland and the 



were the land seen with high mountains which he mentions in what 

 follows. For Steller's opinion that the mainland of America stretches 

 out thus far is now sufficiently disproved by the more recent voyages. — P. 



[The map referred to, which shows the status of knowledge in 1780 

 of the region from the mouth of the Amur to the coast of California and 

 between latitudes 47° and 71°, was compiled by Pallas and accompanies 

 Neue Nordische Beytrdge, Vol. i, 1781, as PI. 4. Its compilation and 

 sources are explained in " Erinnerungen, die bej^gefiigte Karte betreffend " 

 on pp. 265-272.] 



S8 Probably Toporkov Island is meant. The MS, namely, has instead: 

 "and lies to the south one mile distant from the shore of this [Bering] 

 island, [at a point] 50 versts, or 7 miles [5 versts, or i mile?], from the 

 northwestern cape of this Bering Island." (S) 



*9 Allowing for errors in direction and for overestimated distances (see 

 footnote 7, above), this island is undoubtedly Ari Kamen (see PI. II), 

 as otherwise the description fits it well. (S) 



60 Northeastern? (see, above, footnote 393 and next-to-last paragraph 

 of footnote 418, in conjunction with Vol. i, p. 232, entries under Febru- 

 ary 23 and March 8, 1742). 



61 On this point see, above, footnote 418 and Fig. 14. 



62 Instead of "from our dwellings" the MS reads "from the mountains 

 at our dwellings." 



63 The MS has in addition: "and [I] judged from the height and trend 

 of the mountains that it must be the mainland of America." 



