226 DESCRIPTION OF BERING ISLAND 



and palatable meat, devoid of odor, which therefore could be 

 eaten without distaste. Furthermore, later we also discovered 

 a shorter route just abreast of our quarters to the south which 

 amounted to less than half the former one [in length]. ^^a j^- ^y^s 

 therefore decided to keep two men there constantly in shifts 

 who were to kill the sea bears and always have enough meat on 

 hand so that the men who were sent there daily could immedi- 

 ately pack it on their backs and cover the way out and back in 

 one day. 



The sea lions finally also appeared in numbers during May, 

 but no one liked to try to kill these ferocious animals. But we 

 soon set to work on and devoured one that had been wounded 

 in Kamchatka and escaped and was cast up by the sea dead 

 but quite fresh."* The most delicate part of this animal is its 

 flippers. When being boiled they swell up a great deal and can 

 then easily be skinned, while when raw it is not possible to 

 remove the skin. I have discussed the main matters of interest 

 concerning this animal in the previously mentioned description 

 of sea animals. 



Of seals there occur around Bering Island all the different 

 species which are found on the eastern coast of Kamchatka and 

 to discuss which would here lead us too far. All species very soon 

 became frightened at us and no longer dared go on accessible 



''^^^^* [The Sea Cow] "5 



Along the whole shore of the island, especially where streams 

 flow into the sea and all kinds of seaweed are most abundant, 



133 This route lay up the right branch of the south-flowing stream 

 emptying into Komandor Bay and across the divide leading to Yushin 's 

 Valley (Lissonkovaya Bay; see PL II and Fig. 27). (S) 



134 For the exact wording of these two sentences in the MS, see, above, 

 footnote 422. 



135 The whole of this section, except for the first two sentences ending 

 in "more easily from them," occurs on fols. 90 to 96 of the MS at the 

 point in the journal indicated by footnote 431, above, which see for 

 further details. On the present translation see p. 189, footnote i. 



The section on the sea cow in "De bestiis marinis" is on pp. 294-330; 

 German edition, pp. 48-107; English translation, pp. 182-201. 



