UNITED STATES COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. 767 



August 11 Cloudy weather, with light winds. At 2 p. m. the above-mentioned island was 



observed to the SSE., which Bering, in honor of the saint of the day, named St. Lawrence. At 

 7 p. m. land was seen SE. £ E., part of the island previously seen, and which lay from the Gabriel 

 south and east about 4£ miles. At noon ending this day the latitude was reckoned at 64° 20'. 

 The depth between St. Lawrence Island and the Chukchi Cape ranged from 13 to 21 fathoms. 



August 12. — Thick weather and moderate wind. Sixty-nine miles were sailed this day, but 



only 21' of latitude gained. The narrow point (now known as Cape Chaplin or Indian Point) 



which makes out north from the Chukchi Cape was passed. At sunset, by an observation of 



amplitude, the variation was determined to be 25° 3L' E. At noon the latitude by observation was 



64° 59'. 



August 13, 1728. — Fresh wind, cloudy weather. Bering sailed this 24 hours out of sight of 



land, and made 78' of latitude while sailing 94 miles. 



August 14. — Light wind, moderate weather. Sailed this day 29 miles, which was augmented 

 by current 8J miles, as mentioned by Bering, from SSE. to NNW. "At noou," says Chaplin, " we 

 saw high land behind us, and also about 3 o'clock saw high mountains, which were probably on the 

 continent." At noon the latitude was reckoned at 66° 41'. 



August 15. — Light wind, cloudy weather. At noon saw many whales. Since the 12th of Aug- 

 ust the sea water had been discolored, the depth, 23 to 36 fathoms. Sailed 58 miles this day, to 

 which the current added 8| more. 



August 16. — Light wind, cloudy weather. From noon to 3 p. m. sailed to the NE., making 7 

 miles. Then the course was chauged to S. by W. £ W. The journals of both Chirikoff and Chaplin 

 say, " at 3 o'clock Captain Bering announced that it was necessary for him, in spite of his instruc- 

 tions, to return and put the vessel about, with orders to steer S. by SE. by compass." The latitude 

 of the point from which Bering turned back was 67° 18', and it was reckoned to be 30° 17' E. 

 from Lower Kamchatka. According to Bergh, who does not give the exact language of the jour- 

 nal, there was a fresh wind, and the vessel made over 7 knots an hour on her southerly course. 

 At 9 a. m. they saw high mountains on the starboard (right) hand, " on which," says Chaplin, u live 

 Chukchis," and later to seaward (on the left hand) an island. According to Bergh, Bering named 

 this island St. Diomede, in honor of the saint of the day, as was customary.* This day 115 miles 

 were sailed, and the latitude was reckoned at 66° 02'. 



August 17, 1728. — Fresh wind and moderate weather. The course was parallel to the land, on 

 which numerous natives were seen and at two places dwellings were observed. The Chukchi 

 were seen from the vessel to run to the high rocky hills. At 3 p. m. very high gusts were felt com- 

 ing from the highland and mountains, from which lowlands made out, in which a small bay was 

 observed. This day 164 miles were sailed, and the latitude was observed to be 64° 27'. 



August 18. — Light wind and clear weather. At noou many whales were seen. At 5 o'clock a 

 bay was seen navigable and affording shelter. At sunset the variation of the compass was observed 

 by amplitude observations to be 26° 20' easterly, and afterwards by azimuth 27° 02'. At midnight 

 the weather was clear, the moon was visible, and later there was an aurora. At 5 a. m. St. Law- 

 rence Island was seen 20 miles ENE. The latitude was reckoned to be 64° 10'. 



August 19. — Light wind and moderate weather. This day was spent near the Chukchi Cape, 

 but owing to the fog the coast was invisible. The latitude was computed to be 64° 35'. 



August 20. — Calm and foggy. From midnight to 5 o'clock the weather was so thick that the 

 vessel was laid to and the sails taken in. At 6 a. m. sounded in 21 fathoms. At 8 a. m. the 

 weather cleared up a little, and the coast was seen half a mile away. A light wind arose from the 

 north, and the fore and main sails were set. At 10 a. m. they set the topsail and took note of the 

 direction of the coast, observing that behind them it extended to the east and beyond them to the 

 W. by E\, when 4 canoes came off to them from the shore, and the vessel lay to drifting, to enable 

 them to come up. The natives in the boats were Chukchis, and appeared good humored and well 

 behaved. They came up to the vessel, and told the interpreters that they had been acquainted 

 with the Russians for a long time, and one of them claimed to have visited the Anadyrsk trading post. 

 They said that they traveled as far as the Kolyma River with reindeer, and that they never trav- 



* On the only published chart which is claimed to have proceeded directly from Bering in person this island is 

 named St. Demetrius. 



