52 THE ASIATIC PUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



The large lake alluded to, Saranna LaJce,'^ is quite an imposing sheet of water for 

 so small an island, covering, as it does, an area of about 20 square miles. It connects 

 with the sea at the Saranna village, on the north shore of the island, by means of a 

 short river less than a mile long. The level of the lake is about 40 feet above that of 

 the sea. Prom the western end of this lake there is almost continuous communi- 

 cation through a small swamp with two smaller lakes, which empty into the sea at 

 the western side, through the Ladiginskaya Elver. A somewhat larger lake, the 

 Gavanslcoye Ozero, occupies the center of a large swamp immediately east of the main 

 village. The stream by which it discharges its water passes the latter, and is Steller's 

 Osernaya Reshka. The low land between the lake and the sea is protected near the 

 latter by several rows of high sand dunes from the village to Ladiginsk. 



It is a curious fact that Steller (ISTeuste Nord. Beytr., ii, 1793, pp. 266-267) describes 

 this lake as the largest on the island, and that he has entirely overlooked the existence 

 of Saranna Lake. It is pretty good evidence that Steller did not visit that part of the 

 island personally (unless possibly when it was covered with ice and snow) and explains 

 also his omission of mentioning the great North seal rookery. There are a few small 

 lakes, or rather ponds, in the southern mountainous portion, which need no special 

 mention, except the one in Lissonhovaya Bay, as the natural conditions there are a 

 miniature reproduction of the Gavanskoye Ozero. It may be added that Lissonkovaya 

 is Steller's Tushin's Valley. 



Bering Island has no sheltered harbors, and the few anchorages are indifferent or 

 even dangerous under anything but the most favorable circumstances. The,principal 

 anchorage is in the corner off Mkolski, but with southerly or westerly winds it is not 

 safe. It can be approached from the west by keeping close to the south shore of 

 Toporkof Island, in order to avoid an outlying rock off the so-called Vkhodni Point, 

 or Reef. The channel north of Ari Kamen and Toporkof is very dangerous and 

 should be avoided. Farther south, on the same side, are two larger bays, Gladko vskaya 

 and Lissonkovaya, but they are open and no landing can be effected in rough weather. 

 Lissonkovaya offers, however, excellent shelter for even large vessels in northerly 

 and easterly gales; anchorage in 7 fathoms, with sandy bottom. On the east side is 

 Staraya Gavan, the "Old Harbor," where there was formerly a settlement. The bay 

 is small and narrow, with dangerous reefs on both sides. 



These reefs are quite a feature of the Bering Island shores. In the northern 

 portion they are mostly of volcanic nature, but in the mountainous portion they consist 

 of stratified rock on edge in such a manner that many of them, especially at Tolstoi 

 Mys and northward, when bare at low tide have the appearance of plowed fields with 

 furrows of great length and regularity. On the stretch of coast just mentioned these 

 reefs form a nearly continuous belt, one- fourth to one-half mile wide, and parallel to 

 the beach. A narrow channel of somewhat deeper water, though only deep enough 

 so that a large boat can be barely pulled and pushed through at low water, extends 

 the whole length between the beach and the reef belt, which is covered by high tide. 

 The continuity of the reef is only broken where some larger stream empties into a 

 slight indenture of the coast, as, for instance, at Komandor, at Polavino, and at Buyan. 



The main settlement is at NikolsM;^ so named iu honor of Mr. Nikolai Grebnitski, 

 situated at the inner corner of the little bay east of Toporkof Island (pi. 17). The 



' On some maps called Fedoskia Lake, a name unknown on the island. 

 "On some maps called Grebnitski Harbor, or Grebnitskoye Seleni. 



