TO THE COAST OF AMERICA. 3 



the ad of September. On that day we dropped an- 

 chor, went on the ifland, and fupplied ourfelves with 

 frefli water. On the 3d of September we purfued our 

 voyage ; but on the 1 2th we were met by a violent 

 ftorm, which lafted eight and forty hours, and fe- 

 parated all our fhips. The ftorm raged fo furioufly, 

 that we even loft all hope of faying our lives; and 

 though, on the 14th the two firft galleots met again, 

 and landed on the 24th at Bering's ifland* in the re- 

 solution of wintering upon it; as well in or^er to wait 

 there for the third galleot, on board of whigh were 6% 

 perfons, as alfo on account of the adverfe \yinds ; yet 

 even this expectation was fruftratcd during the whole 

 time of our ftay on Bering's ifland. On the 25th, of 

 September I difpatched fome people from the two vef- 

 fels, on baidars*, with orders to fail round the ifland> 

 as I was curious to know whether they might not meet 

 .with fomething remarkable. They returned on the 

 '37th, without having feen any thing worthy of notice. 



The whole winter through, all the produce of our 

 hunting confifted of no more than fome, very few,; 

 little rock-foxes ; no other game being there to be 

 found. The provifions afforded by the ifland conlift 

 of fea-flfh, which abound there in great variety, and 

 the flefh of fea-animals s fuch as fea-bears and fea-dogs, 

 Of birds are found geefe, ducks, fwans, mews, gulls, 

 with other water-fowl and birds of the foreft ; to which 



* According to Krateheniniko'f thefe are veflels 12 feet long, 

 and 2 feet broad, fometimes conftru&ed of poplar wood andfoiwe- 

 times of feal-lkins. 



B k we 



