253 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



the former busy making a sledge, while 1 acted as cook. As our party was 

 the first to organize a household, I also performed the duty of bringing warm 

 soup to some of our sick, until they had so far recovered as to be able to help 

 themselves. 



" The barracks being this day ready to receive the sick, many of them 

 were transported under roof ; but for want of room, they lay everywhere on 

 ^he ground, covered with rags and clothes. 'No one could assist the other, 

 and nothing was heard but lamentations and curses — the whole affording so 

 wretched a sight, as to make even the stoutest heart lose courage. On 

 November 15 all the sick were at length landed. We took one of them, 

 named Boris Sand, into our hut, and by God's help he recovered within three 

 months. 



" The following days added to our misery, as the messengers we had sent 

 out brought us the intelligence that we were on a desert island, without any 

 communication with Kamchatka. We were also in constant fear that the 

 stormy weather might drive our ship out to sea, and along with it all our 

 provisions, and every hope of ever returning to our homes. Sometimes it was 

 impossible to get to the vessel for several days together, so boisterous was 

 the surge ; and about ten or twelve men, who had hitherto been able to work, 

 now also fell ill. Want, nakedness, frost, rain, illness, impatience, and de- 

 spair, were our daily companions." 



Fortunately the stormy sea drove the ship upon the strand, better than it 

 could probably have been done by human efforts. Successively many of the 

 scorbutic patients died, and on December 8 the unfortunate commander of 

 the expedition paid his debt to nature. 



Titus Bering, by birth a Dane, had served thirty-six years with distinc- 

 tion in the Russian navy, but age and infirmities had completely damped his 

 energies, and his death is a warning to all who enter upon undertakings 

 above their strength. 



In the mean time the whole ship's company had established itself for the 

 winter in five subterranean dwellings ; the general health was visibly im- 

 proving, merely by means of the excellent water, and by the fresh meat fur- 

 nished by sea-otters, seals, and manatees ; and the only care now was to gain 

 sufiicient strength to be able to undertake the work of deliverance in spring. 



In April the shipwrecked mariners began to build a smaller ship out of the 

 timbers of the " St. Peter," and, such was the alacrity with which all hands 

 set to work, that on August 13 they were able to set out. 



*' When we were all embarked," says Steller, " we first j)erceived how 

 much we should be inconvenienced for want of room ; the water-casks, pro- 

 visions, and baggage taking up so much space, that our forty-two men (the 

 three ship's ofiicers and myself were somewhat better off in the cabin) could 

 hardly creep between them and the deck. A great quantity of the bedding 

 and clothing had to be thrown overboard. Meanwhile we saw the foxes 

 sporting about our deserted huts, and greedily devouring remnants of fat 

 and meat. 



"On the 14th, in the morning, we weighed anchor, and steered out of the 



