GEORGE WILLIAM STELLER. 



249 



latitude — a question which his first voyage had left undecided. N'othing 

 could be more agreeable to a man like Steller, than the prospects held out 

 to him by an expedition to unknown regions ; and we can easily imagine the 

 delight with which the naturalist embarked on board of the " Saint Peter," 

 commanded by Bering. in person. Accompanied by the "Saint Paul," under 

 Tschirigow, they sailed on June 4 from the Bay of Avatscha. 



The expedition had cost ten years of preparation, and brought misery and 

 ruin upon many of the wild Siberian tribes, for all that was necessary for the 

 outfit had to be conveyed by compulsory labor from the interior of the conti- 

 nent over mountains and rivers, through dense forests and pathless wilds, and 

 it seemed from the very beginning of the voyage as if the curses of the unfor- 

 tunate natives clung to it. Much valuable time had been lost, for the ships 

 ought to have sailed at least a month earlier, and Bering, who from illness con- 

 stantly kept to his cabin, was by no means a fit commander for a scientific ex- 

 pedition. 



After a few days a dense fog separated the vessels, which were never to meet 

 again ; and as the " St. Peter " held her course too much to the south, the Aleu- 

 tic chain remained undiscovered, and the first land was only sighted after four 

 weeks in the neighborhood of Bering's Bay. During the whole of this j^assage 

 Steller had to endure all the vexations which arrogant stupidity could inflict 

 upon a man anxious to do his duty. It was in vain that he repeatedly pointed 

 out the signs which indicated the presence of land not far to the north, in vain 

 that he entreated the commander to steer but one day in that direction. At 

 last, on July 15, the high mountains of America were seen to rise above the 

 horizon, and the vessel anchored on the 19th near to the small island of Kaiak. 



On the following day a boat was sent out to fetch some fresh water, but it 

 was with the utmost difficulty that Steller could obtain permission to join the 

 party. All assistance was obstinately denied him, and accompanied by his 

 only servant, a Cossack, he landed on the unknown shore, eager to make the 

 most of the short time allotted him for his researches. He immediately di- 

 rected his steps towards the interior, and had scarcely walked a mile when 

 he discovered the hollowed trunk of a tree, in which, a few hours before, 

 the savages had boiled their meat with red-hot stones. He also found several 

 pots filled with esculent herbs, and a wooden instrument for making fire, like 

 those which are used by the inhabitants of Kamchatka. Hence he conjectured 

 that the aborigines of this part of the American coast must be of the same ori- 

 gin as the Kamchatkans, and that both countries must necessarily approach 

 each other towards the north, as the inhabitants could not possibly traverse 

 such vast extents of ocean in their rudely-constructed boats. 



Pursuing his way, Steller now came to a path which led into a dense and 

 shady forest. Before entering, he strictly forbade his Cossack to act without 

 commands, in case of a hostile encounter. The Cossack had a gun, with a knife 

 and hatchet ; Steller himself only a Jakut poniard, which he had taken with 

 him to dig out plants or stones. After half an hour's walking, they came to a 

 place strewn with grass. This was immediately removed, and a roof or plat- 

 form discovered, consisting of strips of bark laid upon poles and covered with 



