278 LOSS OF THE ST. PETER. 
might be discovered, and likewise to enrich natural history 
with a description of the various subjects relating to that 
science. 
On the first report of the voyage, John George Gmelin, 
and Louis Delisle de la Croyere, both professors of Peters- 
burgh, one of chemistry and natural history, and the other of 
astronomy, had offered their services, which were accepted. 
To these was added, the year following, professor Muller, for 
the purpose of writing a description of Siberia, and a narra- 
tive of the voyage. Before the preparations were completed, 
Messrs. Gmelin and Muller fell sick, and were left in Si- 
beria; but their places were supplied for the American voyage 
by professor Steller, likewise a member of the Academy of 
Sciences. 
This second expedition to Kamtschatka embraced in its 
plan two voyages, one by the east and the other by the south. 
Captain Spanberg was charged with the former, the object of 
which was Japan. Beerings reserved the other for himself 
and Captain Tschirikofi^ and their commission was to explore 
the coasts of the American continent. 
At the commencement of 1733, Beerings and Spanberg left 
Petersburg to hasten the preparations for their expedition, but 
yet these advanced very slowly. After five years, however, 
of anxious expectation, Spanberg set out on his voyage to Ja- 
pan. The equipment of his vessel had exhausted the general 
magazine at Ochotzk, and two years passed away before a 
fresh supply of stores could be procured. This interval was 
employed by Beerings in constructing vessels of a greater 
burthen and stronger than Spanberg's, that they might be 
able to resist the tempests, and even the ice of those inclement 
latitudes. One was called the St. Peter, and the other the 
St. Paul. 
The commodore having despatched the pilot Jelangin, about 
the middle of autumn, 1739, to the east coast of Kamtschat- 
ka, to visit the gulf of Awatschka, and to choose a commo- 
dious place for wintering and erecting a store-house and hur- 
bitation ; he soon returned with an account that he had found 
a bay in the river of Awatschka, very favorably situated for 
Beerings' purpose. The following spring Messrs. Delisle de 
la Croyere and Steller repaired to Ochotzk, and by midsum- 
mer, 1740, all the crews were complete. They resolved to 
take advantage of the remainder of the season to reach Kamt- 
schatka, but it was the fourth of September before they set 
sail. Commodore Beerings went on board the St. Peter, and 
