LOSS OF THE ST. PETER. 281 
board such a quantity, that it took him much time to describe 
them. As soon as a sufficient quantity of water was obtain- 
ed, he was obliged, though reluctantly, to return to the ship. 
The watering party related that they had passed two places 
where fires appeared to have been recently made, that they 
had observed wood which had been cut, and the track of hu- 
man feet in the grass. They had likewise seen five red foxes, 
which showed no shyness or timidity on meeting them. They 
carried nothing with them from the huts but a few smoked 
fish resembling carp, and which proved very good eating. 
To convince the natives that they had nothing to fearfrona 
the strangers who had landed on their coast, the commodore 
sent on shore a few presents for them, consisting of a piece 
of green cloth, two iron pots, two knives, twenty gross of 
glass beads, and a pound of tobacco, which he presumed 
would prove extremely acceptable to the savages. 
On the 21st of Jul}^ Beerings resolved to set sail, and as 
had been agreed upon at Awatschka, to run northward along 
the coast as high as sixty degrees, if possible. This design he 
was how^ever prevented from accomplishing, for the land was 
found to trend away to the south-west, and their course was 
continually impeded by the islands with which the shores of 
the continent were lined almost without interruption. The 
Russians now stood out to sea, and having been several days 
without seeing land, they, on the 30th of July discovered an 
island, to which, from the thickness of the weather, they gave 
the name of Foggy Island. The whole month of August was 
spent in standing off and on; in the mean time the crew be- 
gan to be attacked with scurvy, and the commodore himself 
was in a worse situation than any other. 
Fresh water beginning to run short, the Russians, on the 
29th of August, stood to the north, and soon discovered the 
continent. The coast in this part is extremely steep, and 
lined with a multitude of islands, among which the St. Peter 
came to an anchor. On the 30th the pilot, Andrew Hassel- 
berg, w^as sent to one of the largest of these islands in quest 
of fresh water. He soon returned with two specimens taken 
out of different lakes, which Vv^ere more or less salt. But, as 
there was no time to be lost, it was judged prudent to take in 
a quantity of this water rather than to be left completely with- 
out, as it would serve for cooking, and thus the remaining fresh 
water might be made to last till they could procure a supply. 
All the empty casks were accordingly filled with it. To the 
use of this water Steller attributed the redoubled attacks of 
24* 
