LOSS OF THE ST. PETER. 289 
Immediately upon their return a council was called, and it 
was resolved to send on shore, the next day, all those of the 
crew who were still in health, to prepare some of the holes 
for the reception of the sick, This being done? on the 8th of 
November the weakest were carried on shore. Som^ expired 
as soon as they were exposed to the air, even before they reach- 
ed the deck, others upon deck, or in the boat, and several after 
they had reached the land. The country swarmed with*a spe- 
cies of foxes, called in the Russian language Pestzi. Steller 
has given a very interesting account of these animals, which 
the reader will find introduced at the conclusion of this article, 
in order to prevent the interruption of the narrative. 
On the 9th of November the commodore, well covered 
against the external air, was carried on shore by four men, on 
a kind of litter formed of two poles crossed with cords. A 
separate hole had been prepared for his reception. The busi- 
ness of removing the sick continued every day, and not a day- 
passed without several of them dying. None of those who had 
kept their beds on board the ship recovered ; they were princi- 
pallj^ those who, out of indifference to life, or rather pusillani- 
mity, had suffered the disease to get the upper hand. 
The sea-scurvy begins with extreme lassitude, which seizes 
the whole body, renders the man indolent, disgusts him with 
every thing, entirely dejects his spirits, and gradually forms a 
kind of asthma, which manifests itself on the slightest move- 
ment. It usually happens that the patient prefers lying down 
to walking, and in this case he is inevitably lost. All the mem- 
bers are soon afflicted with acute pains, the legs swell, the com- 
plexion becomes yellow, the body is covered with livid spots, 
the mouth and gums bleed, and the teeth grow loose. The pa- 
tient then feels no inclination to stir, and it is indifferent to him 
whether he lives or dies. These different stages of the disease 
and their effects Avere observed on board. It was likewise re- 
marked that some of the sick were seized with a panic, and 
were startled at the least noise, and at every call that was 
given in the ship. Others ate with a very hearty appetite, and 
did not imagine themselves in danger. The latter no sooner 
heard the order given for the removal of the sick, tha-n they 
quitted their hammocks and dressed themselves, not doubting 
but that they should speedily, recover. But coming up from 
below, saturated with humidity, and out of -a corrupted atmos- 
phere, the fresh air which they inhaled on deck soon put a 
period to their lives. 
Those only recovered who were not so far overcome by the 
25 
