excellent commander. After a winter spent in the harbour of Awatscha, or Petropalauska, on the west side of the great peninsula of Kamtschatka, Behring got his stores on board the two packet-boats built at Ochotzk, expressly for the intended American discoveries. The first of these, the St. Peter, was that in which the commander embarked; the second, the St. Paul, was intrusted to Captain Tchirikow. Along with Behring went Lewis de Lisle de la Croyere, Professor of Astronomy, whilst Mr. George William Steller, an experienced chemist and botanist, accompanied Tchirikow.

All things being ready, a council of officers was held, in which the question regarding the course they should steer was considered, and it happened, unfortunately for the expedition, that an important error had crept into the map presented by the Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg to the Senate, in laying down a coast south-east from Awatscha, extending fifteen degrees from west to east, whilst no land was marked due east. At this spot were written on the map the words "Land seen by Don Jean de Gama;" and, trusting to the accuracy of this information, it was determined to steer first south-east by east, in the hope of discovering this continent; after which they might follow its coasts as a guide towards the north and east. On the 4th of June 1741 they accordingly weighed anchor, and steered south-east by south, till, on the 12th, they found themselves in latitude 46°, without the slightest appearance of the coast of De Gama. Convinced at last of their error, they held on a northerly course as far as 50° north latitude, and were just about to steer due east, with the hope of reaching the continent of America, when the two ships were separated in a violent storm accompanied by a thick fog. Behring exerted every effort to rejoin his consort; but all proved in vain. He cruised for three days between

62

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[1741. 50° and 51° north latitude, after which he steered back to the south-east as far as 45°; but Tchirikow, after the storm, had taken an easterly course from 48° north latitude, so that they never met again.

Both, however, pursued their discoveries simultaneously, and on the 15th of July, being in 56° north latitude, Tchirikow reached the coast of America. The shore proved to be steep and rocky, and in consequence of the high surf, he did not venture to approach it; but anchoring in deep water, despatched his mate, Demetiew, with the long-boat and ten men, on shore. The boat was provisioned for some days, the men armed and furnished with minute instructions as to their mode of proceeding, and the signals by which they were to communicate with the ship. But neither mate, men, nor barge, were ever again heard of. This was the more mysterious, as all at first appeared to go well with them. The barge was seen from the ship to row into a bay behind a small cape, and the appointed signals were made, intimating that she had landed in safety. Day after day the signals agreed on continued from the shore. The people on board began at last to think that the barge had probably received damage in landing, and could not return till she was repaired; and it was resolved to send the small boat on shore, with the boatswain Sawelow and six men. Amongst these were some carpenters and a careener, well armed and provided with the necessary materials; and the boatswain had orders to return with Demetiew in the long-boat the moment the necessary repairs were completed. But neither mate nor boatswain ever came back; and the most dark surmises of their fate were excited by the cessation of the signals, and the continual ascent of a large volume of smoke from the landing-place. Next day, however, a revival of hope was felt at the sight of tw boats which were observed rowing from the land towards

1741.]

THEIR SECOND VOYAGE.

63

the ship. It was believed to be Demetiew and Sawelow; and Tchirikow ordered all hands on deck, to prepare for setting sail on a moment's warning. A few minutes changed these cheerful anticipations into sorrow; for, as the boats approached, it was discovered that they were filled by American savages, who, seeing many persons on deck, instantly shipped their paddles and remained at a cautious distance. They then stood up, and crying with a loud voice "Agai, agai!" returned with great speed to the shore. A strong west wind now rose, and threatened to dash the vessel on the rocky coast, so that they were obliged to weigh anchor and put to sea without the slightest hope of hearing any farther intelligence of their men; for they had no more small boats, and all communication with the shore was cut off. Tchirikow, however, cruised some days in the neighbourhood, and when the weather became milder, returned towards the spot where his people landed; but all appeared silent, lonely, and uninhabited; and in a council of the officers, it was determined to set out on their return, though with the most poignant regret at being obliged to leave this remote and desolate coast without hearing the slightest account of their companions. They arrived at Kamtschatka on the 27th of July.* No news of the fate of Demetiew and Sawelow ever reached Russia; but it is evident that they had been successively attacked and mur

dered by the savages. "The natives of this part of the north-west coast of America," says Captain Burney, "live principally by hunting and catching game, in which occupations they are in the continual practice of every species of decoy. They imitate the whistlings of birds,-they have carved wooden masks resembling the heads of animals, which they put on over their own, and enter the woods in

* Muller, Découvertes faites par les Russes, vol. i. p. 244.

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[1741.

masquerade. They had observed the signals made to the ship by the Russian boat which first came to land; and the continuance of signals afterwards seen and heard by the Russians on board were doubtless American imitations."*

Exactly three days after Tchirikow descried land, it appears that Commodore Behring also got sight of the continent in 58° 28′′, or, according to another account 60° north latitude. The prospect was magnificent and awful, exhibiting high mountains covered from the summits with snow. One of these, far inland, was particularly remarked: It was plainly discernible sixteen German miles out at sea; and Steller says in his journal, that in all Siberia he had not met with a more lofty mountain. The commodore, being much in want of water, approached the coast with the hope of being able to land. He accordingly reached the shore on the 20th July, and anchored under a large island not far from the continent. A point of land projecting into the sea at this place they called St Elias. Cape, as it was discovered on that saint's day; whilst another headland was denominated St. Hermogenes; and between these lay a bay, in which, if it became necessary to take shelter, they trusted they would find security. Two boats were now launched, in the first of which, Kytrof, the master of the fleet, was sent to examine the bay, whilst Steller proceeded with the other to fetch water. Kytrof found a convenient anchorage; and on an adjacent island were a few empty huts formed of smooth boards, ornamented in some places with rude carving. Within the huts they picked up a small box of poplar, a hollow earthen ball in which a stone rattled, conjectured to be a child's toy, and a whetstone, on which it appeared that copper knives had been sharpened.‡ Steller,

* Burney's History of North-eastern Voyages of Discovery, p. 180. + Ibid. p. 164.

Coxe's Russian Discoveries, pp. 42, 43.

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THEIR SECOND VOYAGE.

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on the other hand, near the spot where he landed, discovered a cellar in which was a store of red salmon, and a sweet herb dressed for food in the same manner as in Kamtschatka. Near them were ropes, and various pieces of household furniture and of domestic utensils. At a short distance he came to a place where the savages had recently dined; beside which they found an arrow, and an instrument for procuring fire exactly similar to that used for the same purpose in Kamtschatka. The sailors who fetched the fresh water had found two fire-places with the ashes newly extinguished, and near them a parcel of hewn wood, with some smoked fishes like large carp. They observed also marks of human footsteps in the grass, but no natives were seen. In case, however, they should return, some small presents, such as it was conjectured might be suited to their taste or their wants, were left in the huts. These consisted of a piece of green glazed linen, two iron kettles, two knives, two iron Chinese tobacco-pipes, a pound of tobacco leaves, and twenty large glass beads. Steller, an enthusiastic naturalist, entreated that he might have the command of the small boat and a few men, to complete a more accurate survey of this new coast; but Behring, who was from his advanced age rather timid and over-cautious, put a decided negative upon the proposal; and his scientific companion, having climbed a steep rock to obtain a view of the adjacent country, found his progress interrupted by an immediate order to come aboard. "On descending the mountain," says he in his journal, "which was overspread with a forest without any traces of a road, finding it impassable, I reascended, looked mournfully at the limits of my progress, turned my eyes towards the continent which it was not in my power to explore, and observed at the distance of a few versts some smoke ascending from a wooded eminence. Again receiving a posi

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