OF

BERING AND CHIRIKOF

ON THE

Northwest Coast of America.

From the Point of Their Separation in Latitude 49° 10', Longitude 176° 40′ West, to Their Return

to the Same Meridian.

June, July, August, September, October,

1741.

GEORGE DAVIDSON

PRESIDENT Of the GeogrAPHICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC.

PUT IN PRINT OCTOBER 31

PRESS OF

JOHN PARTRIDGE, STATIONER AND PRINTER

306 CALIFORNIA ST., S. F.

RIKOF ON THE NORTHWEST COAST OF AMERICA,

FROM THE POINT OF THEIR SEPARATION IN

LATITUDE 49° 10', LONGITUDE 176° 40′ WEST

TO THEIR RETURN TO THE SAME MERID-

IAN. JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEM-

BER, OCTOBER, 1741.

GEORGE DAVIDSON.

Read in part before the Geographical Society of the Pacific, June 29th, 1898.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Introductory..

.

5

.

The Projects of Peter the Great, and the Earlier Discoveries of Bering. .

Some Pertinent Facts in Russian Political History, 1730 to 1741.

Bering Proposes a Voyage of Discovery and Exploration to the Northwest

Coast of America..

6

8

9

The Senate, the Academy, and the Admiralty Enlarge Bering's Project. . ΤΟ

The Expedition Starts in 1733

Building Vessels on the Irtysch for the First Arctic Expedition.

Three Years Labor on the Lena.

Bering Moves Forward to Okhotsk.

II

In What Great Bay Were the Boats and Men of the St. Paul Lost? .

The Two Vessels Leave Petropaulovsk for the American Coast.

The Vessels are Separated in a Storm

The Different Courses of the Vessels..

Chirikof Makes the First Landfall. His Progress Therefrom.

A Terrible Disaster Befalls Chirikof and His People

The Cruising of the St. Paul After Leaving Sitka Sound..

PAGE

The Approach and Landfall of Bering. Mt. St. Elias. The Progress of

Bering Leaves His Anchorage. Unjust Criticisms.

The St. Peter Pursues Her Voyage Toward the Southwest

Cape Hermogenes, Kadiak Island.

The St. Peter Passes Through Douglas Channel Into Shelikof Strait.

Bering Approaches the Simidi Group . .

The Adjustment between the Simidi and Shumagin Groups

The Movements of Chirikof from August 1st, When Off Cape Elizabeth.

The Two Vessels Close to Each Other for Many Days.

Bering's Survey of the Shumagin Islands.

Bering's Health Breaks Down. Waxell in Command.

Conclusion. Character of the Men of the Expedition.

Appendix: Bering's First Anchorage Under Kayak Island. The Name

by different authorities.

43

Chart of the Adjusted Tracks and Landfalls of Bering and Chirikof on the

Northwest Coast of America. .

45