In the Russian atlas of Tebénkof, 1848, he places in that position a bay about three miles wide and nearly half as deep, but he exhibits no soundings therein. He retains Vancouver's name.

On the Admiralty chart No. 2337 of 1854, this indentation is called "Shelikova (Silk) Bay, Port Mary of Vancouver." It presents no details and no soundings. In 1867 we learned that there was a portage to this bay from the eastern shore of the Island (Kruzof) two or three miles NW. of Port Krestov, but we have no knowledge of any Indian settlement on the ocean bay. The direct distance across, through the timber with dense undergrowth is about four miles.

In the last few years the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey has made a topographical and hydrographical survey of this bay and places its northern point in latitude 57° 10'. The entrance is 33 miles wide, north and south, and 21⁄2 miles deep. The north and northeast shores are bounded by many rocky islets. There is no sign of an Indian village; and from any position in the approaches all the shores are in full view.

These descriptions of explorers, both as to the appearance of the Coast, and the character of the natives, seem to fortify our judgment that Sitka Sound was the place where the discoverers lost their lives. Cape Edgecumbe at the NW. point is in latitude 56° 592'.

THE CRUISING OF THE ST. PAUL AFTER LEAVING SITKA SOUND.

We now return to the cruising of Lieut. Chirikof.

On the 26th of July he observed for latitude in 58° 21′ not over twenty-five miles from the coast under Mt. Crillon (12,713 feet), Mt. Lituya (11,832 feet) and Mt. Fairweather (15,294 ft.). He was then within the arc of visibility of Mt. St. Elias, 18,024 feet. From that date to August 1st his positions are well governed by the latitudes observed on those dates and also on the 28th, by his plotted courses, and by his distance from the land. On the 28th in latitude 58° 48′ he was only one hundred and ten miles SW. by S. from Mt. St. Elias, and seventy-five miles from the nearest shore; and he had just crossed the track of Bering between the 16th and 17th of July. The weather was cloudy and the great St. Elias range must have been hidden.

On the 29th, in cloudy weather, he was thirty-five miles south of Kayak Island, and reached his highest latitude in 59° 16', accord

ing to our adjustment. He was still well within the arc of visibility of Mt. St. Elias. He made a good run to the westsouthwestward between the 29th and 30th, passing about twenty miles southward of Middleton or Otchek island which Bering had passed on the 21st about thirty miles to the northward. The island is estimated to be two hundred feet high, very flat topped, and in good weather would be on the horizon from a ship's deck at twenty miles. On the 30th the St. Paul probably hauled up to the northwest under the southeast shore of the Kenai Peninsula. On the 1st of August he was by observation in latitude 58° 45', and less than twenty miles southeastward from the extremity of the high, rocky coast of the Kenai Peninsula, which he had in full view. In this governing position, with a clear sky and horizon, he could have seen the Barren Islands (2,000 feet,) nearly west, the Four Peaks of Cape Douglas (9,000 feet) due west, and probably the highest part of Afognak Island thirty-five miles to the southwest. He was off the Isla de Regla of Arteaga and Bodega (Aug. 2, 1779); the Cape Elizabeth of Cook and the later geographers.

The great recession of the coast to the northwest, at the entrance to Cook's Inlet, and the northern entrance to the Shelikof Strait to the southwestward, would have appeared to him as great gulfs which he would prudently avoid. In our adjustment we place the St. Paul in latitude 58° 49′ and longitude 149° 12'. Soon after he left it he could have seen the Volcano Iliamna, 12,066 feet high, and one hundred miles distant to the northnorthwest.

THE APPROACH AND LAndfall of Bering-MT. ST. ELIAS—

THE PROGRESS OF BERING.

In the last named position we leave Chirikof for a time, and follow the course of Bering approaching the coast from his observed position on the 4th of July, when he was in latitude 48° 05' by observation, and in longitude 160° W. by our adjustment.

About this time Bering was quite fortunate in his latitude observations: he observed in 48° 05′ on the 4th of July, in 56° 12′ on the 14th, in 58° 28′ on the 16th, and anchored at Kayak Island in latitude 60° oo' on the 20th. These, considered in relation to his northerly course, are valuable data.

As we have already stated, his track of July 8th crossed Chirikof's

track of June 30th-July 1st in latitude 50° 00' and longitude 156° oo' W.; he was soon running parallel with Chirikof's course and continued so until the 13th. Thence his course was to the N. NE. with the ocean current carrying him to the westward. At midnight of the 15th the St. Peter crossed within the arc of visibility of Mt. St. Elias, and at noon on the 16th his observation for latitude placed the brig in 58° 28'. But before noon, when in latitude 58° 14', the lookout reported an extremely high mountain projecting above a high range of snow covered mountains. The vessel was then thirty miles inside the arc of visibility of Mt. St. Elias; and more than 4,000 feet of the mountain was visible above his horizon. In other words the visible part showed higher than our Loma Prieta (3,793 feet) on the Peninsula of San Francisco shows from the sea when a vessel is off Pt. Año Nuevo; or as high as Mt. Diablo (3,849 feet) when seen from Suisun Bay. At noon over six thousand feet of the mountain was visible; and the vessel's course was continued to the northward for a day. Bering had light head winds and his progress was slow, so that he made little more than one hundred miles in three days. From noon of the 17th he steered to the northwestward for one day, and he was within less than ninety miles from Mt. St. Elias, with the vessel gradually approaching the shore which was then distant about thirty miles.

His track of the 17th was crossed by Chirikof eleven days later. He does not mention Mt. St. Elias by name, nor is it placed on his chart, but on Jefferys' republication of the Russian map of the Academy of Sciences it is placed in latitude 60° 12'; its actual latitude is 60° 17′ 34′′.4. On the 18th the course of the St. Peter was nearly west, but she made slow progress, although she must have been under the influence of the current setting to the westward. At noon of the 19th he was close to the high, south point of Kayak island with its remarkable outstanding steeple rock (Russian, Kekur) higher than the main point. This conspicuous rock has been noted or depicted by the Spaniards, and by Douglas, Cook, Vancouver and others. It is in latitude 59° 49', and longitude 144° 53'. Bering notes no observations for latitude in this vicinity, but he puts it in latitude 59° 40', while Waxell's map places it in 59° 12'. It lies well within the are of visibility of Mt. St. Elias; and Waxell's map shows "terribly high mountains covered with snow," with a cloud line between the summits and base. The highest peak is placed in 61° 05' and perhaps these represent the western

most part of the St. Elias range, or possibly Mt. St. Elias itself. On the sub-chart of Chitrof they are laid down to the NE. by N. from the Kayak anchorage. (See appendix for the name Kayak.)

THE ST. PETER ANCHORS UNDER KAYAK ISLAND.

On the 20th the St. Peter had beaten to the northward with light airs and was anchored off the northwest shoulder of the island which is about twelve miles north of the southern point. In the sketch from Chitrof's journal it is laid down nearly its true length; the south point is named "Kap. Sct. Elias"; and the island, "Sct Elias Moderate soundings are laid down from the anchorage around the east and north side of Steele or Wingham Island, (the Chiganik of the natives), which lies two or three miles to the northwest of Kayak Island; and deeper soundings to the southward of that island and farther westward. The St. Peter was anchored in 22 fathoms of water over a soft, clay bottom. (See appendix for remarks upon this island.) Bering remained at this anchorage one day; one boat under Chitrof, master of the fleet, made a limited exploration for a better anchorage if needed; and the other boat went ashore for water, taking with them naturalist Steller to give him a chance to botanize while the sailors filled the water casks: Chirikof on the St. Paul had run short of water before the same date. On the island which Chitrof visited he found numerous signs of inhabitants; unoccupied huts constructed of smooth boards partly carved (totems?), household utensils used by the natives, smoked salmon, a whetstone used to sharpen copper tools, a rattle, a small poplar box, etc. On the island which Steller visited he came upon two fire places where the natives had been cooking and who had apparently just retreated, because their tracks were noted. He found broken arrows, the wooden implements to produce fire, seaweed, cordage, etc. His stay collecting plants was six hours.

For the few articles taken by Chitrof and Steller, beads, knives, iron pots, linen, etc., were sent from the vessel and left in the huts as a sign of reparation and good will. This visit to the island was verified by the traditions of the natives before the beginning of the last century.

BERING LEAVES HIS ANCHORAGE. UNJUST CRITICISMS.

Early on the morning of the 21st, contrary to his custom, Bering came on deck and ordered the anchor weighed for the prosecution of the voyage. This departure has given rise to violent and unseemly adverse expressions against the commander, although the original condemnation comes almost wholly from the naturalist Steller, who was not one of the ship's officers, and not admitted to the councils except on special occasions; and in no wise was he responsible for the safety of the ship. Quite naturally he was anxious to make collections of natural history, and it would appear from his journal edited by Pallas, that more than one summons for him to return to the ship on the 20th was made by the commander. All the water casks had not been filled but the wind was coming up from seaward, and the vessel would have to seek a better anchorage. Moreover there was nothing to be gained to geography by a prolonged stay at such a forbidding island under unfavorable conditions. Bering was wholly and solely responsible for the safety of the ship and her people: there was no consort to fall back upon in case of disaster. Steller clearly disobeyed orders; he strained the personal friendship of Bering nearly to the breaking point. In the present case a few more plants, seaweed or cordage should not have weighed one iota against the judgment of the commander; and such remarks as "pusillanimous homesickness" and the "fear of a handful of natives" that were never seen, were simply mutinous.

"According to his instructions, Bering was authorized to spend two years and make two voyages in the discovery of America; and to undertake another expedition afterwards with new preparations and equipments. And in his explanations to the crew he called especial attention to this point. Under these circumstances it would not have been right in him to assume any more risks than absolutely necessary."*

They were within reach of land; a wild and forbidding coast overshadowed them; and other and more favorable landings might be made when necessary. In his consideration of all the conditions that presented themselves he must surely have recalled the interference of La Croyère that in the early part of the voyage had delayed the ships and brought danger to the expedition by his demand that they search for the mythical Gamaland of his brother's map,

*NOTE.-Lauridsen: p. 154.