Journey of the sloop Good Intent to explore the Asiatic and American shores of Bering Strait, 1819 to 1822. Part three

- 206 -

On the 18th we had a very unpleasant incident. The interpreter of the Agalakhmiut language had had bouts of insanity for a long time. He imagined that because he had no work at all to perform, because we had come to the places where his knowledge was not required, he was sinning, and therefore, must die. He was under thorough observation, but on this day when a sudden strong squall required the whole crew above, he bided his time, ascended the forecastle and ^{plunged overboard} from the cathead. Although it was noticed immediately, and the skiff was launched into the water in one moment, all was in vain, and he did not rise to the surface.

The constant strong winds and the fog, as said, detained us until the 23rd, but here a good morning permitted us to proceed with the survey to the place where Captain Kotzebue on the "Riurik" interrupted it. Thus, joining this southwestern part with that previously surveyed by us, we very exactly put the whole island on the map.

On the 24th, having finished this business, we went toward St. Matthew Island and reached it on the 28th. Having gone through the passage between the big and small islands at a depth of ten to six sazhens, and identifying two large rocks called byu us Nidelski because of their similarity, and the passage itself after the name of Admiral Sarychev, we went toward Bering Island, but did not see it in the fog.

We struggled with the elements a whole month so that, when we sighted the sterile, naked shore of Kamchatka on the

- 207 -

17th of September, it seemed to us like a tropical land. The trem^endous Kronokski Volcano, consisting of red rock, was the first one to come into our sight at a distance of 80 miles. Other much lower mountains became visible only at a distance of 35 miles, which, of course, was because of the growing darkness. The mountains were still covered with vegetation and that is why they seemed so attractive. Dead nature in regions above Bering Strait tired us with its awful sterility.

Finally, after much suffering, sick and tired, we entered Avachinskaia Bay on the 21st, and the Harbor of Peter and Paul (Petropavlovsk) on the 22nd.

The "Discovery" had been here for ten days, and the boat, for three weeks.

With this I conclude the description of our voyage because the return journey from here to the fatherland took place in the countries described a long time ago. I will only say that after rounding Cape Horn and crossing the Atlantic Ocean, we arrived safely in Kronstadt in August, 1822 after a three-year voyage.