Vitus Bering: The Discoverer of Bering Strait

Plans for Bering's First Expedition.--Peter the Great's desire to know the extent of his empire.--The Northeast passage 12

CHAPTER IV.

Bering's knowledge of Siberian geography.--Terrors of traveling in Siberia.--The expedition starts out.--The journey from St. Petersburg to the Pacific 19

CHAPTER V.

The building of the Gabriel.--The discovery of Bering Strait 29

CHAPTER VI.

The task assigned by Peter the Great accomplished.--History of the cartography of East Siberia.--Captain Cook's defense of Bering 35

CHAPTER VII.

Bering's winter at the fort.--Indications of an adjacent continent.--Unsuccessful search for this continent.--Return to St. Petersburg.--General review of the results of the First Expedition 50

PART II.

THE GREAT NORTHERN EXPEDITION.

CHAPTER VIII.

Bering's plans for a second expedition.--The greatest geographical enterprise ever undertaken 61

CHAPTER IX.

The Great Northern Expedition on its way through Siberia.--Difficulties and dangers encountered and overcome 77

CHAPTER X.

Delay of the expedition caused by the death of Lassenius and his command in the Arctic regions.--Dissatisfaction of the Senate and Admiralty with Bering's work 91

CHAPTER XI.

Final Preparations for the Pacific expeditions 99

PART III.

THE VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS.

CHAPTER XII.

The Arctic expeditions.--The Northeast passage.--Severe criticisms on Nordenskjöld 107

CHAPTER XIII.

The discovery of the Kurile Islands and Japan from the north 117

CHAPTER XIV.

Preparations for Bering's voyage of discovery to America.--Founding of Petropavlovsk.--The brothers De l'Isle 127

CHAPTER XV.

The discovery of America from the east.--Steller induced to join the expedition.--The separation of the St. Peter and the St. Paul 135

CHAPTER XVI.

Bering's place of landing on the American coast.--Captain Cook's uncertainty.--The question discussed and definitely settled 143

CHAPTER XVII.

Explorations along the American coast.--Steller's censure of Bering for undue haste.--Bering defended.--Dall, the American writer, reprimanded.--The return voyage 150

CHAPTER XVIII.

The discovery of the Aleutian Islands.--Terrible hardships of the voyage.--Steller's fault-finding.--Bering confined to his cabin.--Deaths on board from exhaustion and disease.--Bering Island discovered.--A narrow escape 164

CHAPTER XIX.

The stay on Bering Island.--Fauna of the island.--A rich field for Steller.--His descriptions immortalize the expedition.--The sea-cow.--Its extermination.--Nordenskjöld refuted.--Preparations for wintering.--Sad death of Bering.--An estimate of his work.--Chirikoff's return.--The crew of the St. Peter leave the Island.--The Great Northern Expedition discontinued.--Bering's reports buried in Russian archives.--Bering honored by Cook 174

APPENDIX.

BERING'S REPORT TO THE ADMIRALTY FROM OKHOTSK 195 NOTES 202 INDEX 217

MAPS.

INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN EDITION.

A biography of the great Bering is of especial interest to American readers desiring an accurate history of a country that has recently come into our possession, and the adjoining regions where most of the geographical investigations of the intrepid Danish-Russian explorer were made. The thorough, concise, and patient work done by Mr. Lauridsen is deserving of world-wide commendation, while the translation into the language of our land by Professor Olson of the University of Wisconsin puts students of American historical geography under a debt for this labor of love rather than remuneration that cannot be easily paid, and which is not common in our country. It is a matter of no small national pride that the translation into the English language of a work so near American geographical interests should have been done by an American, rather than emanate from the Hakluyt Society or other British sources, from which we usually derive such valuable translations and compilations of old explorations and the doings of the first explorers.