Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Chapter XVII.
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account of the approaching autumn and the great
distance from home, to start immediately on the return
voyage to Kamchatka. That is to say, they had not then
made a start. Until the 11th of August, for three weeks
after their departure from Kayak, Bering pursued his
task of nautical discovery along the new coast, and it
would seem that he can be blamed for nothing more than
considering this work of the expedition more important
than that of the physico-geographical investigation which
Steller represented. This was but natural. It was merely
accidental that Steller accompanied Bering, and through
him the expedition received a modern cast, which was not
at all designed, and which Bering desired to make use of
only under favorable circumstances. We may regret his
haste, and we may especially regret the fact that so keen
and clever a naturalist as Steller did not get an
opportunity to explore the regions west of Mount St. Elias before
European trade and white adventurers put in an
appearance; but it hardly seems a question of doubt whether
anyone for that reason has a right to make accusations
against the chief of the expedition.
It was very early on the morning of July 21 that the
chief suddenly, and contrary to his custom, appeared on
deck and gave the command to weigh anchor and stand
out to sea. In doing this he set aside his instructions
from headquarters to act in accordance with the ship’s
council. He acted as a sovereign chief, and
notwithstanding the fact that both of his lieutenants thought it
wrong to leave the newly discovered coast without an
adequate supply of water, he overruled all objections
and informed them that he assumed all responsibility for
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