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neglected to superintend the transportation, and as a
result, much was injured or ruined. Some of these
supplies arrived too late to be used for the expedition.
Bering’s original plan was to spend two years on this
expedition. He was to winter on the American coast,
navigate it from 60° N. latitude to Bering Strait, and
then return along the coast of Asia. But this had to be
abandoned.
In May, 1741, when the ice broke up, he could
supply his ships with frugal, not to say very poor,
provisions, for only five and a half months. Moreover,
his ship’s stores and reserve rigging were both
incomplete and inadequate. Bering’s powers of resistance
now began to wane. After eight years of incessant
trouble and toil, after all the accusations and suspicions
he had undergone, he was now forced to face the thought
of an unsatisfactory conclusion of his first voyage, at
least. Besides, Spangberg’s fate could not but have a
very depressing influence, for it told Bering and his
associates that even with the best of results it would
hardly be possible to overcome the prejudices of the
government authorities or their lack of confidence in
the efforts of the new marine service. Undoubtedly it
was such thoughts as these that swayed Bering and
Chirikoff, when, on the 4th of May, they called the
ship’s council to consider the prospective voyage (the
proceedings are not known). Although both, as well
as the best of their officers, were of the opinion that
America[1] was to be sought in a direction east by
north from Avacha, and in spite of the fact that they
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