ITUS BERING, THE DANE

Peter the Great sends Bering on Two Voyages: First, to
discover whether America and Asia are united; Second, to
find what lies north of New Spain--Terrible Hardships
of Caravans crossing Siberia for Seven Thousand
Miles--Ships lost in the Mist--Bering's Crew cast away on a
Barren Isle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CHAPTER II

1741-1743

CONTINUATION OF BERING, THE DANE

Frightful Sufferings of the Castaways on the Commander
Islands--The Vessel smashed in a Winter Gale, the Sick are
dragged for Refuge into Pits of Sand--Here, Bering
perishes, and the Crew Winter--The Consort Ship under
Chirikoff Ambushed--How the Castaways reach Home . . . . . 37

CHAPTER III

1741-1760

THE SEA-OTTER HUNTERS

How the Sea-otter Pelts brought back by Bering's Crew led
to the Exploitation of the Northwest
Coast of America--Difference of Sea-otter
from Other Fur-bearing Animals of
the West--Perils of the Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

CHAPTER IV

1760-1770

THE OUTLAW HUNTERS

The American Coast becomes the Great Rendezvous for Siberian
Criminals and Political Exiles--Beyond Reach of Law,
Cossacks and Criminals perpetrate Outrages
on the Indians--The Indians' Revenge wipes
out Russian Forts in America--The Pursuit
of Four Refugee Russians from Cave to
Cave over the Sea at Night--How they escape after a
Year's Chase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

CHAPTER V

1768-1772

COUNT MAURITIUS BENYOWSKY, THE POLISH PIRATE

Siberian Exiles under Polish Soldier of Fortune plot to
overthrow Garrison of Kamchatka and escape to West Coast
of America as Fur Traders--A Bloody Melodrama enacted
at Bolcheresk--The Count and his Criminal Crew sail to
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

PART II

AMERICAN AND ENGLISH ADVENTURERS ON THE WEST COAST
OF AMERICA--FRANCIS DRAKE IN CALIFORNIA--COOK,
FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA TO ALASKA--LEDYARD, THE
FORERUNNER OF LEWIS AND CLARK--GRAY, THE
DISCOVERER OF THE COLUMBIA--VANCOUVER, THE LAST OF
THE WEST COAST NAVIGATORS

CHAPTER VI

1562-1595

FRANCIS DRAKE IN CALIFORNIA

How the Sea Rover was attacked and ruined as a Boy on the
Spanish Main off Mexico--His Revenge in sacking
Spanish Treasure Houses and crossing Panama--The Richest
Man in England, he sails to the Forbidden Sea, scuttles all
the Spanish P