t Peter and Saint Paul. Mr Bayley and Mr King also sent home an
account of all the astronomical and other scientific observations made
during the voyage. These were duly delivered, within a few months from
the time of their being entrusted to Major Behm.

It is remarkable that on the arrival of the expedition in the harbour of
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the whole Russian garrison of the place were
found to be suffering more or less from scurvy, many of the men being in
the last stage of that disease. They were immediately placed under the
care of the English surgeons, and, by a free use of sour-krout and
sweet-wort, they nearly all quickly recovered. Through the exertions of
Major Behm, a supply of rye-flour was furnished to the ships, and a
bullock was sent on board, which was served out to the men on Sunday.
It was the first fresh beef they had tasted since leaving the Cape of
Good Hope, two years and a half before. Twenty head of cattle were
afterwards sent on board, with other supplies, and the English
themselves caught with their nets an abundance of fine fish.

On June 12 the ships were unmoored for the purpose of putting to sea,
but it was not till the 16th that they were able to get clear of the
bay. The eruption of a neighbouring volcano took place at this time,
which covered the decks with cinders and small stones. From the first
the ships encountered bad weather. The intense cold severely tried the
crews. The men had taken no care of their fur jackets and other warm
clothing, but they had been collected by their officers, and cased up in
casks, to be produced when most required.

The expedition passed through Behring's Straits on July 5, and having
run along the coast of Asia, stretched across to that of America, with
the intention of exploring it between the latitudes 68 degrees and 69
degrees. In this attempt, however, the explorers were disappointed,
being stopped, on the 7th, by a large and compact field of ice connected
with the land. They therefore altered their course to the westward, in
the hopes of finding some opening, and thus being able to get round to
the north of the ice. They continued sailing in that direction till the
9th, for nearly forty leagues, without discovering an opening. Still
their dying chief persevered in his efforts till the 27th, although
unable to penetrate farther north than 70 degrees 33 minutes, which was
five leagues short of the point which had been gained t