Three Accounts of the Vasil'ev-Shismarev Expedition of 1819-1822

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Bering Strait during the whole of September."

Coming into sight of St. Lawrence Island, Cap. Vasilev instructed Cap. Lieut. Shishmarev to finish surveying it, and he sailed toward the American shore. The gradual decrease in the depth of the sea from the eastern end of St. Lawrence Island was the reason that Cap. Vasilev turned west. and sailed toward the islands of [St.] Paul and [St.] George. Determining their geographic position, he continued his way to Unalashka and arrived there on August 19.

"Being in the Arctic Sea," says Cap. Vasilev, "I saw the necessity for a small sailing vessel, which could keep quite close to shore." On the sloop Good Intent there were parts of a disassembled boat in the hold. Therefore, Cap. Vasilev set his course from Unalashka to Novo-arkhagelsk port [NovoArkhangelsk, or Sitka ] where there were more facilities than elsewhere to assemble that boat. He arrived there on September 15, and entrused Lieutenant Ignatev with the assembling of the mentioned boat, sailed from there on October 25.

Having spent the winter season in southern regions, Cap. Vasilev arrived in Sitka on May 13, 1821, at the port of NovoArkhangelsk. Finding that the boat was completely ready, he took on a reserve of water and wood,and receiving interpreters from the Chief Ruler of the American district, Fleet Cap. Lieut. Matveia Ivanovich Muravev, he put out to sea with all three vessels on May 30.

Taking in consideration that the newly assembled boat

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could not keep up with the sloops, Cap. Vasilev took it in tow, and continued on the way to the Aleutian chain. Upon approaching Unalashka, Cap. Vasilev entered the harbor in order to repair some damages.

Here Cap. Vasilev formed a new plan for the impending voyage in arctic waters. He instructed Cap. Lieut. Shishmarev, upon putting to sea, to proceed toward the northeastern shores of Asia and to look for a passage into the northern sea. In case of failure in that, he was instructed to survey the shore of Chukotski land [ Chukchi Peninsula]. Cap Vasilev kept the boat for himself and intended to survey the shore of America between Bristol Bay and Norton Sound with it. After that, he planned to go to the Arctic Sea along the northwest coast of America and look for a passage into the Atlantic Ocean.

Vasilev's Voyage, 1821

On June 27th, Cap. Vasilev put to sea. The sloop Good Intent made its way to the shores of Asia, and the Discovery and the boat sailed towards [St.] Paul and [St.] George islands, and again verifying their geographic position sailed toward Cape Newenham, casing anchor on the southern side.

Here Cap. Vasilev appointed Lieut. Avinov commander of the boat, and giving him in assistance Midshipman Hall, son of the Honorable Vice-Admiral Roman Romanovich Hall, who had sailed those seas under the command of Cap. Billings in 1790 and 1791. Cap. Vasilev instructed Lieut. Avinov to survey

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the coast of America lying between Capes Newenham and Darby. He told him to join the sloop Discovery on July 20 at Stuart Island, but if Lieut. Avinov had not succeeded in finishing the survey of the mentioned shore by that time, he was permitted to remain there [at Stuart Island ] until August 15, and if he did not meet Cap. Vasilev in Norton Sound then, to winter on Unalashka Island or at the harbor of Petropavlovsk.

On July 6, the boat went on its appointed way, and Cap. Vasilev, going at the same time to Cape Stephens, discovered, on the 11th, a coast not indicated on the maps. Coming to a depth of eight sazhens he cast anchor, and going ashore with the interpreters, was informed that they were standing off an island called Nunivok [Nunivak Island], located not far from the mainland coast of America, and which is inhabited, and that until now its inhabitants had had no contact whatsoever with Europeans. The latitude of the place of anchorage was 59° 54'; longitude, 193° 17' east of Greenwich. Cap. Vasilev named this island after the name of his sloop, Otkrytie [Discovery].

On June [July] 12, Cap. Vasilev weighed anchor, and directed his course to Norton Sound. Arriving at Cape Darby on the 19th, he remained there at anchor for 24 hours, and since Lieut. Avinov had not arrived with the boat, Cap. Vasilev sailed north. At latitudes 68° 01' and 68° 21' Cap. Vasilev sighted two noticeable capes, which Captains Cook and Clerke

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had not seen.

On July 31, the sloop Discovery neared Cape Lisburne, from which, as was noted from the crosstree, the coast turned northward, but Cap. Vasilev says, "The fog or the variable winds and calm prevented coming closer; we saw only heights at some places. On the morning of August 2nd, we encountered several pieces of ice, upon which were lying many walruses. The wind springing from the south, we took a course toward Icy Cape. Although the ice was getting thicker, it was still possible to go northward.

"On August 3rd," continues Cap. Vasilev, "we were, by observation, at latitude 70° 40', longitude 161° 27' west of Greenwich. The depth of the sea increased from 13 to 21 sazhens. Judging by the latitude in which we were, we had passed Icy Cape. The ice was seen continuously from N to W; from N to E less frequently. Toward Z [south?] there was no ice."

Cap. Vasilev, desiring to inspect and identify Icy Cape, bore up toward it, and on August 4th saw it at latitude 70° 23'. A very strong wind continued until the 9th. The sloop was surrounded by ice several times, and as Cap. Vasilev says, "The sloop was pressing toward the ice; we lowered boards, trapdoors, and such small masts as we had, laid them round the entire side, so that the ice would not damage the sheathing. The crew were used as much as possible to hold back the ice to soften the blows. However, some were so

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strong that they broke three-inch thick planks.

On August 9th, Captain Vasilev sighted Cape Lisburne and the coast of Asia. On this date he says, "We came out of the Arctic Sea."

On August 13th, Captian Vasilev arrived at Cape Darby, and learning that Lieut. Avinov had not been there, went toward Stuart Island. Casting anchor there he sent Lieut. Boil ashore in an armed longboat. This officer, returning on the 16th, reported, "The inhabitants who had come to this island from Cape Stephens stated that they had never seen foreigners, and that no vessel had ever visited them. To the south of Cape Stephens," they continued, "flows into the sea a large river, Kuiukht-pak [Yukon], from which shoals extend far out."

"Not finding the boat," says Cap. Vasilev, "we weighed anchor, and taking a course W went to a depth of seven and eight sazhens. Having rounded the shoals we bore up to the eastern side of St. Lawrence Island, passed on the north side of [St.] Matthew Island and among the Commander, Bering, and Attu islands. On September 8 we arrived at the port of Petropavlovsk, where we found the sailing boat.

Avinov's Voyage, 1821

Lieutenant Avinov reported to Cap. Vas. that on July 6th he sailed from Bristol Bay toward Cape Newenham. A strong wind and heavy seas forced him to head for Hagenmeister [Hagemeister] Bay. Coming out of it on the 19th he surveyed the shore to Cape Newenham, and from it, northward. On the