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

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On the 18th we had a very unpleasant incident. The interpreter of the Agalakhmiut language had had bouts of insanity for a long time. He imagined that because he had no work at all to perform, because we had come to the places where his knowledge was not required, he was sinning, and therefore, must die. He was under thorough observation, but on this day when a sudden strong squall required the whole crew above, he bided his time, ascended the forecastle and plunged overboard from the cathead. Although it was noticed immediately, and the skiff was launched into the water in one moment, all was in vain, and he did not rise to the surface.

The constant strong winds and the fog, as said, detained us until the 23rd, but here a good morning permitted us to proceed with the survey to the place where Captain Kotzebue on the "Riurik" interrupted it. Thus, joining this southwestern part with that previously surveyed by us, we very exactly put the whole island on the map.

On the 24th, having finished this business, we went toward St. Matthew Island and reached it on the 28th. Having gone through the passage between the big and small islands at a depth of ten to six sazhens, and identifying two large rocks called by us Nidelski because of their similarity, and the passage itself after the name of Admiral Sarychev, we went toward Bering Island, but did not see it in the fog.

We struggled with the elements a whole month so that, when we sighted the sterile, naked shore of Kamchatka on the