mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i5-042

- 202 -

We were in such a situation until the fifth. On this
day we were at latitude 17˚ 13' [67˚ 13'] and reached the
pack ice located in the direction from SW to NE. Seeing the
impossibility of penetrating farther north, the captain
ordered us to return to the Asiatic shore to make a survey
of its parts that were free of ice. So on this day, follow-
ing this plan we moved away forever from the ice, and with
clear weather and a light SW breeze, manuevered toward the
Asiatic shore. We still had not moved far when I, standing on
the quarterdeck, heard a roar astern and the thump of rudder
chains. Surprised by this noise, I looked across the main-
boom and saw an enormous polar bear grabbing the chains with
his front paws. Moving quietly away, I reported it to the
captain, who ordered us to lower the sixth, and to catch the
marauder (since on account of the calm we were standing almost
in one place). But scared by the noise, it started to swim
toward the ice so that the skiff could hardly overtake it.
We did not want to shoot it with rifles because we were afraid
that it would go to the bottom when killed, but wanted to stab
it with spears. But this attempt was unsuccessful because
every time we wanted to stab it, the bear dove with astonishing
agility and swam to the surface a great distance away. Tired
by such pursuit, they fired at it with several rifles, but
whether or not a single one hit, is not known. It dove and
did not come up any more. The skiff hurried toward the sloop
from which it was quite far, and the shifting wind started to