mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i5-046

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On the 18th we had a very unpleasant incident. The in-
terpreter of the Agalakhmiut language had had bouts of in-
sanity 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 there-
fore, 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