t of the natives that the sea was not
always so open as during his first voyage. Compelled by necessity,
he remained a year longer at the Anadyr, and in 1654 undertook a new
hunting voyage to the walrus-bank, where he met with the
before-mentioned Selivestrov. He here came in contact with the
natives (Koryaeks), and found among them a Yakut woman, who had
belonged to Ankudinov. On asking her where her master had gone to,
she answered that Feodot and Gerasim (Ankudinov) had died of scurvy,
and that their companions had been killed with the exception of some
few, who had saved themselves in boats. It appears as if the latter
had penetrated along the coast as far as to the river Kamchatka. For
when Kamchatka was conquered by Atlassov in 1697 the natives stated
that a long time before one FEODOTOV (probably a son of Feodot
Alexejev) had lived among them along with some companions, and had
married their women. They were venerated almost as gods. They were
believed to be invulnerable until they struck another, when the
Kamchadals saw their mistake and killed them.[303]

By the expeditions of Deschnev, Staduchin, and their companions, the
Russians had by degrees become acquainted with the course of the
Anadyr and with the tribes living on its banks. But it still
remained for them to acquire a more complete knowledge of the
islands which were said to be situated in the Polar Sea, and one
must be surprised at the extreme difficulties which were encountered
in attempting the solution of this apparently very simple
geographical problem. The reason indeed was that the Siberian seamen
never ventured to leave the immediate neighbourhood of the coast, a
precaution which besides is very easily explained when the bad
construction of their craft is considered. Along the shore of the
Polar Sea on the other hand, a very active communication appears to
have taken place between the Lena and the Kolyma, though of those
voyages we only know such as in one way or another gave rise to
actions before the courts or were characterised by specially
remarkable dangers or losses.

In 1650 ANDREJ GORELOJ was sent by sea from Yakutsk to impose
tribute on the tribes that lived at the sources of the Indigirka,
and on the Moma, a tributary of the Indigirka. He passed Svjatoinos
successfully, and reached the mouth of the Kroma, but was there
beset by ice, with which he drifted out to sea. After drifting about
ten days he was compelled to abandon the vess