unwilling to feed them during winter, but it is not impossible
that they sacrificed them to avert the misfortunes which it was
feared the arrival of the foreigners would bring with it. ]

CHAPTER XV.

The position of Behring Island--Its inhabitants--The discovery
of the island by Behring--Behring's death--Steller--The former
and present Fauna on the island: foxes, sea-otters, sea-cows,
sea-lions, and sea-bears--Collection of bones of the Rhytina
--Visit to a "rookery"--Toporkoff Island--Alexander Dubovski
--Voyage to Yokohama--Lightning-stroke.

Behring Island is situated between 54 deg. 40' and 55 deg. 25' N.L. and 165 deg. 40'
and 166 deg. 40' E.L. from Greenwich. It is the westernmost and nearest
Kamchatka of the islands in the long chain formed by volcanic action,
which bounds the Behring Sea on the south between 51 deg. and 56 deg. N.L.
Together with the neighbouring Copper Island and some small islands and
rocks lying round about, it forms a peculiar group of islands separated
from the Aleutian Islands proper, named, after the rank of the great
seafarer who perished here, Commander's or Commandirski Islands. They
belong not to America but to Asia, and are Russian territory.
Notwithstanding this the American Alaska Company has acquired the right
of hunting there,[356] and maintains on the main islands two not
inconsiderable commercial stations, which supply the inhabitants,
several hundreds in number, with provisions and manufactured goods, the
company buying from them instead furs, principally the skin of an eared
seal (the sea-cat or sea-bear), of which from 20,000 to 50,000[357] are
killed yearly in the region. Some Russian authorities are also settled
on the island to guard the rights of the Russian state and maintain
order. Half a dozen serviceable wooden houses have been built here as
dwellings for the officials of the Russian Government and the American
Company, for storehouses, shops, &c. The natives live partly in very
roomy and in the inside not uncomfortable turf houses, partly in small
wooden houses which the company endeavours gradually to substitute for
the former, by yearly ordering some wooden buildings and presenting them
to the most deserving of the population. Every family has its own house.
There is also a Greek-Catholic church and a spacious schoolhouse. The
latter is intended for Aleutian children. The school was unfortunately
closed at the time of our visit,