Bering Strait Furs Go Global

摘要

On July 21, 1819, the American brig General San Martín became the first trading vessel to reach the?Bering Strait. Her captain, Eliab Grimes was capitalizing on discoveries Russians had made there only?three years earlier. On the way north from Hawaii Captain Grimes stopped in Kamchatka, where he?learned that the Bering Strait natives—Eskimos and Chukchi—were known to be hostile and aggressive.?In fact, as soon as the ship reached the Bering Strait the General San Martín was surrounded by a fleet?of eighteen large walrus-hide boats with more than two hundred armed natives who refused, at least?initially, to allow him to trade.