▁around ▁Lake ▁Ba ikal . ▁They ▁studied ▁trade ▁in ▁the ▁S ino - Russ ian ▁border ▁city ▁of ▁Ky ak ht a ▁in ▁Trans ba ikal ▁and ▁visited ▁the ▁mines ▁near ▁Arg un . ▁They ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁Ir k ut sk ▁for ▁the ▁winter . ▁In ▁the ▁meant ime , ▁Müller ▁located ▁and ▁investig ated ▁area ▁arch ives ▁and ▁made ▁copies ▁and ▁trans cri ptions , ▁while ▁G mel in ▁studied ▁plants ▁he ▁had ▁collected ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁summer . ▁ ▁Their ▁next ▁destination ▁was ▁Y ak ut sk , ▁where ▁the ▁participants ▁in ▁the ▁academic ▁component ▁were ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁Ber ing ▁and ▁were ▁then ▁meant ▁to ▁travel ▁on ▁to ▁Kam chat ka ▁together . ▁After ▁their ▁departure ▁from ▁Ir k ut sk , ▁the ▁two ▁sch ol ars ▁journey ed ▁along ▁the ▁ icy ▁Ang ara ▁River ▁to ▁Il im sk , ▁where ▁they ▁celebrated ▁E aster . ▁When ▁the ▁L ena ▁River ▁was ▁free ▁from ▁ice , ▁they ▁res umed ▁their ▁voyage , ▁trav elling ▁down stream ▁with ▁boats . ▁They ▁reached ▁Y ak ut sk ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 7 3 6 . ▁Al most ▁all ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁Pacific ▁divisions ▁of ▁the ▁expedition ▁had ▁gathered ▁there ▁in ▁the ▁meant ime , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁G mel in ▁and ▁Müller ▁experienced ▁difficulties ▁in ▁loc ating ▁accommod ation . ▁ ▁European ▁discovery ▁of ▁Al aska ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 7 4 1 , ▁the ▁St . ▁Peter ▁and ▁the ▁St . ▁Paul