▁set ▁sail ▁from ▁Pet rop av lov sk . ▁Six ▁days ▁later ▁they ▁lost ▁sight ▁of ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁a ▁thick ▁fog , ▁but ▁both ▁vessels ▁continued ▁to ▁sail ▁east . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁Chi rik ov ▁sight ed ▁land , ▁probably ▁the ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁Prince ▁of ▁Wales ▁Island ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Al aska . ▁ ▁He ▁sent ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁men ▁ash ore ▁in ▁a ▁long ▁boat , ▁making ▁them ▁the ▁first ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁land ▁on ▁the ▁north western ▁coast ▁of ▁North ▁America . ▁When ▁the ▁first ▁group ▁failed ▁to ▁return , ▁he ▁sent ▁a ▁second , ▁which ▁also ▁van ished . ▁Chi rik ov ▁we ighed ▁anchor ▁and ▁moved ▁on . ▁▁ ▁On ▁roughly ▁July ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 7 4 1 , ▁Ber ing ▁and ▁the ▁crew ▁of ▁St . ▁Peter ▁sight ed ▁a ▁tower ing ▁peak ▁on ▁the ▁Al aska ▁main land , ▁Mount ▁Saint ▁E lias . ▁Ber ing ▁was ▁anxious ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Russia ▁and ▁turned ▁west ward . ▁ ▁He ▁later ▁anch ored ▁his ▁vessel ▁off ▁Kay ak ▁Island ▁while ▁crew ▁members ▁went ▁ash ore ▁to ▁explore ▁and ▁find ▁water . ▁Georg ▁Wilhelm ▁St eller , ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁natural ist , ▁h ik ed ▁along ▁the ▁island ▁and ▁took ▁notes ▁on ▁the ▁plants ▁and ▁wild life . ▁He ▁also ▁first ▁recorded ▁the ▁St eller ' s ▁j ay ▁that ▁be ars ▁his ▁name . ▁ ▁Chi rik ov ▁and ▁the ▁St . ▁Paul ▁head ed