The original journals of Commander Vitus Bering's German naturalist. Editor and co-translator Frost also contributes a 30-page appreciative overview of Steller's life and work. Written in part on Bering Island in 1742 -- and published posthumously -- the journal includes Steller's original descriptions of the sea otter, fur seal, sea lion and the North Pacific sea cow. It's an invaluable record of the European discovery of Alaska, a detailed account of the disastrous voyage, the people and nature of Kamchatka, Siberian coast and Aleutians.  (RUS63, $23.95)