ene fummer, our Englifh. Navigator difcovered a much
larger proportion of the North Weft coaft of America than
the Spaniards, though fettled in the neighbourhood, had,
in all their attempts, for above two hundred years, been able
to do; That he has put it beyond all doubt that Beering and
Tfcherikoff had really difcovered the continent of America
in 1741, and has alfo eftabliihed the prolongation o f that
continent Weftward oppofite Kamtfchatka, which fpeculative.
writers, wedded to favourite fyftems, had affefted fo much
to difbelieve *, and which, though admitted by Muller, had,
fince he wrote, been confidered as difproved by later Ruffian
difcoveries -f-; That, befides afcertaining the true pofition of
the Weftern coafts of America, with fome inconfiderable in.
terruptions, from latitude 440 up to beyond the latitude 70°,
he has alfo afcertained the pofition of the North Eaftern extremity
of Alia, by confirming Beering’s difcoveries in 1
and adding extenfive acceffions of his o w n T h a t he has'
given us more authentic information concerning the iflands
lying between the two continents, than the Kamtfchatka
traders, ever fince Beering firft taught them to venture on
this fea, had been able to procure | ; That, by fixing the relative
* Dr. Campbell, fpeaking of Beering’s voyage in 1741, fays, “ Nothing can be
u plainer than this truth, that his difcovery does not warrant any fuch fuppofition, as
“ that the country he touched at was a great continent making part o f North America.”
f See Coxe’s Ruffian Difcoveries, p. 26, 27, &c. The fictions of fpeculative geographers
in the Southern hemifphere, have been continents j in the Northern hemi-
iphere, they have beenfeas. It may be obferved, therefore, that if Captain Cook in
his firft voyages annihilated imaginary Southern lands, he has made amends for the
havock, in his third voyage, by annihilating imaginary Northern feas, and filling up
the vaft fpa.ce, which had been allotted to them, with the folid contents of his new
difcoveries of American land farther Weft and North than had hitherto been traced.
J The Ruffians feem to owe much to England, in matters, of this fort. It is Angular
enough that one o f our countrymen, Dr, Campbell [See his edition of Harris’s
voyages,
lative fituation o f Afia and America, and difcovering the
narrow bounds o f the ftrait that divides them, he has thrown
a blaze of light upon this important part o f the geography
of the globe, and folved the puzzling problem about the.
peopling of America, by tribes deftitute of the neceifary
means to attempt long navigations ; and, laftly,That, though
the principal objedt of the voyage failed, the world will be
greatly benefited even by the failure, as it has brought us;
to the knowledge of the exiftence of the impediments, which:
future navigators may expeft to meet with in attempting to»
go to the Eaft Indies through Beering’s drain.
The extended review we have taken of the preceding
voyages, and the general outline we have fketched out, of
the tranfaftions of the Taft, .which are recorded at full'
length in thefe volumes, will not, It is hoped1, be confidered
as a prolix, or unneceiTary detail. It will ferve to give a-
juft notion of the whole plan o f difcovery executed by his-
Majefty’s commands. And it appearing that much was-
aimed at, and much accompliffied, in the unknown parts-
of the globe, in both hemifpheres, there needs no other-
confideration, to give full fatisfaftion to thofe who poiiefs
an enlarged way o f thinking, that a variety of ufeful pur-
pofes mult have been effeited by thefe refearches. But'
voyages, Vol.. ii.. p. 1021..]' has prefervedi many valuable-particulars of, Beeringts firfti
voyage, of which Muller himfelf,. the Hiftorian of their earlier.difcoveries, makes no.
mention ; that it ihould be another of our countrymen, Mr. Coxe, who firft publiihedv'
a fatisfadtory account o f thein later- difcoveries ;. and.that the King.of Great Britain’s-:
fhips ihould traverfe the globe in 1778, to confirm to the Ruffian empire, the poffeflion.
o f near thirty degrees,, or above fix. hundred miles o f continent,., which Mr. Engql, .in ..
his zeal for the pra&icability o f a North Eaft paflhge, would prune away from the length 1
of Afia to the Eaftward. See his Mtmoires Geographiques, See. Laufanne.1765 ; which
however, contains much .real information j and many parts of which are confirmed by
Captain Cook’s American difcoveries* ,
there;