From the year 1745, when it feems thefe iflands Were
firft vilited, until 1750, when the fir ft tribute of furs
was brought from thence to Ochotfk, the government
appears not to have been fully informed of their difcovery.
In the laft mentioned year, one Lebedeff was commander
of Kamtchatka. From 1755 to 1760, CaptainTlheredoff
and Lieutenant Kafhkareff were his fuccelfors. In 1760,
FeodorIvanovitch SoimonofF, governor of Tobolfk, turned
his attention to the abovementioned iflands ; and, the
fame year, Captain RtiftfhefF, at Ochotfk, inftrudted Lieu-
tenant Shmaleff, the fame who was afterwards commander
in Kamtchatka, to promote and favour all expeditions in
thofe feas. Until this time, all the difcoveries fubfe-
quent to Beering’s voyage were made, without the inter-
pofition of the court, by private merchants in fnaall "vef-
fels fitted out at their own expence.
The Emprefs ef}ie prefent Emprefs (to whom every circum fiance which . promotes all * x \ j
“vàSewBir- contributes to aggrandize the Ruffi an empire is an objedt of
overjes. attention) 'has given n ew life to there difcoveries- The merchants
engaged in them have been animated by recom-
pences. The importance and true pofition of the Ruffian
the firft meridian of-the ifle of Eero." The longitude and latitude, which
he gives to the Fox Iflands, correfponds exacftly with thofe in which they
are laid down upon the General Map o f Ruflia. 1 he longitude o f
Beering’s, Copper Ifland, and.of the Âleiitian Mes, are fomewhat different.
- See Advertifement ..relating to the Charts, and alfo Appendix
L N ” IV.
iflands have been afcertained by an expenfive voyage
made by order of the crown ; and much additional information
will be derived from the journals and charts'
of the officers employed in that expedition, whenever-
they fhall be publiflied.
Meanwhile, we may reft affiired, that feveral modern-
geographers have erred in advancing America too much-
to the Weft, and in queftioning the extent of Siberia Eaft-
wards, as laid down by the Ruffians*. It appears, indeed,,
evident,, that the accounts and even conjectures o f the
celebrated Muller, concerning the pofition of thofe diftant
regions, are more and more confirmed by fafts; in the
fame manner as the juftnefs of his fuppofition concerning
the form of: the coaft; c f the fea of. Ochotfk t has-
been lately eftablifhed. With refpect to the extent of
Siberia, it appears almoft beyond a doubt from the moft-
recent obfervations, that its Eaftern extremity is fituated>
beyond J 2-00 degrees of longitude. In regard to the
Weftern coa-fts of America, all the navigations to the
New Difcovered Iflands evidently fhew, that, between 50
* The author herfe alludes to the ■ fecret expedition o f Captain Kie- jj
nttzin and Levaheff, whofe-journal and chart were fent, by Order o f the»
Emprefs o f Ruflia, to Dr. Robertfon. See Robertfon’s Hiftory o f America,
Vol. I. p. 276 and 460. See Appendix I. N° I.
T Mr. Muller formerly conjeftured, that the coaft o f the fea o f
Ochotfk ftretched South-weft towards the river Ud ; and from thence to
the mouth o f thé Amoor South-eaft : and the truth o f this conjecture
had beenfince confirmed by a coafting voyage made by Captain Synd. •
J’ Appendix I. N? I.