addition we have made to the late Captain Cook’s Difco-
veries, together with alhort account o f the fur trade, may
perhaps not be improper in this place.
The Ruffian Navigator, Beering,Teems to have been
the firft who explored this inholpitable coaft to the Northward
of King George’s Sound : he is faidto have fallen in
with the land in 5 8 deg. 2 8 min. North latitude, and to
have anchored in 59 deg. 18 min. Tfcherikow, in 1741,
anchored about the latitude 5 6 deg. '
That both thefe Navigators fell in with the American
Coaft, is beyond a doubt; but in what lituation they made
the land, or where they anchored, is by no means equally
certain. The beft accounts we have of thefe Voyages
are very inaccurate ; and it ffiould be remembered, that
Navigation at- that period of time was by no means
brought to the perfection which it is in at prefent: add
to this, the coaft in the lituation which Beering is faid to
have anchored in, viz. 59 degrees 18 minutes North latitude,
trends nearly Eaft and W e ft; fo that in the ftate
Navigation was in at that time, a miftake of fix or eight
degrees in longitude might be eafily made ; and there is
great reafon to fuppofe, that though this celebrated Navigator
might be correct in his latitude, yet the place he
1 k actually
actually anchored in is much nearer Cook’s River than is
ufually laid down in the charts.
But whilft we lament the imperfect ftate of Navigation,
and the ftill more imperfect accounts given to us of this
famous Ruffian’s Voyages, which entirely prevent us to
fay what part óf the coaft, at leaft within our limits,
he furveyed with any degree of precifion, it is no lefs
incumbent on me to detect the fallacy of a more modern
Navigator on the fame coaft.
In the Journal of a Voyage to the North Weft Coaft
of America, by Don Francifco Antonio MaUrelle, pub-
lilhed by the Hon. Mr. Daines Barrington, after ftating
what they had already done, is the following paflage :—
“ We now attempted to find out the Straight of Admiral
Fonte, though as yet we had not difcovered the Archipelago
of St. Lazarus, through which he is faid to have
failed. With this intent we fearched every bay and ree
l ’s on the coaft, and failed round every head-land, lying-
to in the night, that we might not lofe fight of this entrance,
After thefe pains taken, and being favoured by
a North Weft wind, it may be pronounced that no fuch
Straights are to be found.” *
Why
* See Barrington’s Mifcelhnies, page 50$.