58 FRUITLESS EFFORTS. LAPTEFF. BEHKING. 



Empress Anne, when the Russian admiralty fitted out 

 three expeditions " to obtain a correct knowledge of 

 the northern coast of Siberia from the White Sea to 

 Behring's Strait ; ; " one, consisting of two vessels, 

 was to sail from Archangel eastward to the mouth of 

 the Obi ; another, from the Obi to the lennissei. The 

 third was to sail from the Lena, and consisted of two 

 vessels, one of which was to sail westward to the len- 

 nissei, and the other eastward, past the Kolyma, to 

 Behring's Strait." 



Insurmountable impediments to navigation, recall of 

 commanders, wintering in the rivers, overland journeys 

 to St. Petersburg, renewed attempts, scurvy, and ship- 

 wreck, comprise the history of these expeditions. One 

 of the mates, in observations on the compass, makes 

 the remark, " The variation of the needle was so great, 

 and it was so unsteady, that I am inclined to believe the 

 magnet ceases to act ia these high latitudes." This 

 fact is worthy of record, as bearing on phenomena 

 which have subsequently been regarded with much 

 attention. But, on the main question, the Russian ad- 

 miralty refused to receive the reports of impossible 

 navigation ; and, in 1739, sent out another expedition, 

 under Lieut. Lapteff, who, by dint of perseverance in 

 four successive voyages, did at last pass to the eastward 

 of the Kolyma ; but here fields of ice, extending far to 

 the north, barred his further progress. 



Next in order come the voyages by Behring, the 

 explorer of the strait which bears his name. In the 

 year 1741 this celebrated navigator set sail from the 

 harbor of St. Peter and St. Paul, in Kamtschatka, in two 

 vessels, from which he had named the port. It was the 

 4th of June when they weighed anchor, and on the 

 12th they had reached latitude 46 without seeing land. 

 They proceeded as high as 50 of latitude with little 



