VI 



PREFACE. 



During the courfe of my refearches I was informed, 

 that a treatife in the German language, pubUfhed at 

 Hamburg and Leipfic in 1776, contained a full and 

 exa6t narrative of the Ruffian voyages, from 1745 to 



1770 ^;^ 



As the author has not prefixed his name, I fliould 

 have paid little attention to an anonymous publication, 

 if I had not been afTured, from very good authority, that 

 the work in queftion was compiled from the original 

 journals. Not refting however upon this intelligence, I 

 took the liberty of applying to Mr. Muller himfelf, who, 

 by order of the Emprefs, had arranged the fame jour- 

 nals, from which the anonymous author is faid to 

 have drawn his materials. Previous to my application, 

 Mr. Muller had compared the treatife with the original 

 papers ; and he favoured me with the following 

 ftrong teftimony to its exa6lnefs and authenticity : 

 *' Vous feres bien de traduire pour I'ufage de vos com- 

 " patriotes le petit livre fur les ifles fituees entre le Kamt- 

 " chatka et TAmerique. II n'y a point de doute, qup 

 " Tauteur n'ait etc pourvu de bons memoires, et qu'il ne 

 " s'en foit fervi fidelement. J'ai confronte le livre avec les 



* The title of the book is, Neuc Nachrichten von deiien Neuencleck_ 

 ten Infuhi in der See zwifchen Afia und Amerika aus mitgetheilten Ur- 

 kunden und Aufzucgen verfaffet von J. I.. S. 



" originaux.'' 



