RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. ai 



Tfchirikoff, in the profeciition of this plan, opened their 

 way to iflands abounding in valuable furs, than private 

 merchants immediately engaged with ardour in fimilar 

 expeditions ; and, within a period of ten years, more im- '^H" p™' 

 po^tant difcoveries were made by thefe individuals, at 

 their own private coft, than had been hitherto effedled by 

 all the exj^enfive efforts of the crown. 



Soon after the return of Beering's crew from the 

 ifland where he was fliip-wrecked and died, and which 

 is called after his name, the inhabitants of Kamtchatk* 

 ventured over to that ifland, to which the fea-otters and 

 other fea-animals were accuftomed to refort in great 

 numbers. Mednoi Oftroff, or Copper Ifland, which, 

 takes that appellation from large maflTes of native copper 

 found upon the beach, and which lies full in fight of 

 Beering's Ifle, was an eafy and fpeedy difcovery. 



Thefc two fmall uninhabited fpots were for fome time 

 the only iflands that were known ; until a fcarcity of land 

 and fea-animals, whofe numbers were greatly diminiflied 

 by the Rufl^an hunters, occafioned other expeditions. 

 Several of the veflels which were fent out upon thefe 

 voyages were driven by flormy v/eather to the South- 

 eaft ; and difcovered by that means the Aleutian Ifles, 

 fituated about the 195th * degree of longitude, and but 

 moderately peopled. 



From 



-^ The author reckons, throughout this treatife, the longitude from 



the 



