310 A P P E N D I X I. 



to the Weflern Goaft ; and no Rufliaii vcfTel lias ever 

 l^aflecl round its North Eaftern extremity •■'■ 



The 



* Although this work is confined to the Ruffian Difcoveries, j-ct as 

 the N. E. pailage is afubjedtof fuch intcrefting curiofity, it might icem 

 an omiffion in not mentioning, that leveral Englifli and Dutch velicls 

 have parted through the Straits of Wcygatz into the fea of Kara ; they 

 nil met w ith great obftrudlions from the ice, and had much difficulty in 

 getting through. See Hiftoire Gen. Des Voyages, tome XV. paiTim. 



In 1696 Heemfkirk and Barcntz, after having failed along the Vv'eflern 

 coaft of Nova Zemla, doubled the North Eaftern cape lying in latitude 

 ']'" 20 , and got no lower along the Eaflern coaft than 76°, where they 

 \\ intcred. 



Sec an account of this remarkable voyage in Girard Le Ver's Vrave 

 Defcription Dc Trois Voyages De Mer, p. 13 to 45 ; and Hiit. Gen. 

 dcs Voy. torn. X^^ p. 1 1 1 to 139. 



No vcllel of any nation has ever palTed round that Cape, which extends 

 to the North ot the Piafida, and is laid down in the Ruffian charts in 

 about 78" latitude. We have already feen that no Ruffian vcffel has 

 ever got from the Piafida to the Chatanga, or from the Chatanga to the 

 Piafida ; and yet fome authors have pofitively aflerted, that this promon- 

 tory has been tailed round. In order therefora to elude the Ruffian ac- 

 counts, which clearly affcrt the contrarv, it is pretended, that Gmeiin 

 and Mullcr have purpofely concealed fome parts of the Ruffian journ.als, 

 and have impofcd upon the world by a mifreprcfentation of fadfs. But 

 without entering into any difpute on this head, I can venture to affirm, 

 that no fufficient proof has been as yet advanced in fupport of this af- 

 fertion ; and therefore until fome pofitive information fhall be produced, 

 \ve cannot deny plain fadrs, or give the preference to hearfay evidence 

 over circumrtantial and well atteited accounts. 



Mr. Engel has a remarkable paffiige in his Eflai fur une route par la 

 Nord Eft, which it may be proper to confider in this place, becaufe 

 he afferts in the moft pofitive manner, that two Dutch veflels formerly 

 parted three hundred leagues to the North Eaft of Nova Zemla; from 



thence 



