268 A VOYAGE TO 



>779- The lad qucftion that arifes is, to what degree of Northern 



latitude this coaft extends, before it trends more directly to 

 the Weftward. If the fituation of the mouth of the Ko- 

 vyma, both with refpect to its latitude and longitude, were 

 accurately determined, it would perhaps not be very diffi- 

 cult to form a probable conjecture upon this point. Cap- 

 tain Cook was always ftrongly of opinion, that the Northern 

 coaft of Alia, from the Indigirka eaftward, has hitherto been 

 generally laid down more than two degrees to the North- 

 ward of its true pofition ; and he has, therefore, on the 

 authority of a map that was in his poflefiion, and on the in- 

 formation he received at Oonalafhka, placed the mouth of 

 the river Kovyma, in his chart of the North Weft coaft of 

 America, and the North Eaft coaft of Afia, in the latitude of 

 68°. Should he be right in this conjecture, it is probable, 

 for the reafons that have been already ftated, that the Afiatic 

 coaft does not any where exceed 70* before it trends 

 to the Weftward ; and confequently, that we were within 

 i* of its North Eaftern extremity. For, if the continent be 

 fuppofed to ftretch, any where to the Northward of Shelat- 

 fkoi Nofs, it is fcarcely poflible, that fo extraordinary a cir- 

 cumftance mould not have been mentioned by the Ruffian 

 navigators - r and we have already fhewn, that they make 

 mention of no remarkable promontory between the Kovy- 

 ma and the Anadir, except the Eaft Cape. Another circum- 

 ftance, related by Defhneff, may, perhaps, be thought a 

 further confirmation of this opinion, namely, that he met 

 with no impediment from ice in navigating round the North 

 Eaft extremity of Afia> though he adds, that this fea is not 

 always fo free from it ; as indeed is manifeft from the 

 failure of his firft expedition, and, fince that, from the un- 

 1 fuccefsful 



