Ruffian Expedition of Difcovery, 14% 
is obvious: but I now purpofely avoid making any praétical 
inferences, until I can, at the fame time, ftate a number of 
faéts I have collected, relative both to concretions and to the 
urine itfelf, 
V. Short Account of the laf? Ruffian Expedition for making 
Difcoveries in the North-eafi Sea. By Profeffor Buu- 
MENBACH af Goltingen. From Geographifche Ephe- 
meriden. Publifhed by Major von Zacu, May 1798, 
As very little is yet publicly known of the great fix- 
years expedition, undertaken by the Ruffians for making 
difcoveries in the Northern Archipelago or Eaftern Ocean, 
the following fhort account of it, taken from the moft 
authentic fources, and particularly from the correfpondence | 
of Dr. C. H. Merck, who was employed in the expedition 
as naturalift and phyfician, with the Royal Academy. of 
Sciences at Gottingen, may afford fatisfaction to thofe fond 
of geographical refearches. 
This expedition was propofed by Catherine II. fo early. as 
the month of November 1784. A plan was alfo drawn up 
for it; and the command conferred upon Captain Billings 
an Englifhman, then in the naval fervice of Ruffia, who had 
accompanied Mr. Bayly the aftronomer in Cook’s laft 
voyage round the world in 1776—80. Three captains of 
the fecond rank were appointed under him, viz. Hall, 
Sarifchef and Bering, not the fon, as Leffeps fays, but the 
grandfon of the celebrated Capt. Vitus Bering, who, on the 
14th of December 1741, was interred on an ifland in the fea 
of Kamtfchatka, named after himfelf, and where he had 
been fhipwrecked. 
The principal objects of this great and very expenfiye ex- 
pedition were, to fupply all the deficiencies in regard to the 
important difcoyeries with which the geography of Afiatic 
Ruffia 
