32 INTRODUCTION. 



him, of the northern inhabitants of those islands, 

 they are highly deserving of a farther acquaintance, 

 since a degree of civilization is found among them 

 which would be in vain sought even in the natives 

 of the Society or Friendly islands. The accurate 

 investigation of this great archipelago alone, is the 

 work of a year at least : but besides the great 

 operations in the South Sea, which we have just 

 enumerated, there are various other parts to be 

 examined that are important, to navigation, at 

 least, as the reader may convince himself by refer- 

 ring to my hydrographical contributions, lately 

 published. There is also no want of investigations 

 which concern Russia more nearly than other na- 

 tions, who have a right to ask from Russia a more 

 accurate knowledge of these parts. Among these, 

 is first, the examination of the basin formed by 

 the coast of Tartary, and that of Saghalien, and 

 which I have called the " Liman" of the Amur ; 

 then the survey of the coast of Tartary from the 

 mouth of the Amur, to Udskoy Ostrog ; but espe- 

 cially the investigation of the Shan tar islands, of 

 which we know little more than their number, and 

 that perhaps incorrectly. In the same manner we 

 have but a dubious knowledge of the northern 

 coast of the sea of Okhotzk, from Okhotzk to the 

 eastward, with its bays such as Ishiginsk, Penshinsk 

 and Taunsk: in the new Russian charts, the first are 

 placed r more to the south, without however being 

 certain that the last determination is right j even 



