S4f INTRODUCTION. 



ation of the interior of America is to be effected 

 to the east of Beering's Straits. 



Doubts have been entertained of the passage of 

 the Cossack Deschneff, through Beering's Straits, 

 certainly without reason, as may be easily proved, 

 from the existing accounts of Deschneff's voyage : 

 yet it would be desirable to proceed from Beering's 

 Straits, to look for Cape Shalatzkoy, which was dou- 

 bled by Deschneff, but respecting the situation of 

 which we are wholly in the dark. Captain Cook 

 reached, without difficulty. Cape North, though it 

 is nearly 10° to the west of Beering's Straits; and it 

 is a question whether Cape Shalatzkoy is more than 

 10° to the west of Cape North. It was not at all 

 Captain Cook's design to examine the coast of 

 Asia ; an accident brought him thither : the ice 

 preventing him from getting so near to the coast 

 of America as he wished, he steered more to the 

 west, in hopes of doubling the ice, and then again 

 steering his course to the east ; and thus he pro- 

 ceeded so far to the west, that he got in sight of 

 the coast of Asia. The nearness of Cape North, 

 which, according to his observations, lies in 68° 56' 

 north latitude, excited in him a wish to sail round 

 it, in order to cast a view on the more remote 

 coast lying to the east : (q. west ?) but a strong 

 contrary wind obliged him to give up his plan. 

 Had this not happened, we should perhaps not be 

 now disputing about the situation of the north-east 

 point of Asia. Cook, however, observed no far- 



