JAPAN. 



noted only with clotted lines, even as high as the fouth end of 

 the iiland of Sacbalm. The intermediate fpace is the fuppofed 

 fireight of Jefo. Whether the land o^Jefo is, as Mr. M'uller con- 

 jectures, any more than an archipelago, or whether it is part of 

 the Tartarian continent, at prefent remains extremely doubtful. 

 Matjumai alone feems to have been proved to be an ifland.* 



That 



271 



* The voyage of t'le unfortunate de la 

 Peroufe^ has thrown confidcrable light on the 

 hitherto undtfcribed land of Jejoy and the op- 

 pofite fliore of Tartary. After coafting for 

 fome time the inhofpitable ifles oi'Japan^ that 

 able navisator traverfed the intervening fca, 

 till he came in fight of the continent of Jlfia., in 

 Lat. 42°, which he followed in a northerly di- 

 reftion, and in Lat. 45" 13' landed at the Baie 

 de Ternai. Here he found a country of the 

 moft abundant vegetation, but fhewing no figns 

 of being occupied, except by wandering hunt- 

 ers, or occafional vifitants by fea. Game of 

 all kinds were feen in quantities, and the fea 

 afforded a copious fupply of cod, herring, and 

 falmon. In an excurfion inland, fome of the 

 party difcovered a tomb, in which were depofited 

 two bodies clad in the fkin of bears, Chh-.efe 

 coin, and copper ornaments were attached to 

 their girdles, and near them lay filver earings, 

 an iron hatchet, a knife, a wooden fpoon, a 

 comb, and a fmall bag of rice. 



Still purfuing the coafts of Chinefe Tartary^ 

 the navigators touched at a bay to which they 

 gave the name of Suffrein, fituatcd in Lat. 

 47''-5l'j continual fogs retarded their progrefs. 

 Li Lat. 48° 35' they difcovered to the eaft the 

 apparently rocky and barren fliores of the no- 

 minal land oijefo, partof the vaft ifland Tchoka 

 or Sachalln, to which they failed. They f.nind 

 the inhabitants advanced to a conllderable de- 



gree of civilization in confequence of their 

 intercourfe with the Chinefe, parts of whofe 

 drefs they had adopted, and with whom, and the 

 Alantchew Tartars, they carried on a trade in 

 dried fifh and oil. Leaving thefe intelligent 

 iflanders, who had traced on the fand with al- 

 moft geographical accuracy the objedt of his 

 farther enquiry, de la Pcroufe proceeded north- 

 wards, and touched at a fpot he denominated 

 Baie d'Ejlning; the channel between Tchoka and 

 th: continent narrowed to the difl-ance of 

 twelve leagues ; the foundings alfo becams gra- 

 dually lefs, and in Lat. 51° 45' did not exceed 

 nine fathoms. The cnterprizing fpirit of a 

 Cook or a Vancouver feemed here wanting ; 

 de la Peroufe, afcer a trial of a few hours, 

 remained fatisfied that a bank of fand, over 

 which boats only could pafs, connected the 

 fhores and clcfed the extremity of the vaft 

 gulf. He however draws the juft conclufion, 

 that the ifland called Sachalin by the Ruf- 

 fians, the northern extremity of which has 

 long been known, extends from the 46th to 

 the 54th degrees of latitude, and confequently 

 includes a portion of the Tedz-i, or Jefo of our 

 geographers. The flraights which feparate 

 this ifland from that of Matfumay, are afcer- 

 tained v/ith accuracy, and juftly diftinguiftied 

 by the name of the French navigator. — On 

 the return of the fhips from thsir fruitlefs at- 

 tempt to penetrate into the fca oi Ochotfk,x\\t;y 



entered 



