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A Memoir on the Geography of the North-eastern purl of Asia, and on 

 the Question whether Asia and America are contiguous, or are sepa- 

 rated by the Sea. By Captain James Burney, F.R.8. Read De- 

 cember 11, 1817. [Phil. Trans. 1818, p. 9.] 



The opinion that the continents of Asia and America are sepa- 

 rated by the sea, seems first to have been inferred in 1736 by Pro- 

 fessor M filler, and to have been founded upon some papers found at 

 that time in Siberia, relating to the celebrated voyage of Deschneer, 

 who in 1648 first discovered the sea east of Kamtschatka. The 

 question, however, seems to have been undecided at the period of 

 Behring's voyage, as we learn from his instructions given by Peter 

 the Great ; and the Asiatic side only of Behring's Strait was disco- 

 vered by that navigator : for the coast of Asia being there found to 

 take a western direction, it had the effect of giving an impression of 

 the total separation of Asia and America. After noticing several 

 other attempts to determine the north-eastern limits of Asia previous 

 to the arrival of Captain Cook in the sea of Kamtschatka, Captain 

 Burney proceeds to the observations of that navigator. 



The first extraordinary circumstance was a sudden disappearance 

 of the tides in Behring's Strait. Thence Captain Cook coasted the 

 land of America to the north and north-east till stopped, in 70 40' 

 north latitude, by a floating body of ice. He then stood westward 

 from the coast of Asia, keeping in as high a latitude as the ice would 

 permit. The deepest soundings in this sea did not exceed 30 fathoms 

 in latitude 68 45', mid- way between the coasts of Asia and America. 

 The soundings decreased to the northward, and did not increase in 

 running from the coast of America westward, as is usual in running 

 from land. These, and other peculiarities, gave so much the cha- 

 racter of a mediterranean sea, that some on board, says the author, 

 were of opinion that we were inclosed by land to the north, and 

 that Asia and America were there united. 



Captain Burney next notices the expedition of Commodore Bil- 

 lings ; in Avhich, however, no new facts respecting the main question 

 were discovered. 



In this uncertainty respecting the north-east termination of Asia, 

 the author gives one observation of importance, which is, that the 

 Tschuktzki people do not appear to know the extent of their country 

 north, nor to give any satisfactory information respecting it, though 

 some of them have travelled from the continent to islands in the Icy 

 Sea. The most probable chance of arriving at any certainty upon 

 the subject of the north-eastern boundary of Asia, is that, says the 

 author, which was recommended by the Russian Admiralty to Com- 

 modore Billings, i. e. to trace the coast in sledges where the sea is 

 frozen. 



The principal argument against the probability of Asia and Ame- 

 rica being joined, is, that the northern land in the Icy Sea has 

 repeatedly been supposed and reported to be an extension of the 

 American continent, and not to join the Tschuktzki country. 



VOL. II. G 



