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Beering's lost their reckoning, and were tossed about in un- 

 hlaod. known seas. In endeavouring to regain the coast of 

 Kamtschatka, they came in sight of Behring's island, 

 in November 1711, under circumstances of uncommon 

 distress. Great sickness prevailed among the ship's 

 company ; and the Commodore himself, incapable of 

 motion, was carried ashore by his people. But the 

 island being utterly destitute of shelter, they had re- 

 course to holes in the ground between the rocks, which 

 they covered over with sails, to exclude the rain and 

 snow, it then being the winter season. Behring was 

 lodged in one of the most commodious of these, and 

 a kind of tent was erected over him. But the sand* 

 within the hole falling down, covered his feet every 

 moment : at first it was removed ; thinking, however, 

 that it somewhat promoted the vital warmth, he would 

 not allow it to be taken away. Thus he remained 

 until the gradual accumulation of the sand covered 

 him up to the belly, and then he sunk under the se- 

 verity of hardships, combined with a painful and ling- 

 ering disease. His remains were actually dug out 

 of the earth, that they might be restored to it in a 

 manner more creditable to the memory of a gallant 

 officer ; and to preserve them from being devoured 

 by ravenous beasts of prey. Many more of this un- 

 fortunate crew fell victims to the same evils ; and 

 among them M. de la Croyere, an astronomer, who 

 had embarked for the purpose of discovery. On 

 board also was M. Steller, a naturalist, one of the 

 royal academicians of Petersburgh, to whose narra- 

 tive we owe some of these particulars, though he did 

 not himself survive to return to that metropolis. To 

 complete the disasters of the Russians, their vessel 

 was totally wrecked, and they were compelled to win- 

 ter on Behring's island, almost entirely destitute of 

 shelter. At length they contrived to build a bark out 

 of the fragments of their ship, in which the survivors 

 reached Kamtschatka. It is not to Behring only that 

 the island, bearing his name, has proved fatal. In 

 the year 1787 or 1788, an English vessel, built solely 

 of mahogany, (as is said,) commanded by Captain 

 Peters, sailed from Bengal, with the design of collect- 

 ing copper at Behring's or Copper island. After a 

 successful traffic with Kamtschatka, Oonalashka, and 

 other parts of the Russian dominions, she was cast 

 away on the former island ; and of the whole com- 

 pany, consisting of 70 men, only a Portuguese and a 

 Lascar were saved. On Behring's first arrival in this 

 island, it swarmed with black and blue foxes, which 

 never having had to dread the destructive hand of 

 man, were perfectly tame. They ravenously devour- 

 ed the dead animals thrown ashore by the waves ; and 

 the Russians, in contending with them for what was 

 to prove their own subsistence, had sometimes to 

 destroy two or three at once with their knives : be- 

 fore they could inter their deceased companions, also, 

 the hands and feet were often gnawed from the bo- 

 dies, by these rapacious creatures. Several marine ani- 

 mals frequented the shore, especially the sea otter, 

 whose skin is extremely valuable, and bears a high 

 price in China. Before they had likewise learned to 

 <lread their enemies, 900 of their skins were collected, 

 and afterwards turned out a great prize to the Rus- 

 sians. When the sea otter disappears in March, it is 

 replaced by great numbers of the sea lion, and seve- 



ral tribes of phocae. The sea cow was commonly an Beering 1 * 

 object of pursuit, by Russian adventurers to Behring's Sl r , " , - 

 island ; but the race has either been extinguished, or ""' 



is deterred by danger from approaching the shore, 

 and none have been killed since 1768. Whales are ex- 

 tremely numerous in the surrounding seas : a dead 

 one cast up, formed for some time the principal article 

 of subsistence of Behring's crew, (c) 



BEERlNG, Behkinu, or Bering's Straits, a 

 celebrated channel 39 or 48 miles in breadth, which 

 separates the two great continents of Asia and Ame- 

 rica, in North Latitude 65 50', and Last Longitude 

 191 50': bounded on the Asiatic side by the projec- 

 tion of East Cape from the country of the Tchutski, 

 and on that of America by Kigmil, or Cape Prince of 

 Wales. A problem had long been agitated among 

 geographers, whether the Asiatic and American con- 

 tinents were united towards the north, or divided by a 

 navigable sea. When Peter the Great of Russia was 

 in Holland, in the year 1717, he was solicited to 

 send an expedition to the northern regions, whereby 

 this point might be determined ; and to satisfy the 

 wishes of those interested in discoveries, he acceded to 

 their desire. On returning to Russia, he did not forget 

 his promise, and, with his own hand, framed a set of 

 instructions, which were delivered to Admiral Count 

 Apraxin to be carried into execution. The purport 

 of these was, first, to construct one or two decked ves- 

 sels in Kamtschatka : Secondly, that the unknown 

 northern coasts should be visited for the purpose of 

 ascertaining, if Asia was joined to America: And, 

 thirdly, that some European port should be gained ; 

 and an accurate journal kept of all that occurred, to- 

 gether with a description of the places. But the 

 death of this distinguished potentate interrupted the 

 project. 



Meantime, on recurring to earlier periods of history, 

 it seems extremely probable, that the fact had been 

 already ascertained ; and that this channel, separating 

 the two continents, had actually been navigated. In 

 1636, mariners from Siberia began to traverse the 

 Icy Sea, and successively recognised the rivers Ala- 

 , sey, Indigirka, and Kovima, which fall into it. Im- 

 mediately after discovering the last, they became de- 

 sirous of extending their discoveries still farther, in 

 the hope of levying tribute from whatever inhabitants 

 might be found; and in 1646, a company of adventu- 

 rers embarked from the Kovima. Steering to the east, 

 they reached a bay, where they trafficked with the 

 Tchutski tribe ; but not understanding their language, 

 none ventured on shore among them: and content 

 with the success of their voyage, without proceed- 

 ing further, they returned to the place of their de- 

 parture. The prospect of a profitable trade, led to a 

 second adventure, on a larger scale, in 1647 or 1648. 

 Seven vessels were equipped, in one of which was 

 Semeon Iwanow sin-Ueschnew, a Cossac, to attend 

 to the interests of the crown ; and in another, a su- 

 percargo on account of the merchants. At that time 

 a numerous people was believed to dwell on the banks 

 of the Anadyr, a river known little more than by 

 name, which was thought to discharge itself into the 

 Icy Sea. The fate of four of the vessels is unknown: 

 that containing Deschnew, arrived at a great point of 

 land, lying east north-east, and turning round toward? 



