Geography, %2l 



Science/ A spirit of curiosity has stimulated mam 

 kind to unprecedented activity in exploring remote 

 regions of the earth. Individual voyagers and 

 travellers^ and private associations have done much 

 to extend our acquaintance with the globe. Be- 

 sides the exertions of these, the governments of 

 Great-Britain, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark 

 and Russia have severally directed, or encouraged 

 expeditions of discovery and of scientific research^ 

 To which we may add, that the occasional mis- 

 takes and misfortunes of mariners, while they over- 

 whelmed with distress the immediate sufferers, 

 have contributed to enlarge the sphere of our infor- 

 mation with respect to distant countries, and thus, 

 by a w^ise arrangement of Providence, to increase 

 the objects and the means of naval enterprise. 



Although in these geographical discoveries Great- 

 Britain has undoubtedly made the most distin- 

 guished figure; yet, with respect to time, the 

 honour of priority belongs to Russia. Early in the 

 century, Peter the Great, to whose mind bold 

 and grand enterprises were familiar and habitual, 

 conceived the design of exploring regions of the 

 earth, which had not been before visited by civil- 

 ized man, and by this means promoting the wealthy 

 cultivation, and aggrandizement of his empire. In 

 pursuance of this design, he formed several expe- 

 ditions for discovery, which, though not crowned 

 with complete success, were yet considerably use- 

 ful, and laid the foundation of greater attainments' 

 after his death. It was in his reign that several 

 large districts of country in the north-eastern parts 

 of Asia w-ere first visited and explored by Euro- 



c By Geography here Is meant not only what the word strictly imports, 

 Tiz. a description of the extent, divisions, and aspect of the surface of our 

 globe, but also some of the other statistical inquiries, which modcra 

 writers, however Improperly, have universally agreed to include in geo- 

 graphical treatises. 



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