Geographic . 32^ 



the coast of Kamtschatka to the Isles of Japan, 

 and furnished information which was highly useful 

 to succeeding adventurers. He was followed by 

 Nevodtsikoff, in 1745, Paikoff, in 1758, Tol- 

 STYKE, in 1760, and various others of less note, 

 by whom several additional groups of islands, in 

 what is called the Northern Archipelago, were dis- 

 covered, the character of their respective inhabit- 

 ants ascertained, and new channels of trade laid 

 open to the commercial world. 



While the Russians were thus busily and suc- 

 cessfully employed in exploring the north-eastern 

 parts of Asia, and the seas between that country 

 and the American coast, the Southern Ocean be- 

 came an object of attention to several other Euro- 

 pean nations. In this immense field for the dis- 

 play of naval skill and enterprise, Captain Woods 

 Rogers, an English commander, was the first who 

 distinguished himself. He was followed by Feu- 

 iLLiE, Frezier, and Barbinais, all of France. 

 To these succeeded Clipperton and Shelvocke, 

 of Great-Britian, who, in a voyage of some cele- 

 brity round the w^orld, traversed the same seas. 

 Though none of these navigators made very splen- 

 did discoveries, yet we are indebted to them all 

 for many details of geographical information, which 

 were at that time highly interesting, and served 

 greatly to instruct and aid those w^ho came after 

 them. 



In 1721 the Dutch West-India Company fitted 

 out a squadron, under the command of Commo- 

 dore RoGGEWEiN, and dispatched him to the Pa- 

 cific Ocean, in search of unknown countries. The 

 discoveryof a Southern Continent was the particular 

 object of this expedition. And although the re- 

 spectable navigator to whom it was entrusted did 

 not succeed in accomplishing his main purpose, 

 yet he discovered a number of islands, and wa^; 



2i; 



