S5^ Ceographf. 



formation concerning the countries which the^ 

 respectively visite-d. 



From the foregoing \ ery imperfect view of what 

 has been done by the principal Naval discoverers of 

 the eighteenth century, to extend our knowledge of 

 the globe, it will appear to form a great amount 

 of geographical improvement. Their achieve- 

 ments, however, form but a part of our acquisi- 

 tions in geography: for, while discoveries by sea 

 have succeeded each other with astonishing ra- 

 pidity, enterprising Travellers have been equally 

 diligent, bold and persevering, in exploring the 

 interior af countries before unknown, and in mak- 

 ing us acquainted w^ith their territorial limits, their 

 governments, manners, riches, and science. Some 

 notice of these wall be necessary, in order to give 

 a tolerable exhibition of modern advances in geo- 

 graphical knowledge. 



At the befjinnino- of the centurv under considera- 

 tion, the greater part ot Asia was comparatively 

 little known. While the names of its various king- 

 doms, especially on the sea-coast, w^ere familiar 

 to the scholar, their internal hmits and condition 

 were very imperfectly understood even by the best 

 mformed. But, since that time, this defect of in- 

 formation has been so richly suppMed, that little 

 seems wanting to gratify the curiosity of the most 

 inquisitive. 



Peter the Great, after the battle of Pultowa, 

 sent many Swedish prisoners into Siberia. Until 

 that time little had been known concerning the 

 interior of those northern regions. Strahlen" 

 BERG, one of the prisoners, employed himself in 

 exploring the country, for the promotion of geo- 

 graphical knowledge. He collected and published 

 much important information ; and liis map of that 



