Chap. V.] Geography. 29 



American continent, and which was afterwards 

 called by his name*. This spirit of discovery con- 

 tinued to animate the government, but more par- 

 ticularly the subjects, of Russia, for many years 

 after the demise of the czar. About this time 

 some private adventurers in that country became 

 fired with the ambition of discovering a north-east 

 passage to India. Between the years 1730 and 

 1740, many daring voyagers successively engaged 

 in the prosecution of this plan. Among these, 

 Morovief, Malgyn, Skurahoff, Menin, and Laptief, 

 deserve particular notice. The labours they un- 

 derwent, and the dangers they encountered, were 

 incredible ; but all their exertions and discoveries 

 served only to furnish increasing evidence, that, if 

 such a passage exist, it is next to impracticable, 

 and always dangerous. 



In 1740 Behring undertook another voyage; in 

 the course of which, with wonderful fortitude and 

 perseverance, he traversed the ocean, from the 

 coast of Kamtschatka to the isles of Japan, and 

 furnished information which was highly useful to 



* Though Behrhig sailed into this strait, yet (probably owing 

 to the fog) he did not discern land on the eastern side. The 

 strait was more fully explored, a few years afterwards, by capt. 

 Cook, who gave it Behring's name. He discovered that the two 

 continents, at this place, approach within forty miles oi each 

 otlier. It has been since ascertained, by the voyages of Meares, 

 Dixon, Vancouver, la Perouse, and others, that to the north of 

 this strait the Asiatic shore tends rapidly to tiic \\esiward, while 

 the American stretches nearly in a northern direction, till, at the 

 distance of about four or live degrees, the continents are joined by 

 solid and impenetrable bonds of ice. 



