VOL. XLIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 343 



from Kamschatka south-east, perhaps more southerly than to 50° latitude ; and 

 there found land north-east from Japan ; otherwise, by coasting it north-west 

 he could never approach the north-east cape, which is at least 40° longitude east 

 of Jajian ; and if he made land 80 leagues east of Japan, he must have sailed 

 north-east to make the north-east cape. There is therefore reason to believe 

 this coast was part of that he saw in his first voyage, where he lost his anchor ; 

 and is the coast Gama discovered, and the Dutch afterwards called the Com- 

 pany's Land, east of the straits of Uzicez, which is at least ^ or 800 leagues west 

 of any known land of America, and above 1 000 near the latitude of Japan ; so 

 that, if I should allow 700 leagues for countries or islands east of his new-dis- 

 covered coast, there might still be a passage of 100 leagues for the southern or 

 Pacific Ocean to communicate with Hudson's Bay, and to cause such great tides 

 and currents, as are found on the north-west of Hudson's Bay; as also a free 

 passage for the whales, which are seen in all the openings north-west of that bay, 

 and are caught there in numbers by the Eskemaux savages ; for as these do not 

 go in by Hudson's Strait from our Atlantic Ocean, it cannot be presumed that 

 they should go up by Japan towards the north-east cape, and from thence go 70°, 

 or above 56o leagues, to Hudson's Bay, and be there in the month of June, 

 and, after staying till September, return again the same way to the southern ocean, 

 to pass the winter. Now as Behring only coasted at a distance, he could not 

 possibly know whether it was a continent, or great island; the last of which 

 seems the most probable. 



On the Chinese Chronology and Astronomy. By the Rev. Mr. G. Costard. 



N° 483, p. 476. 



The affectation of some nations, in carrying up their histories to so immode- 

 rate a height, plainly show those accounts to be fictitious and without founda- 

 tion. This was the case of the Babylonian and Egyptian accounts; and pro- 

 bably it will be found to be the same with any other people that make the like 

 pretensions. The only people in later times that have been thought to contra- 

 dict this opinion, are the Chinese, of whose history the world has been taught 

 to- entertain very extraordinary conceptions. But that even they will be no ex- 

 ception to this surmise, but on the contrary a strong confirmation of it, will, 

 Mr. C. thinks, appear from what he now offers. 



Mr. C. then enters on a desultory discourse to show the improbability of the 

 very remote aeras of the Chinese historians, as well as of skill in their astronomers, 

 to make any just and accurate calculations of the celestial motions; notwith- 

 standing what has been said by the Jesuit missionaries on those heads. 



From what has been here oflxired, Mr. C. thinks, it is pretty evident, that 

 how ingenious soever the Chinese may be in works of art, their talents do not 



