BERING^S GREAT NORTHERN EXPEDITION. 73 



of the Arctic coast, the navigation of the East Siberian 

 coast, and the discovery of Japan and America. This 

 writer adds that no other geographical enterprise, not 

 even the charting of China by the Jesuits, Mackenzie's 

 travels, or Franklin's expeditions, can in greatness or 

 sacrifice be compared with the gigantic undertakings that 

 were loaded upon Bering, and carried out by him.* 



It would no doubt be wrong to ascribe the over- 

 burdening of Bering's plans to any one man, and for a 

 foreign author, who but imperfectly understands the 

 Russian literature of that period, to do so, would be more 

 than foolish. Kiriloff, the secretary of the Senate, had 

 great zeal for geographical explorations, and did all in 

 his power to further the plans of Czar Peter. It has been 

 proved that Bering's proposition was presented after a 

 conference with Kiriloff, and that as long as he lived, he 

 assisted Bering by word and deed. Furthermore, it 

 seems probable that, in order to promote the exploration 

 of Siberia, he prevented the Admiralty from sending 

 Bering's expedition by sea south of Africa. However, it 

 is undoubtedly a fact that Bering's plan reached its final 

 proportions as a result of the discussions between Count 

 Ostermann, the influential courtier and statesman, (who 

 evidently landed in Russia in company with Bering in 

 1704), Soimonoff, an officer of the Senate, Kiriloff, and 

 Golovin, chief of the Admiralty, and these men would 

 hardly have consulted the opinions of Bering, who often 

 and most emphatically disapproved of the additions that 

 had been made to his plans. Moreover, as a result of the 



* H. H. Bancroft, History of Alaska, p. 42, says : " The second Kamchatka 

 expedition * * * * ♦ was the most brilliant effort toward scientific 

 discovery which up to this time had been made by any government."— Tb. 



