180 VITUS BERING. 



were both familiar with Gvosd Jeff's discovery of the Amer- 

 ican coast of Bering Strait (1732), and that their obser- 

 vations during the course of the winter had amply cor- 

 roborated Bering's earlier opinion, they nevertheless 

 allowed themselves to be prevailed upon to search first 

 in a southeasterly direction for the legendary Gamaland. 

 And thus the lid of Pandora's box was lifted. 



This fatal resolution was due principally to the 

 brothers De Tlsle, and, as this name is most decisively 

 connected with Bering's life and renown, we must say 

 a few words about these brothers. The elder and more 

 talented, Guillaume De I'Isle, undoubtedly represented 

 the geographical knowledge of his day, but he died as 

 early as 1726. He came in personal contact with the Czar 

 during the latter's visit in Paris, and corresponded with 

 him afterwards. His maps were the worst stumbling 

 blocks to Bering's first voyage. The younger brother, 

 Joseph Nicolas, on the other hand, was called to Russia 

 in 1726, on his brother's recommendation, and was 

 appointed chief astronomer of the newly founded 

 Academy. In this position he was for twenty-one years 

 engaged upon the cartography of the great Eussian 

 empire. Under his supervision the atlas of the Academy 

 appeared in 1745, and it was supposed that he carried 

 very valuable geographical collections with him to Paris 

 in 1747. But if this was the case, he did not understand 

 how to make proper use of them, and, as it is, he is of 

 no geographical importance. When he went to Russia, 

 he took with him, without special invitation, his elder 

 brother, Louis, and did everything to secure him a scien- 

 tific position in the country. Louis seems to have been 



