Bering^s Eclipse Observations. 221 



It was reasonable, in view of de I'Isle's statements in 1738, to 

 suppose that tliis is the report made to the Academy by him as 

 soon as the observations were furnished him. I had hoped to 

 present with this sketch definite information on this point, since 

 a kinsman of the collator of the manuscripts (I refer to the very 

 distinguished representative of Russia to the United States, M. 

 de Struve) most courteously offered his valuable mediation in 

 the matter. Unfortunately, I have as yet no further information, 

 but I expect a communication as to the contents of the MSS. at 

 an early day. 



Criticising the memoir of de I'Isle of 1752, the Russian officer 

 ridicules the author for S2)eaking of Kamshatka as a town, but 

 he adds : * 



" It is certain likewise that M. Bering and his Ueutenant, M. Tschirikow 

 [quoting from de I'Isles Memoii' of 1752], had, in the years 1728 and 1729, 

 observed at Kamschatka two eclipses of the moon ; but that by these ob- 

 servations M. de risle was enabled to determine the longitude of this most 

 eastern part of Asia, with such precision that the same had been confirmed 

 in the second expedition, by precise observations of the satellites of Jupi- 

 ter is what I cannot well conceive. Mr. de I'Isle himself intimates that 

 Messieurs Bering and Tschirikow were not provided with astronomical 

 instruments. Thej^ observed both these eclipses by the help, not of pen- 

 dulums, but of their watches, without being able to know whether they 

 went right or wrong ; which makes it almost incredible that a determina- 

 tion based on these two eclipses should exactly agree with that deduced 

 from the observations of Jupiter's satellites." 



The officer, from his own account, served with Bering. In the 

 introduction to •' Une Lettre " he says : 



" The orders of yoin^ Excellency [to whom the letter was addressed as 

 written by his orders] will be complied with by me with more than one 

 inspiring motive, and I shall not dwell on my unfitness, although I could 

 find excellent pretexts for such an excuse, inasmuch as many of greater 

 experience and equal application participated with me in the discoveries 

 which resulted from the two voyages, called by us the Kamtschatkan ex- 

 peditions. The only grounds on which preference could be shown me 

 over them arise from my being charged, after my return from America, 

 with the comparison of the journals of the various vessels together and 

 with whatever was elsewhere to be found relative to lands situated in the 

 South Sea, in order to therefrom construct a map which should accurately 

 represent them all." 



* " Une Lettre," Berlin, p. 19. 



30— Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. Ill, 1891. 



