THE TSCHUTSCHI, ' 



He afTured Rohelef of a fafl too curious to be omitted that there was a 



colony of Ruffians, which have been long fettled on that continent: that they are 

 diftinguifhed from the Americans by their long beards, and by their language : 

 that they can write, fay their prayers out of books, and worftiip piiSlures. 

 Robelef w'xihed earneftly that the chieftain would bring him over to his country- 

 men ; but was told he did not dare to do it, leafl: Robelef QiomX^ come to any mif- 

 chance, for which Jie ftiould be anfwerable to the TJchutfcht. 



RoBELEF was alfo told by a Tfchiitfi.hi, who had formerly crofled to Ainerica 

 for the fake of trade, and made acquaintance with aperfon, who afterwards vifited 

 him in the ifle of Imoglin, and brought to him a board, on which was written 

 on one fide red charaders, on the other black ; and faid he had it from people 

 with beards, who defired him to deliver it to the Rujftans who were in garrifoa 

 at Anad'trjk; and that the purport of it was to obtain iron from them. The Ruffians 

 of that garrifon had a tradition, that out of feven hatches or veffels, which once 

 failed from the mouth of the Lena, along the coafts of the Icy fea, to double the 

 Tfchutfchi point, three were never more heard of. Thefe they believe to be the 

 founders of this colony : but whether it has any better foundation than the ftory 

 of the Weljh fettlement in North America, by the fons of Oiuen Gwynedd, in 1170, 

 appears to me a matter of great doubt. 



RoBELEF informs us, that there is no vifible ebb or flow in the Streights of 

 Behring, and only a moderate current, running in fummer from the Eaftern ocean 

 northward into the Icy fea, and about Auguft turns to the fouth, and brings with 

 it the floating ice. He adds, that the tide on the Tfchutfchi nofs flows fix 

 feet. 



The Tfchutfchi gave RoheJef much information refpefting the topography of 

 the oppofite coaft oi America: from thefe accounts a map* is formed (with the 

 afliflance of that by Captain Cook), in which is placed a, vaft river, emptying 

 itfelf into the Icy fea a little to the fouth of Cape Mulgrave ; then making a bend 

 foutherly, and taking a very long courfe in that diredion. Its banks are made 

 as full of towns and villages (all of them named), as the banks of ^q Thames; 

 nor are the coafts, from its mouth to Norton found, made lefs populous ; and thofe 

 from point Shallow Water to Shoalnefs vie in that refpedl with all the preceding. 

 As Captain Cook met with no fuch marks of populatioinij, I muft fufpend my 

 belief till thefe coafts have been farther explored; whiciiEShe fpirit ofcuriofity, 

 which now reigns, makes me not defpair of feeing eiFefled. 



* S«« vol, rV. of NetH Nordifde Bejtrage, and the whole nwrgtion, at p, 1&5. 



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