OFFICIAL ORDER 29 



Senate issued the principal instructions, ^ and a summary of the 

 main articles that relate directly to the voyage to America is 

 here given. 



1. The Senate approves of the expedition in the hope that it will 

 really be for the benefit and glory of Russia. It has given orders to the 

 governor of Siberia, to the vice governor at Irkutsk, and to Pisarev to 

 assist Bering. It is sending members from the Academy of Sciences,^ 

 students from Moscow, ^0 assayers from Ekaterinburg, mechanics, and 

 others. It confirms the project to examine not only the waters between 

 Kamchatka and Japan, Kamchatka and America, but also the waters 

 along the Arctic coast. 



2. In the instructions which Peter gave to Bering it was evident that 

 Peter desired to determine whether Asia and America were united. 

 Bering says that he went as far as 67° N. and found no connection 

 between these two continents. It may be that north and west of the 

 mouth of the Kolyma the two continents do not join, but no one knows 

 whether this is so or not. In order to settle the relation between Asia 

 and America the Admiralty proposes to send exploring expeditions 

 along the Arctic shores from Archangel to the mouth of the Kamchatka 

 River. 



4. It has been reported that opposite the mouth of the Kolyma River 

 there is a large land (bolshaya zemlya), that Siberians have been on it, 

 and have seen the inhabitants. It is ordered that Bering should investi- 

 gate this matter very thoroughly when he is at Yakutsk. If this is a true 

 report, he should send a sloop to investigate. If it is found that Siberia 

 really joins America so that it is impossible to proceed to Kamchatka, 

 then the investigating party should follow the newly found coast as far 

 as it can to learn in which direction it runs and return to Yakutsk. 



If people are found there, they are to be treated kindly; they are to 

 be given presents; they are to be asked the extent of their country and its 

 resources, and they are to be invited to become our subjects and to pay 

 tribute. If they are unwilling to do so, they are to be let alone; and no 

 time should be wasted in arguing with them. 



It is not at all likely, but it is possible, that by following the Arctic 

 coast our explorers may come to some European settlement. In that case 

 they should act according to the instructions given to Bering and Chiri- 

 kov. If the explorers ascertain that Siberia and America are not con- 

 nected, they should proceed to Kamchatka. 



8 Polnoe Sobranie Zakonov Rossiiskoi Imperii, Vol. 8, Doc. 6291. 



9G. F. Miiller, J. G. Gmelin, J. E. Fischer. Louis Delisle de la Croyere, and a 

 little later G. W. Steller. 



10 S. P. Krasheninnikov, author of the "History of Kamchatka," was among the 

 number. 



