E 472 ] 
cm be made to the Tacijic Ocean * which might 
therefore be very reafonably call'd an impracticable 
Paffage, as it could not poflibly be made in one Sum- 
mer* if at all) > and fince Profeffor Euler has been 
fo kind as to give me Captain Behrings Reafonsfor 
fupporting his Opinion, which are principally from 
the fmall Diftance he fuppofed it was, from the Coaft 
he difcover’d, to the Weftern American Coaft at Ca- 
lifornia (which he imagin'd was much nearer his 
North-Eaft Cape of AJia than it is in Fa£t)> I muff 
therefore, in return to the Profeffor’s Goodnefs, in 
communicating to me all he has known in that Dif- 
covery, beg Leave to give you this further Trouble 
of communicating to the Profeffor my Reafon for 
ftill diffenting from Behrings Opinion, that the Land 
he difcover'd laft was Part of the Continent of Ame- 
rica, or continuous with California 5 and if he find 
the Reafons for fupporting my Opinion make it 
more probable, that there ftill may be a large Open- 
ing betwixt thefe new-difcover'#’ Countries and Cali- 
fornia, I am fenfible it will give the ingenious and 
learned Profeffor great Pleafure, to think we may yet 
hope for a Paffage by Hudjons-Bay to the Weftern 
American Ocean, without being obftrudted with Ice 
after palling Hudfons- Sr eight. 
The Profeffor imagines I might have been led 
aftray, by not confidering, that the North-Eaft Cape 
of AJia is much more Eafterly than has been laid 
down in any former Charts ; which is now known 
accurately, by the Eclipfe of the Moon obferved by 
Captain Behring at Kamfchatka. 
I have an Abttrad of his Journal by me, upon his 
firft Difcovery in 1728, and 1729, when he obferved 
that Eclipfe, and the Calculation of the Longitude 
7 from 
