V 
1 01 6 A fuccinSi Account of Book III. 
SECTION VIII. 
A diftindt Account of Part of the North-eaft Frontier of the Em- 
pire, commonly called the Country of Kamfchatka or Kamjchatska, 
including the Voyages of Captain S^/ 6 r/a^,for dilcovering towards the 
Eaft ; with many curious and entertaining Circumftances relating to 
thole diftant Countries and their Inhabitants j and allb an Enquiry 
into the Probability of the Country which he difcovered, being 
connefted with North America ; with a Variety of other Points 
of great Confequence in Relation to the Defigns now on Foot in 
various Parts of Europe for making a thorough Dilcovery of the fu- 
perior Parts of the Northern Hemilphere, which would be of the 
utmoft Conlequence to Trade and Navigation in general, and to 
thole of Great Britain in particular. 
ColleBed from the hejl Authorities hath Printed and Manu/cript. 
I. A general IntroduBion^ in which is Jhewn the wonderful Change made in the Affairs o/Ruffia by the 
Czar Peter the Great, and his having firji conceived a Notion of opening a Trade between his Country 
and North America. 2. A Defcription of the Country of Kamfchatska, as defcribed by the Ruffians 
in the Time of Peter I. (hewing its fuppofed Situation^ Boundaries^ and Extent. 3. The Motives 
of Captain Behring’i Expeditiony his Departure from Petersbourg, Feb. 5, 1725, and fourney through 
ffiberia. 4. An Account of the Preparations and Expeditions made for furthering his Difcoveries in the 
Tear 1726, with various other Circumftances relating to the Produce and Inhabitants of the Countries 
through which he paffed. 5 . A Detail of the many Miferies and Hardjhips fufained by this Gentleman^ 
and the Inferior Officers and Soldiers under his Commandy to the lime of his Arrival at Kamfchatska. 
6. A large Account of the Country y the Ruffian Settlement ^y Fortrefes and Garrifons there at the Time of 
Captain fiehring’j Arrival. 7. His Preparations in order to projecute his Difcoveries to the Eafi ; and 
an Account of his Difcoveries and Return to Petersbourgh. 8. Some Account of this Gentlemans fubpquent 
Expeditiony and of the Difcoveries that have been fncemade on that Side by DireBion of the Ruffian Courts 
9. A Reprefentation of the new Hypothefs faid to be built upon thefe DifcoverieSy collected from the 
Memoirs of the Royal Society, i o. The improbability of that Hypothefs fully fhewUy from a great Va- 
riety of Circumfancesy which amount to a Proof y that nothing advanced on this SubjeB ought to preju-- 
dice our Hopes of finding a North-wef Pafage. ii. Hifioricaf Phyficaly and Critical Remarks upon 
the principal Points in this SeBi&n. 
f — M — ^HERE coold not be a more proper Subjefl 
m chofen for the fhutting up a Colleilion of 
B this Kind, than the Hiltory of the Difcove- 
M ries made by the Ruffians in the Northern. 
Parts of their Dominions. In Point of Matter they are 
far more important than any which have been attempted 
within our Memory, the finding out a North-weft Paf- 
fage only excepted. In Point of Time allb they are later„ 
for the laft Account of their DifcoYery is, if I may be 
allowed fo familiar an Expreflion, dated but the other 
Day, and thefe Difcoveries are ftill profecuted, perhaps 
with greater Skill and Conftancy, and with more Vi- 
gour and Induftry than has been commonly imagined.^ 
It is generally looked upon as the Foible of inqui- 
fitive Minds, that they are apt to make fuch Excurfions 
into the Realms of Fancy, as fometimes to fall under 
the Power of Superftition, and to be enftaved by Enthu- 
fiafm at others. I am very much afraid I fhali run the 
Rifque of one, if not both Imputations, from what I 
am going to fay ; but that gives me little Concern, for 
I had rather be laughed at for fpeaking what I take to> 
be Truth, than applauded for dilTembling it. 
There feems then to me to have been a very fingular 
Kind of Providence difcernable in afl the Difcoveries 
that have been hitherto made, by which I mean, that 
from their Confequences they appear to have been con- 
duced by another Spirit than that of human Wifdom j 
for in Proportion as the Nations who made Difcove- 
ries have abufed the Advantages they derived from 
them, thofe Advantages have gradually funk, and that 
Spirit of Difcovery has been loft, of which I could give 
various Inftances, if it was not wholly unneceffary, fince 
upon the bare Mention of the FaC the judicious Reader 
will inftantly recolIeC them. 
It is from the confidering Things in this Light, that 
I am led to apprehend the late Czar Peter the Greaty of 
glorious and immortal Memory, was one of thofe fignal 
Inftruments, raifed up by the immediate Power of the 
Divine Ruler of all Things, to fulfil the great Purpofes 
of his unfearchable Providence. Before his Reign, the 
People who inhabit the vaft Country of RuffiUy were 
very little or fcarce at all known to the reft of the 
World by their A6lions or Performances. It was ow-, 
ing to that Spirit of Difcovery which reigned here in 
the Time of Queen Elizabeth, that the Importance of 
their Situation came to be at all confidered. The Butch 
indeed q,uickly followed the Lights we gave them, 
and converted toTheir own Advantage that Route which, 
with infinite Pains and Hazard: we firft defcribed. 
But this great Monarch was born to be not only the 
Governor, but the Legiflator of his People^ his Ge- 
nius was the Gift of Nature, or to fpeak with greater 
Piety, and at the fame Time with more Propriety, th^ 
Gift of the great Author and Lord of Nature, and 
appeared 
