I o i 8 ^ fucdnB 
that we have received contradidl this, though they lay 
the Scene of thefe tragical Euee^s of Cold on Coun 
tries to the North-eaft of Kamfchatskci, 
The firft Accounts of Karnfchatska that had any Ap- 
pearance of Clearnefs or Certainty, reached this f*art of 
the World about the Year 1723, and were brought by 
an Englijhman, whom the Czar Peter had employed in 
ereding a Glafs-work ; and they amounted to no more 
than this, that it was a vaft Traift of Country, extending 
from the Polar Circle down to fixty Degrees of North 
Latitude, I make ufe o'f the Perfon’s Vf ords from whom 
I had it y that it contained thirty Degrees of Longitude *, 
and that the North-eaft Extremiity was either a Promon- 
tory fhooting into the Icy Sea, or the Beginning of a 
long Ridge of Mountains that were fuppoled to run out 
Eaftward, and join the Continent of North America. 
Wild and extravagant as this Account may feem, I 
am very certain it was the bell that at this Time could 
be given by the moft experienced Perfons in Ruffia ; 
and that from this Account, and the Conje6fures foun- 
ded upon it, a Refolution was taken for pulhing their 
Difcovcries oh that Side in Elopes of fome beneficial 
Confequences. It was allowed, that no Country could 
be more wretched than this, that it produced only a 
few Roots, that no Kind of Grain woujd grow there, 
and that a fmall infignificant Colony of -Riiffians, that 
had been forced thither in Obedience to the Czar’s Or- 
ders, fubfifled entirely upon Fifla, and fuch fmall Sup- 
plies of coarfe Rye Bread as could from d ime to Time 
be fent them i that it was certain they had not any Black 
Cattle, Horfe, or Deer, but that however fome Animals 
hey had, of the Skins of which they made their 
Cloathing. This was the Sum total of what was known 
of this Country before the Expedition of Captain Beh- 
ring i upon which we are next to enter, and of which 
I fhall give as clear and plain an Account as it is 
poffible. 
3. It was in the laft Year of the Life of Peter the 
Great, that Captain Behring received Orders from Count 
Apraxin, Admiral of Rpffia, to traverfe the vaft Country 
of Siberia, to penetrate its utmoft Extremities to the 
Eaft or North-eaft, in order to obtain a diftinff Notion 
of its Bounds, and of the Diftanee between them and the 
Contineryt of North America. The better to enable 
him to fulfil thefe Inftrucftions, which were given him 
in the Month of Februarj ijir., a Lieutenant was dil- 
patched with twenty'-nvc Elen, and luch Baggage and 
Tools as could be carried upon twenty-five Horfes be- 
fore him ; and as foon as he could make the necelTary 
‘ Preoarations, the Captain followed with a Retinue 
of about thirty -three Perfons. He came up with his 
Lieutenant at JNologda, and continued his Journey to 
Hobclsky, which is looked upon as the Capital of 
where he arrived on the 16th of JldarLp 
The Seafon being too far advanced for him to make 
an immediate Progrefs, he continued there tor two 
Months, and then having received a confiderable Re- 
inforcement, he proceeded on his Expedition on the 
River Irtijh till it Ells into the River Oby or Obb, and 
then remounted that River as far as the Town of Narin. 
All the Country through which he paffed was inhabited 
by thtOjliacks, formierly Pagans, but a little before con- 
verted to the Chriftian Faith by the Care of the Metro- 
politan of Pobolsky. He proceeded from thence to the 
Monaftery of Makofsk, and from thence went by Land 
to the City of jenifeiski. He embarked there with 
thirty Perfons on board of four fmall Barks, in order 
to continue his Voyage on tne . River Jenifa, and after- 
wards on that of Pungu.ska ^ from whence with much 
Difficulty he reached Ilimski. 
There he determined to vdnter, and to fend his Lieu- 
tenant to make the necelTary Preparations for conti- 
nuing their Voyage upon the Lena, direfting him to 
employ his Time in conftrufting a fmall Squadron of 
Barks for that Purpofe. The Captain himfelf, during 
the Winter, took all the Care he could to inform him- 
felf of the Countries that he had ftill to pafs through, 
before he reached that which v/as the proper Objeft of 
their Enquiries. And the Accounts that he received, 
were fuch as gave him to underftandjhat a more difficult 
Account of Book III. 
Task could fcarce be impofed on any Man than thaS 
which had been lain upon his Shoulders. The Country 
where he now was belonged to the Pungufees, a Natioa 
of Pagans, who lived very miferably along the Sides of 
the great Rivers, which they navigated in fmall Boats, 
or rather Canoes made of the Barks of Trees, When 
the Severity of the Seafon was a little over, he refolved 
to profecute this tedious and dangerous Expedition with 
all the Diligence and Caution in his Power. 
4. In the Beginning of the Spring he began to de- 
feend the Lena with his fmall Squadron of fifteen flat- 
bottom’d Boats, and arrived fafely at Jakutsky. Both 
Banks of the Lena below the River JVitem, are in- 
habited by the Jakuts and fome few Lungufees. As 
for the former, they are well provided with Horfes, 
and have great Herds of Black Cattle, that is to fay, 
fuch as are in a tolerable Situation in the World ; and 
as for the poorer Sort, they maintain themfelves as well 
as they can by Fiffiing. As for their Religion, they are 
Pagans and grofs Idolaters, worfhipping the Sun and 
Moon, and fome Kind of Birds, fuch as the Swan, the 
Eagle, and the Crow. They are famous for having 
many Conjurers among them, and for praying to a Sore 
of diminutive ugly Idols, called in their Language Sai- 
tans. In other Refpebts they reckon themfelves, and 
are efteemed by others, a Tribe of 'Tartars. Upon his 
Arrival at Jakutsky the Captain demanded a Reinforce- 
ment, and having obtained it, he gave inftrueftions to 
a Lieutenant to proceed with the beft Part of his Troops 
and all the heavy Baggage upon the Lena, to its Con- 
fluence with the River Aldan, in order by remounting 
that, and the Rivers Maya and Judoma, to reach Ju- 
domska Krejia, that is, the little Fort of Judomska, and 
by this Route he was in Hopes of leffening the Fatigue 
of fo long and troublefome a Paffage. 
As for himfelf, he fet out on Horfeback, attended 
by the few People that were left about him, and fome 
Horfes laden with Provifion, to go by Land to Ochotski^ 
though the Road v/as very far from being tolerable. 
The Captain alfo left a Lieutenant at Jakutski, with 
Orders to pafs the Winter there, and to follow him ac 
the Beginning of the Spring over Land to Ochotski. 
Upon his .arriving in Perfon at that Fortrefs, he found 
it in a very poor Condition, and no more than ten 
Ruffian Families refiding there or in its Neighbourhood, 
About the End of the Month of December he received 
Advice from his firft Lieutenant, importing that he had 
been furprized by the Ice at his Entrance into the River 
of Gorbea, diftant above one hundred Leagues from Ju- 
domska y and that this obliged him immediately to con- 
ftrucl fome long and narrow Sledges for the Carriage 
of his Provifions and Baggage ; but as for himfelf and 
his Men, they continued their Route on Foot. Upon 
receiving this News, the Captain thought proper to ad- 
vance from Otchotski to recieve his Lieutenant, carrying 
with him a Convoy of Provifions laden upon large Dogs. 
By this wife Precaution he brought his Lieutenant and 
the Remainder of his Detachment fafe to Ochotski, up- 
on 1727- 
5. The Account which this Officer gave him of the 
Miferies they fuftained in their March was equally me- 
lancholy and fincere. They quitted the River of Gorbea 
on the 4th of November, and not being able to carry 
with them a Efficient Quantity of Provifions, were very 
quickly conftrained to feed upon the FJeffi of their dead 
Horfes. They afterwards burnt off the Hair from their 
Skins with Lime, and then converted them into Coats 
and Shoes. They were forced to abandon their Baggage, 
in three different Places, and had certainly perilhcd at 
Judomska Krejia, if it had not been for a fmall Quan- 
tity of Meal which the Captain had been obliged to 
leave there by Realbn that fome of his Horfes died. 
The Nation of Jakuts, who inhabit the Banks of the 
Lena, dwell alfo on thofe of the Rivers Aldan and 
Maya, but on the Sides of the River Judoma, and in 
the Neighbourhood of the Fortrefs of Ochota, re- 
fide the Nation Lamutki. Thefe People have tame 
Rain-Deer, which they employ in drawing their Car- 
riages, as well as to furniffi them with Cloaths and 
Subffftance. In the Neighbourhood of the Lakes and of 
