1014 A fucchiB 
the Map by the Name of Cape Sutfenos, extended very 
far to the North-eaft, and, as has been before hinted, 
might poffibly be joined to America. In Procefs of 
Time however, this was difcovered to be a Promontory 
only, and was placed in the Latitude of 66 Degrees, 
and in the Longitude of i6o ; but in the Chart of 
Captain Behring‘s Voyages and Travels, where it is called 
Cape Scbdeginskiy it is laid down in the Latitude of 72 
Degrees 38 Minutes, and in the Longitude of 198 
Degrees 30 Minutes •, fo that it appears to be almoft 
fix Degrees farther North, and 37 Degrees and a half 
farther Eaft than it was imagined. 
But after all, this is not the fartheft Stretch of the 
Aftan Continent ; for the North-eaft Cape, difcovered 
by Captain Behring.^ runs almoft 14 Degrees farther, 
lying, as he found by a very exaft Obfervation of a Lu- 
nar Eclipfe, in the Latitude of 67 Degrees 18 Minutes, 
and in the Longitude of 212 Degrees 7 Minutes. 
This altered the Notions ol the Mathematicians at 
Petersbourg extremely, fince it appeared from hence 
plainly and certainly, that their Empire extended 48 
Degrees farther Eaft than it was held to do thirty Years 
ago, that is, upwards of 384 Leagues, and more than 
a thoufand Miles, which greatly ftrengthened the Opi- 
nion which they had before entertained, that the Ex- 
tremity of their North-eaft Frontier was at no vaft Di- 
ftance from the Continent of North America. They 
were indeed thus far right, that from thefe Difcbveries 
it was put out of Difpute, that the North-eaft Cape was 
much nearer to the Coaft of California than had been 
formerly imagined ; but ftill the Diftance was very 
great, and not the leaft probable Ground to believe that 
there was only a Paffage of inconfiderableBreadth between 
them. Yet as this was the original Suggeftion of the 
Czar Peter the Great, who very probably had no other 
Reafon for giving it out, than to excite the Defire of 
his Subjedls to co-operate with his Views of difcovering 
on this Side, by making the.m imagine they might by 
this Means become Mafters both of the Eajl Indies 
of the Wed ; they remained fixed in their Belief of it, 
feeing, as they thought, fuch ftrong Reafon brought 
from thefe Difcoveries to fupport it. They flattered 
themfelves, perhaps, that as fuch an enormous Mi- 
ftake had been made in fettling the Geography of their 
own Country, it was not impoffible but that a like 
Miftake might be made as to the North- weft Conti- 
nent oi America ; and this indeed might have leflTened 
the Diftance very confiderably. Yet it they had refiedl- 
ed, that the neareft Coaft of California had been vifited 
and examined by Strangers, whereas their own North- 
eaft Coaft was totally unknown to every other Nation 
but themfelves, and but a little while before unknown 
to them too, they would have feen juft Reafon to rejedf 
fuch a Suppofition. 
But fo natural it is to fee clearly what makes for our 
own Hypothefis, and to fee whatever makes againft it, 
either doubtfully, or not at all, that we need not be 
much furprized at this Turn of Mind in the Ruffian 
Virtuofi. That this is really fo, and that from hence 
there is a great Probability of their concealing moft 
Part of their Difcoveries for the future, will fufficiently 
appear to any attentive Reader, from the following 
very curious Extradl printed in iht Philofophical Tranf- 
adions, N^ 482. Page 421- being Part of a Letter 
from Mr. Leonard. Euler., Mathematical Profellor, 
and Member of the Imperial Society at Petersbourg, to 
the Reverend Mr. Charles Wetjiein, Chaplain and Se- 
cretary to his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, da- 
ted from Berlin, Lee, 10, i74^> which I fliall take the 
Liberty of entirely tranferibing. 
As you are defirous to hear fomething more parfi- 
cuiar concerning the Expeditions to the North, 
and North-eaft of Ajia, I will here give you an Ac- 
count of all that has come to my Knowledge relating 
£0 the fame. But as I flipuld, on the one Hand, be 
very glad that thefe Obfervations might give any 
“ Light concerning the Paffage now fought through 
r-- Budfonh-'&z.'^ % I fhould, on the other, be very forry, 
if Mr. Behring's O'fidion, who believed that 'the new 
^^'Land he had ; difcovered was joined to .CciUfQrnia, 
Account of Book III. 
“ fhould rather lead us to doubt of the Succefs of that 
“ glorious Undertaking. I wifh however, that a hap- 
py Experiment may foon inform us certainly of the 
“ Truth. In the mean Time, you will not be forry to 
“ be acquainted with the Reafons upon which Mr. Beh~ 
“ rin^s Sufpicions were founded, notwithftanding the 
“ Objections you have been pleafed to make, and to 
“ communicate to me upon that Head. 
“ Firji, This new Land which he fell in with at the 
“ Diftance of 50 German Miles from Kamfehatska to- 
“ wards the Eaft, was followed by him and coafted for 
“ a great Way, though I cannot fay how far : From 
“ whence alone it will appear, that an Abatement muft; 
“ be made in the Diftance of 30 Degrees, or there- 
“ abouts, which you fuppofe to be between the laft 
“ known Headland of California towards the Weft, and 
“ the fiirtheft Extremity of this new difcovered Land 
“ towards the Eaft. Secondly, Captain Behring hav- 
“ ing had the Opportunity of obferving an Ecliple 
“ of the Moon at Kamfehatska, concluded from the 
“ fame, that that Place lay much farther off to the Eaft 
“ than is expreffed in any Map ; and that to reprefent 
“ it truly, it ought to be transferred into the ocher He- 
“ mifphere, as its Longitude is more than 180 Degrees 
“ Eaft from the Ifle of Fero, for this Reafon, Captain 
“ Behring's new Land will be confiderably approached 
“ to the laft known Part of California, and will not in- 
“ deed appear to be many Degrees from it. 
“ What we have therefore full to hope, is Only that 
“ in this unknown Diftri6t there may be found fome 
“ Streight, by which the Pacifick Sea may freely com- 
“ municate with Hudfon's Bay ; but if it ftiali appear 
“ that there is no fuch Paffage, it muft then be conclu- 
“ ded, that whatever further Progrds n^ay happen to 
“ be made through Hudfon's-'^dLy, the Opening at laft 
“ muft only be into the Frozen Sea^ from whence there 
“ could be no paffing into the Pacifick Ocean, but by 
“ the Neighbourhood of Kamfehatska ; and this Way 
“ would, without doubt, be too long and too dange- 
“ rous to be maftered in the Courfe of one Summer. 
“ I very much doubt, whether the Ruffians will ever 
“ publifti the Particulars of their Difcoveries, either 
“ fuch as have been made from Kamfehatska towards 
“ America, or fuch as have been made upon the Nor- 
“ them Coafts of Afia, And indeed it is but very much 
in general that I know the Succefs of this laft 
“ Expedition. What I do, was communicated to mo 
“ by Order of the Court from the College of Admiral- 
“ ty, for me to make ufe of it in the Geography of * 
“ Ruffia, with which I was at that Time charged. 
“ They paffed along in fmali VdTels, coafting be- 
“ tween Nova Zembla and the Continent at divers times 
“ in the Middle of Summer, when thole Waters are 
“ open. The firft Expedition was from the River Oby^ 
“ and at the Approach of Winter the Vcffels flicker’d 
“ themfelves by going up the Jeniska, from whence the 
“ next Summer they returned to Sea in order to advance 
“ further Eaftward, which they did to the Mouth of 
“ the Lena, into which they again retired for the Win* 
“ ter Seafon. 
“ The third Expedition was from this River to the 
“ fartheft North-eaft Cape of Afia. But here they loft 
“ feveral of their Boats, and a great Part of their Crew, 
“ fo as to be difabled from proceeding, and from ma- 
“ king the whole Tour fo as to arrive at Kamfehatska. 
It was however thought, that a further Attempt 
“ was then unneceffary, becaufe Captain Behring had 
already gone round that Cape, failing Northward 
“ from Kamfehatska, 
“ The Ruffians have not attempted the Paffage round 
“ Nova Zembla, but as they have paffed betvveen that 
“ Land and the Coaft of Afia, and as the Lutch 
“ formerly difeover the Northern Coafts of Nova Zem^ 
“ hla, we may be now well affured that that Country 
“ is really an Ifland.” . . 
There are feveral Points in this Letter that are very 
well worth our Obfervation. In the firft Place, it is ve- 
ry evident, that from Captain 'Difcoveries the 
Ruffians look upon it as a Thing certain, that a fliort 
Paffage may be opened from their Dominions to North 
ArMrka 5 
