to 26 ji fuccinSi 
But farther ftiil from the fettled Longitude of the 
North Cape of Japan in 40 Degrees Latitude, which is 
pretty exactly known from the Obfervations made by 
the Jefuits at Peking^ and is about 150 Degrees Eall 
from London^ and from the beft computed Longitude 
of California in 40 Degrees North Latitude, it lies 
in 130 Degrees Longitude Weft from London^ ma- 
king together 280 Degrees, leaves 80 Degrees for 
the Diftance of California from Japan^ allowing 17 
Leagues to a Degree of Longitude, in 40 Degrees 
North Latitude, the Diftance would be about 1360 
Leagues : By the fame Calculation, California mult be 
at leaft 7 or 800 fuch Leagues from the North-eaft 
Cape of AJia i fo that in lo great a Space there may be 
Very great Countries or Iflands, without luppofing the 
new dilcover’d Country continuous to California^ and 
might well allow of an open Channel or Sea from 50 
to 100 Leagues wide between the difeovered Coaft and 
California. 
The two Infinuations, of which we have undertaken 
the Difproof, have a viftble Connedtion with each other ; 
and if either of them had been well founded, it might 
have been urged as an Evidence in Support of the other. 
But examining them feparately, we have fhewn, that 
the Country difeovered by Captain Behring in his fe- 
cond Expedition, whether Continent or iTland, does 
not render it at all probable, that the Land of which it 
makes Part, is continued to the North-weft of America^ 
and joined there either to California^ or to the Conti- 
nent lying farther to the North- weft of that Country, now 
known not to be an Ifland, but Part of the main Land. 
What we have urged upon this Subjed;, is farther fup- 
ported and rendered more credible by the Difproof of 
the fecond Suggeftion, viz. That the Diftance is but 
very fmall between the North-eaft Cape of Afm, and 
the North-weft Part of America ; for with relped to 
this we have proved, and that from Captain Behring'% 
own Obfervations the dired contrary, and have not 
Only made it evident that the Space between them is 
Very great, but have likewife fhewn what that Space 
is ; fo that the Reader can decide for himfelf as to the 
Probability of this Pofition, that there is only a Paffage 
by Sea between Afia and America^ near the Confines of 
the Ruffian Dominions, and that the reft of the Space 
is taken up by the North-weft Continent of America., 
Part of which was coafted by Captain Behring in his 
fecond Voyage. 
But we have undertaken to do ftill more than this, 
and to make it appear that the Ruffian Difeoveries are 
fo far from yielding any Colour of Proof as to the 
Probability of that Suppofition that has been advanced 
from them, that in reality they rather prove the contra- 
ry, and add Weight to the oppofite Opinion, which is 
a Point of very great Confequence, becaufe it removes 
that Bar which has been thrown in the Way of our dif- 
covering a North-weft PaflTage, which is a Thing of 
the higheft Importance to us as a trading Nation. Of 
which, if we flood in need of Arguments to prove 
it, this alone is no inconfiderable Reafon ; that aJmoft 
all foreign Nations are inclined to reprefent it as a 
Chimera, which is a Notion didated to them by their 
Interefts, and therefore ought to contribute to make us 
fenfible of our own. When I fay this, I have not the 
leaft Intention to reprefent fuch an Infinuation as the 
Sentiment of the Profeflbr Euler, who fpeaks as an in- 
different Perfon, and in the Language of a Gentleman, 
and a Man of Learning 5 for 1 am only labouring to 
refute thofe after whom he fpeaks, whole Objedions he 
has heard and repeats, and to which he fhews himfelf 
very willing to hear what can be faid in Anfwer. To 
come to the laft Point, and to fhew that thefe Difeove- 
ries of the Ruffians, inftead of juftifying their Notion? of 
a North-eaft Paffage only, of which they look upon 
themfelves in PofTeflion, rather favour the oppofite Sen- 
timent, and afford probable Grounds to believe, that 
the Space between the North-eaft Cape of Afia and the 
oppofitee Continent of America.^ is filled up by bro- 
ken Lands, and confequently that there is alfo a 
North-weft Paffage, I fhali make ufe of feveral diffe- 
'feent Methods. 
Accomt A Book ill. 
In the firft Place then, I muft obferve, that the con- 
cluding Paragraph of the Profeffor’s Letter evidently 
proves that he is of the lame Opinion with me, in re- 
fped to a North-eaft Paffage, that is to fay, that from 
the Expedition oi iht Dutch Ships in 1670, the coaft- 
mg Voyages of the Ruffians from the Mouths of the 
Rivers Obi, jenifea., and Lena, and from the late Dif- 
coveries made by Captain Behring in his firft Voyage, 
there is an inconteftable Proof of fuch a Paffage. Now 
from hence I make two Inferences ; the firft is, that if 
the North-eaft Paffage, fo long ago given up, and that 
too, if Captain JV 9 od*s Arguments had fignified any 
thing upon what might be called dired Evidence, as 
chimerical and impradicable, be at this Day known to 
be real and pradicable, finee every League of it has 
been failed over, I fhould be glad to know, why even 
without the leaft Degree of Evidence, it is to be thought 
reafonable to conclude in the like hafty Manner, againft 
a Poffibility of finding a North-weft Paffage It is an 
ufual and a very juft Method of Argument, that after 
detedlng one great Miftake, one ought from thence to 
be doubly cautious of committing another of the fame 
Kind ; but it is a new and ftrange Reafoning to con- 
clude, from the Detedion of a Miftake, into which 
Men were drawn by fome kind of Evidence, that they 
may, without Danger of miftaking, conclude the fame 
Thing with Regard to another like Point, and this with- 
out any Evidence at all. My fecond Inference is, thatas 
the fame kind of Reafoning is applied, I mean with 
refped to Cofmographical Topicks, to the North- weft 
as to the North-eaft' Paffage, and it is now found by 
Experience, that thofe Arguments were well and rightly 
applied with refped to the Oeconomy of Providence in 
reference to one Paffage ; this fhould therefore be ta- 
ken, not as Evidence indeed, but as a very probable 
Indication that the fame Arguments have not been 
wrong applied in regard to the other Paffage. It is 
indeed true, that Nature effeds the fame End, when aim- 
ed at under different Circumftances, by feveral Means 
and this fhews at once the Wifdom and the Power 
of Providence, but in like Cafes fhe generally takes the 
fame Means ; and therefore this being confidered, our 
having a Certainty of a North-eaft Paffage, which Cer- 
tainty is derived from thefe Difeoveries, becomes' 
a ftrong analogical Argument for there being a North- 
weft Paffage. 
I fnall now beg Leave to offer quite another Methotl 
of Argument, and that fhali be taken from the Nature 
of the Whale-fifhing, or to fpeak with greater Proprie- 
ty, from the Nature of the Whale. Thofe Fifh refort 
at a certain Seafon of the Year from warmer to coldei* 
Climates, and the Reader is very well acquainted that 
it was urged as a ftrong Reafon why there fhould be a 
North-eaft Paffage, that Whales were thrown upon the 
Coaft of Corea with Dutch Harpoons in them. Wc 
now fee that this was a juft and a right Argument % for 
Captain Behring tells us, that he met with Whales caft 
afhore on the Coaft of KamJchatska,2Lnd 1 fuppofe no body 
can doubt that thefe Whales went thro* the North«^eaft 
Paffage, now that fuch a Paffage there is known to be. 
But Whales are found, even in the latter End of the 
Summer, in the Welcome in Hudfon^s Bay. Inftind be- 
ing an unerring Principle, I fhould be glad to hear 
where thefe Whales muft be going at that Time of 
the Year, if not into the South-Seas, and if into the 
South-Seas, whether there muft not be a Paffage between 
the North-weft Continent of America, and the Coun- 
tries, whether Continents or Iflands, between that and 
the North-eaft Cape of Afia, For to fuppofe that thefe 
Whales fhould go round fuch a vaft Continent as that 
muft be, if the new-difeovered Land was continuous to A» 
merica, and were to enter by that Paffage in which 
Captain Behring was, is a palpable Abfurdity, becaufe 
in the advanced Seafon of the Year, and in fo high a 
Latitude, thofe Seas would be frozen. This Argu- 
ment I muft infift upon to be in a Manner decifive % 
we know there are Whales upon the Coafts of Spitz- 
hergen and INova Zemhla % we now know that thefe 
Whales go through the North-eaft Paffage, and fo de- 
f^end into the warm Seas of Japan 5 we know that 
Whales 
