north-eastern part oj Asia, &c. 17 
fied to have been by crossing an isthmus, and not by sailing 
round a promontory. 
I come now to speak of what was observed in the voyage 
of Captain Cook. The first extraordinary circumstance 
noticed on arriving in Bering’s Strait, was a sudden disap- 
pearance of the tides. To the south of Bering’s Strait, both 
on the Asiatic and on the American side, we had experienced 
strong tides. Near one of the Aleutian islands, where the 
ships had anchored, a tide was found running at the rate of 
seven miles per hour (as measured by the log) smooth and 
unruffled ; at the same time, in the middle of the channel 
between this island and the next, the rapidity of the stream 
kept the waters in a foam during four hours of the tide. 
Bering’s Strait is formed at the narrowest part by two 
points, one named Cape Prince of Wales, which is the west- 
ernmost land known of America ; and the other named 
Cape East, being the most eastern known land of Asia. 
Whilst we were to the south, and within sight of the Cape 
Prince of Wales, the wind and current, being in contrary 
directions, raised a sea that frequently broke over the ships. 
On arriving within Cape Prince of Wales, the ships anchored, 
the east cape of Asia then bearing due west ; and it is re- 
marked by Captain Cook, that whilst the ships lay there at 
anchor, which was from six to nine in the evening, there 
was found little or no current ; nor could it be perceived that 
the water either rose or fell. Afterwards, whilst to the 
northward of Bering’s Strait, we always had soundings of 
moderate depth, which enabled us to measure the stream 
with great exactness ; and we seldom found one running at 
MDCCCXVIII. D 
