A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
TO 
SIBERIA, 4c. 
CHAP. I. 
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EXPEDITION.—MY DEPARTURE. 
—JOURNEY TO IRKUTSK AND JAKUTSX.—REMARKS ON 
THE LATTER PLACE.—-OF THE JAKUTs’ UNINHABITED 
PLACES, AND HORSESINCANTATIONS OFA JAKUT1SH 
SHAMAN. 
ON the 8th of August, 1785, our late revered sovereign, 
Catherine the Great, whose maternal care extended to the re¬ 
motest corners of her realm, was pleased to communicate, in an 
ukase, the plan and destination of our.voyage to the hoard of 
admiralty. In this she gave her directions for a geographical 
and astronomical expedition to proceed to the north-eastern part 
of Russia, for the purpose of taking the latitude and longitude 
of the mouth of the river Kolyma, together with a map of its 
banks, comprehending the whole chain of Tschukotish moun¬ 
tains, the east ern cape, and the numerous islands scattered in 
the eastern ocean, as far as the shores of America ; and, finally, 
of obtaining a more accurate acquaintance v ith the seas separat¬ 
ing the continent of Irkutsk from the coast of America. 
Commodore Joseph Billings was appointed chief of the expe¬ 
dition: the other officers were, Robert Hall, .Gawriia Saryts- 
chew, and Christian Behring, lieutenants; Anthony Batakow 
and Sergei Brand kow, steersmen; Michaila Rohbeck, first 
surgeon; Mark Sauer, secretary; Joseph Edwards, mechanic; 
Luka Woronin, drawing-master ; and Wassilei Siwgow, chap¬ 
lain. Doctor Karl Mark succeeded assessor Patrin in the de¬ 
partment of natural history, whose ill health obliged him to re¬ 
sign his situation at Irkutsk. 
Agreeably to the arrangements of the empress. Commodore 
Billings was to be t&ice promoted during the voyage, and the 
inferior officers once. The w hole crevy, according to their re¬ 
spective rank, were to receive double pay during the voyage; 
V 
