A VOYAGE TO 
the Weftward. If the fttuation of the mouth of the Ko- 
vyma, both with refpeCt to its latitude and longitude, were 
accurately determined, it would perhaps not be very diffi¬ 
cult to form a probable conjecture upon this point. Cap¬ 
tain Cook was always ftrongly of opinion* that the Northern 
coaft of Alia, from the Indigirka Eaftward, has hitherto been 
generally laid down more than two degrees to the North¬ 
ward of its true petition; and he has, therefore, on the 
authority of a map that was in his poffeffion, and on the in¬ 
formation he received at Oonalafhka, placed the mouth of 
the river Kovyma, in his chart of the North Weft coaft of 
America, and the North Eaft coaft of Alia, in the latitude 
of 68°. Should he be right in this conjecture, it is probable 
for the reafons that have been already Hated, that the Alia- 
tic coaft does not any where exceed 70° before it trends 
to the Weftward; and confequently, that we were within 
i° of its North Eaftern extremity. For, if the continent be 
fuppofed to ftretch any where to the Northward of Shelat- 
Ikoi Nofs, it is fcarcely poffible, that fo extraordinary a cir- 
cumftance fhould not have been mentioned by the Ruffian 
navigators; and we have already Ihewn, that they make 
mention of no remarkable promontory between the Kovy¬ 
ma and the Anadir, except the Eaft Cape. Another circum- 
ftance, related by DeffinefF, may, perhaps, be thought a 
further confirmation of this opinion, namely, that he met 
with no impediment from ice in navigating round the North 
Eaft extremity of Alia; though he adds, that this fea is not 
always fo free from it; as indeed is manifeft from the 
failure of his firft expedition, and, fince that, from the un- 
fuccefsful attempts of ShalaurofF, and the obftacles we met 
with, in two different years, in our prefent voyage. 
The continent, left undetermined in our chart, between 
Cape 
