58'.
The voyage of Cook roused the Russian government to further exertions; and
they accordingly fitted out an expedition to explore the sea between Asia
and America: the command of it was given to an Englishman of the name of
Billings, who had served as a petty officer under Captain Cook. He was,
however, by no means qualified for his situation, and abandoned the
enterprise in the latter end of July, having proceeded only a few leagues
beyond Cape Barrenoi: the whole amount of the information procured during
this voyage being confined to a few of the Aleutian Islands, and some
points in the coast of America and Asia.
A few years afterwards the Empress Catherine sent out a secret expedition;
the principal object of which was to ascertain the situation of the islands
between the two continents. Little is known respecting this expedition,
except that some observations were made on Behring's Straits, which,
however, were not passed. The distance between the continents was estimated
at forty-eight miles.
About the same time, the great profits which it was expected would be
derived from the fur trade on the north-west coast of America, induced
several commercial vessels to visit it; and during their voyages, nearly
all the parts of it which had not been visited by Cook, were examined as
far as the inlet which was named after him, in latitude 61 deg.
