from the American continent; he did not discover the land to the east of the strait, however. In 1732 Krupischef was diriven by storms upon the eastern shore opposite the easternmost point of Asia. In 1741 Behring again was sent out by the Russian government and reached the islands on the American side of the Pacific as far north as 60°, also discovering the Shumagin and Aleutian Islands. The expedition, which remained under the direct command of Behring, wintered at Behring's Island, and there the commander died. A second part of the expedition under Tchirikof discovered land at 56° N. L. In 1788 Synd went along the Kamtchatka shore to 66° and the next year landed, it is supposed, on the American coast. Krenitzin and Levaschef discovered Fox Island in 1768. In 1781-3 Gregory Schelikof and Ivan Gollikoff, with a group of fur traders explored the American coast from the extreme western point of Alaska to Prince Williams Sound, devoting especial attention to Kodiak Island. A Russian establishment was founded at Cook's River in 1787.[1]
BRITISH EXPLORATIONS.
The British pursued exploratory attempts in the Northwest both overland from Canada and by sea, but not until long after the pioneer work of Drake. Samuel Hearne from 1769 to 1772 made explorations in the interior, having started from Canada and discovered Great Slave Lake and Copper Mine River, the first stream of the Northwest known to discharge into the western ocean. In 1776 Captain James Cook was commissioned for an extensive exploring expedition by the British Government. After his work in the South Seas, during which he discovered the Sandwich Islands, he reached the American coast at about 44° N. L., from which point he carefully explored the coast as far north as 70° 29′ on the American side of the Pacific and to 68° 56′ on the Asiatic side. He gave English names to many of the places which had been named by Heceta or Bodega y Quadra three years before. Port-
- ↑ A recent study of Russian exploration in this region is found in Golden, Russian expansion on the Pacific, 1641-1850, Cleveland, 1914.
