General Map of the Russian Empire.ACCOUNT
OF THE
RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES
BETWEEN
ASIA AND AMERICA.
TO WHICH ARE ADDED,
THE CONQUEST OF SIBERIA,
AND
THE HISTORY OF THE TRANSACTIONS ANDCOMMERCE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND CHINA.
By WILLIAM COXE, A. M.
Fellow of King's College, Cambridge,
and Chaplain to his Grace theDuke of Marlborough.
LONDON,
PRINTED BY J. NICHOLS,
FOR T. CADELL, IN THE STRAND.
MDCCLXXX.
TO
JACOB BRYANT, ESQ.
AS A PUBLIC TESTIMONY
OF
THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR
HIS DISTINGUISHED LITERARY ABILITIES,
THE TRUEST ESTEEM FOR
HIS PRIVATE VIRTUES,
AND THE MOST GRATEFUL SENSE OF
MANY PERSONAL FAVOURS,
THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE INSCRIBED,
BY
HIS FAITHFUL AND AFFECTIONATE
HUMBLE SERVANT,
WILLIAM COXE.
Cambridge,
March 27, 1780.
PREFACE.
The late Russian Discoveries between Asia andAmerica have, for some time, engaged the attentionof the curious; more especially since Dr. Robertson'sadmirable History of America has been in the hands ofthe public. In that valuable performance the elegantand ingenious author has communicated to the world,with an accuracy and judgement which so eminently distinguishall his writings, the most exact informationat that time to be obtained, concerning those importantdiscoveries. During my stay at Petersburg, my inquirieswere particularly directed to this interesting subject,in order to learn if any new light had been thrownon an article of knowledge of such consequence to thehistory of mankind. For this purpose I endeavoured tocollect the respective journals of the several voyagessubsequent to the expedition of Beering and Tschirikoffin 1741, with which the celebrated Muller concludeshis account of the first Russian navigations.
During the course of my researches I was informed,that a treatise in the German language, published atHamburg and Leipsic in 1776, contained a full andexact narrative of the Russian voyages, from 1745 to1770[1].
As the author has not prefixed his name, I shouldhave paid little attention to an anonymous publication,if I had not been assured, from very good authority, thatthe work in question was compiled from the originaljournals. Not resting however upon this intelligence, Itook the liberty of applying to Mr. Muller himself, who,by order of the Empress, had arranged the same journals,from which the anonymous author is said tohave drawn his materials. Previous to my application,Mr. Muller had compared the treatise with the originalpapers; and he favoured me with the followingstrong testimony to its exactness and authenticity:"Vous ferès bien de traduire pour l'usage de vos compatriotesle pe