In Du Halde's copy and those derived from it the eastern border of the chart has cut off the island, though in some of them, as in that of 1736, the name remains. The only fault to be noted in Campbell's edition of Bering's map is the omission by the engraver of the small bay named Preobrazhenia by Bering and which, though it is not named, appears on the other editions of the map. The title is as follows:
"An exact chart of all the countries through which Capt. Behring travelled, from Tobolski Capital of Siberia to the country of Kamtschatka."
The size of the map is 7 x 12¾ inches. It extends on the east to the meridian of 126° east from Tobolsk which enables the "Isle of St. Demetrius" (our present Big Diomede) to appear in its proper place. The editions previously reported have all stopped at the 124th meridian, thus cutting off the island, whose name sometimes appeared and sometimes did not.
It will be observed that Dr. Campbell in this paper was the means of introducing the erroneous and obnoxious Germanized spelling of Bering's name into English literature. This is a pretty good indication that he had no autographic documents from Bering himself, and that his manuscripts were obtained from German sources, or at least had been transcribed into the German language. In his thorough search of the literature of the subject and lengthy discussion of the results, Dr. Campbell undoubtedly gathered the fullest account of the first expedition which had up to that date been printed. In order to enliven his history of the proceedings, the good Doctor occasionally rises to flights of fancy, and the theories he held were long since proved erroneous.
There are several other English translations of Du Halde's China, of which the following is the most important:
"A description of the empire of China and Chinese-Tartary, together with the kingdoms of Korea, and Tibet: containing the geography and history (natural as well as civil) of those countries. From the French of P. J. B. Du Halde, Jesuit. Illustrated with general and particular maps, and adorned with a great number of cuts. With notes geographical, historical and critical, and other improvements, particularly in the maps, by the Translator." London, Edward Cave, 1741. 2 vols. folio, maps and ills.
This edition does not show the name of the translator, but he was evidently a man of no small attainments as a geographer and cartographer, and introduced numerous improvements and corrections into the charts of D'Anville, which accompanied the original edition of Du Halde. A copy of this was presented to the library of Harvard College by the province of New Hampshire in 1765-6, for an opportunity of examining which I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Justin Winsor, the Librarian.
The text of this edition, compared with that of 1736, is as much as possible abridged, yet contains nothing not in the original, but the map exhibits certain additions to be noted. This map is entitled,
"A Map of Capt. Beerings' travels from Tobolskoy to Kamchatka between ye years 1725 and 1730. With improvements by ye Editor." It contains the following note by the editor. "Capt. Beerings probably observ'd ye Latd in ye Principal places thro' wch he pass'd, tho' two Observations only are mentioned in his Journal. But Mr Kyrilow in his Map of the Russian Empire does not follow ye Author in this respect for instance he places Ilimski 1° 30' more north, Yakutskoy 2° more south, and Cape Chiokotskago 1° more south than Capt. Beerings; likewise other places in Proportion. I have reckon'd ye Longd of Tobolskoy from Paris according to an Eclipse of ye Sun observed at Hamburg and Tobolskoy, mentioned by Mr. Strahlenberg in his account of ye Northern parts of Europe and Asia. This is all that can be done till ye return of ye Russian Mathematicians sent to make observations and discoveries throughout Siberia." Then follows a line "Inscribed to Francis Gashrey Esqr."
The main body of the chart is that of Du Halde's original and the scale is the same, but the height of the neat-lines is only 85/8 inches. Bering's track from Okhotsk to Bolsheretsk, across Kamchatka, northward to 67° 18'; also his track eastward from Kamchatka in 1729 and around the peninsula to Bolsheretsk and Okhotsk; are indicated by dotted lines. The two latitudes noted in Bering's journal are indicated on this map by a +, and the northern one is placed near the Asiatic coast in latitude 118° E. from Tobolsk. At the top of the map the supposed Paris meridians6 are indicated, a difference between Paris and Tobolsk being assumed of 70° degrees, which is about five degrees too much. There are also sundry infelicities in the transliteration of the names from the French of D'Anville.