Account of the Russian Discoveries between Asia and America / To which are added, the conquest of Siberia, and the history of the transactions and commerce between Russia and China

by William Coxe

[131] Krassilnikoff compared his observations with corresponding ones taken at Petersburg, which gave results as follow:

From comparing an observation of an eclipse of the first satellite, taken at Ochotsk the 17th of January, 1743, with an observation of an eclipse of the same satellite taken at Petersburg on the 15th of January in the same year, the difference of longitude between Petersburg and Ochotsk appeared to be 7^h. 31´ 29´´; from a comparison of two other similar observations the difference of longitude was 7^h. 31´ 3´´, a mean of which is 7^h. 31´ 34´´, being the true difference between the meridians of Petersburg and Ochotsk according to these observations. By adding the difference of the longitude between Petersburg and Paris, which is 1^h. 52´ 25´´, we have the longitude of Ochotsk from Paris 9^h. 23´ 59´´, which differs 29´´ only from the result of Mons. Maraldi. Nov. Comm. Pet. III. p. 470. In the same manner the longitude of Bolcheresk appears from the corresponding observations taken at that place and at Petersburg to be 10h. 20´ 22´´ differing from Mr. Maraldi about 2´ 5´´. Nov. Com. p. 469.

But the longitude of the port of St. Peter and Paul, estimated in the same manner from corresponding observations, differs from the longitude as computed by Mons. Maraldi no more than 20 seconds, p. 469.

[132] Obs. Ast. Ecc. Sat. Jovis, &c. Nov. Com. Petr. vol. III. p. 452, &c. Obs. Ast. Pekini factæ. Ant. Hallerstein—Curante Max. Hell. Vindibonæ, 1768.

[133] Nov. Com. Pet. III. p. 444.

[134] Nov. Comm. Petr. T. III. p. 460.

[135] For Islenieff's observations at Yakutsk, see Nov. Com. Tom. XIV. Part III. p. 268 to 321.

[136] The reader will find the narrative of this voyage made by Beering and Tschirikoff in Muller's account of the Russian Discoveries, S. R. G. III. 193, &c.

[137] See Krashininikoff's account of Kamtchatka, Chap. X. French Translation; Chap. IV. English translation.

[138] The recent navigations in those seas strongly confirm this argument. For in general all the new discovered islands are quite destitute of trees; even the largest produce nothing but underwood, one of the most Easterly Kadyak alone excepted, upon which small willows and alders were observed growing in vallies at some distance from the coast. See p. 118.