both from what came to our own knowledge, with respect to the state of the
sea to the southward of Cape North, and also from what we learn from the
experience of the[31] lieutenants under Beering's direction, and the
journal of Shalauroff, in regard to that on the north of Siberia.

The voyage of Deshneff, if its truth be admitted, proves undoubtedly the
possibility of passing round the N.E. point of Asia; but when the reader
reflects that near a century and a half has elapsed since the time of that
navigator, during which, in an age of great curiosity and enterprize, no
man has yet been able to follow him, he will not entertain very sanguine
expectations of the public advantages that can be derived from it. But let
us even suppose, that in some singularly favourable season a ship has found
a clear passage round the coast of Siberia, and is safely arrived at the
mouth of the Lena, still there remains the Cape of Taimura, stretching to
the 78° of latitude, which the good fortune of no single voyager has
hitherto doubled.

It is, however, contended, that there are strong reasons for believing that
the sea is more free from ice the nearer we approach to the Pole; and that
all the ice we saw in the lower latitudes was formed in the great rivers of
Siberia and America, the breaking up of which had filled the intermediate
sea. But even if that supposition be true, it is equally so, that there can
be no access to those open seas, unless this great mass of ice is so far
dissolved in the summer as to admit of a ship's getting through it. If this
be the fact, we have taken a wrong time of the year for attempting to find
this passage, which should have been explored in April and May, before the
rivers were broken up. But how many reasons may be given against such a
supposition? Our experience at Saint Peter and Saint Paul enabled us to
judge what might be expected farther north; and upon that ground we had
reason to doubt whether the continents might not in winter be even joined