a large imaginary island, or continent, supposed to
have been discovered by the Castricom and Breskes; and it may not,
therefore, be improper to consider the grounds of this mistake, as far
as can be collected from the journals of that expedition. The object
of the voyage, in which those ships were engaged, was to explore the
eastern shore of Tartary; but, being separated by a storm off the S.E.
point of Japan, they sailed in different tracks along the E. side of
the island; and, having passed its northern extremity, proceeded
singly on their intended expedition.

The Castricom, commanded by De Vries, steering northward, fell in with
land on the third day, in latitude 42 deg.. He sailed along the S.E. coast
about sixty leagues in a _constant fog_; and, having anchored in
various places, held a friendly intercourse with the inhabitants. Thus
far the journal. Now, as the islands of Matimai, Kunashir, and Zellany
appear, from Captain Spanberg's discoveries, to lie exactly in this
situation, there can be no doubt of their being the same land; and the
circumstance of the fog sufficiently accounts for the error of De
Vries, imagining them to be one continent; without having recourse to
the supposition of an earthquake, by which Mr Muller, from his desire
to reconcile the opinion generally received, with the later Russian
discoveries, conceives the several parts to have been separated. The
journal then proceeds to give an account of the discovery of Staten
Island and Company's Land, of which I have already given my opinion,
and shall have occasion to speak hereafter. Having passed through the
Straits of De Vries, says the journal, they entered a vast, wild, and
tempestuous sea, in which they steered, through mists and darkness, to
the 48 deg. N. latitude; after which they were driven by contrary winds to
the southward, and again fell in with land to the westward, in
latitude 45 deg., which they unaccountably still imagined to be part of
the continent of Jeso; whereas, whoever examines Jansen's map of their
discoveries, (which appears to be exceedingly accurate, as far as his
information went,) will, I believe, have no doubt, that they were, at
this time, on the coast of Tartary. Having traced this land four
degrees to the northward, they returned to the southward through the
Straits they had pas