The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-12-05
THE EXPLORERS
A. D. 1741

From the time Of Henry vi of Eng
land down to the present day. the ma
lions of Europe have been busy with
M enormous adventure, the search
for the best trade route to India and
the China seas. For four whole cen
turtles this quest for a trade route has
been the main cuF1ent Of history of
the world. Look what the nations
have done In that long fight for trade.
Portugal fond the sea route by
Magellan's strait, and occupied Brazil;
the Cape route, and colonized the
coasts of Africa. She built an empire.
Spain nistook the West Indies for
the real indies, and the red men for
the real Indians, found the Panama
route, and occupied the new world
from gape Horn up to the southern
edge Of Alaska. She built an empire.
F.anee. in the search of a route
acsoss North America, occupied Cana
ol and the Mississippi valley. She
built an empire. That lost, she at
tempted under Napoleon TO occupy
Egypt. Palestine and the whole over
land road to India. That failing, she
dug the Suez canal and attempted the
Panama, both sea routes TO the Indies.
Holland, searching for a route across
North America, found Hudson's bay
and occupied Hudson river New
Ysrk). On the South sea route she
built her rich empire in the East In
dian islands.
Britain. searching eastward first.
opened up Russia to civilization, then
explored the sea passage north of Asia.
Searching westward, she settled New
foundland, founded the United States,
built Canada, which created the Ca
madam Pacific route to the Indies, and
attempted the sea passage north of
America. On the Panama route, she
built a West Indian empire; On the
Mediterranean route. her fortress line
Of Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Egypt,
Adon. By holding all routes, she holds
her Indian empire.
Is not this the history Of the world?
But there remains 10 be told the
story of Russia's search for routes 10
India and China. That story begins
with Martha Rabe, the Swedish nurs-
cry goyerness, who married a dragoon,
left him TO be mistress Of a Russian
general, became servant to the Princess
Alencllikof. next the lover. her the
wife OF Peter the Great, and finally
succeeded him as empress Of all the
Russlas. To the dazzling court of this
empress, Catherine l. came learned
men and travellers who talked about
the search Of all the nations for a
route through North America TO the
Indies. Long ago, they said, an old
Greek mariner, one Juan de Fuca. had
Dragged on the quays of Venice, of
his voyages. He claimed to have
rounded Cape Horn, and thence beat
up the west a of America, until
he came far north TO a strait which
entered the land. Through this sea
channel he had sailed for many weeks,
until It brought him out again into
the pecan. One glance at the map
will show these Straits of Juan de
Fuca, and how the old Greek, sailing
for many weeks. came out again into
the ocean, having rounded the back
Of Y~ancouver's island. But the legend
as told to Catherine of Russia, made
these mysterious Straits of Anian lead
from the Pacific right across North
America TO the Atlantic ocean. Here
was 4 sea route from Russia across
the Atlantic. across North America.
across the Pacific, direct to the gor-
geous Indies. With such a possession
as this channel Russia could dominate
the world.
Catherine set her soothsayers and
wiseacres to make a chart. display
Ing these Straits Of Anian which Juan
de Fuca had found, and they marked
the place accordingly at forty-eight
degrees Of north latitude on the west
coast of America. But there We're al
so rumors and legends in those days
Of a great land beyond the uttermost
coasts of Siberia. an island that was
called Alaska, filing the North Pa
cifc. All such legends and rumors
the astrologers marked faithfully up
on their map until the thing was Of
no more use thar a dose Of smallpox.
Then Catherine gave the precious
chart to two Of her naval officers, VI
tus Bering, the Dane-a mighty man
In the late wars with Sweden-and
a Russian Observation-Disclosures
and babe them go find the Straits Of
Anian.
The expedition set out overland
across the Russian and Siberian plains,
attended by hunters who kept the peo-
pie alive on fish and game until they
reached the coasts of the North Pa
cifc. There they built w ships, the
Stv Petr and the Sty Paul, and
launched them. two years from the
time of their outsetting from Saint
Petersburg. Thirteen years they spent
in exploring the Siberian coast. north
ward to the Arctic, southwark 70 the
borders of China, then in III set out
into the unknown to search fer the
Island Of Alaska. and the Straits Of
Anian SO plainly marked upon their
chart.
Long months they cruised about in
quest of that island, finding nothing.
while the erews sickened OF Scurvy,