The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-11-30
THE EXPLORERS
A. D. 1741

From the time OF Henry VII or Eng
land down to the present day, the ma
tons of Europe have been busy with
one enormous adventure, the search
Tor the best trade route to India and
the China seas. For four whole GEN.
turtles this quest for trade route has
been the main current of history of
the world. Look what the nations
have done in that long fight for trade.
Portugal found the sea route by
Magellan's strait, and occupied Brazil;
the Cape route, and colonized the
coasts Of Africa. She built an empire.
Spain mistook 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 Cape Horn up to the southern
edge of Alaska. She built an empire.
France, in the search of route
across North America, occupied Cana
da and the Mississippi valley. She
built an empire. That lost, she at
tempted under Napoleon to occupy
Egypt, Palestine and the whole over
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
York;. 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 to be told the
story of Russia's search for routes to
with Martha Rabe, the Swedish nurs-
cry governess, who married dragon,
left him. to be mistress of a Russian
general, became servant to the Princess
Menchikoff, next the lover, then the
wife Of Peter the Great, and finally
succeeded him as empress Of all the
Russias. To the dazzling court of thi.
Ices Nsaf
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 ole
Greek mariner, one Juan de Fuca, ha6
Dragged on the quays Of Venice, Of
his voyages. He claimed TO have
rounded Cape Horn, and thence bea
up the west coast of America, unit
he came far north to strait which
entered the land. Through this set
channel he had sailed for many weeks
until it brought him out again int
- the ocean, One glance at the maj
will show these Straits of Juan d.
Fuca, and how the old Greek, sailing
for many weeks, came out again int
the ocean, having rounded the bacl
of Vancouyer's island. But the legent
as told to Catherine of Russia, made
these mysterious Straits of Anian lea'
from the Pacific right across NOrtl
America to the Atlantic ocean. Her
was a sea route from Russia acrOs
the Atlantic, across North America
across the Pacific, direct to the gor
geous Indies. With such a possession
as this channel Russia could dominat
the world.
Catherine set her soOthsayers an,
wiseacres to make chart, display
ing these Straits of Anian which Jua
de Fuca had found, and they marked
the place accordingly at forty-eigh
degrees of north latitude on the ives
coast of America. But there were a
so rumors and legends in those day
of a great land beyond the uttermOs
coasts of Siberia. an island that wa
called Alaska, filling the North Pa
cific. All such legends and rumor
the astrologers marked faithfully VI
on their map until the thing was o
ho HWY Use tioh q uoSC VI PNn
Then Catherine gave the preciou
chart to two of her naval officers, v
tus Boring, the Dane-a mighty ma
in the late wars with Sweden-an
Russian Observation-Disclosures
and babe them go find the Straits {
Anian.
The expedition set out overlan
across the Russian and Siberian plains
attended by hunters who kept the pei
pie alive on fish and game until the
reached the coasts of the North p;
cific. There they built two ships, til
Stv Petr and the Stv Paul, an
launched them, two years from tn
time of their outsetting from Sair
Petersburg. Thirteen years they speI
in exploring the Siberian coast, nortl
ward to the Arctic, southwark to tn
borders of China, then in 1741 set on
into the unknown to search for tn
Island of Alaska, and the Straits G
Anian so plainly marked upon thei
chart.
Long months they cruised about !
Quest of that island, finding nothing
while the crews sickened of scurv.