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To Vitus Bering, the Dane, Peter gave the commission for the
exploration of the waters between Asia and America. As a sailor,
Bering had, of course, been on the borders of the Pacific.[5]
{9} The scientists of every city in Europe were in a fret over the
mythical Straits of Anian, supposed to be between Asia and America, and
over the yet more mythical Gamaland, supposed to be visible on the way
to New Spain. To all this jangling of words without knowledge Peter
paid no heed. "You will go and obtain some reliable information," he
commands Bering. Neither did he pay any heed to the fact that the
ports of Kamchatka on the Pacific were six thousand miles by river and
mountain and tundra and desert through an unknown country from St.
Petersburg. It would take from three to five years to transport
material across two continents by caravan and flatboat and dog sled.
Tribute of food and fur would be required from Kurd and Tartar and wild
Siberian tribe. More than a thousand horses must be requisitioned for
the caravans; more than two thousand leathern sacks made for the flour.


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