A name next occurs, but little known in this country, but in some degree implicated with the character of an Englishman, who appears to have obtained a celebrity, of which he was not altogether deserving. The first person is Martin Sauer, the latter, Joseph Billings.
Sauer accompanied Billings, as secretary, in an expedition, undertaken by the command of the Empress of Russia, to ascertain the latitude and longitude of the mouth of the river Kovima, the coast of the Tshutski, and of the islands in the Eastern ocean, stretching to the American coast. He came to this country, partly from commercial views, and partly to publish himself, his own account of this long and perilous voyage.
It was recommended to him, to obtain an introduction to our Sexagenarian, as being a person likely to facilitate his views, with respect to his meditated publication. He followed the advice, and an acquaintance took place, the result of which, gave rise to many curious notes and observations, which have place in our manuscript.
Sauer’s narrative was published a great many years since, and is very curious and interesting. When he arrived with Billings at the Bay of St. Lawrence, in the country of the Tshutski, they separated. Billings proceeded over land with much difficulty, and after escaping many dangers, till he arrived at the Kovima, and Sauer returned by sea to Kamtschatka.
It appears both from Sauer’s published narrative, and from many private documents and communications, that Billings was far from deserving the reputation he obtained, and that he was by no means qualified to undertake the superintendance of such an expedition. He was remarkably ignorant, and inflexibly obstinate. His ignorance, more than once in the voyage, induced him to mistake one place for another, and his obstinacy was the occasion of his losing two new vessels, constructed for his immediate use. A combination of both these qualities prevented his accomplishing the great object of his mission, which was to ascertain the existence of a north-west passage. In this he failed altogether. Billings, however, was a bold and hardy navigator, and though he did not accomplish that which was expected of him, is entitled to some share of respect. No notice has, however, hitherto been taken of him in any English book of biography.