Bering
or BEHRING, VITUS, a Danish explorer, born in Jutland, in 1680. After making several voyages to the East and West Indies, he entered the service of Russia; became a captain-commander in 1722; and was sent by the Empress Catharine in charge of an expedition, whose object was to determine whether Asia and America were united.
Crossing Siberia he sailed from the river of Kamchatka in July, 1728; and reached lat. 67° 18' N., having passed through the strait since called after him, without knowing it. Discovering that land trended greatly to the W. he concluded that the continents were not united, and returned; without, however, seeing America. In another voyage, in 1741, he touched upon the American coast, in lat. 58° 21′ N.; and gave name to Mount St. Elias. In returning, his ship was cast upon an island, since named after him, an outlier of the Aleutian group, and here himself and many of his crew perished, in December, 1741.