Krasheninnikov's report to the Russian Imperial Government of his 1735 journey to explore eastern Siberia. Until recent times the great basin of the Pacific Northwest, its numerous islands, and the surrounding territories on the Asian and North American continents, have remained essentially regio incognito. Three closely related factors seem to have been responsbile for this siutuation: the isolation of this area from the flourishing centers of civilization; the severity of its climate; and the ruggedness of its terrain.