distant bottom of which we supposed a large river to empty itself, from the
land behind being so unusually low. South of Achachinskoi Bay, the land is
not so rugged and barren as that part of the country which we had before
passed.

During the night we had variable winds and rain; but at four in the morning
of the 12th, it began to blow so strong from the N.E., as to oblige us to
double reef the top-sails, and make it prudent to stand more off the shore.
At six, the weather becoming more moderate and fair, we again made sail,
and stood in for the land. At noon, our latitude was 51° 0', longitude 157°
25'. The northernmost land in sight, being the point we have mentioned as
first opening with Cape Gavareea, bore N.N.E. A head-land, with a flat top,
which is in latitude 51° 27', and makes the south point of an inlet, called
Girowara, bore N. 1/4 E.,.and the southernmost land in sight, W.3/4 N.,
distant six leagues. At this time we could just perceive low land
stretching from the southern extreme; but the wind veering round to the
N.W., we could not get a nearer view of it. At six in the afternoon we saw,
from the mast-head, Cape Lopatka, the southernmost extremity of
Kamtschatka. It is a very low flat cape, sloping gradually from the high
level land that we saw at noon, and bore W.N., about five leagues distant;
and the high land, N.W. by W. 1/2 W. As this point of land forms so marked
an object in the geography of the eastern coast of Asia, we were glad to be
able, by an accurate observation, and several good angles, to determine its
precise situation, which is in latitude 51° 0', longitude 156° 45'. To the
N.W. of it we saw a remarkably high mountain, the top of which loses itself
in the clouds; and, at the same time, the first of the Kurile Islands,
called Shoomska, appeared in sight, bearing W. 1/2 S. The passage between
this island and Cape Lopatka, the Russians describe as being three miles
broad, and very dangerous on account of the rapidity of the tides, and the
sunk rocks that are off the cape. From Cape Gavareea to Lopatka, the coast