trends S.E. South of Achachinskoi, the land is not so high and broken as
between that bay and the mouth of Awatska, being only of a moderate
elevation toward the sea, with hills gradually rising farther back in the
country. The coast is steep and bold, and full of white chalky patches.

At noon, the weather falling again to a calm, afforded us an opportunity of
catching some fine cod. We were, at this time, in forty fathoms water, and
about five or six leagues from Cape Lopatka. Both in the fore and
afternoon, we had observations, with different compasses, for the
variation, and found it to be 5° 20' E.

We stood on all night, under an easy sail, to the S.S.W., having the wind
westerly. At midnight we sounded, and had sixty fathoms; and, at day-break
of the 13th, we saw the second of the Kurile Islands, (called by the
Russians Paramousir,) extending from N.W. by W. to W. 1/2 S. This land is
very high, and almost entirely covered with snow. At noon, the extremes
bore from N.N.W. 1/2 W. to W.N.W. 1/2 W.; and a high peaked mountain, from
which some thought they saw smoke issuing, N.W. by W. 1/2 W., about twelve
or fourteen leagues distant. At this time our latitude, by observation, was
49° 49', and our longitude 157° O'. In the course of the day we saw many
gulls and albatrosses, and several whales.

Paramousir is the largest of the Kuriles under the dominion of Russia, and
well deserves a more accurate survey, than we were at this time allowed to
take. For, in the afternoon, the gale increasing from the W., we were never
able to approach it nearer than we had done at noon; and were, therefore,
obliged to be contented with endeavouring to ascertain its situation at
that distance. We place the S. end of the island in latitude 49° 58', the
N. end in latitude 50° 46', and in longitude 10' W. of Lopatka; and as this
position is found not to differ materially from that given by the Russians,