326 VOYAGE TO THE 



snows, rising in majestic array above each other. 

 The volcano emitted smoke at intervals, and from a 

 1826. sprinkling of black dots on the snow to leeward of 

 the crater we concluded there had been a recent 

 eruption. 



At two o'clock the following afternoon we anchor- 

 ed off the town of Petropaulski, and found lying in 

 the inner harbour his imperial majesty's ship Mo- 

 deste, commanded by Baron Wrangel, an enter- 

 prising officer, well known to the world as the com- 

 mander of a hazardous expedition on sledges over the 

 ice to the northward of Schelatskoi Noss. 



I found despatches awaiting my arrival, commu- 

 nicating the return of the expedition under Captain 

 Parry, and desiring me to cancel that part of my in- 

 structions which related to him. The officers on 

 landing, at the little town of Petropaulski, met with 

 a very polite reception from the governor, Stanitski, 

 a captain in the Russian navy, who, during our short 

 stay in port, laid us under many obligations for 

 articles of the most acceptable kind to seamen after 

 a long voyage. I regretted extremely that confine- 

 ment to my cabin at this time prevented my having 

 the pleasure of making either his acquaintance or 

 that of the pastor of Paratounka, of whose ancestor 

 such honourable mention has been made in the voy- 

 ages of Captain Cook, a pleasure which was reserved 

 for the following year. The worthy pastor, in strict 

 compliance with the injunctions of his grandfather, 

 that he should send a calf to the captain of every 

 English man of war that might arrive in the port, 

 presented me with one of his own rearing, and sent 

 daily supplies of milk, butter, and curds. Had our 

 stay in this excellent harbour permitted, we should 



