1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 215 



had been left there by the last, or by some former 

 eruptions, we were not able to determine. 



The aspect of the country was now very different 

 from what it had been on our first arrival. The 

 snow, excepting what remained on the tops of some 

 very high mountains, had disappeared; and the sides 

 of the hills, which, in many parts, were well wooded, 

 were covered with a beautiful verdure. 



As it was Captain Clerke's intention to keep as 

 much in sight of the coast of Kamtschatka as the 

 weather would permit, in order to determine its posi- 

 tion, we continued steering to the north north-east, 

 with light and variable winds, till the 18th. The 

 volcano was still seen throwing up immense volumes 

 of smoke; and we had no soundings with one hun- 

 dred and fifty fathoms, at the distance of four leagues 

 from the shore. 



On the 18th, the wind freshening from the south, 

 the weather became so thick and hazy, as to make it 

 imprudent to attempt any longer to keep in sight of 

 the land. But that we might be ready to resume 

 our survey, whenever the fogs should disperse, we 

 ran on in the direction of the coast, as laid down in 

 the Russian charts, and fired signal guns for the Dis- 

 covery to steer the same course. At eleven o'clock, 

 just before we lost sight of the land, Cheepoonskoi 

 Noss, so called by the Russians (a description of 

 which, as well as the coast between it and Awatska 

 Bay, will be given hereafter), bore north north-east, 

 distant seven or eight leagues. 



On the 20th, at three in the morning, the weather 

 having cleared up, we stood .in toward the land ; and 

 in an hour's time saw it ahead, extending from north- 

 west to north north-east, distant about five leagues. 

 The north part we took to be Kronotskoi Noss; its 

 position in the Russian charts agreeing nearly with 

 our reckoning as to its latitude, which was 54<> 42' * 

 but in longitude we differed from them considerably, 

 they placing it 1° 48' E. of Awatska ; whereas, our 



p 4 



