216 cook's VOYAGE TO JUNE, 



reckoning, corrected by the time-keepers and lunar 

 observations, makes it 3° 34/ E. of that place, or 

 162° 17' E. from Greenwich. The land about this 

 cape is very high, and the inland mountains were still 

 covered with snow. The shore breaks oft* in steep 

 cliffs, and the coast is without any appearance of 

 inlets or bays. We had not been long gratified with 

 this sight of the land, when the wind freshened from the 

 south-west, and brought on a thick fog, which obliged 

 us to stand off to the north-east by east. The wea- 

 ther clearing up again at noon, we steered toward the 

 land, expecting to fall in with Kamtschatskoi Noss, 

 and had sight of it at day-break of the 21st. 



The southerly wind was soon after succeeded by a 

 light breeze blowing off the land, which prevented our 

 approaching the coast sufficiently near to describe its 

 aspect, or ascertain with accuracy, its direction. At 

 noon, our latitude, by observation, was 55° 5Q\ 

 and longitude (deduced from a comparison of many 

 lunar observations, taken near this time, with the 

 time-keepers), 163 C 50'; the extremities of the land 

 bearing N. W. by W. three quarters W., and N. by 

 W. three quarters W., the nearest part about eight 

 leagues distant. At nine o'clock in the evening, 

 having approached about two leagues nearer the 

 coast, we found it formed a projecting peninsula, 

 extending about twelve leagues in a direction nearly 

 N. and S. It is level and of a moderate height, 

 the southern extremity terminating in a low sloping 

 point ; that to the north forming a steep bluff head ; 

 and between them, about four leagues to the south- 

 ward of the northern cape, there is a considerable 

 break in the land. On each side of this break the 

 land is quite low ; beyond the opening rises a remark- 

 able saddle-like hill ; and a chain of high mountains 

 covered with snow, ranges along the back of the 

 whole peninsula. 



As the coast runs in an even direction, we were at 

 a great loss where to place Kamtschatskoi Noss, which, 



15 



