1779- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 217 



according to Muller, forms a projecting point about 

 the middle of the peninsula, and which certainly 

 does not exist ; but I have since found, that in the 

 general map published by the Academy of Peters- 

 burgh in 1776, that name is given to the southern 

 cape. This was found by several accurate observations, 

 to be in latitude 56° 3', longitude 163° 20'; the 

 difference in longitude from the Russian charts, being 

 the same as at Kronotskoi Noss. The variation of 

 the compass at this time was 10° E. To the south- 

 ward of this peninsula the great river Kamtschatka 

 falls into the sea. 



As the season was too far advanced to admit of our 

 making an accurate survey of the coast of Kamt- 

 schatka, it was Captain Clerke's plan, in our run to 

 Beering's Straits, to determine principally the posi- 

 tions of the projecting points of the coast. We 

 therefore directed our course across an extensive bay, 

 laid down between Kamtschatskoi Noss and Olutor- 

 skoi Noss, intending to make the latter ; which, ac- 

 cording to the Russian geographers, terminates the 

 peninsula called Kamtschatka, and becomes the 

 southern boundary of the Koriaki country. 



On the 22d, we passed a dead whale, which emit- 

 ted a horrid stench, perceivable at upward of a 

 league's distance ; it was covered with a great num- 

 ber of sea-birds, that were feasting on it. 



On the 24th, the wind, which had varied round 

 the compass, the three preceding days, fixed at S. W. 

 and brought clear weather, with which we continued 

 our course to the N. E. by N., across the bay, with- 

 out any land in sight. 



This day we saw a great number of gulls, and were 

 witnesses to the disgusting mode of feeding of the 

 arctic gull, which, has procured it the name of the 

 parasite, and which, if the reader is not already 

 acquainted with it, he will find in the note below.* 



* This bird, which is somewhat larger than the common gull, 

 pursues the latter kind whenever it meets them ; the gull, after 





