177 ( J. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 297 



CHAP. VI. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT OF KAMTSCHATKA. GEOGRAPHICAL DE- 

 SCRIPTION. RIVERS. — SOIL. CLIMATE. VOLCANOES. 



HOT SPRINGS. PRODUCTIONS. VEGETABLES. ANIMALS. 



— BIRDS. FISH. 



IS^amtschatka is the name of a peninsula situated 

 on the eastern coast of Asia, running nearly north 

 and south, from 52° to 61° north latitude ; the 

 longitude of its southern extremity being 156° 45' E. 

 The isthmus, which joins it to the continent on the 

 north, lies between the gulf of Olutorsk and the 

 gulf of Penshinsk. Its southern extremity is Cape 

 Lopatka, a word signifying the blade-bone of a man, 

 and is so called from its supposed resemblance to it. 

 The shape of the whole peninsula is not unlike that 

 of a shoe, widening from the toe (which we may 

 suppose to be Cape Lopatka) toward the middle, and 

 narrowing again toward the heel, the neck of land 

 above-mentioned connecting it with the continent. 

 Its greatest breadth is from the mouth of the river 

 Tigil to that of Kamtschatka, and is computed to be 

 two hundred and thirty-six miles, from whence it 

 narrows very gradually toward each extremity. 



It is bounded on the north by the country of the 

 Koriacks ; to the south and east, by the north Pacific 

 Ocean ; and to the west, by the sea of Okotsk. A 

 chain of high mountains stretches the whole length 

 of the country, from north to south, dividing it 

 nearly into two equal parts, from whence a great 

 number of rivers take their rise, and empty them- 

 selves, on each side, into the Pacific Ocean and the 

 sea of Okotsk. 



There are three rivers of much greater magnitude 



