302 cook's voyage to oct. 



I do not remember that we had either thunder or 

 lightning during our stay, excepting on the night of 

 the eruption of the volcano ; and, from the account 

 of the inhabitants, they are very seldom troubled 

 with storms of this kind, and never but in a slight 

 degree. The general severity of the winter, as well 

 as the dreadful hurricanes of wind and snow that 

 season brings along with it, cannot be questioned, 

 from the subterraneous habitations the natives are 

 under a necessity of retiring to, for warmth and se- 

 curity. Major Behm told us, that the cold and in- 

 clemency of the winter of 1779 was such, that, for 

 several weeks, all intercourse between the inhabitants 

 was entirely stopped, every one being afraid to stir, 

 even from one house to another, for fear of being 

 frost-bitten. This extraordinary rigour of climate, 

 in so low a latitude, may be accounted for, from its 

 being situated to the east of an immense uncultivated 

 tract of country, and from the prevalence of the 

 westerly winds, blowing over so extensive and cold 

 a continent. The extraordinary violence and impe- 

 tuosity of the winds, is attributed to the subterra- 

 neous fires, the sulphureous exhalations, and the ge- 

 neral volcanic disposition of the country. 



This peninsula abounds in volcanos, of which only 

 three have, for some past, been subject to eruptions. 

 We have already mentioned that which is situated in 

 the neighbourhood of Awatska. Besides this, there 

 are others not less remarkable, according to the ac- 

 count given of them by Krascheninicoff. 



The volcano of Tolbatchick is situated on a neck 

 of ground between the river of Kamtschatka and Tol- 

 batchick. The mountain, from the summit of which 

 the eruptions proceed, is of a considerable height, 

 and terminates in pointed rocks. In the beginning 

 of the year 1739, there issued from it a whirlwind of 

 flames, which reduced to ashes the forests of the 

 neighbouring mountains. This was succeeded by a 

 cloud of smoke, which spread over and darkened the 



