214 FROM KAMTSCHATKA 



island, extends a low tongue of land, on which we 

 found the variation to be 1° east j the opposite ob- 

 servations with the compass, made from the point 

 of the island to the ship, and from thence to the 

 island, gave for the variation on the point 26" west; 

 the variation on the ship after repeated observ- 

 ations, gave 31° 9' east ; and as this coincides with 

 that which we observed out of the bay, it may be 

 presumed to be the most correct. Without doubt 

 Chamisso Island contains much iron, and that 

 is the occasion of the false result. We had an ex- 

 tensive prospect from the point of this very high 

 island j the land to the south seemed to join every 

 where ; in the north, nothing was to be seen 

 but the open sea : on the east, Chamisso Island 

 is separated from the continent by a channel, 

 which is five miles broad in the narrowest part. 

 The surrounding land was high and rocky. Snow 

 was no where to be seen ; the mountains were 

 covered with moss ; and the shore was clothed in 

 luxuriant verdure. Chamisso Island was of the 

 same nature, where we had had now chosen a green 

 spot, on which we intended to drink tea. I readily 

 confess, that I seldom felt myself happier, than 

 on this spot ; to which the idea of being the first 

 European that ever put his foot on this land, may 

 have greatly contributed. The weather was at 

 12° heat, (a height that the thermometer never 

 arrived at without the sound,) and extremely fine. 

 We found on our tongue of land, under ground. 



