KAMTSCIIATKA. 281 



29th of June to the 13th of July, 1816, the first 

 dawn of spring. The year was backward ; the 

 early Anemones and Corydales were only in their 

 first blossom ; the snow melted on the hills, well 

 covered with vegetation, which entirely surround 

 the harbour, and they gradually assumed their 

 verdure. At the time of our departure, the first 

 roses were blowing, the first blossoms of the rhodo- 

 dendron, the lilies, &c. and the snow still crowned 

 the mountains and covered the bases of the high 

 volcanic pyramids, which tow^er above the land, 

 and have been trigonometrically measured by 

 the indefatigable Horner. Tiie season was un- 

 favourable ; and we do not flatter ourselves with 

 being able to extend the scanty knowledge which 

 we have of the nature of this country. We refer 

 to KrascheninikofT, Pallas, Steller (Description of 

 Kamtschatka, Frankfort, 17740* Lesseps, and 

 other travellers. Krusenstern aflfbrds, in other 

 respects, complete information, in his account of 

 Kamtschatka. 



The bay of Avatscha lies between the latitude 

 of Berlin and Hamburg ; and the harbour of St. 

 Peter and St. Paul, in the interior of it, seems to 

 be as little exposed to the influence of the sea- 

 wind, as the interior of the friths of Nordland. 

 The birch still grows here in the form of a tree, 

 but stunted and unlike the slender beautiful trees 

 which we admire in the north of Europe, and par- 

 ticularly about St. Petersburg. IHnus Cembra, 



