: I 



AWATSKA BAY. 



AXRRinr.E. 



and Tarriupki. The bay is bounded by high and well-wooded land on 

 all atdra, except to the uorth-west, where the riven Awatska and 1'ara- 

 tounca discharge themselves among *wam|>a and shoal*. The general 

 depth of water is from twelve to fourteen fathoms, the bottom level, 

 anil of aoft mud. 



The bay abounds in fish of the (inert quality, which constitute the 

 nrinri|*l food of the inhabitants, and the whole of their short summer 

 H employed in catching and curing a supply for the winter. The 

 aalmon caught are particularly large and fine ; they are cured by dry- 

 ing, without salt, that article being scarce and dear. 



In June the mow (till lie* even on the low land, but the change of 

 inesnnn during the early part of July ia very rapid : summer advances 

 without the iiitermiasion of spring, and the transition to winter about 

 the beginning of October U equally sudden. The bay is generally 

 covered with ice during the winter, and the thermometer falls some- 

 times as low as 28 below the zero point of Fahrenheit's thermometer : 

 when observed during the first fourteen days of July the range was 

 from 44- to 71. 



The harbour of Rakoweena U one mile and a half wide at the 

 entrance, narrowing towards the head. It U just within the entrance 

 and on the eastern Hide of the bay ; it rum east by south four miles. 

 Th< iv is depth of water for the largest vessels, but a shoal lies across 

 the tin nth, leaving only a narrow channel on each side of it, so that 

 it is only with a fair wind that vessels can enter. 



Two miles to the northward lie the town and harbour of Fetro- 

 paulovski (pronounced Petropaulski), the capital of the province of 

 Kamtchatka, and residence of the government* and the commercial 

 agent*, who have removed from Bolchereek, which is about 90 miles 

 to the westward. There are two small forts for the protection of the 

 harbour, a good hospital, and a school. The town, which is situated 

 at the bead of a snug little landlocked basin capable of containing 

 six or eight ships of the line, has but a poor appearance : the bouses 

 are rudely constructed of logs, the interstices being filled up with 

 mom. They are for the most part thatched, the entrance is intricate, 

 and the visitor ban to pas* several doors previous to reaching the 

 apartment*, which are warmed by hot air conveyed through pipes 

 from a large fireplace or oven in the centre of the building. The inte- 

 rior of these dwellings is usually kept very clean. As a substitute for 

 glass large plates of mica, brought from Siberia, are used by nil 

 classes, except in the governor's houe and the public building - 

 the beach is a new church, in the oriental style, built entirely of 

 wood. The chief instrument employed in the construction of build- 

 ings is a long knife, which the natives use with great dexterity. Most 

 <>f the houses have gardens attached for growing a few vegetables : 

 every family has one or two milch cows. 



Travelling is performed on sledges formed of a light latticed seat, 

 sufficient to hold only one pemon with his skins and provisions, and 

 drawn by five, seven, or more dogs, there being always an odd 

 one an a leader. The dogs are guided by word of mouth ; they are 

 of the wolf breed, ferocious, and burrow kennels for themselves in 

 the snow or under knolls of rartli, and are fed generally on fish. 

 They are very valuable, a good leader being worth 200 roubles, a 

 Urge sum in Kamtcbatka. The same set of dogs will travel at the 

 rate of 80 miles a day for two or three successive days. 



The Kuwians have been *o long residents in Petropaulovski that 

 the native Kamtcbaditle* are rarely seen in the town, which they only 

 viit for the purpose of bartering the produce of their limiting for 

 spiriu, tobacco, and iron implements, a supply of which is brought 

 annually from ok hot -k in the vessel* which carry away the collection 

 of fun mad* during the winter. Sable skins are chiefly nought ; 

 they an with the exception of the sea-otter, which is scarce, the only 

 valuable fur obtained ; U>w two kinds are highly prized in China, 

 their principal market There are also foxes, wolves, and bears. 



There an two post* from Petropaulovski to St. Petersburg in the 

 year, one in April rut Bolchcresk and Okhotsk which takes four 

 month* ; the other in N'..v,-inl-r requires eight months, as the sea 

 of OkhuUk is to obstructed with ice as not to be navigable, and 

 the whole journey must be performed by land, making the circuit of 

 that nca. 



Birch, poplar, and alder are the principal trees; there are also 

 willow*. From the bark of the birch the native* make domestic 

 veancls for holding their milk, butter, Ac. There are various sorU 

 of ben-Jen growing wild, the whortle and cranberry very plentiful. 

 and a wild garlic of which the rattle am very fond, but which 

 impregnate* the milk and butter with ite unpleasant savour. 



At the head of the bay is the rivrr Awatska ; it U nearly a quarter 

 of a mile broad at the entrance, but aoon get* narrow. It i> very 

 rapid, especially at the Mason of the melting of the snow, and is 

 aid to nin 100 mile* in a south-east direction, but is so shallow even 

 at iu mouth that it is only navigable for canoe*. The small village 

 of Awataka consisting of a very few house* is situated on the najtiini 

 aide of the mouth of the river. About five miles south-west of thin 

 ia tho .mail river Paratounca, and the land between these two riven 

 u very low and swampy. In the south-west part of the bay is the 

 ir of Tareinaki, 10 mile* long and 3 miles broad ; it is free 

 from danger and easy of access. In consequence of the high land 

 qaalls occasionally arise with great violence, and the wind* are very 

 variable in the bay. The lighthouse at toe entrance of Awataka Bay 



is in 52 52' N. lat, 158 47' E. long. Variation of the needle 

 4 45' K. ; inclina' The tides are regular and strong ; the 



rise in the spring* in 64 feet, in the neaps 24 feet In the entrance the 

 eddies are very strong. 



AWK, LOCH, a fresh-water lake in Argyleshire, Scotland, is in 

 length about 24 miles, in average breadth rather more than a mile. 



Loch Awe receives several small streams from the mountains and 

 hills which surround it At the north-east extremity it receives the 

 Urchay, or (Jrchy, which drains Qlen-Urchay, or Gl. n.u, liy. (in the 

 north-west side near the middle it receives a stream from Loch Avich, 

 a small lake about six miles long and about a mile broad, distant about 

 three miles north-west from Loch Awe. 



Near the north-east end of Loch Awe there ia a small bay running 

 to the westward, which terminates in a river (the Awe) which 

 Loch Ktive, an inlet of the sea at Bunaw. From the entrance of the 

 inlet to the mouth of the river is about nine miles ; the length of 

 the river without the inlet is about seven miles. 



The surface of the lech near this part is studded with small inlands. 

 On Inwhail are the ruins of a small Cistercian convent, with its chapel, 

 and on Inish-Errich the remains of a chapel. On Froaoh-Elan are the 

 remains, now trifling, of a castle, granted by King Alexander 111 "I 

 Scotland to a chieftain Gilbert M'Naughton, on condition of hix < 

 taiuing the king whenever he pass d that way. Inish-Chonnrl was 

 for several centuries a residence of the family of Argyle. On a rocky 

 point of hind projecting into the loch, and connected by a flat wide 

 meadow evidently alluvial with the higher shore, stands the castle of 

 Kilchuru, whose square tower was built in 1440 by one of tho 

 Campbells, an ancestor of the Breadalhanv family. Successive additions 

 were made to it; and it was garrisoned in 1745 by a party 

 king's troops, but it baa been since that time going to decay. It is 

 noticeable in the Western Highlands from its magnitude and the very 

 picturesque arrangement of the buildings. 



At this end of the loch are its chief natural beauties. Dr. Macculloch 

 in his ' Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland,' says, that " the 

 only interesting part of this lake is that which lies between its upper 

 extremity in Olenorchy and its exit .... To the mere tr 

 there in no inducement to pursue this long lake throughout its extensive 

 course, as it lies in a dull and uninteresting tract of country .... In 

 approaching from Inverary tho first views of the Ink. : iking, 



and I may add equally magnificent and wild. They are v, 

 iu character from those which appear in approaching from T.widrum 

 (an inn in Perthshire, from which you go by Olenorchy to the lake), 

 the water appearing to be a confined basin inclosed among lofty 

 mountains, rude and savage in their aspect, but lofty and grand ; filling 

 at once the eye and the picture, and literally towering to the ol 

 It ia the elevated ridge of Cmachan which forms the distant boundary : 

 majestic and simple, and throwing its dark shadow on the water, 

 which, spacious as we know it to be, seems almost lost amid the mag- 

 nitude of the surrounding objects. The castle of Kilchurn, hence a 

 mere spot in the landscape, adds much to the sublimity of the effect, 

 as affording a scale and an object of comparison." 



Ben Cruachan preseuts some of the most extensive mountain views 

 in Scotland. It is computed to be 14 miles in circuit, slopim 

 on the side towards the lake, except near the summit where the ascent 

 is abrupt The summit is divided into two ]>< , .amibling a 



sugar-loaf. The height is 8669 feet above the level of the sea. The 

 side* are covered with natural woods. 



Loch Awe is estimated to be 108 feet above the level of the sea ; 

 like Loch Ness and some other lochs in Scotland it is seldom frown. 

 Its waters abound with delicious fish. The salmon are remarkably 

 good and the trout nearly unrivalled, and of all sizes. There are also 

 some char and many eels ; but these last the Highlanders hold in 

 abhorrence, esteeming them water-serpents, unfit for the use of man. 

 Loch Avich, which may be considered as an appendage of Loch 

 Awe, is full of trout, and is the resort of gulls, cranes, eagles, and 

 wild ducks. 



At Bunaw at the mouth of the river Awe is a quay for small vessels 

 which carry pig-iron, tanners' bark, kelp, and salmon to \\ liitehaven, 

 Liverpool, &c., and import iron-ore for tho furnaces at Bunaw, meal, 

 coals, leather, Ac. 



(Maoculloch'stfi/WwKfaanrf WeKern Itlti of Scotland . AfatAofMM 

 Accmin ,<l ; Playfair's Oeog. Description of Scotia 



AXBKIDOE, Somersetshire, a market-town, a borough, and the 

 seat of a Poor-Law Union in the parish of Axbridge and hundred 

 of \VinfeTstoke, is seated on a slope above the rich level through which 

 flows the river Axe, in 61* 17' N. lat, 2" 49' W. long., 10 miles N. W. 

 from Well*, and 180 miles W. by S. from London. The population in 

 1851 was 999. It is governed by aldermen and burgesses, one of 

 whom is mayor. The living is a rectory in the archdeaconry of 

 W.-1U and diocese of Bath and Wells. Axbridge Poor-Law Union 

 contain* 88 parishes and township, with an area of 95,110 acres, and 

 a population in 1861 of 82,801. 



Axbridge is a place of little importance ; it has now no in 

 The town consists of one street about half n mile long, running in a 

 winding direction nearly east and wort. It i- impcrf. 



AII which lie* ante thu Mvndip Hills in a warm and li 

 situation is very salubrious, and it is abundantly supplied w ith 

 excellent spring water. The church, a cruciform structure in the 



