124 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



land, this time to the northern side of the bay, and 

 presently anchored in a small harbour some twelve 

 miles east of Petropavlovsk. Great was our disgust 

 when we found ourselves pitched again so near our 

 starting-point. A spell seemed to hang over us. 

 However, we did not despair, and decided to wait for 

 the swell to subside, hoping for better luck on the 

 morrow. During the day Littledale and I went up 

 one ot the promontories to obtain a better view of the 

 country we wished to explore. The mighty Vilutcha, 

 clad in snow, with a hioh ranoe of hills runnincr to 

 its right, intercepted us from the regions beyond ; 

 the panorama we had before us was imposing and 

 beautiful. It was very tantalising to see those vast 

 huntinn'-orounds almost within touch, and vet to be 

 unable to reach them, for a voyage by land was 

 out of the question. There, amidst the roar of the 

 ocean, hovering below us with numerous gulls and 

 cormorants, was a magnificent Pallas's sea-eaMe 

 {7/ia/assacfns pc/aoicus). It had evidently nested in 

 one of the crevices of the rock at our feet, and kept 

 settling in a concealed fissure where we could not get 

 a shot. It was a splendid specimen of that great 

 northern sea-ea^le, and though Littledale waited for 

 a shot, the bird never gave him a chance. Not far 

 from camp stood two or three fishermen's huts and 



