ACCOUNT or THE KURJLIAN ISLANDS. 
59 
second and fifth, which is called Quekotau. In the middle of 
this straight we were becalmed towards noon. We heaved the 
lead, but found no bottom. Its breadth, which is 27 miles, 
makes it one of the largest, and least dangerous among the Ku- 
rilian islands. In addition to which, it has no swampy places, 
and the tide is less impetuous here than at the others. 
The third and fourth Kurilian islands have neither wood nor 
inhabitants, but the second and fifth yield an inconsiderable 
number of birch-shrubs, and are thinly inhabited by a people, 
who, in appearance, and mode of living, resemble the Kamts- 
chadales more than the southern Kuriliaus. They have received 
the name of hairy Kuriliaus, from the long beards by which 
they are distinguished. The northern Kurilians derive their ori¬ 
gin, if we may judge by the resemblance, from the Kamtscha- 
dales; but from whence these hairy ones are derived, it is difficult 
to decide : for scarcely any people in this quarter, either Chinese, 
Japanese, or, in fact, any northern nation on the shores of Asia, 
have any beard; except the Gilaks, living near the mouth of 
the Amur. 
The 28th of September was the finest day since our depar¬ 
ture from Ochotsk. The sun shone till the very evening, with a 
warmth little inferior to that in the middle of summer. After 
the cold weather, which w 7 e had hitherto had for a constancy, it 
now 7 seemed as if we were transported all at once from the fri¬ 
gid to the torrid zone, although we were only ten degrees more 
to the south. The mildness of the air, the aspect of the shore, 
and the glittering surface of the unruffled ocean, all inspired us 
with a vivacity, to which we had long been strangers. .During 
this day we were all constantly on deck, but, usually, no one 
W'ould leave the cabin who was not on duty. 
On the first of October, we descried the mountainous shore 
of Kamtschatka, by which we pursued our course, until we ar¬ 
rived off* the haven of Petropaulowsk. At a distance we per¬ 
ceived five lofty and distinct mountains, one of which is called 
Wilnit-Schinskaja, and has the bay of Awatska to the right; 
three others lie together on the right hand, about 50 versts from 
the sea; of these the western, which is called Streloschnaia, 
has a loftier and more peaked summit than the others. The 
Aw'atskinskaia, otherwise called Gonelaia, which lies adjacent 
to it, is volcanic, and emits fire; the third is nameless, and 
lower than the two others. The last, denominated Schupa- 
nowna, lies more northerly, and more remote than the rest: it 
appears also at a distance to be more level. Although these 
mountains are situated far inland, yet, on account of their ex¬ 
traordinary height, they are very conspicuous even above the 
chore, which is rather elevated. A very exact drawing of this 
II 2 
