PINNACLE ISLAND. 
41 
runs, dives, and swims with great agility, is found near Kamts- 
chatka, and on the islands of the Eastern Ocean. It lives on 
fish and little marine animals. The skin of the Ramtschat- 
kan otter is very dear, and in great request, oivaccount of its 
firmness and good quality. 
From these islands, we directed our course to the Island of St. 
Matthew, which is called by the English Gore’s Island. Hie 
depth which had at first increased to 55 fathoms, afterwards 
again decreased. 
Oil the morning of the 14th, we discovered through the 
mist, a small island to the north-east 50', at a distance of 11 miles, 
the surface of which appeared to consist of a chain of pointed 
rocks hanging over each other; it has received the name of 
Pinnacle from the English. The depth was then 50 fathoms, 
and the bottom gravelly. As the air cleared up, we discovered 
the Island of St. Matthew, and as we approached it, the depth 
decreased to 14 fathoms. We put in near its western shore. 
At noon we found our latitude to be 60° 29', and longitude 
187^ 1 o'; the little island Pinnacle lying then to the south¬ 
east, about ten miles and a half distant, and the western shore 
of the Island of,St. Matthew six miles distant to the north-east. 
We h,ad scarcely passed the north-western point of this island, 
when another presented itself to view, lying three miles from 
the north-west of this point. In the middle of this strait the 
depth was 12 fathoms, and the bottom consisted of gravel and 
shells. As Captain hillings wished to take a nearer view of 
the little island, we anchored one mile and three quarters off, 
in 13 fathoms and a sandy bottom. In the afternoon, Mr. 
Billings, Mr. Merk, and myself, went on shore; and on our 
approaching the island, we were encompassed by a great num¬ 
ber of sea-birds, constantly hovering around us, and causing so 
great a noise, that we could scarcely distinguish a word that 
was spoken. We parted when we got on land, some going 
into the interior of the island, others climbing the rocky sides 
of the shore, and others remaining below on the brink of the 
creek. A universal firing now commenced on ail sides, which 
did great execution among the marine birds, particularly 
the aars, of which a great number were carried to our ships. 
Our hunters also killed two black foxes, and found two walrus’ 
teeth ; and one of our company was so terrified by the sight 
of a large white beast supposed to be a bear, that breathless 
and almost fainting, he hastened back to the ship. On the 
mountains we found large fragments of a species of dint- 
stone, the' delicate and many-coioured veins of which were 
an object of extraordinary beauty. On the east side of the 
island there was a quantity of floating wood, near the shore; 
S A 11YTSC IlEW, VOL. II.] V 
