THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
385 
During the night we had variable winds and rain; but at 1779. 
four in the morning of the 12th, it began to blow fo ftrong, t _ oa ° ber ‘, 
from the North Eaft, as to oblige us to double-reef the top- Tuefday 12. 
fails, and make it prudent to hand more off the ffiore. At 
fix, the weather becoming more moderate and fair, we 
again made fail, and flood in for the land. At noon, our 
latitude was 51 0 o', longitude 157 0 25'. The Northernmoft 
land in light, being the point we have mentioned as firft 
opening with Cape Gavareea, bore North North Eaft. A 
head-land, with a flat top, which is in latitude 51 0 2/, and 
makes the South point of an inlet, called Girowara, bore 
North one quarter Eaft, and the Southernmoft land in light 
Weft three quarters North, diftant lix leagues. At this time 
we could juft perceive low land ftretching from the South¬ 
ern extreme; but the wind veering round to the North 
Weft, we could not get a nearer view of it. At lix in the 
afternoon, we faw, from the maft-head, Cape Lopatka, the 
Southernmoft extremity of Kamtfchatka. It is a very low 
flat Cape, Hoping gradually from the high level land that 
we faw at noon, and bore Weft half North, about live 
leagues diftant; and the high land North Weft by Weft 
half Weft. As this point of land forms fo marked an ob- 
je£t in the geography of the Eaftern coaft of Alia, we were 
glad to be able, by an accurate obfervation, and feveral 
good angles, to determine its precife lituation, which is in 
latitude 51 0 o', longitude 156° 45'. To the North Weft of 
it we faw a remarkable high mountain, the top of which 
lofes itfelf in the clouds; and, at the fame time, the lirft of 
the Kurile Iflands, called Shoomlka, appeared in light, 
bearing Weft half South. The paflage between this illand 
and Cape Lopatka, the Ruffians defcribe as being three 
miles broad, and very dangerous, on account of the ra- 
Vol. III. 3 D pidity 
