by W. to W. 1/2 S. This land is
very high, and almost entirely covered with snow. At noon, the extremes
bore from N.N.W. 1/2 W. to W.N.W. 1/2 W.; and a high peaked mountain, from
which some thought they saw smoke issuing, N.W. by W. 1/2 W., about twelve
or fourteen leagues distant. At this time our latitude, by observation, was
49 deg. 49', and our longitude 157 deg. O'. In the course of the day we saw many
gulls and albatrosses, and several whales.

Paramousir is the largest of the Kuriles under the dominion of Russia, and
well deserves a more accurate survey, than we were at this time allowed to
take. For, in the afternoon, the gale increasing from the W., we were never
able to approach it nearer than we had done at noon; and were, therefore,
obliged to be contented with endeavouring to ascertain its situation at
that distance. We place the S. end of the island in latitude 49 deg. 58', the
N. end in latitude 50 deg. 46', and in longitude 10' W. of Lopatka; and as this
position is found not to differ materially from that given by the Russians,
it is probably very near the truth. Whilst we were abreast of this island,
we had a very heavy swell from the N.E., though the wind had, for some
time, been from the westward, a circumstance which we have already remarked
more than once during the course of our voyage. In the night we tried for
soundings, but found no ground with fifty fathoms of line.

On the 14th and 15th, the wind blowing steadily and fresh from the
westward, we were obliged to stand to the southward; and consequently
hindered from seeing any more of the Kurile Islands. At noon of the 16th,
the latitude, by observation, was 45 deg. 27', the longitude, deduced from a
number of lunar observations taken during the three days past, 155 deg. 3O'.
The variation 4 deg. 30' E. In this situation, we were almost surrounded by the
supposed discoveries of former navigators, and uncertain to which we should
turn ourselves. To the southward and the S.W. were placed, in the French
charts, a group of five islands, called the Three Sisters, Zellany and
Kunashir. We were about ten leagues, according to the same maps, to the
westward of the land of De Gama, which we had passed to the eastward in
April last, at a distance rather less than this, without seeing any
appearance of it; from which circumstance we may now conclude, that, if
such land exist at all, it must be an island of a very inconsiderable
size.[93] On the other hand,