The rocks and breakers before mentioned, forced us so far from the continent, that we had but a distant view of the coast between Rock Point and Halibut Island. Over this and the adjoining islands, we could see the main land covered with snow; but particularly some hills, whose elevated tops were seen towering above the clouds to a most stupendous height. The most south-westerly of these hills was discovered to have a _volcano_, which continually threw up vast columns of black smoke. It stands not far from the coast; and in the latitude of 54° 48ʹ, and the longitude of 195° 45ʹ. It is also remarkable from its figure, which is a complete cone; and the _volcano_ is at the very summit. We seldom saw this (or indeed any other of these mountains) wholly clear of clouds. At times both base and summit would be clear; when a narrow cloud, sometimes two or three, one above another, would embrace the middle, like a girdle; which, with the column of smoke, rising perpendicular to a great height out of its top, and spreading before the wind into a tail of vast length, made a very picturesque appearance. It may be worth remarking that the wind, at the height to which the smoke of this _volcano_ reached, moved sometimes in a direction contrary to what it did at sea, even when it blew a fresh gale. In the afternoon, having three hours calm, our people caught upward of a hundred halibuts, some of which weighed a hundred pounds, and none less than twenty pounds. This was a very seasonable refreshment to us. In the height of our fishing, which was in thirty-five fathoms water, and three or four miles from the shore, a small canoe, conducted by one man, came to us from the large island. On approaching the ship, he took off his cap, and bowed, as the other had done who visited the Discovery the preceding day. It was evident that the Russians must have a communication and traffic with these people, not only from their acquired politeness, but from the note above-mentioned. But we had now a fresh proof of it, for our present visitor wore a pair of green cloth breeches, and a jacket of black cloth, or stuff, under the gut-shirt, or frock, of his own country. He had nothing to barter, except a grey fox skin, and some fishing implements or harpoons, the heads of the shafts of which, for the length of a foot or more, were neatly made of bone, as thick as a walking cane, and carved. He had with him a bladder full of something, which we supposed to be oil, for he opened it, took a mouthful, and then fastened it again.