Having at length taken our leave of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, I shall conclude this chapter with a particular description of Awatska bay, and the coast adjoining; not only because (its three inlets included) it constitutes perhaps the most extensive and safest harbour that has yet been discovered, but because it is the only port in this part of the world, capable of admitting ships of any considerable burthen. The term bay, indeed, is perhaps not applicable, properly speaking, to a place so well sheltered as Awatska; but then it must be observed, that from the loose, undistinguishing manner, in which navigators have denominated certain situations of sea and land, with respect to each other, bays, roads, sounds, harbours, &c. we have no defined and determinate ideas affixed to these words, sufficient to warrant us in changing a popular name, for one that may appear more proper. The entrance into this bay, is in 52° 51ʹ N. latitude, and 158° 48ʹ E. longitude, and lies in the bight of another exterior bay, formed by Cheepoonskoi Noss, to the north, and Cape Gavareea to the south. The former of these head-lands bears from the latter north-east by north, three quarters east, and is distant thirty-two leagues. The coast, from Cape Gavareea to the entrance of Awatska Bay, takes a direction nearly north, and is eleven leagues in extent. It consists of a chain of high, ragged cliffs, with detached rocks frequently lying off them. This coast, at a distance, presents in many parts, an appearance of bays or inlets, but on a nearer approach, the head-lands were found connected by low ground. Cheepoonskoi Noss bears from the entrance of the bay, east north-east a quarter east, and is seventeen leagues distant. On this side, the shore is low and flat, with hills rising behind, to a considerable height. In the latitude of Cape Gavareea, there is an error of twenty-one miles in the Russian charts; its true latitude being 52° 21ʹ. This striking difference of the land on each side of Awatska Bay, with their different bearings, are the best guides to steer for it, in coming from the southward: and, in approaching it from the northward, Cheepoonskoi Noss will make itself very conspicuous; for it is a high projecting head-land, with a considerable extent of level ground, lower than the Noss, uniting it to the continent. It presents the same appearance, whether viewed from the north or south, and will warn the mariner not to be deceived, in imagining Awatska Bay to lie in the bight, which the coast forms to the northward of this Noss, and which might be the case, from the striking resemblance there is between a conical hill within this bight or bay, and one to the south of Awatska Bay.