t. Its greatest breadth is from the mouth of
the river Tigil to that of Kamtschatka, and is computed to be two hundred
and thirty-six miles, from whence it narrows very gradually toward each
extremity.

It is bounded on the N. by the country of the Koriacks; to the S. and E.,
by the North Pacific Ocean; and to the W., by the sea of Okotzk. A chain of
high mountains stretches the whole length of the country, from N. to S.,
dividing it nearly into two equal parts, from whence a great number of
rivers take their rise, and empty themselves, on each side, into the
Pacific Ocean and the sea of Okotzk.

There are three rivers of much greater magnitude than the rest; the
Bolchoireka, or great river, so called from bolchoia, which signifies
great, and reka, a river; the river Kamtschatka, and the Awatska. The first
empties itself into the sea of Okotzk, and is navigable for the Russian
galliots upwards of five leagues from its mouth, or within nine miles of
Bolcheretsk, a town situated at the conflux of the Goltsoffka and the
Bistraia, which here lose themselves in the Bolchoireka. The Bistraia
itself is no inconsiderable river. It derives its source from the same
mountain with the river Kamtschatka, and, by taking a direct contrary
course, affords the Kamtschadales the means of transporting their goods by
water in small canoes, almost across the whole peninsula. The river
Kamtschatka, after maintaining a course of near three hundred miles from S.
to N.. winds round to the eastward; in which direction it empties itself
into the ocean, a little to the southward of Kamtschatkoi Noss. Near the
mouth of the Kamtschatka to the N.W., lies the great lake called Nerpitsch,
from nerpi, a Kamtschadale word, signifying a seal, with which this lake
abounds. About twenty miles up the river, reckoning from the mouth of the
lake, is a fort called Nishnei Kamtschatka ostrog, where the Russians have
built an hospital and barracks; and which, we were informed, is become the
principal mart in this country.

The river Awatska rises from the mountains situated between the Bolchoireka
and the Bistraia, and running, from N.W. to S.E., a course of one hundred
miles, falls into the bay of Awatska. The Tigil is likewise a river of
considerable size, rising amidst some very high mountains, which lie under
the same parallel with Kamtschatkoi Noss, and running in an even course
from S.E. to N.W., falls into the sea at Okotzk. All the other rivers of
this