There is a story that a French ship once arrived in Avatcha Bay on a voyage of discovery.

Her captain asked the governor if there was anything to commemorate the visit of La Perouse.
"Certainly," was the reply; "I will show it to you in the morning." During the night the monument was hastily constructed of wood and sheet iron, and fixed in the position to which the governor led his delighted guest.
Captain Clerke, successor to Captain Cook, of Sandwich Island memory, died while his ships were in Avatcha Bay, and was buried at Petropavlovsk.

A monument that formerly marked his grave has disappeared.

Captain Lund and Colonel Bulkley arranged to erect a durable memorial in its place.

We prepared an inscription in English and Russian, and for temporary purposes fixed a small tablet on the designated spot.