OLD BOGOSLOF 293 



that the island abounded in craters from which small 

 stones were being constantly thrown out, obstructing the 

 view and building up the flat portion of the island. Find- 

 ing it impossible to explore on land, the party sailed 

 around it. A year later, a second expedition found the 

 island much lower and its appearance wholly changed. 



By the Aleuts the island was called Agashagok, but the 

 Russians called it Joanna Bogoslova, St. John the Theo- 

 logian, after St. John's day of their calendar. 



Langsdorf, who visited Bering Sea in 1806, gives an 

 account of Bogoslof as he received it from the natives at 

 Unalaska, and then briefly describes its appearance as 

 seen by him on August 18 of that year. He was told 

 that in this place " had long stood an insulated rock, 

 which, the Aleutians say, was always in the times of their 

 forefathers one of the great resorts of the sea-dogs and 

 sea-lions, with which these parts abound. 



"In the year 1795, the islanders remarked a great ap- 

 pearance of fog in the neighborhood of this rock, which 

 did not disperse, although the rest of the atmosphere was 

 perfectly clear; this gave the greater uneasiness to the 

 people both of Oonalashka and Umnak, since they con- 

 sidered the rock as one of their great magazines of food. 

 After vainly expecting for a long time the removal of the 

 phenomenon, and afraid, uncommon as such an appear- 

 ance was, to venture near it; at length, one of the Aleut- 

 ians, bolder than the rest, resolved to visit his ancient 

 haunt, and endeavor to catch some sea-lions. He soon 

 returned in the utmost terror and astonishment, saying 

 that the sea all about the rock boiled, and that the sup- 

 posed fog was the smoke or vapor that rose from it. 

 Nobody would in consequence venture any more near the 

 place; concluding, that instead of sea-lions and sea-dogs, 

 it was become the abode of evil spirits. This continued 

 for a considerable time, till at length, about five years 



