196 FRANK C. GATES 



The water of the crater lake is clear, although dark-colored, and 

 salty. Its. temperature decreased from about 37°C. in October, 

 1913, to about 32° in April, 191^, after which it began to in- 

 crease. By March, 1915, it had reached 39° and a noticeable 

 amount of steam was rising from the lake for the first time in 

 my experience. Swimming in the crater lake, although much 

 like salt water bathing, was, of course, much more exciting. 

 In April, 1914, a little steam had been noted coming from vents 

 in the north crater wall and from a few places along the shore of 

 the lake. By March, 1915, a number of bubbling centers had 

 developed, particularly in the southern half of the lake, more 

 steam was issuing from the vents previously noted, and several 

 additional vents had come into existence. From the first, 

 sulfurous vapors were noticed from certain points in the crater 

 rim, but none were detected in the bottom of the crater until 

 March, 1915. Steep precipitous walls form the boundary of 

 the crater on all sides. The crater rim is highest on the south 

 and north sides, with altitudes of 304 and 230 meters, respec- 

 tively, and lowest to the west, where it is but 95 meters high. 



Previous to the eruption of 1911, the region outside of the 

 crater was vegetated from the strand to the rim of the crater. 

 The vegetation could be briefly summed up as trees, parang 

 (thickets), grassland and culture in various combinations. Some 

 trees over 75 cm. in diameter were present even on the crater 

 slope. Within the crater a tree of Ficus indica was present, A 

 number of barrios (\dllages) were located along the shore of 

 Lake Bombon, particularly in the northern part of the island 

 and in their vicinity a few cultivated plants have since been 

 found. 



While parts of a very few plants in certain well protected 

 situations on the far sides of Mounts Bignay, Ragatan, Binin- 

 tiang Malaki, and Balantoc did survive the rain of acid ash and 

 mud and the mechanical violence of the eruption, vegetation 

 over the rest of the island was entirely destroyed. No vegeta- 

 tion appeared until rains leached the acid out of the soil. 



Except for sparing and very local regeneration in the areas 

 mentioned above, no vegetation appeared in the first rainy 



