EARTHQUAKE OP CENTRAL JAPAN, 1891. 



ozo 



I found it to be a typical volcano, with the somma, caldera, and 

 baraiico all preserved ; and at its centre, as is usually the case, 

 standing somewhat exeentrically, a sharp conical point, called 

 Ivimpô-zan (Kihö-zan). ^^'ithin the atrio are the villages of" Xoide, 

 Omonoki, and llirayani;i. Tracing the positions of the landslips 

 and of the destroyed luKises of the villagers. J hecaiiw coni'inccd 

 of iJw j'acl iJidl llicir are lira iiui'm lines, aloinj leliieh ihe hills ]iad 

 (jluled, lioKses heeit sliddered, (Oid tlieKjround convulsed und hrol'en into 

 chaos (see the map PL. XXXIII.). The first line runs from the 

 north-west along the Kawaehi valley througli fliravaina to the 

 small hut thriving town of Takasé. The sec«jn<l taking- the same 

 direction starts fnjm Xoide, at the southern foot of Xinodaké. which 

 seems to have been the acti\e centre, pnjceeds through iJaké down 

 to the southern slope of Arao-yama, and thence to the city of 

 Kumumoto. J between the two nearly parallel lines stands the Peak 

 of Kimpö-zan. The sec.'ond one sends off a branch line to the east 

 down to Tomonji. 



These seismic lines, by which I mean the lines of fault, are 

 not favourably visible on the surface as in the case of the recent 

 catastrophe of Mino and (Jwari. but still I think I was able to 

 trace them by the fissures in the ground and along the slopes 

 of the hills. The fiicts that Ivim])ô-zan. the whole group beino- 

 generally called by this name, is volcanic. Ijeing made up of 

 augite-andesite ; that the faults though very indistinct aiv found 

 there in tliree lines ; and, lastly, that the seismic area was consider- 

 able, embi-acing the whole of Kyü-8hü, as well as a ])art of iShikoku 

 and the west end of the Main Island. — all seemed to me to point 

 to ilie conclitsion that the seismic disturhance in Kumamoto n'as caused 

 Inj a combined process of dislocation and an unsuccessful approach to a 

 volcanic explosion. Which of these icill hare been tlic main factor in 



