THE ERUPTION OF BANDAI-SAX. 131 



of a steamboat running on the lake told us that his vessel, anchored 

 close to the shore, was moved outwards nearly - 6 metres by the distur- 

 bance of the water. Though this disturbance occurred almost simul- 

 taneously with the eruption, we are disposed to agree with the cap- 

 tain in believing that it was a result of the earthquake immediately 

 preceding it. 



On the whole, the only premonitory signs that were really trust- 

 worthy were the slight shocks which occurred on previous days and 

 half an hour before the eruption, and no implicit faith can be placed 

 on the slight testimony in favour of other warning symptoms. 



Volcanoes have often been described as one of the principal change of topo- 

 restorative agents in counteracting the denuding action of water that f iap 



° o o tures. 



tends to bring the surface of the earth to a level. In the late eruption 

 of Bandai, however, the effect was destructive and not constructive. 

 The materials which had accumulated in past ages gave way, and 

 were thrown down from a higher to a lower level in less than an 

 hour ; the effect of this being analogous to a gigantic land-slip. In 

 this way, considerable changes have been wrought in the topography 

 and contour of the adjoining districts. How the torrent of earth and 

 rocks devastated an area of some 70 square kilometres (27 square 

 miles) has already been described in the preceeding pages. The 

 general effect of this spreading out of débris was to effect the level- 

 ling of the general contour ; all the surface ravines and gorges, being 

 entirely filled up. The northern side of Bandai was before the erup- 

 tion, an undulating grassy plain — the 'Hara' so characteristic of 

 volcanic districts in Japan — drained by the river Nagase, and dotted 

 here and there with some straggling hamlets. Professor J. Milne 

 who visited this part of the country several years ago described it as 

 consisting of grassy slopes without any exposure of rocks. The des- 

 cending deluge of debris pouring across Obudaira, as the northern 



