128 S. SEKIYA AND Y. KIKUCHI 



sounds were heard on the same morning in Takai-kori, in the Province 

 of Shinano, distant about 164 kilometres or 102 miles southwest from 

 Bandai-san. The barograph in the Imperial Meteorological Obser- 

 vatory in Tokyo, which is 212 kilometres or 132 miles south of Ban- 

 dai, was not affected. The magnetometer in the same Observatory 

 also o-ave no record that could be regarded as an effect of the eruption. 

 While we were staying on the mountain we often witnessed the 

 fall of large masses of the perpendicular crater wall, which, coming 

 down from great heights with stupendous force, were smashed into 

 thousands of fragments and descended with whirlpool-like move- 

 ments to the lower levels. These slips produced terrible rumblings, 

 which resounded throughout the crater, and were also heard far away. 

 By the already panic-stricken inhabitants of the neighbouring villages 

 these repeated noises were regarded with consternation as tokens of a 

 further volcanic outbreak, and it was weeks before they became pa- 

 cified and assured as to the real cause. 



Lightning'. From the ascending columns of steam and ashes vivid zig-zag- 



flashes of lightning were seen to dart forth, and were accompanied by 

 loud roars of thunder. These phenomena, observed from several 

 points around the mountain, may be regarded as resulting from the 

 discharges of friction.il electricity which, as is well known, are liable 

 to be brought about in volcanic explosions when steam at high ten- 

 sion escapes through a narrow orifice, and collides with the surround- 

 ing air and the more solid ejectamenta. 



Sparks. While the main eruptions were going on, the people in Inawa- 



shiro and the neighbouring villages saw through the densely falling 

 ashes innumerable vivid sparks of fire on the slopes of Obandai and 

 Akahani, at considerable distances from the crater. These sparks 

 were quite different in nature from lightning, presenting rather an 

 appearance as of the firing of a vast number of guns. The probable 



