8 NOTES ON TEE KURIL ISLANDS. 



Yetorup. — Pallas describes the volcano at north-east end as continually throw- 

 ing out flames and smoke. This mountain was in violent eruption in 

 May, 1883. Steam now issues from it and four other volcanoes on this 

 island. 



Kwiashir.— Steam issues from the crater of Rouse Mountain. 



Hot springs are to be found on most of the islands. I have 

 noticed them particularly on Kunashir, Yetorup, Ushishir, Rashau, 

 Shiashkotan, and Ekarma. 



On the western side of Rashau, about 3^ miles from south 

 cape, is a spring of warm water with a temperature of 111° Fahr. 

 It emerges from the base of some high cliffs, and runs over a ledge 

 of flat rocks, in which there are several crevices and hollows about 

 as large as a good-sized bath tub. These hollows are always filled 

 with the hot water, and make capital bathing-places. With tliis 

 hot spring close at hand I never saw or heard of it being used by 

 the natives who lived on this island. The water of this spring is 

 clear, tasteless, and odourless, and does not discolour the rocks over 

 which it flows. 



Kunashir has boiling springs, and on Yetorup there are a 

 number of hot springs, some of which are resorted to by the 

 inliabitaiits for the cure of skin disease, rheumatism, etc. 



Ushishir has a boiling spring inside the crater on the south- 

 eastern side. Here, at the base of the hills, the ground widens out 

 into a flattish area, on which a bank of sulphurous earth has been 

 formed. Through this bank fumeroles emit steam, bright yellow 

 flour-like sulphur being deposited around these orifices. 



Close by this, and only a few feet above sea-level, are the 

 springs of looiling mud and water. Tlie hot water flows in a small 

 stream into the basin of the crater. The water, as may be imagined, 

 smells and tastes strongly of sulphur. 



Ushishir, although one of the smallest islands of the group, is 

 an exceptionally interesting one, partly on account of its formation, 

 and also for the marvellous number of birds which resort to it 

 during the summer season. A description of the place may perhaps 

 be of interest. 



The island is separated into two parts, joined by a bouldery 

 reef. The northern portion is flattish on top, grass-grown, and 

 about a mile in extent. The southern part, which is rather more 

 than a mile in diameter, is a hollow^ volcanic crater which has been 



