6 NOTES ON THE KURIL ISLANDS. 



going on the three or four days I remained around the islands, 

 and judging from the distance to which the point was -extended, the 

 quantity and height of the mass, I should say it must have con- 

 tinued at least for some weeks. 



In May, 1883, the volcano on the north-east end of Yetorup was 

 in violent activity, sending forth smoke, stones, and ashes, accom- 

 panied by loud thunder-like rumblings. These thunderings and 

 roarings, strange to say, appeared to be no louder when close 

 beneath the mountain than when 30 or 40 miles away. On 

 passing to leeward of the island, we were covered with fine ashes. 



When passing the Black Brothers in June, 1879, quantities of 

 ashes as fine as flour fell upon our decks, and we came to the con- 

 clusion that the volcano was in a state of eruption, although no 

 sounds could be heard. A dense fog prevailed at the time, and the 

 islands could not be seen. Later on, during paroxysms of greater 

 activity, the usual.detonations and thunderings were heard. 



In the month of September, 1881, the parasitic cone on the 

 north-west side of Milne Mountains, Simushir, was in active erup- 

 tion. Red-hot lava trickled down its sides in numerous little 

 streams, which at night gave the mountain the appearance of being 

 covered with dull lanterns. During this eruption ashes and large 

 pieces of rock were also ejected, which now strew the slopes and 

 base of the mountain. 



Matau and Chirinkotan I have only seen mildly eruptive, and 

 unaccompanied by noise, except the hissing caused by the hot lava 

 from the crater of Chirinkotan running into the sea. 



There are numerous signs of many more of the volcanoes having 

 been in active eruption in recent times. 



One of the latest, perhaps, is the volcano on the north end of 

 Shiashkotan. I first visited this island in 1878, and from appear- 

 ances an eruption had not long previously taken place. At the base 

 of the mountain near the beach, over an area of some two or three 

 acres, were scores of loose heaps of burnt and sulphurous-looking 

 earth, from some of which steam was issuing. In some places the 

 yellowish-looking ground was soft and yielding, in others hard, 

 with here and there pools and springs of water tasting strongly 

 of alum, and depositing a whitish sediment. Where this water 

 flowed into the sea, it discoloured it for a considerable distance. 



The driftwood on the beach was also charred, and the growth 



