46 NOTES ON THE KURIL ISLANDS. 



Gales. — Heavy gales are liable to occur at any time of the 

 year, and I doubt if ever any one particular month passes without 

 one or more violent storms of wind. The majority of the gales 

 experienced in these latitudes finished up at north-west. Of fifty- 

 eight heavy gales, occurring between the middle of April and the 

 middle of October over several years, I find thirty-five finished at 

 north-west, eight at south-west, three at west-south-west, three at 

 east, and the rest at other points of the compass. The greatest 

 number took place in May, and the least in June. In nearly all 

 the storms which finished at north-west, the wind veered against 

 the sun from the south-east. When a gale commenced at south- 

 east or from any point east of it, it would, as a rule, haul to the 

 cast, then north-east, to north, and north-west, where it would 

 blow itself out. With gales commencing at south, the wind, after 

 backing, perhaps, to nearly east, would generally veer luith the sun 

 through south and south-west, and finish between south-west and 

 west-north-west. 



Some of the storms which occur during the summer and 

 autumn in the vicinity of the South-Western Kurils have the 

 characteristics of typhoons — in fact, are typhoons which have 

 travelled up the Japan coast, their area being no doubt much 

 enlarged, and their force somewhat spent. 



During a heavy gale the wind blows strongest off" the land. 

 The islands being high and narrow, the wind becomes banked up 

 as it were, and pours over the mountains and down the gullies 

 with hurricane force, picking up the water in sheets and whirling 

 it into luoollies, which are blown out to sea with terrific velocity. 



Great care is necessary when running in under the high land 

 of these islands during a gale. With a sailing vessel, in a moderate 

 breeze, it is advisable to pass to windward of an island in order 

 to keep the wind ; but, unfortunately, the windward side is always 

 the foggy side. The high mountains cause the winds to be very 

 baflling in the various straits, particularly the smaller ones. 



The barometer is of great service in these latitudes, and never 

 fails to give warning of an approaching storm. During summer an 

 abnormally high barometer for a few days will nearly always be 

 followed by a steady fall, culminating in a gale with heavy rain 

 from south-eastward. 



Fogs. — The constant fogs in the vicinity of the Kuril Islands 



