66 NOTES ON TEE KURIL ISLANDS. 



chief settlements of the Northern Kurilsky, are to be seen on the 

 eastern side of the harbour. 



Around the bay some small trees and scrub grow, but the 

 other parts of the island have a very scanty supply of vegetation, 

 many parts, particularly the south-western, being quite bare. 

 There are considerable quantities of driftwood on the beaches of 

 the north-west coast. 



The streams are few and very small, and fish are scarce. 



Foxes, which are numerous, are the only land-animals. Sea- 

 lions are plentiful ; besides the rookery at the south-west end, 

 already mentioned, there is a large one about two miles below the 

 north-east cape on the Pacific side. Leopard seals are common, and 

 sea-otters scarce. 



Land-birds are few in number; sea-fowl are fairly numerous. 

 Immense flocks of harlequin ducks are seen here during the 

 summer. 



On the Admiralty charts this island is shown with a length of 

 only 27 miles, and lying north-east by north and south-west by 

 south ; whereas it should be 33 miles in length, with its general 

 direction north-east and south-west.* 



Ketoi. — The next island to the north-east is Ketoi. The 

 channel between is called Diane Strait, and is 8 miles wide. The 

 island is of a squarish form, about 6 miles through north and south, 

 and rather more east and west. Its area is 35 square miles. 



It shows a mass of mountains with several volcanic peaks, not 

 one of which, however, stands out as an isolated mountain. Its 

 highest part is on its north-western side, where the peak attains a 

 height of 3800 feet. Another near the centre of the island is 

 34!00 feet high. Steam issues from a crater in the north-western 

 corner, and from another near the central northern part. On the 

 west and north-west the land terminates mostly in high and 

 almost perpendicular cliffs, w^ith deep water close in to them. 

 On the north shore the cliffs run back inland a short distance, 

 leaving at their base an exi:»anse of low flattish land. This con- 

 tinues for about a mile and a half, when the cliffs again border 

 the shore round to the north-eastern side. From this the land 

 gradually slopes to the eastward and southward to the lowest 

 part of the island. 



* Corrected in Chart No. 2405. 



