I)ESCRIPTION OF EACH ISLAND AND THE STRAITS. 71 



Immense numbers of sea-lions are found here. In a rocky bight 

 on the west side is a fur-seal rookery, but only a few scores of 

 these animals are now captured at this place. In 1883, this 

 rookery was frequented by at least 15,000 fur-seals. 



MusHiR Strait, between Raikoke and Shiashkotan, is 40 miles 

 across. In this strait are the Mushir rocks, a group of islets lying 

 30 miles north-east by east from Raikoke, and 11 miles in a south- 

 south-westerly direction from the south-west end of Shiaskotan. 

 There are four principal rocks, known as Long rock. Bluff rock, 

 Low rock, and Seal rock. 



Long rock is the northernmost. It is about 80 feet high, and 

 is cleft into two small peaks on top. Some grass grows on it. It 

 is not difficult to land upon, as there are many small rocks and kelp- 

 beds around it which break the seas. A reef, mostly above water, 

 extends from this to Bluff rock, which is about 1-10 feet high. It 

 is flat-topped, with very steep sides, and is split through the middle 

 perpendicularly. Low rock, the next, is small and only a few feet 

 above water. Seal rock is bare and jagged, of a cleft pyramidal 

 form, and about 140 feet high. 



These islets and reefs lie in the form of a crescent about a mile 

 in diameter, open to the westward, and are probably part of the 

 rim of an old submarine crater. Much kelp grows around these 

 rocks and reefs on every side. 



Anchorage can be got inside the crescent in from 10 to 15 

 fathoms, and also outside, to the north-east, in from 10 to 16 

 fathoms, with rocky bottom. Strong currents set through, causing 

 swirls and heavy rips at times. 



There are many sea-lions here, and fur-seals are sometimes to 

 be found on Seal rock. Some thousands were taken here a few 

 years ago. A few leopard seals and an occasional sea-otter are to 

 be met with also. The sea-fowl are fulmars, shags, gulls, puffins, 

 guillemots, and auks of various kinds. 



There are no other dangers than the Mushir rocks in the Mushir 

 Strait. 



Shiashkotan is nearly 13 miles in length, and from ^ to 4^ 

 miles wide. Its area is 34^ square miles. 



This island has a mass of mountains at each end, connected by a 

 stretch of level land between, about half a mile in width, and some 

 80 to 100 feet above the sea. The southern mountain has a broadly 



