76 NOTES ON TEE KURIL ISLANDS. 



island the soundings are from 7 to 17 fathoms, a safe distance from 

 the beach. On the west and south-west sides there are some off- 

 lying rocks. 



The low ground and the lower slopes of the mountains are 

 green with vegetation, which here and there includes a little scrub. 



Cod and rock-fish are plentiful. 



Sea-birds in great numbers are to be found. Foxes exist here, 

 but no other land-animal. Leopard seals are numerous, and sea- 

 otters rare. Sea-lions are seen around the island, but there are no 

 rookeries on it. 



Many beds of kelp grow around the coast. 



Avos EocK, or Avos Island as it is called on charts, is merely a 

 whitish-looking steep, bare rock, about 200 feet high, roughly 

 pyramidal in form, with a base of some 30 or 40 yards. At a 

 distance it has the appearance of a vessel under full sail. Within a 

 cable's length of the high rock are four othfir smaller ones, 20 or 30 

 feet above water, and beyond these, extending about two cables' 

 length, is a kelp patch, at the end of which there is a rock just 

 awash. A short distance off, a depth of from 30 to 35 fathoms was 

 found all around the rocks and shoal. 



Sea-lions " haul out " on these rocks, but do not breed here. 

 Guillemots, kittiwake gulls, and shags are plentiful, and in June their 

 eggs can be obtained in thousands. 



Avos rock bears west a quarter south from the south point of 

 Makanrushir, about 10 miles. It is not laid down correctly on 

 charts. 



Amphitrite Strait, between Onekotan and Paramushir, is 28 

 miles wide. This channel is generally used by vessels crossing the 

 Okhotsk Sea, bound to and from Petropaulovski. In thick or hazy 

 weather it is advisable to give the Paramushir side of the strait a 

 wide berth. The currents are strong, and both Cape Kapari and 

 Cape Henry have reefs and rocks off them to a considerable 

 distance. Being low, these points are often difficult to make out 

 when the higher land is plainly visible. 



Paramushir is one of the largest islands in the Kuril chain. 

 It has an area of 562 square miles, is 57 miles in length, and has an 

 average width of about 10 miles. 



This island is more universally mountainous than any other of 

 the larger ones. It has several noble volcanoes, the most prominent 



