THE RUSSIAN FUE-SEAL ISLANDS. 37 



are contiuuous, with a very low watershed, thus dividing the mountains into two 

 separate masses. In these the peaks, ridges, and intervening valleys are distributed 

 without any apparent regular system. In the northern mountain mass, however, it 

 is easy to recognize a dominating central stock between Podutionnaya and Buyan, 

 from w hich several of the largest streams of the island radiate west, north, and east, 

 as, for instance, rodiillomiayd, Fedotikia, Kameimayu, fhv Starnya Gavan River, and 

 the Buyan Eiver. The most conspicuous mountain of the southern mass, and in fact 

 the highest on the island, is the one which I have named Mount Steller.' It is 

 located just south of the low valley between Gladkovskaya and I'olavuio, mentioned 

 above, and is particularly impressive and beautiful viewed from the latter place. 

 The mountains grow more foi'bidding and precipitous as the southern extremity of 

 the island is approached, the last cape, a bold and knife-sharp promontory, the 

 Stotclnioi Mys, better known as Gape Manati, being particularly picturesque. 



The northern third of the island has an entirely different aspect from the remainder. 

 In a general way it may be described as being low, the highest elevation being but 

 slightly more than 000 feet. In reality it consists of a series of usually well-marked 

 terraces. First comes the present beach followed by a steep coast escarpment aver- 

 aging about 30 feet. In the deep bays this escarpment recedes inland so as to inclose 

 the lakes formed by the rise of the land, and the heaping up by the sea of gravel and 

 sand in front of them. Then follows a strip of varying width of nearly level or gently 

 sloping land to the base of an intermediate, often abrupt, terrace, which brings us to 

 an elevation of from liOO to 300 feet. The level following leads to the next and last rise, 

 which is tiie highest, but also usually the most gentle, though in some places still 

 (juite precipitous. The level above this rise forms either large plateaus with a somewhat 

 undulating surface, or the tops of singularly regular, tlat-topped table mountains, 

 which the natives, from their api)earance suggesting overturned boats, have given the 

 grai)hic name of Lotka, or Baidara, mountains. There are two grouiis of these table 

 mountains, both very conspicuous when one approaches at sea the main village, viz 

 the Hevcrnk Lotki, two very regu.lar and round tables, between 3 and i miles (nautical) 

 north of Nikolski, and the SaransJde Lotki, three equally well marked, though less 

 regular mountains, about 5 miles distant to the northeast, on the west side of the great 

 Saranna Lake. TJie highest altitude of the former group I have measured to be 577 

 feet; of the latter, 017 feet. The two main plateaus, which are situated north of the 

 great lakes, are the Northern Plateau between Cape Zapaduie and Saranna, and Toukoi 

 Plateau from the latter place, where a deep cut, in which flows the Saranna Eiver, 

 separates the two plateaus, to East Toulvoi Mys, the Cape Wa.vell of many charts. 



Between the terraced plateaus, which form the foothills and northern extension 

 of the mountainous southern portion of the island, and the two detached tablelands 

 named above, there is a deiiression extending across the island, which is tilled by one 

 very large and a number of smaller lakes, as well as by extensive swamps. 



The large lake alluded to, Haranna Lake^'^ia quite an imposing sheet of water for 

 so small an island, covering, as it does, an area of about 20 square miles. It connects 

 with the sea at the Saranna village, on the north shore of the island, by means of a 

 short river less tlian a mile long. The level of the lake is about 40 feet above that of 

 the sea. From the western end of this lake there is almost contiiuious commuui- 



' Deutsche Geograph. IJiutter, vni, 1885, p. 240. 



• On some maps called Fedoskia Lake, a name unknown on the island. 



