

ALEUTIAN I-l AM'S 



AI.I.i'TIAN ISLANDS. 



it has a sinilinui square planted with trees, a public library. several 

 ood pabbe Vifl-Hry. and some beautiful palace* and churchea, 

 TV* [Xtoma, or cathedral, is richly dwrated ; among iU sculpture* 

 M rnlnstsl *Utue of St. Joseph by Parodi. The manufacture* of 

 the town r dka, linen, hosiery, hate, cotton handkerchief*, and 

 broad-cloth. Alassnitrl- U DIM of the largest and liveliest provincial 

 towns to Piedmont It has a coniiderable trade. Two great fain 

 are annually bold in April and October. The manufacture* and 

 other rood* brought to them are exposed for ale in a Urge bazaar 

 erected for th purpos*. The plain of San-Oiuliano and the village 

 at Mareago, famou* for the defeat of the Austrian! by the French in 

 1800, are within sight of Alexandria, on the right bank of the 

 Bormida, on the road to Tortona. After the rout of the Sardinian 

 army by the Austrian* at Novara, in March, 1849, an Austrian force 

 took and held the citadel for three month*. 



ALKITI AN ISLANDS, in the north of the Pacific Ocean, stretch 

 in an almost continuous series from the extremity of the peninsula 

 of Aliaska on the American side to within a short distance from the 

 eactcrn coast of Kamtcbatka on the side of Asia. The curve line 

 in which thi* chain of inland* lies forms the natural boundary between 

 the Kamtchatka Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The most eastern of 

 the chain, called Oonimak, is separated from the peninsula of Aliuka 

 by the strait of Issanskh, which is 16 miles long, and from 1 to H 

 wide, but at its southern extremity it narrow* to about half a mile. 

 The most eastern part of Oonimak is in 163* 30' W. long., and the 

 most western point of the Behring Inland is in 194* 10' W. long. 

 Both extremities of the chain are nearly under the same latitude, the 

 northern point of Oonimak being about 55' 8' N. lat, and that of 

 Behring Island 55* 22' N. lat, but the islands situated between them 

 form a slight curve, with its convex side turned to the south, BO 

 that the Island of Amtchitka, the most southern of the chain, reaches 

 with iU southern extremity to 51* 20' N. lat 



The whole chain is divided into four groups, which from east to 

 west are, the Fox Island*, the group of Audreianowiky, the Kryci or 

 Bat Islands, and the BlUhni (or Nearest) Islands; the last have 

 received their name from being nearest to the coast of Kamtchatka. 

 The two most western islands, namely, Ifeolny, or Copper Island, 

 and Behring Island, are not comprehended in these four groups, and 

 are called Commander Island* from the famous navigator Behring, 

 who was known in these seas only by the name of Commander. 



Tkt Fox Unndi are the most elevated, and the islands decrease in 



elevation as they advance farther west It is besides remarkable 



that nearly all the islands east of 180* of longitude extend in length 



from 8.W. to X.E., and are narrow and comparatively low at their 



south-western extremity, but grow higher and wider toward* the 



but west of 180* the islands extend in length from S.E. 



'V., and are narrow and low in their south-eastern parts, but 



wide and high towards N.W. 



In no part of the globe is subterranean fire so constantly and so 

 extensively in activity as in these islands, as some of them are 

 undergoing nearly continual changes from iU effects, especially the 

 lands, and among them the Island of Oonimak more than the 

 other* The number of active volcanoes exceeds thirty. They 

 constitute commonly the highest mountains of the island*. We shall 

 shortly notio. the largest of these islands and their volcanoes, 



beginning from the east 

 TKeieiudc 



1 of Oaaimal- U sbout 75 miles long and 28 miles wide where 

 widest. The derated chain of rocks which traverses it in all its 

 length, nsmi to oarer one extensive mass of subterranean fire, which 

 at several places has made wide openings whence it issues in a 

 continual stream; yet the Uland* experience frequent earthquakes. 

 Six burning volcanoes hare been observed. The most elevated, the 

 HhhhsHislrnl, situated nearly in the centre of the island, has an 

 elevation of 8963 feet above the sea level. Another not far from it 

 to the aW. and called the Progromnol rises to 7200 feet 



The bland of Atodan, which U about 76 miles in circumference, 

 has a volcano In its centre, which U 3332 feet high. Between Akooten 

 and Oonimak is the small Island of Akoon, which has also a volcano 

 and hot Mines. 



On the Island at OmobuUra U the volcano Makooshinskaja Sopka, 

 which rises to 6474 fort, and whose upper part in th<- im.Mlr of 

 August was covered with snow to a dutence of nearly 2000 feet from 

 Its) summit [OOXAI.AAIIKA.] 



The Island of Oomnak is about 70 miles long and 17 miles across 

 where widest It has two volcanoes, called Vrevidowskoi and Tooliskoi. 

 A third volcano U found on the small Uland of St. -John Bogo*lofT, 

 which rise* to 1600 feet, and rose from the bottom of the sea in 1796, 

 Mar the northern extremity of Oomnak. 



r'arther west are the Islands of the Four Mountain*, consisting of 

 re els vsteil but small uleta, Kigamiliakh, Tanagh, Agoonakh 

 0oH ^* U t-.' lrf *****> f "<* hare volcanoes; the last- 



"""I lwo * "1 eonical peak* rising from a deep 



The Island of Y~~ut. which is about 18 miles round, has a 



l??5Sr*$?t neari * A n> P u "> of wch took place in 1824, and 

 to 1MO It stall thrnr ap Moris and ashes, 



Tfce Island of Am~tom or Amooktoo, the most western of the Fox 

 Islands, is circular, sad is about 7 mile, hi diameter. Its volcano ha* 

 ben lot* quiescent 



A drnetomrjr Itlandt. Sigooam, the most eastern of this group, 

 is about 1 4 mile* long and more than 9 miles wide. On its eastern aids 

 is a low volcanic peak, from which frequently a column of smoke 

 arises, but no eruption is on record. 



Anita is a considerable island, being about 45 miles long. Like 

 the other* it consists of mountains, but they are comparatively low, 

 and mostly covered with herbage. It has no volcano. 



Atkha, the largest island of this group, is nearly 60 miles long, and 

 traversed by an elevated chain, which towards the north rises above 

 the snow-line, and contains several volcanoes: the most northern, 

 Korovinsko'i, attains 4852 feet above the sea-level, and Mount 

 Kluchevskoi farther *outh is nearly as high. On this Uland are a 

 great number of crater* and depressions filled with boiling mud, which 

 frequently rises above its surface in jetx, and is accompanied with a 

 loud subterranean noise. 



On the western side of Atkha U the small Island of Kmioothi, con- 

 sisting of one mass of rocks, overtopped by several pointed peaks, the 

 form of which, however, U frequently changed by volcanic action. 

 Between these rocks a thick smoke rises at several places. The 

 native* of the islands have observed that this rocky mass continually, 

 though slowly, rises higher and higher, as some places which were 

 formerly visited by the sea-lions are now elevated so as to be near the 

 middle of the rock. 



The Island of Kail Sill-tin is about 30 miles in circumference. In 

 its centre U a volcano covered with perpetual snow, and 5033 feet 

 above the sea-level. 



Adakk is an island of considerable extent, but it* dimensions are 

 not known. It is mountainous, but except at a few places the snow 

 disappears in summer. 



Kanaga U also considerable, but imperfectly known. On it 

 northern coast U a volcano, which is covered with perpetual snow to 

 half its elevation, and continuously emits smoke. 



Tanaga ia about 30 miles long and nearly 15 miles wide, and con- 

 sults of three masses of rocks divided from one another by deep 

 depressions. The southern mass U formed by a volcano, which rises 

 far above the snow-line. 



Ottrotca Gorely (the Burnt Island), the most western of the group 

 of the Andreianowdky Islands, consists only of a volcano in the form 

 of a pyramid with a pointed peak, which U covered with perpetual snow. 

 The sea washes everywhere the base of the volcano, which ia 18 miles 

 in circumference. 



Kryci Itlandi. Stmuopotthny (or Island of Seven Mountains), the 

 most eastern of thin group, has a circular shape, and is about 12 miles 

 in diameter. It mountains do not rise above 3000 feet, and snow in 

 only found at a few places in summer. From one of its summits 

 Hinoke rises continually. 



Amiehilta U the largest and most southern of the Kryci Islands. 

 It extends 40 miles from S.K. to N.W. It contain* more level 

 ground than any of the other Uland* of this chain, and the mountains, 

 which occupy about two-third* of the length of the Uland, do not rise 

 to a great elevation. 



Wat or Little Sill-kin U the most western island on which a volcano 

 occurs. 



Kytlin i* about 35 mile* long and 14 miles across at the widest jmrt. 

 Mountains of moderate elevation cover half it* surface, whibt the 

 other half U rather level, but the shores are rocky and steep. 



Sooldyr, the most western of the Kryci Islands, consists of mode- 

 rately elevated mountain*. It is 5 milea long and 3 miles broad. 



The Rlithni group contain* only two considerable inland*, Attoo 

 and Agattoo. Attoo is about 40 miles long from E. to W. and 

 17 mile* wide. Its surface U covered with mountain*, on which the 

 snow remain* at some places all the year round, which Known that 

 they attain about 3000 feet above the sea-level. It* coasts are high 

 and rocky. 



Ayatloo w nearly as large as Attoo, and resembles it in other 

 r. |.. . t 



For the Commander Iilnndt see BF.HRINO ISLAND. 



All these ulands are composed of volcanic rocks, and present all the 

 irregularity of shape and surface which U peculiar to thin formation. 

 It frequently happens that between the masse* of rock are deep 

 depressions in most instances forming valleys, but in some inntanoes 

 travcrning the inland* in their width, and forming ixthmiiKca wh. 

 a part of the depression is filled by an arm of the sea. Most of the 

 Ulands have one or more liorlwur* fit for large vowel*, but c.mimonly 

 the water in them i- very deep, and in many the vowels must be 

 moored to the rocks to be quite safe. The mountains themselves are 

 quite bare, except in some places near their base. 



The climate is very wet in summer. It can hardly be said that 

 they have a summer, for in UiU season fog* and rain* ore of daily 

 occurrence ; snow sometimes falls in the middle of July. No fog* 

 occur in winter ; the atmonphere i* then commonly dry, and the 

 night* very clear. The frost i* not intense. In 1829 the mercury 

 in the thermometer on the Inland of Atkha did not sink lower than 

 21 below Eero, and in 1830 it *unk only to 16 I But 



till the weather U very unpleasant, on account of the sharp north- 

 east and north-west wind*. 



The lower part* of the Ulands are covered either with gran* or with 

 moss, and produce several plants and bushes with berries, but there 



