20 N. Yamasaki 



of lhe Sliilvoku Range, jiasses obliquely througli tlie southern half of 

 the island. It culminates in the centre of the island in several high 

 peaks, such as Kunimi-dalce, 1739 m., Sobo-dake, 1758 m., and 

 Ichibusa-yama, 1722 m. The well-known river of Kunm-gawa flows 

 from Ichibusa-yama into the Sea of Yatsushiro, forming a picturesque 

 gorge through the mountains. The mountains are covered with 

 beautiful forests, and lumbering is the source of the wealth of this 

 district. It is also noted for the production of large bamboos. 

 Further south, there stretch the two great peninsulas of Satsuma and 

 Osumi, forming the shores of the beautiful Bay of Kogoshima. 

 The geological formation of these peninsulas is mostly mesozoic 

 combined with the other deposits of the Kyushu Eange ; but its surface 

 is covered to a great extent by ejecta of volcanoes, there having been 

 several violent eruptions in recent ages. The Kirishima group is one 

 of the most celebrated active volcanoes in Japan. Karakuni-dake, 

 1700 m., and Takachiho-no~mine, 1674 m., are magnificent cones in 

 this group. The volcanic chain of Kirishinia commences in this group; 

 Sakura-jima, 1060 m., which vvas once a volcanic island in the Bay 

 of Satsuma, violently erupted in 1914, sending forth so much lava 

 that the ejecta joined the island to the mainland and made it a 

 peninsula. Kaimon-dake to the south of it is a perfect conide at the 

 extremity of Satsuma Peninsula. The further extension of this chain 

 runs southwards and passes to Formosa through the volcanic islands 

 of Kawabe Shichito (Seven Islands of Kawabe) and those of the inner 

 zone of Ryukyu, some of which are active at y)resent. 



In the northern part of Kyushu, on the other hand, there lie the 

 so-called Tsukushi Mountains, a mountain group of various geologic 

 formations, ancient and recent, as well as of plutonic and volcanic 

 rocks. There is no regularity in the mountain forms, and the whole 

 region is divided into many tracts of mountains and hills, the heights 

 of which rarely exceed 1000 m., except in the case of some volcanic 

 cones. In this district vertical displacements of land were not rare 

 and the mountains were dissected by fault valleys. In many estuaries 

 of this origin were deposited in the Tertiary period extensive areas 

 of coal seams, which were afterward elevated as hilly tracts in the 

 mountainland. Many collieries are found there, and nearly 70 ^o of 

 the coal production of Japan comes from this district. Miike is the 

 most celebrated colliery and exports coal direct to many oriental 

 harbours as far as to Singapore. Moji, situated in the extreme north 



