"When tho contor of the island bore northeast and distant throe- 

 guartcrs of a mile tho CORMN was anchored in thirteen fathoms water 

 and a boat lowered in which, we proceeded towards the shore, soimding 

 in from ten to twelve fathoms until within one hundred and fifty feet 

 of tho beachj v^hen the water gradually shoaled and we landed without 

 difficulty, the wind being light from northeast and the sea smooth. The 

 landing place is shown in the sketch marked B, 



"The narrow isthmus connecting tho old and the ncvj formations is 

 composed of a mixture of fine black sand and small oolitic stone, the 

 greatest quantity of sand being on a line dividing the island longi- 

 tudinally into tv/o parts. During our stay the water did not rise high 

 enough to cover this beach^ but pieces of drift-wood, algae, etc., found 

 on the highest parts fully show that at times of highest tides or duilng 

 severe storms the entire isthmus is submerged, 



"The sides of the Bogoslov rise with a gentle slope to Ihe crater 

 and tho ascent at first appearance is easy, but the thin layer of ash 

 foimed into a crust by the action of rain and moisture is not strong 

 enough to sustain a man's weight. At every step my feet crushed through 

 the outer covering and I sunk at first ankle- deep and later on knoe-deep 

 into a soft, almost impalpable dust which arose in clouds and nearly 

 suffocated me. As the siijamit was reached the heat of the ashes became 

 almost unbearable, and I was forced to continue the ascent by picking 

 my way over rocks and bo?/lders whose surfaces being exposed to the air 

 were cooler and afforded a more secure foothold, 



"The 'temperature of the rdr at the base was 44° and at tho highest 

 point reached 60°, A thermometer buried in the sand at the .foot of the 

 cone registered 44°, half-way to the top, 191°, and in a crovice of tho 

 ramparts of the orater the mercury rap? dly expanded and filled the tube, 

 when the bulb burst, and shortly afterwards the solder used in attaching 

 the suspension ring to the instriiment was fused. We estimated the temper- 

 ture at this point to be 500° Fahrenheit. The temperature of the water 

 around the island was the same as that of the sea, as observed on board 

 the COranN at the time,' was 40°. 



"On all sides of the cone there are perforations through which 

 the steam escaped with more or less energy. I observed from seme vonts 

 the steam was emitted at regular internals, while from others it issued 

 with no perceptible intermission. Around each vent there was formed 

 a thick deposit of sulphur^ the vapor arising from which was suffocating 

 and nauseating in the extreme, 



"An examination of the interior of the crater was not satisfactory 

 on account of the clouds of smoke and steam arising and obscuring the 

 view. On the northwest side the surface of the cone is broken into a 

 thousand irregularities by masses of volcanic and metamorphic rock. On 

 allother sides, however, the accumulation of ash and dust has almost 

 entirely covered the rocks and the sides appear more even an'cMess 

 precipitous, 



"A curious fact to be noted in regard to this volcano is the entire 

 absence, apparently, of lava and cinder. Nowhere could I find the - 

 slightest evidence of either of these characteristics of other volcanoes 



- 52 - 



