126 G. M. DAWSON COASTS OF BERING SEA AND VICINITY. 



quantity. Nordenskjold gives some general notes on Bering island, and 

 quotes a statement made to him by Mr Grebnitsky of a character similar 

 to the above.* 



To the south of Nikolski the western shore of Bering island was not 

 seen. 



Copper Island. — Copper or Medni island is about thirty miles in length, 

 with a greatest width of about five miles, to the south of the middle of 

 the island. It forms a single mountainous ridge, of which the highest 

 parts probably attain an elevation of 3,000 feet, and is much bolder in 

 outline than Bering island. Its surface is exceedingly irregular, and 

 comprises very little flat land of any kind, while its shore is often bor- 

 dered by high and rugged seacliffs, particularly along the southeastern 

 side. The shoreline of this side is sinuous, while that of the northeastern 

 side is deeply indented by several considerable bays, but affords no good 

 harbors for large vessels. There are three small settlements on the north- 

 east coast — Glinka, Karabelny and Preobajenski — the last named being 

 the most northern and the only one continuously occupied during the 

 winter months. 



The island appears to be almost entirely composed of volcanic rocks 

 of some antiquity. No volcanic cones or craters were observed, but, on 

 the contrary, the existing relief is evidently the result of oridnary 

 denudation. The slopes are generally steep and are sometimes sur- 

 mounted by rocky crests, but are usually more or less completely grass- 

 covered from base to summit. The hills in their form and general appear- 

 ance much resemble those of the higher parts of Saint Matthew island. 



Copper island was crossed near its southeastern end from Glinka 

 (Pestchanni of some charts). At Glinka the rocks seem to have a general 

 southeasterly dip, and both here and on the other side of the island are 

 for the most part gray and brownish porphy rites (augite-porphyrite?), 

 with some massive beds of coarse agglomerate. Where the scarped slopes 

 of the southwest side of the island were first reached, a bed ten to twenty 

 feet in thickness of a soft pale tuffaceous rock was found. This consists 

 of small fragments and fine amorphous material, all apparently volcanic 

 in origin, and contains embedded pieces of tree-trunks, sometimes more 

 or less silicified, but more usually in the form of lignite. The tuff was 

 observed in some instances to fill what had originally been hollows in 

 the rotten wood. Below this is a bed ten feet or more in thickness of 

 coarse conglomerate with well rounded stones, which also contains lig- 

 nitized fragments of trees. The pebbles from the conglomerate consist of 

 volcanic rocks similar to those common in the vicinity, and the whole of 

 the water-bedded intercalation appeared to be referable to the temporary 



* Voyage of the Vega, vol. ii, pp. 280, 291. 



