1 8 YESSO. 



very low average temperature, nothing I believe would 

 repay the labour of cultivation and sowing. The cause 

 of this great difference of climate in the east and west 

 of the island is very easily accounted for. The warm 

 equatorial stream, with an almost uniform temperature 

 of 58° to 60°, washes the western shores. The cold 

 arctic current, with its low maximum temperature of 

 38°, embraces all the eastern part, and not only is the 

 cause of this low temperature for the latitude, 44°, but 

 is also the cause of the constant fog during the summer 

 months, which always takes place when the warm south- 

 easterly wind blowing up from the tropics, and charged 

 with vapour, comes in contact with the cold water. I 

 experienced no real summer in the eastern parts of 

 Yesso. The high land had always snow on it. 

 About three days in a month at most were clear of 

 fog. Gales from all quarters were frequent, and I 

 was told that the straits between Yesso and Kunashir 

 are well frozen across early in the winter. 



There are several localities where coal is found 

 on the island. I tried some from the Iwani mine on 

 the west coast, but found it wretchedly bad. The 

 fault of nearly all Japanese coal, I have been told by 

 geologists, is, it is too young. Good timber is abundant 

 in Yesso ; amongst deciduous trees, numerous species 



