Marcu 7, 1884. ] 
1816-17.— It had no activity (Eschscholtz). 
1820. — It was smoking (Dr. Stein). 
1823. — It was not smoking (Veniaminoff). 
1832.— There was no smoke (Tebenkoff, 
Liitke). 
Although frequently seen in later years by 
the navigators of the Russian-American and 
Alaska commercial companies, and by the 
whalers, no one has noticed it as exhibiting 
any signs of activity. 
In an other part of Veniaminoff’s work, in 
giving more particulars of earthquakes and 
voleanoes, he writes, — 
“The new island, Bogosloff, in latitude 53° 58’ 
north,! and longitude 168° 5’ west, rose from the sea 
in the early part of May, 1796. Before the island 
appeared above the sea, there had been witnessed, for 
a long time in that spot, a column of smoke. On the 
Sth of May, after a strong subterranean noise, with 
the wind fresh from the north-west, the new small, 
black islet became visible through the fog; and from 
the summit great flames shot forth. At the same 
time there was a great earthquake in the mountains 
on the north-west part of Umnak Island, accompanied 
by a great noise like the cannonading of heavy guns; 
and the next day the flames and the earthquake con- 
tinued. The flames and smoke were seen for a long 
time. Many masses of pumice-stone were ejected on 
the first appearance of the island.”’ 
At that time it was, perhaps, only one-quarter 
the size of its present dimensions; and it in- 
creased in size, growing higher, and breaking 
down at the same time on all sides. Finally, 
about 1823, it seemed to become unchangeable. 
Until it ceased to increase in size, it was hot, 
as well as the sea-water around it; while smoke 
and steam arose from it continuously. 
It is noticeable, also, in this connection, that 
Krenitzen and Levasheff, who made the voyage 
of discovery in 1768 and 1769 to endeavor to 
discover the track of Bering’s voyage, have 
marked Bogosloff on their chart as situated 
forty miles west by south of Makushin volcano, 
and surrounded by sunken rocks. Their mark 
is a view (see sketch), and clearly indicates the 
peculiar shape of the islet at that time. Their 
course led them ten miles to the northward of 
it. So much for the older authorities. 
Along the whole chain of the Aleutian Is- 
lands, from abreast of the Kamtchatka penin- 
sula to the head of the peninsula of Alaska, 
there is a line of the greatest volcanic activity 
exhibited by about fifty volcanoes, of which 
many are living, and of which some are at 
times in a state of violent eruption. Some 
of them have an extreme elevation of about 
twelve thousand feet on the Alaska peninsula ; 
while the Aleutian volcanoes range from three 
thousand to nine thousand feet. | 
1 This latitude agrees with Cook’s. 
SCIENCE. 
283 
Of these living volcanoes, one is that of 
Makushin, on the north-western part of the 
large island of Unalashka, and directly over- 
looking Captain’s Harbor, on the north side 
of that island; and another is the islet of 
Bogosloff, now under discussion, situated 
twenty-five miles to the westward of the north- 
western point of Unalashka. ‘This islet has 
acquired unusual importance, because there 
has arisen alongside of it, from the depths of 
the ocean, a volcanic island over one thousand 
feet high. This fact also suggests inquiries 
into the condition of the island seen by Cook 
as ‘an elevated rock which appeared like a 
tower,’ and its condition in May, 1796, when 
it seems to have exhibited unusual signs of 
activity. Also it appeared, as before men- 
tioned, to have increased in size, and continued 
so to do as late as 1823. It is possible that 
Cook saw the rock when in a state of inaction, 
as he made it out at a distance of four leagues, 
when working to the eastward under the north- 
ern shore of Unalashka; and the weather must 
have been clear. I conjecture that he sailed 
between it and Unalashka to save getting too 
far to leeward; and he must have had it in 
sight for several hours. 
BOGOSLOFF ISLAND, DISTANT TEN MILES, AS SEEN BY 
KRENITZEN AND LEVASHEFF, 1768-69. 
As late as September and October, 1883 
(to come down to our own times), the island 
was seen by two captains in the service of the 
Alaska commercial company, — Hague and 
Anderson, — both of whom called upon me, 
described the character of this new formation, 
and enabled me to make a rough sketch of 
the islet as it appeared to them (see view). 
They both passed close to it, approaching from 
opposite sides, and thus were enabled to judge 
of its size, height, and general appearance. 
Capt. Anderson, in the schooner Matthew 
Turner, saw the island at daybreak (five a.m.) 
on the 27th of September, 1883, and passed 
it at half-past eight a.m. within three cables’ 
lengths ; heaving the lead as fast as practicable, 
with twenty fathoms of line, and finding no 
bottom, although the water was discolored and 
of ared color. The vessel first approached it 
on the eastern side, stood up to the north- 
westward, tacked ship, and passed to the west- 
