THE 
GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE. 
NEW SERIES. DECADE II. VOL. IV. 
No. V.— MAY, 1877. 
ORIGIITAL AETICLES. 
I. — A YlSIT TO THE VoLCANO OF OsHIMA. 
By Professor John Milne, F.G.S., 
Imperial College of Engineering, Kogakurio, Tokei, Japan. 
L OOKIN G at a map of Asia, or, still better, at a map of Japan, 
there will be seen a string of islands Stretching from near the 
entrance of the Bay of Yeddo in a more or less southerly direction 
towards the Bonins. It is very probable that all these islands are 
of volcanic origin. With the exception of one or two of them, 
which within the last few years have given off a few curling wreaths 
of steam, they might strictly be defined as being dormant, having 
given vent neither to fire nor smoke within the history of their 
inhabitants. In this respect they are similar to many of the volcanic 
cones in Japan, with which they are also probably coincident in age. 
A short time ago, however, during the first week in January, a great 
change was observed in the most northern of these islands, which is 
called Oshima. Ships coming into Yokohama brought news that 
the island was on fire. One captain reported that flaines 200 feet 
in height were seen. Although Oshima was an island which three 
years previously liad been giving out clouds of smoke, and seven 
years before that had been actually in eruption, it was thought by 
many that the conflagration was due to the burning of grass or 
wood, and it was not tili some days had passed that the true state 
of affairs became fully recognized. 
After some trouble, a party was organized and a steamer engaged 
to visit the scene of the eruption. We left Yokohama on the after- 
noon of the 19th January, and in the evening reached Kanasaki, a 
village situated at the extremity of the peninsula upon the south side 
of Yeddo Bay. After staying here a few hours, we continued our 
course, and reached the island shortly after daybreak on the follow- 
ing morning. During the night there was an uninterrupted view of 
the volcano, from the summit of which huge clouds of steam, lighted 
up with the glow from the crater beneath, could be distinctly seen. 
It was a veritable “ pillar of fire.” 
The island, which is about eight miles long, and very mountainous, 
has only one harbour, and this is useless but for vessels of small 
size. It is called Habu, and is situated near the S.E. corner of the 
island. It is entered by a narrow gap in eliffs of stratified and con- 
torted agglomerate. This entrance is shallow, but the harbour itself 
13 
DECADE II. VOL. IV. — NO. V. 
