4 
situated so that the meridian of 138° 44' East of Greenwich, 
and the parallel of 35°21' North intersect near its summit. 
Attaining the height of 3778m. (approximately) above the sea 
level, this truncated cone adds a most graceful feature to the 
landscape of the Pacific coast. Its foot covers an extensive area, 
measuring 45 km. from N. to S. and 30 km. from E. to W. 
Combined with the elevations of the Myoko volcanic group on 
the north, Mt. Yatsugatake in the middle, and far on the south 
Mts. Amagi and Izu-Shichito,* it forms the Fuji volcanic chain, 
which divides the main-island into two parts. Among the vol- 
canoes of this chain, Fujiyama, being the one formed most recently 
probably in the diluvian age, is thought to have the most 
recent vegetation. 
It has Mt. Ataka at its very base, and Mt. Amagi some 
eighty miles to the south, while Mt. Ivinbusen is on the north at 
a distance of about eighty miles. Further on, a hundred miles to 
the north-west, is Mt. Yatsugatake with Mt. Komagatake a little 
nearer, and Mt. Akaishi on the west at a distance of about 
eighty miles. All these mountains are supposed to have been 
already extinct, while Mt. Fuji was still active. And therefore, 
it is highly probable that all these elevations in the vicinity 
were crowned with rich vegetation while the young volcano was 
still bare of organic growth. 
So much for the geology of the elevations in the vicinity. 
Turning now to the mountain itself, it has five lakes at its base, 
viz : — Yamanaka, Kawaguchi, Nishi, Shoji and Motosu. They 
are said with great probability to have been originally a semicir- 
cular lake skirting the base of the mountain. This lake was 
afterwards divided into five by the diminution of its water, and 
also by the intrusion of lava that flows from the volcano. These 
lakes give a great variety to the otherwise monotonous scenery 
of the basal slope, and especially on the north-western flank 
* Seven islets near Prov. Izu. 
