THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 
37 
are continuous, with a very low watershed, thus dividing the mountains into two 
separate masses. In these the peaks, ridges, and intervening valleys are distributed 
without any apparent regular system. In the northern mountain mass, however, it 
is easy to recognize a dominating central stock between Podufiosnaya and Buyan, 
from which several of the largest streams of the island radiate west, north, and east, 
as, for instance, Podiitiosnaya., FedosMa, Kamemiaya, the Staraya Gavan River, and 
the Buyan River. The most conspicuous mountain of the southern mass, and in fact 
the highest on the island, is the one which I have named Mount Steller.' It is 
located just south of the low valley between Gladkovskaya and Polavino, mentioned 
above, and is particularly impressive and beautifid viewed from the latter i)lace. 
The mountains grow more forbidding and precipitous as the southern extremity of 
the island is approached, the last cape, a bold and knife-sharp promontory, the 
Stotchnoi Mys, better known as Cape Manati, being i)articularly picturesque. 
The uorthern third of the island has an entirely different aspect from the remainder. 
In a general way it may be described as being low, the highest elevation being but 
slightly more than (iOO feet. In reality it consists of a series of usually well-marked 
terraces. First comes the present beach followed by a steep coast escaiqiment aver- 
aging about 30 feet. In the dee^) bays this escarpment recedes inland so as to inclose 
the lakes formed by the rise of the laud, and the heaping up by the sea of gravel and 
sand in front of them. Then follows a strip of varying width of nearly level or gently 
sloping land to the base of an intermediate, often abrupt, terrace, which brings us to 
an elevation of from 200 to 300 feet. The level following leads to the next and last rise, 
which is the highest, but also usually the most gentle, though in some lilaces still 
quite precipitous. The level above this rise forms either large x^lateaus with a somewhat 
undulating surface, or the tojjs of singularly regular, flat-topped table mountains, 
which the natives, from their appearance suggesting overturned boats, have given the 
graphic name of Lotka, or Baidara, mountains. There are two grouiis of these table 
mountains, both very conspicuous when one api)roaches at sea the main village, viz 
the Severnie Lotki, two very regular and round tables, between 3 and -4 miles (nautical) 
north of Nikolski, and the Saranshie Lotki, three equally well marked, though less 
regular mountains, about 5 miles distant to the northeast, on the west side of the great 
Saranna Lake. The highest altitude of the former groux^ I have measured to be 577 
feet; of the latter, G17 feet. The two maiu plateaus, which are situated north of the 
great lakes, are the Northern Plateau between Oax)e Zapaduie and Saranna, and Tonlcoi 
Plateau from the latter x^lace, where a deex> cut, in which flows the Saranna River, 
sexiarates the two xhateaus, to Bast Tonkoi Mys, the Cape Waxell of many charts. 
Between the terraced x>lateaus, which form the foothills and northern extension 
of the mountainous southern x>ortion of the island, and the two detached table lands 
named above, there is a dex)ression extending across the island, which is tilled by one 
very large and a number of smaller lakes, as well as by extensive swamps. 
The large lake alluded to, Saranna Lalce,'^ is quite an imx)osing sheet of water for 
so small an island, covering, as it does, an area of about 20 square miles. It connects 
with the sea at the Saranna village, on the north shore of the island, by means of a 
short river less than a mile long. The level of the lake is about 40 feet above that of 
the sea. From the western end of this lake there is almost continuous commuui- 
^ Deutsche Geograpli. Blietter, viii, 1885, 210. 
“ Ou some maps called Fedoskia Lake, a name unknown on the island. 
