The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-11

Iliuliuk in charge of Lieutenant Johnston
and prize crew, and afterward towed to
Sitka by the Alki.
During the visit made by the cutter to
Unalaska and other islands, attention was
given to the laws for the prevention of
traffic in liquors and on one occasion,
in lliuliuk, where drtinkeness was OBJ
served about the place, quantity of
"quass," native intoxicant, was found
and destroyed. Contraband whisky was
found on the steamer Lakme and seized.
The Corwin's instructions were investi-
cation of unfrequented parts of Bering sea
to ascertain whether seals were changing
their haunts. The investigations were ex-
tended over wide range. Bristol bay and
the north shore of the Aleutian islands were
included in the cruise and the almost un-
known island of Nunikaki was visited
and circumnavigated. Special attention
was given to the observation of the move
ments of seals, and elaborate notes
were taken in all localities where
they were seen. Captain Hooper saws the
seals are not changing their habits or
haunts, and thinks they will continue to
frequent the old rookeries.
A mysterious island with faculty of
making parts of itself invisible was Wis.,
tied and examined during the cruise
1t is the little island of
Bogoslov. about sixty miles west from
Iliuliuk, that has excited so much Won
derment in the scientific circles of the
world because of the strange changes it
has undergone in a century. The re-
moteness of its location has pre-
Guided the possibility of close
i'm h,,t 1hc
in 1886 and continued at intervals mn to
the arrival of the Corwin this year. Bo-
goslov was in 1896 a single needle.
like peak, or islet, about 3l1 feet
high. In 1884, after an earthquake had
been heard in Iliuliuk and a shower of
fine ashes covered the city, an extension
of the island, with another rocky peak.
higher than the others and more needle
like, appeared. A strip of sand
spit and rock connected the peaks.
In the winter of lSs9-90 more
disturbances were felt at Iiuliuk.
and when Bogoslov was visited in the en-
suing summer it was found that most of
the stretch of sand had disappeared. leay-
ing only narrow spit connecting them.
and the soundings were radically different.
The Corwin found that the con-
Meeting chain of sand and rock
had entirely disappeared. "Sail Rock"
as one of the minor peaks was called. had
disappeared too, and another spouted
forth ire and lava that cast a crimson
hue over the waters for many miles
in all directions. In a short time
a passageway for ships was found between
the peaks by the Corwin. Soundings of
the passageway vary from twenty fathoms
10 no bottom. Off the shore, where once
there was good anchorage, the lead failed
To und bottom. The rocks continue 10
steam and sputter. They are more of the
nature OF geysers than VOLCANOES and have
no real crater. nor do they now DIS
charge ia'a. The exhalatlon are like steam.
white in color and very dense, pos
sessing a dlsagreeable odor. Ii shoots
out as if under heavy pressure from many
openings IN the rocks, and these steam
Jets unite in great cloud rising 10 an i'm
mense height in calm weather 1t was
distinctly seen by the officers of
the Corwin, and appeared like a white
cloud at distance of thirty miles The
top of the island is seldom visited, for il is
always enyeloped in cloud of steam.
The island is wearing away rapidly under
the continued influence of the Internal
heat. Great masses OF rock break from the
top and sides and fall into the sea- The
island was covered with seal, sea lion and
sea fowls. and the temperature OF the water
around it is much higher than at any other
point. Since its discovery in 1886 the vari-
Gus volcanic eruptions have changed its
appearance TO such an extent that il is
hardly recognizable now.
A further account of the schooner Hattie
Gage, on which q mutiny was reported.
have been received. Captain Downs, OF the