and when I had finished he questioned me closely as to the proper measures to be adopted to protect the island in a military sense." In this connection I should add that His Majesty, on two occasions since my residence. in Seoul, had proffered me the command in chief of the Corean army, but I had respectfully declined that honor, chiefly because I believed it to be infra dig. whilst holding office under the United States Government to accept office under a semi-barbarous government, to say nothing of the poor results which such service attained as a rule, by reason of the jealousies and animosities. provoked on the part of the native element. It was, however, my proud privilege, in recounting to the King of Corea the substance of the foregoing expedition, to add a page to the unwritten history of an island and people almost unknown to the sovereign himself, and terminate thus with this pleasant episode my journey from Corea to Quelpaert in the footprints of Kublai Khan.

* Subsequently, and when I had resigned my post, I was accorded a lengthy and pleasant interview with the Secretary of State, who among other things desired to learn my opinion in regard to the concessions to be obtained from Oriental governments and which seemed to be the objective of many of our representatives to those governments. Some of them, as the Secretary well knew, were even then using their official position to secure for themselves lucrative offices under the governments to which they were accredited. Reply having been made that such action was discreditable to the United States Government, and should be made a subject of rigid action on the part of the Department, the Secretary related a case apropos to the matter where a gentleman, a United States Minister returning from his post, stopped in London and went to see Lord Salisbury, and after reciting at great length the sum of what he had succeeded in obtaining, Lord Salisbury exclaimed: "Well, Mr. Minister, I hope you have left the air in that country." It is to be assumed that the rebuke was not lost upon our countryman.

VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN THE BERING SEA.

By permission of Professor Mendenhall, Superintendent U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Professor Davidson furnishes the following information concerning the uprising of volcanic islets in the Bering Sea.

THE RECENT VOLCANIC ERUPTION OF BÓgoslov.

The volcanic islet St. John Bógoslov, or "Old Bógoslov," lies in the southern part of the Bering Sea, thirtyseven nautical miles west by north from the north-western point of Unaláska Island, and twenty-nine miles northnorth-west from the northern point of Umnak Island. Its geographical position is latitude 53° 57', and longitude 168° oo' west. It is therefore forty-four miles west from the living volcano of Makúshin, which is 5,691 feet above the sea. It has been frequently seen in eruption since Cook passed it on the 29th of October, 1778, at a distance of eleven miles to the south-east. At that time Old Bógoslov had the Ship Rock lying a short distance to the north-west, and doubtless connected with it.

Between 1823 and 1888 there were no signs of eruption reported, when a new and much larger islet was raised, with an exhibition of flames, smoke, steam and ashes from the deep water to a height, then estimated from 800 to 1,200 feet, but which has settled down to about 700 feet.

It may however be of interest to refer chronologically to this and the immediately adjacent volcanoes in bring

ing up the history of Bógoslov, from Greywink, Weniaminoff, Tebenkof and others:

1768. Volcano Makúshin on Unaláska Island and the other volcanoes active. Bógoslov seen by

Levasheff.

1778. Bógoslov seen by Cook, showed no signs of ac

tivity.

1790. Volcano Akután on Akután Island, 3,888 feet high, and distant 76 miles E. by N. from Old

Bógoslov, smoking; Makúshin in activity at intervals to 1792.

1796. Old Bógoslov reported to have risen from the sea probably great changes took place that year.

1800.

1802.

Old Bogoslov was increasing in size from this date to 1815.

Makúshin in eruption, vomiting forth great fires; earthquakes: Bógoslov smoking, hot geysers. 1826. Makúshin smoking; two heavy earthquakes in

June.

1830. Volcanic eruption at the south-west end of Umnak Island in August.

1838. Makúshin and Akután smoking.

1844. Makúshin smoking feebly.

1852. Volcanic eruption on the north-west side of Akután. (Archimandritoff.)

1867. Makúshin and Akután and Shisháldin smoking. Earthquake at Iliuliúk in March; great cracks in the earth visible in September; Davidson's party made first ascent of Makúshin and determined elevation.

1883. Old Bógoslov quiet, but the New Bogoslov, five or six times the area and much higher, rose to the north-west of Ship Rock and connected therewith. (Captains Hague and Anderson of Alaska Commercial Company to Davidson.) 1884. The New Bógoslov is covered with steam jets, and is connected with Ship Rock and old Bógoslov with gravel isthmus. The Ship Rock nearer the New Bógoslov. The New Bógoslov is about 700 feet above the sea, and can be ascended but a short distance in one or two places. (Captain Healy, and Lieut. Doty, U. S. Revenue Marine to Davidson.)*

1888.

Since 1884 the Captains of the Alaska Commercial Company have repeatedly reported to Davidson that the New Bógoslov has been decreasing in height. It has been repeatedly photographed, particularly by officers of the U. S. Revenue Marine, and by Captain Nichols, U. S. N., on Coast Survey duty. Captain Nichols ascended some distance in 1888, when it was still hot and smoking, and the whole surface crumbling to ashes and falling away. He measured the height, nearly 700 feet.

This was the condition of the volcanic islets until the 10th of February, 1890, when a sudden eruption took place, and the great light and clouds of pumice ashes filled the sky. The 17th and the 22d were also marked by great activity; and from the Village of Iliuliúk the

*For views, charts and description, see Appalachia No. 1,. Vol. IV.,; Science Vol. III., p. 282.

flames were seen over the crest line of Makúshin: and angles of elevation were measured by Mr. Applegate to determine the height of the volumes of smoke and ashes. Iliuliúk is twelve nautical miles east of Makúshin, so that this volcano lies directly in the line between the village and Bógoslov. If we assume that the flames seen over Makúshin were the highest exhibit of the eruption, their elevation would be about five miles; the measurements further indicated that the ashes and clouds of steam rose to an elevation of over fourteen miles.

Mr. Neumann, the Agent of the Alaska Commercial Company at Iliuliúk, Unaláska, writes to the Company, as follows:

"The past winter has been mild. Bógoslov has been very active during the winter. On February 10th, 17th and 22d ashes were blown to this place, of which I forward sample. On the last mentioned date a column of smoke was observed here, estimated to be 15 miles high. The old island is reported to have been raised considerably, and new land has risen from the sea." Captain Erskine brought a bottle of these ashes to Davidson. He was at Tchermikoff Bay, and reports:

"The Old Bogoslov lies 40 miles N. 35° W. from the mouth of the bay, which is situated on the north side of Unaláska Island, 11 miles from its southwestern extremity and 8 miles from the eastern face of Umnak Island. The natives formerly could see the Old Bógoslov, and the New, on rare occasions, when the weather was very clear; now they see the mass very plainly under similar circumstances. This would indicate the new islets as being over 1,000 feet high. They report that there are