KERGUELEN'S LAND 337 KERTCH by the active aid of the Bolsheviki, and thereby proved his dependence upon them. They were not slow to push their advantage and on Nov. 9, 1917 drove Kerensky from power and from Russia. KERGUELEN'S LAND, or DESOLA- TION ISLAND, an island of volcanic or- igin, in the Antarctic Ocean. The sur- face is mountainous (Mount Ross, 6,- 120 feet), and most of the interior is covered with an ice sheet and its gla- ciers. The island was discovered in 1772 iy a Breton sailor, Kerguelen- Tremarec, and was visited by Captain Cook (who christened it Desolation Is- land) in 1776, by the "Challenger" in 1874, and by English, American, and German expeditions to observe the tran- sit of Venus in the same year. KERKENNA ISLANDS, a group of islands in the Gulf of Cabes, E. of Tunis. KERKI, a town belonging formerly to Bokhara, Central Asia, about 120 miles S. of Bokhara city, on the left bank of the Amu-Daria or Oxus. An important place both commercially and stategically, it is the halting place of the caravans trading from Bokhara to Herat, and stands near the chief ferry over the Oxus. KERMADEC ISLANDS, a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, 700 miles N. E. of Auckland, New Zea- land. It consists of four principal is- lands — Raoul or Sunday (7,200 acres), Macaulay (756 acres), Curtis, and L'Esperance — and several smaller is- lands. The group was discovered in 1788, and annexed by Great Britain in 1886. HERMAN, or K ARM AN (ancient Carmania), one of the E. provinces of Persia, S. of Khorasan, and having an area of about 59,000 square miles. The N. and N. E. are occupied by a fright- ful salt waste called the Desert of Ker- man, which forms a pai-t of the grreat central desert of Iran. The small tract of Nurmanshir, toward the E., is fertile and well watered. Roses are cultivated for the manufacture of attar of roses; silk and various gums are exported. The pop. of about 600,000 is chiefly Per- sian; the rest are Guebres or Parsees, Beluchis, and other wandering tribes. Kerman, the chief town, is near the middle of the province, in the central mountain range. Pop. about 60,000. In 1722 the town was destroyed by the Afghans; in 1794 it was taken and pil- laged by Aga Mohammed, and 30,000 of the inhabitants made slaves. At present Kerman is only noted for the manufac- ture of the famous Kerman carpets (a sort of woolen rugs), felts, and brass cups. KERMANSHAH, KARMANSHAH, or KIRMANSHAHAN, a town of Persia, capital of Persian Kurdistan, near the right bank of the Kerkhah river. It is the center of converging routes from Bagdad, Teheran, and Is- pahan. Its commerce is considerable, and there are manufactures of carpets and weapons. Between Kermanshah and Teheran the country is mountain- ous. Pop. about 40,000. KERMES MINERAL, amorphous an- timony trisulphide, a brown-red powder used in the preparation of artists' col- ors. KEROSENE, a name given to the principal product of the distillation of petroleum, the crude domestic oil yield- ing 70 per cent, of its weight. It is also obtained from bituminous shale. KEROWLEE, the chief town of the native State of the same name in Rajpu- tana, India, 80 miles S. W. of Agra. It was founded in 1348; is surrounded by a sandstone wall; and contains a beauti- ful palace and a temple of Krishna which attract many pilgrims. KERR, LORD WALTER TALBOT, a British admiral. He was born in Scot- land in 1839 and was educated at Rad- ley College. In 1853 he entered the Navy, served in the Baltic, 1855, was with the Naval Brigade at relief and battle of Lucknow, and received Royal Humane Society medal for saving life. He was promoted captain in 1872; Rear- Admiral 1889; Vice- Admiral 1895; Ad- miral 1900. In 1885-1890 he was private secretary to the First Lord of Admir- alty and 1890-1892 second in command in the Mediterranean; Junior Lord of the Admiralty in 1892 ; 2nd Lord, 1894-1895 ; commanded Channel Squadron. 1895- 1897; Senior Naval Lord 1899-1904; Ad- miral of the Fleet, 1904. KERSEY, a variety of woolen cloth, differing from ordinary broadcloth by being woven as a twiil. KERTCH, a seaport in Russia, on the Strait of Kaffa, or Yenikale, and pre- vious to 1855 the most important port of the Crimea. The town occupies the site of the ancient Panticapaeum, the seat of Bosphorian kings and once the residence of Mithridates. It was later occupied by the Byzantine empire, Turks, etc., and was turned over to Russia in 1744. It was sacked by the French and English
