ee ehes bya i onan ree t "i; a4 ‘ * he 5 4 ‘ the ‘ , a foe, ay noone wee, yeas CORE rs Pern A Mars eereriay sos Seeerie wet MEI LST ' nae TUN Ree ts rele p a MAN a} 5 o ' ‘ suitors traes 7 yusecey : an sain ' ‘ te or re arts ae 6 NWRLEH wi abcess | me ey ee 18 Ss eae : Recut rninotek ts Dy mrecae pense rae i Vee teue view ertath = teeth ARTE een tes Hite | Coaen Wise tre te ae ; - . We nnteins Hrvebehyh . « arr us © ‘ is AL ’ ‘ ‘ c* : , Wu rlebdremg.: ‘ . t oo } : y , 7 L bs mot os " " ; ges i. RH a (realy yursen ‘ ‘e anes i ve mat UL Dae ‘ - bos * , “e < : : ae j > ie : teas ‘ may Lares mer : ; peat . F Lie i 3 " Oot es NR : »"( . : : o ve ; cents oe a Se Malt 4 ia . * . ' t ‘ ee : Py : . * 7 eulogy ae ne o rh be DY - ape . aor Sad . M4 y 7 : t H y , > thy ‘ ’ e = - . . ‘ vy F - iy ' dia « aut : : , * rc : sree : . ‘y ‘ ’ ; : Du : i , . pe, fuck any . cae: -_ rie 7 avy ft : Pate [hap ; , rn " aD . « : : ’ ' 7 : * : iedanly A : 7 . Pt eee eine y Asteteber i? . st i ates, Se ee tt eth 7 7 A Vere “rtpey eal a inna : re ; : pn tay ‘bene 3 MO, de peer ‘ ~g alepechs eat ert ‘ '- ey Wes ' ’ } ‘. i ; os i ‘ a) . . 7 i * - 7 : / x ’ a rst ite : fore Peay clcgta edt, iS) sb ishing oete i . ” y “ : , ’ t U.S. COMMISSION OF FISH AND FISHERIES. SPENCER F. BAIRD, COMMISSIONER. a ee SPECIAL BULLETIN. A MONOGRAPH OF THE — SEAL-ISLANDS OF ALASKA. BY Eee Pe WwW. EL Lor: REPRINTED, WITH ADDITIONS, FROM THE REPORT ON THE FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE TENTH CENSUS. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1882. thy 2. fe! ae a) rh = cone x0. 02/3 )Q a pu Mean 2 Lok SECTION IX [MONOGRAPH AJ. A MONOGRAPH OF THE PRIBYLOV GROUP, SHAL-ISLANDS OF ALASKA. BY EN Y OW. eon: WITH TWENTY-NINE PLATES, TWO MAPS, AND TWELVE SKETCH-MAPS OF THE ISLANDS AND THE ROOKERIES BY THE AUTHOR. Ea ats a EXPLANATORY NOTES AND COMMENTS UPON THE MAP OF ST. GEORGE ISLAND. Sr. GrorGre.—This title was given to the island by its discoverer in honor of his vessel, the sloop ‘St. George”. SALIENT FEATURES OF THE TOPOGRAPHY: INACCESSIBLE CHARACTER OF THE COAST.—The profile which I give of this island presents clearly the idea of that characteristic, cold, abrupt elevation of St. George from the sea, From the Garden cove around to Zapadnie beach, there is not a single natural opportunity for a man to land; then, again, from Zapadnie beach round to Starry Ateel there is not one sign of a chance for an agile man to come ashore and reach the plateau above. From Starry Ateel to the Great Eastern rookery there is an alternation, between the several breeding-grounds, of three low and gradual slopes of the land to sea-level; these, with the landing at Garden cove and at Zapadnie, are the only spots of the St. George coast where we can come ashore. An active person can scramble up at several steep places between the Sea Lion rookery and Tolstoi Mees, but the rest of that extended bluffy sea-wall, which I have just defined, is wholly inaccessible from the water. A narrow strip of rough, rocky shingle, washed over by every storm-beaten sea, is all that lies beneath the mural precipices. PRETTY CASCADE AT WATERFALL HEAD.—In the spring, when the snow melts on the high plateau, a beautiful cascade is seen at Waterfall head; the feathery, filmy, silver ribbon of plunging water is thrown out into exquisite relief by the rich background of that brownish basalt and tufa over which it drops. Another pretty little waterfall is to be seen just west of the village, at this season only, where it leaps from a low range of bluffs to the sea; the first named cascade is more than 400 feet in sheer unbroken precipitation. One or two small, naked, pinnacle rocks, standing close in, and almost joined to the beach at the Sea Lion rookery, constitute the only outlying islets or rocks; a stony kelp bed at Zapadnie, and one off the Little Eastern rookery, both of limited reach seaward, are the only hinderances to a ship’s sailing boldly round the island, even to scraping the bluffs, at places, safely with her yard-arms. I have located the Zapadnie shoal by observation from the bluffs above; while Captain Baker, of the ‘‘Reliance”, sounded out the other. AUTHORITIES FOR LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.—The observations which fix the positions of Tolstoi and Dalnoi Mees are taken from Russian authority (Captain Archimandritov), while the location of the village was made by Lieutenant Washburn Maynard and myself, in 1874, together with the degrees of variation to the compass; we used an artificial horizon; the overcast weather prevented our verification of the two other points given. TREND OF OCEAN CURRENTS HERE.—Although small quantities of drift-wood lodge on all points of the coast, yet the greatest amount is found on the south shore, and thence around to Garden cove; this drift-timber is usually wholly stripped of its bark, principally pine and fir sticks, some of them quite large, 18 inches to 2 feet in diameter. Several years occur when a large driftage will be thrown or stranded here; then long intervals of many seasons will elapse with scarcely a log or stick coming ashore. I found at Garden cove, in June, 1873, the well preserved husk of a cocoanut, cast up by the surf on the beach; did I not know that it was most undoubtedly thrown over by some whaler in these waters, not many hundred miles away at the farthest, I should have indulged in a pretty reverie over its path | in drifting from the South seas to this lonely islet. I presume, however, that the timber, which the sea brings to the Pribylov islands, is that borne down upon the annual floods of the Kuskokvim and Nushagak rivers, on the mainland, and to the east-northeastward, a little more than 225 miles; it comes, however, in very scant supply. I saw very little drift-wood on St. Matthew island; but on the eastern shore of St. Lawrence there was an immense aggregate, which unquestionably came from the Yukon mouth. Spor oF PRIBYLOV’s LANDING.—One of the natives, “stareek”, Zachar Oostigov (‘‘the president”), told me that the ‘‘Russians, when they first landed, came ashore in a thick fog”, at Tolstoi Mees, near the present Sea Lion rookery site. As the water is deep and bold there, Pribyloy’s sloop, the ‘‘St. George”, must have fairly jammed her bowsprit against those lofty cliffs ere the patient crew had intimation of their position. The old Aleut then showed me the steep gully there, up which the ardent discoverers climbed to the plateau above; and to demonstrate that he was not chilled, or weakened by age, he nimbly scrambled down to the surf below, some 350 vertical feet, and I followed, half stepping and half sliding over Pribylov’s path of glad discovery and proud possession, trodden one June day by him, nearly a hundred years ago. , SUGGESTIONS FOR BETTER LOADING AND DISCHARGING A CARGO.—With regard to the loading and unloading of the vessels at St. George, I believe that it would be wise and economical to grade a wagon-road over from the village to Garden cove; I think so because weeks and weeks consecutively have passed, to my personal knowledge, between the unloading and the loading of the steamer; when, during all that season of weary, anxious waiting for the surf to quiet down at the village landing, there was not a single day in which the ship could not have discharged or received her cargo easily and expeditiously on the sand beach at Garden cove. When the “St. Paul” has 75,000 seal-skins in her hold, taken on at the larger island, then has to pound “off and on” here, in fog and tempest, for a week or two, or even longer, waiting for a chance to get the 20,000 or 25,000 St. George skins (ready for her) in turn, her cargo is too costly to risk in this manner, inasmuch as the difficulty can be readily obviated by the cart-road I have indicated. The natives could and would hitch themselves into large hand-carts, and thus draw the skins across and supplies back, with the aid of a mule or two on the stiff grade; this would occur in ascending Ahluckeyak ridge from the village, and also up a short one again rising from Garden cove to the mesa tops. The distance is only 23 to 34 miles, and 2 miles of that is nearly fit for wheels, as it lies to-day. I think, seriously, this should be done; it may save or preyent in the future the loss of a valuable ship and her priceless cargo of human life and all its belongings. Thick fogs and howling gales of wind, are dangerous and chronic here. WHAT THE SKETCH-MAP SHOWS.—The sketch-map of Alaska, which I have inserted in the lower corner of this chart of St. George, is to show, better than any language can, the relative position of these celebrated seal-islands; and also to give a clear idea of their isolation and great distance from Sitka, where most of our people think all Alaska is centered. In fact, Sitka, as far as trade and resources and population are concerned. is one of the most insignificant spots known to that country. Kadiak, Oonga, Belcovskie, and Oonalashka each have a greater civilized population than has Sitka to-day, and each has a hundred-fold more importance as a trade-center. As the ship sails, the Pribylov islands are: 2,250 miles W. N.W. from San Francisco. 1,500 miles W. N.W. from Vancouver island, straits of Fuca. 1,400 miles W. N.W. from Sitka. 550 miles W. N.W. from Kadiak. 192 miles W. N.W. from Oonalashka. E 700 miles € .N. €. from Commander islands, Russian territory. All these distances are via Oonalashka, save the last one. EXPLANATORY NOTES AND COMMENTS UPON THE MAP OF ST. PAUL ISLAND. St. Paut.—This name was given to the island because it was descried for the first time on St. Paul’s Day, July 10, 1787, by the Russian discoverers. [June 29, Justinian calendar. ] DEFINITIONS FOR RUSSIAN NAMES OF THE ROOKERIES, ETC.—The several titles on the map that indicate the several breeding-grounds, owe their origin and have their meaning as follows: ZAPADNIE signifies “westward”, and is so used by the people who live in the village. ZOLSTO!I siznifies ‘‘ golden”, so used to express the metallic shimmering of the sands there. KETAVI® signifies ‘‘of a whale”, so used to designate that point where a large right whale was stranded in 1849 (?); from Russian “‘keet”, or “whale”. Lukannon.—So named after one Lukannon, a pioneer Russian, who distinguished himself, with one Kaiecov, a countryman, by capturing a large number of sea-otters at that point, and on Otter island, in 1787~88. TONKIE MEES signifies ‘‘small (or ‘‘slender”) cape” [tonkie, ‘‘thin”; mees, ‘‘cape” ]. PoLavina literally signifies ‘‘ half way”, so used by the natives because it is practically half way between the salt-houses at Northeast Point and the village. POLAVINA Sopka, or ‘“‘half-way mountain”, gets its name in the same manner. Novasrosunan, from the Russian ‘‘novaile”, or “of recent growth”, so used because this locality in pioneer days was an island to itself; and it has been annexed recently to the main land of St. Paul. VESOLIA MisTA, or ‘‘jolly place”, the site of one of the first settlements, and where much carousing was indulged. MARoonitcu, the site of a pioneer village, established by one Maroon. NAHSAYVERNIA, or ‘‘on the north shore”, from Russian ‘ sayvernie”. Boga Sxov, or “word of God”, indefinite in its application to the place, but is, perhaps, due to the fact that the pious Russians, immediately after landing at Zapadnie, in 1787, ascended the hill and erected a huge cross thereon. EINABNUHTO, an Aleutian word, signifying the “three mamme”. Toxsto1, a Russian name, signifying “thick”; it is given to at least a hundred different capes and headlands throughout Alaska, being applied as indiscriminately as we do the term ‘‘ Bear creek” to little streams in the western states and territories. THE PROFILE oF St. Paut.—That profile of the south shore, between the Village Hill and Southwest Point, taken from the steamer’s anchorage off the Village cove, shows the characteristic and remarkable alternation of rookery slope and low sea-leyel flats. This point of viewing is slightly more than half a mile true west of the Village hill, to a sight which brings Boga Sloy summits and Tolstoi head nearly in line. At Zapadnie is the place where the Russian discoverers first landed in 1787, July 10. With the exception of the blufty west end, Ein-ahnuh-to cliffs, the whole coast of St. Paul is accessible, and affords an easy landing, except at the short reach of ‘‘Seethah”’ and the rookery points, as indicated. The great sand beach of this island extends from Lukannon to Polavina, thence to Webster’s house, Novastoshnah; from there over, and sweeping back and along the north shore to Nahsayvernia headland, then between Zapadnie and Tolstoi, together with the beautiful though short sand of Zoltoi. This extensive and slightly broken sandy coast is not described as peculiar to any other island in Alaska, or of Siberian waters. FRESH-WATER LAKES.—There are no running streams at any season of the year on St. Paul; but the abundance of fresh water is plainly presented by the numerous lakes, all of which are “svayjoi”, save the lagoon estuary. The four large reefs which I have located are each awash in every storm that blows from seaward over them; they are all rough, rocky ledges. That little one indicated in English bay caused the wrecking of a large British vessel in 1847, which was coming in to anchor just without Zapadnie; a number of the crew were ‘‘maaslucken”’,* so my native informant averred. Drirt-woop.—Most of the small amount of drift-wood that is found on this island is procured at Northeast Point, and Polavina; the north shore from Maroonitch to Tsammanah has also been favored with sea-waif logs in exceptional seasons, to the exclusion of all other sections of the coast. The natives say that the St. George people get much more drift-wood every year, as a rule, than they do on St. Panl. From what I could see during my four seasons of inspection, they never have got much, under the best of circumstances, on either island. They pay little attention to it now, and gather what they do during the winter season, going to Polavina and the north shore with sleds, on which they hoist sails after loading there, and scud home before the strong northerly blasts. Captain Erskine informs me that the water is free and bold all around the north shore, from Cross hill to Southwest Point; no reefs or shoals up to within a half a mile of land anywhere. English bay is very shallow, and no sea-going vessel should attempt to enter it, that draws over 6 feet. AUTHORITIES FOR LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.—All the positions of latitude and longitude which I place upon this map are taken from Captain Archimandritoy’s manuscript chart. During the whole month of July, 1874, while I was here with the ‘ Reliance”, there was not a single opportunity for a solar observation, although Captain Baker made several attempts to make some. Captain Erskine, however, has verified Archimandritoy’s work, and says that it is very near the correct thing. I could have taken observations easily in the occasional clear November days of 1872, but, unfortunately, the chronometer which I had, proved so defective that I abandoned the labor. How To REACH WALRUS ISLET.—To visit Walrus island in a boat, pleasantly and successfully, it is best to submit to the advice and direction of the natives. They leave the village in the evening, and, taking advantage of the tide, proceed along the coast as far as the bluffs of Polavina, where they rest on their oars, doze and smoke, until the dawning of daylight, or later, perhaps, until the fog lifts enough for them to get a glimpse of the islet which they seek; they row over then in about two hours with their bidarrah. They leave, however, with perfect indifference as to daylight or fog; nothing but a southeaster can disturb their tranquility when they succeed in landing on Walrus island. They would find it as difficult to miss striking the extended reach of St. Paul on their return, as they found it well nigh impossible to push off from Polavina and find “‘Morzovia” in a thick, windy fog and running sea. OTTER IsLET: SLIGHT CORRECTION.—Otter island, or “ Bobroyia”, is easily reached in almost any weather that is not very stormy, for it looms up high above the water. It takes the bidarrah about two hours to row over from the village, while I have gone across once in a whale-boat with less than one hor expenditure of time, sail and oars, en route. A slight mistake of the engraver causes Crater point to appear as a bifurcated tongue. It is not so; but there is a funnel-shaped cavity here plainly emarginated from the sea, and on that extreme point, constituting and givin ~ o it this name. . 3 *Anything missing, or beyond human ken, in the Aleutian vernacular is ‘‘maaslucken”’. io Ls ANALYSIS. A. INTRODUCTION. 1. History and objects of the memoir ----..-----------+-------+---- o cece vewnen eon nes senene Soe clec== === Si ecesae sare ects B. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 2. Geographical distribution of the fur-seal....-.---. .----+ --+- ---22+ ee ere conene core cere seer ncn e cos secene seccne cece C. Tur PrisyLov ISLANDs. 3. 4. Discovery of the Pribylov islands. [See also 31.] ----- -----+---2+ s-20 s----2 2-2-2 2 sr roe pee eee BSAS eC OHO CER he SeseS Description of the Pribylov islands. [See also 25-33. ]- .--------- -+-- ---+ er eres nes eres reer ce cee sence e tances re tees D. Tue OccUPANTS OF THE ISLANDS. 5. 6. te The natives of the islands. [See also 39 F.] -.------------+---- Meee a pea ee oot a= siana Son iaawolenacieeeielen = oaian mene The Alaska Commercial Company. [See also 37.] -.----------- seearnosade ee anon e ae oes ta aver ane coca cs actee a The business concerned ..---..----- ---- ------ +----+ ----- 2 eee nee cere ee eee seseesecnocose BE Setc see ossbouseeacaosce BE. Tue SEeaL-LIFE ON THE PRIBYLOV ISLANDS. 8. os 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. TAT egtI AKI 8 Gaal ee oe ae oa oe ee ee roca eeenalea mn wlan a= = a aleoevinnin con smn a\saiewlemonien— sere mse sol otic ence Life-history of the fur-seal .------------------- +----+ -----+------se0ee* Ee ee te ee ae eects eines savin tio vamos The ‘“‘holluschickie” or “bachelor” seals—a description. --.----- ------+ = 222+ e222 2+ eee n eee eer n cre r rrr Description of the fur-seal rookeries of St. Paul and St. George -. ------ 2-2 enw e ne oe ene cen ene teens serene none Manner of taking the Ee ee eee nD Fe oe es onal Sowa aw eines enwane CU wae svn ace mewanyeiiswa sme Manner of caring for and shipping the fur-seal skins. [See also 4.]-.------------ ------ +--+ +--+ 222-0 eters ttn cree Economic value of the skins, oil, and flesh of the fur-seal ..---.------------+------+ +---2+ ere eee cree cer cc re ree F. Tue Sra-Lion, Eumetopias Stelleri. 15. 16. 17. Life-history of the sea-lion -.---------- Stee eels eee emma neien == Se ele oe cena sw aoa cae clon masa =n ie Capture of the sea-lion -.-.-.---------+- .----+ ---- see eee - 2-2 eee eee ee sense we cee ae pete na so aeoedave=ssesinecm=nss Economic uses of the sea-lion..---- .--. ------ 22-22 o cee tee nnn ene ce ene oe nee ern mone cee nne tenes ce ne ec cenns G. Tur WALRUS oF Brerine Sra, Odobenus obesus. 18. Life-history of the walrus ....-...-.------ ---- ------ 2-220 cnenne cosa ee ce enee owen cone cn enne enna nn ecene eer nse renee H. Tur REPRODUCTION OF THE FuR-SEAL, SEA-LION, AND WALRUS. 19. 20. 21. Reproduction of the fur-seal...--.-----.---------- Bae anand Sere Boron SS eet oebitcobe bocncy Se cote siecassnos ss Reproduction: of the sea-lion.----- .----. .----- 2-5 = enn ne cone cee enn ne nee wenn tenn seen seen ener ere cen snes Reproduction of the walrus ..---.-.---.-----------------+ +202 eee eee rere rere Be erae ea ete alwisianin e Seles = <(mianinle J. ILLUSTRATIVE AND SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES. 22. The Rassian seal-islands, Bering and Copper, or the Commander group.. .----- ------ ------------++--+2++----- ose 93. St. Matthew island and its relation to St. Paul -...-..--..----------+ ----2+ ------ -- 2222 ee en eee eee re rere 24. 39. 40. GLossARY. 41. 42, Digest of the data in regard to the fur-seal rookeries of the South Atlantic and Pacific, and number of skins taken SHELE ETO eee ae aa node fence coc eee cobra os enceee vecaes eadase nnso=a sec eseenanese=sin="= . Catalogue of the mammals of the Pribylov group-.-.-.---------------- Becie= Sepp aarine cen ssosaeoe beeen Uma seeass . Catalogue of the birds of the Pribyloy group...---- -----.----+ -----+ e+ 2220 seen ee eee e cee ener eee renee rete cece Catalogue of the fishes of the Pribyloy group .----- ---- --------++ -----+ e222 22 reer erences cer cer rere ttre Notes on the invertebrates..---------.---.- So SE BE ne eee nee ener pene oe er eeraiseeeee Notes on the plants ...--. ------ 2-222 26 === 2 nn soe eee ann wane nnn eens ree enn nnn e enn e seen cee ceee ssaose . Veniaminov on the Russian seal-industry at the Pribyloy islands-..-..------------- ---- ---- ---+ e---2+ ---2 22-22 tree . Veniaminoy’s account of the discovery of the Pribylov islands- -.-.-..--------------- +--+ ---+-----+------ 2-0-0007 . History of the organization of! the Russian-American Fur Company .----. ------------------------- A ectoceckooes Goer Meteorological abstract for the months, from September, 1872, to April, 1873, inclusive -------- --------------+.-+---+ . The method of dressing the fur-seal skin ....-.-.---------------- ------ +--+ ++ ------ e2- eee eee erent Bernt prt nie tesa ieee ene ae = EE. oon pon ck con eiem macs <= == njgne ce ~ snewinnmnen/-- 2a eoeene een a ee e== . The law protecting the seal-islands ----.-- eee RR eee eae Dobe ees Sane cians vase san cscs aaa . The organization and regulations of the Alaska Commercial Company .-... --------------+-----+ +--+ -+2--0 reer trrret Comments upon the legislation of Congress ...--. .--. ------ -----+ .------------ Be ea ate = om se ieee Paragraphs of reference relative to subjects discussed in the preceding memoir, and referred to as “Note Oiler Final notes and tables relative,to the value, protection, and growth of the fur-seal; and the revenue derived from that industry on the Pribyloy islands -........----------- ea oe eo RE oS as iGo ct ateliea, tS a Definition of technical terms and Russian nomenclature, used by the author in the preceding monograph --.--------- Weights, meashres, and values... 1-2. s2a0-ncers penecn ceaectveceascsnsnes ILEUS TRA TONS: Page. Map or Sv. PAUL. Grd Map or Sr. Georar. § Frontispieces. PLATE I.—Profiles of the east coast of St. Paul -----..---.----.----- sade Se ceanyeaocn oss sae cobeedosascs recess te tase seco sss 19 II.—Meat frames, lighter, hut. ..-...-.---- ---- ---- ----- + 222 eee nee eee ene ween cone eee ne eee ne cee eee eee eee eee 21 III.—Typical dress of the native .. ---- .22.----- 2 eee cone wn enn ne wn = en ee one ee woe Pane non SanesS SShq5e 23 TV.—Dhe hair-seal, Phoca witwling 25-22 22 mn cane = oman wm omnia elena on ee ene mile mm we wile mle me il 23 V.—The countenance of Callorhinus...- 2-2 ---- seceee oon 2-2 ween e cane one = =~ - ene SHosasssbtecscins 5 ean senintes im haan 29 SV iNet Frey f= SL — oh Ta OL MMT Yew ee el le en el 32 Vill.—Phe matives seleotuae a (Qrive a= selec wavelets seme a alo ssf mia rem ala mle mmm eta tem fed elt e Preise a 45 Vill —sondry skesehes trom bheyam thor sipox tho lt ye aera get amy ate elspa te ele ie tala lr lee lel 47 ID. GES N Teva anaes (sits Welt PIGS Bo) Sane Gee Sa5 esebao anebon oocefe poerce cond caso Oteobed odessothesto seotrsce = 57 x.— Lhe north rookery,.etc., st. Georvenisland |... 22. ccc. cana enor weenie cr seme s sae seer =selene an BH ss Sastbeecs S, 61 i —Pelaciciathrindeson fhe muUn-S@alnomse =m teiseinie ce) ha imate mate) alate = rete atelier ey ele iat= telat = (ae alate te eae ae ate eee 65 XII.—‘‘Holluschickie” sporting around the baidar --....---..---.-.-------------- eRe ies oe PRR TS rc 67 RO. —_Nativesidriving the “* Holluschiokie” 225 e