22 



There is very little halibut exported. We caught, one day, with two 

 hooks and in less than an hour, over half a ton of halibut. It is a 

 delicious article of food and its most toothsome part is the dorsal fin. 



To the Indians the Oolachan or candle fish is of considerable im- 

 portance. It is a small fish and very oily, in fact so oily, that when dry 

 it will burn like a taper or candle, hence the name candle-fish. The 

 oil obtained from it is used by the coast Indians as an article of trade 

 with the interior Indians, who are very fond of it. 



Numerous whales may always be seen sporting and spouting in 

 Frederick Sound, but are unmolested by natives and whites. 



The Killer Whale {Orca ater) is frequently seen too, and it is a sight 

 to see a huge whale when pursued rise vertically out of the water forty 

 feet and then strike with terrific force, splashing the water with volcanic 

 effect. 



Immense shoals of herrings visit some of the bays. However, there 

 is only one establishment Killisnoo where herring are caught for 

 commercial purposes. All the herring caught there are converted into 

 oil, and the residue is pressed, roasted and ground and sent to the 

 sugar plantations on the Sandwich Islands as a fertilizer. At Killisnoo, 

 the wharf, the walks and the factory are ever wet and saturated with fish 

 oil, and the newcomer is very apt to perform some involuntary acrobatic 

 feats. The Indians are very fond of herring spawn. To obtain it small 

 branches of evergreen are placed in the sea at low tide, and with the 

 rising tide the branches become thickly covered with roe. The twigs 

 then look as if they had been sugared. The Indians eat it right from 

 the branches. 



Next in importance to the fisheries is the mining industry. How- 

 ever, when one examines the cold facts about mining in Alaska, the 

 result is not very cheering. Leaving out the Treadwell mine, on 

 Douglas island, near Juneau, it is safe to say that more value in labour 

 has been expended in obtaining gold than all the gold that has been 

 sent out of Alaska, be it from placer or quartz mining, is worth. 



The Treadwell mine yields a very low grade ore, but it is very easily 

 mined or quarried, being an open mine, and there is almost an inex- 

 haustible quantity of ore there. The company has a 240 stamp mill for 



