THE ALASKAN FISHING GEOU^TDS. 101 



Ilinliiik parties. KosLigin gets a few of tbese animals yearly in the same places as those visited 

 by Chernoffsky natives. The i^eople of Makushin and Iliuliuk Join forces iu quest of seaotter at 

 Sanakh, -n-here they are taken, and whence they are brought back annually by vessels engaged iu 

 the trade. The iieople on the southwest coast of Umuak Island secure about one hundred and fifty 

 sea-otter yearly. Atka is largely engaged also in this chase and successfully. Trading vessels 

 carry its hunters to the haunts of the otter, whore they remain during the season, and at the end 

 of their work they are returned to their homes. Mr. Petrofif, from whom I have copied my 

 information about the otter, fur-seal, and sea-lion, gives the catch of sea-otter in Unalashka 

 district, from the Shumagin Islands to Attn, as forty-eight hundred and fifty for the season of 

 1879. 



In " Notes on the Islands of the Unalashka Eegion" (translation from the Eussiau title), by 

 Ivan Yeniamlnofif, Vol. II, pages 402 to 408, will be found an account of the fishes which Jlr. 

 Marcus Baker, of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, has had the kindness to translate 

 for nie. What the bishop says about the methods of fishing is here quoted : " The method of 

 taking the migratory fish by the Aleuts was formerly exceedingly crude and unprofitable. They 

 built tlams in the rivers, piling large stones on a kind of float where the circumstances admitted of 

 it, which served as a barrier to the fish going up the rivers. Standing upon this they fished with 

 small spears pointed with iron (and formerly with bone) and barbed, tlirown into the water more 

 by chance than by choice, and when by good luck a fish was struck it was dragged ashore by 

 a line attached to the spear. They now (1840) make use of small nets ; but at the principal 

 settlements the company has large seines, with which more fish are taken at the time when they 

 first begin to apjiroach the shores or enter the bays." 



At the present time short seines and the ordinary fishing gear of the United States are 

 generally employed in the fisheries. UlaU forms a very important part of the trader's stock at 

 Iliuliuk. 



BRISTOL BAY DIVISION. 



Iu this division there is a total population of forty-three hundred and forty. This may 

 be called the great lake region of Alaska, the lakes emptying through rivers into Bristol 

 Bay. Iliamna, the largest lake, is upwards of ninety miles long, and varies between fifteen and 

 thirty miles in width. Nushegak, the largest river, wide and deeji, with rapid current and turbid 

 waters, rushes down from Nushegak Lake to the bay, and asserts its pi'esence far out over bars 

 and flats. Besides the Nushegak there are seven other rivers iu the division. 



At Nushegak, Mr. Petroff says, the Unalashka style of bidarka is left behind, and is replaced 

 by the one-holed "kyak," a skin canoe similar to the bidarka and similarly propelled. The spear 

 is much used in fishing and in the capture of seal. The lance is in great demand for sealing, too. 



The coast population have opportunities to take walrus, seals, beluga, and an occasional 

 stranded whale. The settlement of Igagik, according to Petroif, devotes its time principally to 

 the walrus hunt. At KulUik, agaiu, is a small jiopulation, devoted largely to the chase of walrus 

 and seal ; here the banded seal {nintriophoca fosciata) is found along with others. It is claimed 

 that a fresh-water seal inhabits Iliamna Lake, but the statement needs to be confirmed by the 

 possession of a specimen. 



The principal fish of the region are flat-fish, flounders, halibut, cod, pollock, " waclina." 

 sculpins, two or more species of "green-fish" {Heragrammus), lannce, cajjeliu, trout, whitetish. 

 salmon, and herring. In order to form some idea of the abundance of salmon one should read 

 Petrofi:'s description of the Igushek Eiver and of the Togiak as well.' The whole region is 



' Prcliiuiuary Report on Census of Alaska, l!-'Sl, p. 4S. 



