332 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



dried and smoked.'''' In Prince William Sound lie reports that " the only- 

 fish got were some torsk and JiaHbvt, chieily brought by the natives to 

 sell." Near Kodiak he reports that, "having tJiree hours' calm, his 

 people caught upward of a hundred halibuts, some of which weighed 100 

 lbs., and none less than 20 lbs.," and he adds, naturally enough, " a very 

 seasonable refreshment." In Bristol Bay, on the northern side of 

 Alaska, he reports " tolerable success in fishing, caicMng cod, and now 

 and then a few flat-tish." In Norton Sound, still further north, he 

 reports that in exchange for four knives made from an old iron hoo]) he 

 obtained of the natives '■'■ near 400 lbs, weight of fish caught on this or 

 the ])rcceding day; some trout, and the rest in size and taste between 

 the mullet and a herring?'' On his return southward, stopping at 

 Ounalaska, he reports " plenty of fish, at first mostly salmon, Loth fresh 

 and dried; some of the Siilmon in high perfection; also salmon, trout, 

 and once a halibut that weighed 254 lbs.;" and in describing the habits 

 of the islanders he reports that ^^ they dry large quantities o^ fish in 

 summer, which they lay up in small huts for winter's use." Such is the 

 testimony of Captain Cook. 



No experience on the coast is more instrnctive than that of Portlock, 

 and from his Eeport I compile a succinct diary. July 20, 1786, at 

 Graham's Harbour, Cook's Inlet: "the Eussian Chief brought me as 

 a present a quantity of fine salmon sufficient to serve both ships for one 

 day." July 21 : " In several hauls caught about thirty salmon and a few 

 flat-fish;" also, further, "the Kussian Settlement had on one side a 

 small lake of fresh water, on which plenty of fine salmon were caught." 

 July 22 : " The boat returned deeply loaded with fine salmon.'" July 28, 

 latitude 60° 9' : "Two small canoes came off; they had nothing to barter 

 but a few dried salmon." July 30: "Plenty of excellent fresh salmon 

 obtained for beads and buttons." August 3: ^'■Plenty of fine salmon." 

 August 9, at Cook's Inlet: "The greatest abundance of fine salmon." 

 August 13 : " Hereabouts would be most desirable situation for carrying 

 on a whale fishery, the whales being on the coast and close in shore in 

 vast numbers, and there being convenient and excellent harbours quite 

 handy for the business." After these entries the English navigator left 

 the coast for the Sandwich Islands. 



Ileturning during the next year, Portlock continued to record his 

 observations, which I abstract in brief. May 21, 1787, Port Etches, 

 latitude 60° 21': "The harbour afl'ords very fine crabs and nuiscles." 

 June 4 : "A few Indians came alongside, bringing some halibut and cod." 

 June 20: "Plenty of flounders, crabs also plenty and fine. Several 

 fishing alongside for flounders caught cod and halibut." June 22 : " Sent 

 the canoe out some distance in the bay, and it soon returned with a fine 

 load of cod and halibut. Tliis induced me to send her out frequently 

 with a fishing party, and they caught considerably more than was suffi- 

 cient for daily consumption." June 30: "In hauling the seine caught 

 a large quantity of herrings and some salmon; the herrings, though 

 small, were very good, and two hogsheads of them were salted for sea 

 store." July 7: "We daily caught large quantities of sahnon, but, the 

 unsettled state of the weather not permitting us to care them on board, 

 sent the boatswain with a i)arty on shore to build a house to smoke them 

 in." July 11 : " The seine was frequently hauled, and not less than 2,000 

 salmon caught at each haul. The weather, however, preventing us from 

 curing them as well as could have been wished, we kept only a suffi- 

 cient quantity for present use and let the rest escape. The salmon were 

 now in such numbers along the shores that any quantity whatever 

 might be caught Avith the greatest ease." All this testimony of the 



