2'S REPORT OF THE COMJtISSIONER OF FISTT AND FISHERIES. 



C. Kortli, agent of the Alaska Commercial Company, came on board 

 soon after our arrival and was of great service to us in prosecuting our 

 investigations, particularly in getting the native hunters togetlier and 

 acting as interpreter. An unusually severe winter and late spring was 

 reported at tbis place also, which still contined the hunters to winter 

 quarters. The capture of the sea otter alfords the principal employ- 

 jnent of the luitives, although bears and other land animals are taken, 

 but the value of their furs is insignilicant in comparison with that of 

 the former. There were one or moi:e native boats codfishing in the 

 upper bay whenever the weather permitted, and no doubt they have 

 the means of taking herring, but we saw none caught by them, although 

 they Avere plentiful in the bay and large numbers were taken in our 

 collecting seine. Codfish were taken with hook and line from the rail, 

 and, while rather small, they were found to be of good quality. 



An easterly gale and heavy snowstorm sprung up on the afternoon 

 of the 16th and continued with slight interruption until the following 

 evening, detaining us in port meanwhile. It cleared during the night, 

 however, and at 3:15 a., m. on the ISth we got under way and steamed 

 to the eastwanl. Cape Hinchinbrook was abeam an hour later, 2 miles 

 distant, and at noon Castle Rock, a conspicuous and unmistakable 

 landmark, lying off Cape St. Elias, bore ^STE: f E., magnetic, 20 miles 

 distant. The weather was unusually clear and, tradition having given 

 the region a bad name, more than usual precautions were taken not 

 only for the safe navigation of the vessel, but to confirm the existence 

 or nonexistence of re|)orted dangers. 



H. O. chart 527 shows a rock -.1^*; 9 in latitude 50° 31' north, longi- 

 tude 144° 43' west; but a sounding in 377 fathoms, gravel and mud 

 bottom, proves the nonexistence of the danger in that position. The 

 following soundings, leading up to it, increase regularly in depth and 

 seem to confirm its absence on that line or near it, for our masthead 

 lookout would have seen discolored water at least 5 miles on either 

 hand. In latitude 59° 34' 45" north, loiig'itiule 144° 58' west, the lead 

 indicated 81 fathoms, green mud; and in 5(P 33' north, 144° 52' west, 

 97 fathoms with the same character of bottom. The rock is probably 

 nearer Cape St. Elias, a dangerous locality, where obstructions of that 

 description are to be expected. Three fur seals were seen between 

 noon and 4 p. m., and six during the next two hours. 



Our vicinity to one of the assigned positions of Pamplona Eocks 

 toward evening was sufficient inducement for renewed vigilance, for 

 we had already demonstrated their nonexistence in the offshore position 

 given them on the charts, and where, in 1888, the Albatross ran a line 

 of soundings in from 1,000 to 1,800 fathoms. At 8:30 p. m. a sounding 

 was made in 150 fathoms, pebbles, latitude 59° 35' north and longitude 

 143° 21' west. 



The presence of a few scattering seals so early in the season led us 

 to suspect that the vanguard of the herd might be encountered not 



