32 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



tracted with that corporation to supply fuel to its vessels during the 

 season. The agent informed me that they were not prepared to deliver 

 coal at that time. We then went to the wharf of the Alaska Commer- 

 cial Company and took on board a supply, finishing on the evening of 

 the 21st. The Albatross was the first Government vessel to i-each 

 Bering Sea, the U. S. S. YorMown arriving a day later. 



Aleutian Islands. — We left Unalaska at 3:25 a. m., May 22, to visit 

 the inhabited islands of the Aleutian chain west of Umnak, and, skirt- 

 ing the northern shores of Unalaska, Umnak, and the islands of Four 

 Mountains, Ave passed within 4 miles of Seguam, and thence direct to 

 iN'azan Bay, Atka Island, arriving at 7 p. m. May 24. The passes 

 between Umnak and Seguam are resorted to by large numbers of steals 

 in their migrations to and from Bering Sea, but we saw no sign of them 

 between Unalaska and Atka. 



We were fortunate in reaching Kazan Bay while the hunters were 

 still at home. The settlement is admirably situated in a sheltered nook 

 on tlie western shores of the bay, and has a po])ulation of 120 natives 

 and 1 white man, Mr. Henry Dirks, who has been resident agent of the 

 Alaska Commercial Company for seventeen years. 



The natives are hunters, and follow the sea otter among the Andreanof 

 and Kryci or Rat islands, which extend from the islands of Four Moun- 

 tains to the Near Islands. Hunting jjarties are transported to their 

 various stations by a vessel of the Alaska Commercial Company in the 

 spring, and returned again to their winter homes after the season's hunt- 

 ing is over. Blue foxes are found on some of the islands within their 

 field of operations, and are taken in greater or less numbers. A small 

 revenue is also derived from the manufacture of basket work, which is 

 of a superior quality. 



The Atka mackerel, Fleurogrammus inonoptenj(iius, an excellent fish, 

 is taken to a limited extent and forms an important item in the native 

 food supply. The fish appears on the shores of the Aleutians from 

 Atka westward, in the spring, in large schools, which hover closely 

 about the kelp beds, particularly favoring the passes or exposed points 

 where SAvift currents prevail. This habit prevents the use of purse 

 seines in their capture, but they can be taken rapidly by hand, using 

 any of the simple methods known to fishermen. The favorite device 

 at Atka is a lath, or strip of board about 2^ inches wide, in Avhich are 

 driven a number of sharp-pointed nails at an angle pointing upwards. 

 Reaching the fishing ground, the boat is usually secured to a piece of 

 kelp and the apparatus above described is used as a gig, bringing up 

 from one to half a dozen fish at a time. As soon as the barbed device 

 enters the water it is surrounded by fish drawn toward it, apparently 

 by curiosity; the water is clear and the school not more than 6 feet 

 below the surface; hence every movement can be seen by the fisherman, 

 who watches for a favorable moment to impale his unsuspecting prey. 



The agent and several of the older and most intelligent hunters tes- 



