WORK OF THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 317 



in consideraDle numbers. The beaches near the water's edge are 

 almost entirely destitute of animal life; it is only in depths of from 2 to 

 3 fathoms that life is found. The water is very clear, and the bottom 

 can be distinctly seen at a considerable depth. 



Finding it useless to haul the drag seine, I took the collecting boat 

 and a couple of hand lines and anchored olf a rocky point not far from 

 the ship, where a number of bottom fish had been seen during the 

 afternoon. I was rewarded by two cod weighing 3 pounds each. It 

 was rapidly growing dark, and fishing was given up for the day. 

 The two specimens taken answered every purpose, however, as they 

 were sufficient to establish the occurrence of the species here. I see no 

 reason why cod should not be plentiful about this harbor; it is possible 

 that they may be in their season, for they may have times for visiting 

 this locality. 



The following morning we took a small drag seine in the dory, and 

 rowed outside the entrance of the harbor about a mile to a beach 

 across which the dory was dragged and launched into a small lake 

 which had been observed from the ship the previous evening. Five 

 hauls resulted in over twenty small trout and half a bucket of stickle- 

 backs. 



Sanborn Harbor, N'agai Island. — This harbor is situated on the west 

 side of the island. It is well sheltered, and a good locality for estab- 

 lishing a fishing station. Hauls with the drag seine were made in 

 every available place. Large numbers of flounders (two species), 6 

 salmon, 8 salmon trout, about a dozen sculpins, and a bucketful of 

 young salmon were taken ; the salmon were about 2 inches in length. 



Several hundred small trout, a few tomcod, and a large number of 

 starry flounders were caught in a small lake. The water from the 

 lake had at one time emptied into the sea, but a dam composed of rocks 

 and wood, built by fishermen, now prevents the sea from flowing in or 

 the fresh water from flowing out, except what escapes under it. The 

 water was perfectly fresh, but it did not seem to attect the salt-water 

 species in the least, as those on board who sampled the flounders pro- 

 nounced them equally as good as any previously taken in those waters. 



No further fishing or collecting was carried on among the islands of 

 this grouj). 



Unalaska. — During the afternoon of June 28 the drag seine was 

 hauled several times along the beach, or spit, which forms Dutch Har- 

 bor. Two flounders and four sea trout were the result of half a day's 

 work. This has never proved to be a prolific beach for collecting. In 

 1888 several attempts were made to collect here, but each time we met 

 with poor results. The beach in most places makes off very abruptly, 

 and the bottom is nearly devoid of such life as attracts flounders and 

 other food-fish. Clams are fairly abundant, and at low tide it is a com- 

 mon occurrence to see the crews of whalers, men-of-war, and other 

 vessels on the beach with buckets and spades. 



