INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 233 



moil do not allow tliciv liooks to leaeli the bottom, but lish ovvr them, 

 as they express it, in order to escai)e tlieir stiiiy', which soon makes 

 tlieir hauds sore. A-u old codfisherman who has spent several seasons 

 on this bank said the slime (medusse) became so thick on the bottom 

 late in the season that they had great trouble sometimes in lifting their 

 dory anchors through it. Dread of handling the stinging cells had as 

 much to do with the difliculty, i)robably, as the weight brought up by 

 the rope and anchor. 



We found the bank to extend from the Northwest Cape of Unimak to 

 within 10 or 15 miles of Amak Island, embracing depths from 20 to 50 

 fathoms, scattering specimens being taken outside of this limit. It is 

 about 85 miles in length, with an average width of 17 miles, covering 

 an area of 1,44:5 square miles. The character of bottom as given by the 

 lead was generally black sand and gravel, pebbles being frequently 

 added, with rocks near shore and mud in the greater dej)ths. 



At 8:20 p. m., June 25, we anchored off Cape Glasenap, or Hound 

 Point, in 9 fathoms. The weather was foggy during the afternoon, with 

 increasing wind, which induced us to seek jirotection under the land. 

 An examination of the entrance to Izenbek Bay developed a bar ex- 

 tending from Cape Glasenap to the low island, over which not more 

 than 2 fathoms could be carried at low water. A smaU vessel drawing 

 from 8 to 10 feet might find a harbor inside of the cape, but its limits 

 would be small, as most of the area is laid bare at low water. A school 

 of walruses were playing outside of the surf for hours, but they did not 

 come near the ship. Several being seen hauled out on a low protecting 

 point of Cax^e Glasenap, Mr. Townsend landed and attempted to get 

 witbin rifle range, but they were watchful and timid, and, as he was 

 obliged to land to windward, soon scented him and took to the water. 

 The fog continued next day, but lifted for a few minutes at a time, 

 enabling us to see several miles. Being anxious to visit Amak Island, 

 we got under way at 1 :30 p. m., ran a line of di'edging and fishing 

 stations along the land for about 10 miles, then across to the island, 

 where we anchored at j). m. in 10 fathoms, the extremes of land bear- 

 ing S. by E. f E. and WSW. f W. (magnetic). This is a fairly good 

 anchorage, with SW. winds. 



Amak Islaiui is of volcanic origin, between 2 and 3 miles in length, 

 and about 1,700 feet in height. There are plateaus from 30 to 150 

 feet above the sea, extending back 500 or COO yards from the beach, 

 covered with a thick coating of moss, through which rank grass was 

 showing. Flowers were beginning to bloom, giving the surface quite a 

 cheerful aspect. Near the center was a rugged precipitous mountain 

 of dark-brown rock entirely void of vegetation. No life was seen on the 

 island, except three or four migratory birds, and it did not prove a prof- 

 itable region for the naturalists. The weather was generally overcast 

 wdth fog and mist on the morning of the 27th, but the sun came out 

 at iutervals. We could not reconcile our runs with the position as- 



