22 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



there is no shelter for ships unless thej^ run around to the north side, 

 where they are unable to hold practicable communication with the 

 people or to discharge. At St. George matters are still worse, for the 

 prevailing northerly, westerly, and easterly winds drive the boats 

 away from the village roadstead, and weeks often pass at either island, 

 but more frequently at tlie latter, ere a cargo is landed at its destina- 

 tion. Under the very best circumstances it is both hazardous and 

 trying to load and unload ship at any of these places. The approach 

 to St. Paul by water during thick weather is doubtful and dangerous, 

 for the land is mostly low at the coast and the fogs hang so dense 

 and heavy over and around the hills as to completely obliterate their 

 presence from vision. The captain fairly feels his way in bj^ throwing 

 his lead line and straining his ear to catch tlie muffled roar of the 

 seal rookeries, which are easily detected when once understood, high 

 above the booming of the surf. At St. George, however, the bold, 

 abrupt, bluffy coast everywhere all around, with its circling girdle of 

 flying water birds far out to sea, looms up quite prominently, even in 

 the fog; or, in other words, the navigator can notice it before he is 

 hard aground or struggling to liaiil to windward from the breakers 

 under his lee. There are no reefs making out from St. George worthy 

 of notice, but there are several very dangerous and extended ones 

 peculiar to St. Paul, which Capt. John G. Baker, in command of the 

 vessel^ under ni}^ direction, carefully sounded out, and which I have 

 placed upon my chart for the guidance of those who may sail in my 

 wake hereafter. 



When tlio wind blows from the north, northwest, and west to south- 

 west, the companj^'s steamer trips her anchor in 8 fathoms of water 

 abreast of the Black Bluffs opposite the village, from which anchorage 

 her stores are lightered ashore; but in the northeasterly, easterly, and 

 southeasterly winds she hauls around to the Lagoon Bay, west of the 

 village, and there, little less than half a mile from the landing, she 

 drops her anchor in 9 fathoms of water, and makes considerable head- 

 way at discharging her cargo. Sailing craft come to both anchorages, 

 but, however, keep still farther out, though they choose relatively 

 the same positions, but seek deeper water to swing to their cables in. 

 The holding ground is excellent. At St. George the steamer comes, 

 wind permitting, directly to the village on the north shore, close in, 

 and finds her anchorage in 10 fathoms of water, in poor holding 

 ground; but it is only when three or four days have passed free from 

 northerly, westerly, or easterly winds that she can make the first 

 attempt to safely unload. The landing here is a very bad one, surf 

 breaking most violently upon the rocks from one end of the year to the 

 other. 



Otter Island. — The observer will notice that 6 miles southward 

 and westward of the reef of St. Paul Island is a bluffy islet, called 

 by the Russians Otter Island, because in olden time the Promj^shle- 

 niks are said to have captured many thousands of sea otters on its 

 stony coast. It rises from the ocean, sheer and bold, an unbroken 

 mural precipice extending nearly all around, of sea front, but drop- 

 ping on its northern margin, at the water, low, and slightly elevated 

 above the surf wash, with a broken, rocky beach and no sand. The 

 height of the cliffs, at their greatest elevation over the west end, is 

 3(X) feet, while the eastern extremity is quite low, and terminated by 

 a queer, funnel-shaped crater hill, which is as distinctly defined and 



United States i-evenue-marine cuttei' Reliance, June to October, 1874. 



