202 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



dare say, it ever had been before, or, perhaps, ever will be again." 

 He gives, in the succeeding language, the sum of the Anson survey: 



The Spaniards have generally mentioned two islands lander the name of Juan 

 Fernandez, styling them the greater and the less, the greater being that island 

 where we anchored, and the less being the island we are now describing, which, 

 because it is more distant from the continent, they have distinguished by the name 

 of Masa-Fuera. The Tryal sloop found that it bore from the greater Juan Fei'- 

 nandez west by south, and was about 23 leagues distant. It is a much larger and 

 better spot than has been generally reported, for former writers have represented 

 it as a small barren rock, destitute of wood and water and altogether inaccessible, 

 whereas our people found it was covered with trees, and that there wei'e several 

 fine falls of water pouring down its sides into the sea: they foiind, too, that there 

 was a place where a ship might come to anchor on the north side of it, though 

 indeed the anchorage is inconvenient, for the bank extends but a little way, is 

 steep, too, and has very deep water upon it, so that you must come to an anchor 

 very near the shore, and there lie exposed to all the winds but a southerly one: and 

 beside the inconvenience of the anchorage, there is also a reef of rocks running 

 off from tlie eastern point of the island about 2 miles in length, though there is 

 little danger to be feared from them, because they are always to be seen by the 

 seas breaking over them. This place has at present one advantage beyond the 

 island of Juan Fernandez, for it abounds with goats, who, not being accustomed 

 to be disturbed, were nowise shy or apprehensive till they had been frequently 

 fired at. These animals reside here in great tranquillity, the Spaniards not having 

 thought the island considerable enough to be frequented by their enemies, and 

 have not therefore been solicitous to destroy the provisions upon it, so that no dogs 

 have been hitherto set oil shore there. Beside the goats, our people found there 

 vast numbers of seals and sea lions. And upon the whole they seemed to imagine 

 that, though it was not the most eligible place for a ship to refresh at. yet in case 

 of necessity it might afford some sort of shelter and prove of considerable use, 

 especially to a single ship, etc. 



Neglect op Chile. — Chile has suffered these famous breeding- 

 grounds of Arctoceplialus to be ravaged and utterly eliminated. Here 

 she had perpetual interests, worth many hundreds of thousands of 

 dollars to her annually in the way of revenue, had thej^ only been 

 looked after and shielded from that wanton and mercenary destruc- 

 tion which has been visited upon them by sealers of all nations 

 between 1806-1840. In 1717 the Spanish Government revived and 

 reestablished the colonj^of Juan Fernandez on that island, but it was 

 in the lapse of a few decades almost entirel}^ ruined by an earth- 

 quake. During 1810 the Chileans gained their independence, and 

 these two islands formed jiart of their possessions. In 1819 they 

 established a sort of a Botany Bay on Juan Fernandez and have had 

 as many as 500 prisoners there at a time. It was found, however, to 

 be too expensive, and when a mutiny in 1835 i^laced the island in the 

 hands of the convicts for a brief period, then the j^risoners were all 

 removed shortly afterwards and the island deserted, and remained so 

 for forty-iive or fifty years. At the present time the two islands, 

 Fernandez and Masafuera, are leased by a Chilean merchant, who 

 employs all the settlers in cutting wood, tending cattle, and, during 

 the season, in sealing. The average catch is about 2,000 fur seals 

 annually. 



Value of the Ansonian account just quoted. — The Ansonian 

 description, thus quoted in much detail, is one that can not fail to 

 cause decided comment upon the marked j)hysical differences under 

 which the fur seal thrives in the north on the islets of Bering Sea, as 

 Callorliinus ursinus, or in the south, as Arcioceplialus aiisfralis, on 

 Masafuera and Juan Fernandez. According to Walter, the size of 

 these two subtropical islands is nearly in accord with the area which 

 I found belonging to the Pribilof grouj), St. Paul being about the same 

 superficial area of Juan Fernandez, with outlying rocks and islets 



