INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 133 



bound home also. Leaving her off the entrance to Unimak Pass, the 

 course was set for Dutch Harbor, where we arrived at 8.30 p. m. 



The Alhatross was coaled, and again went to sea at noon of the 

 8th, for a cruise around the Pribilofs. In order to expedite matters 

 and avoid possible delays, I transferred Messrs. Townsend and Miller 

 to the revenue cutter Gorwm before leaving ijort, arrangements having 

 been made for that vessel to convey them to the islands. On the even- 

 ing of the 8tli we fell in with and boarded the American schooner AZ^ie 

 I. Alger, of Seattle, bound to Unalaska for water and provisions, and 

 thence home. She had been in the sea thirty-four days, and had taken 

 327 seals. The following morning spoke the British schooner Triumphy 

 of Victoria. This sealer was to leave the sea for home in two days; had 

 been in the sea forty days, and had taken 3,014 seals. 



A traverse was run inside the 60-mile circle, touching a 40-mile circle 

 around the Pribilofs, between the 9th and 11th of September, in which 

 only a moderate blow was encountered on the night of the 10th. On 

 the morning of the 11th it was decided to make a lee of St. George, 

 then 40 miles distant, and verify our position. The island was picked 

 up in a dense fog, and the course then shaped for St. Paul, making a 

 run for Otter Island in a moderate cross sea. The latter island was 

 not seen, owing to the dense fog, but was located by the heavy surf 

 pounding on the beach. Then the course was changed for Village Cove 

 anchorage, where we came to off Kocky Point reef in 17 fathoms, after 

 making three attemi)ts to find our way inside in the dense fog prevail- 

 ing. The fog lifting the next morning revealed our position to be inside 

 of the reef, bearing east (magnetic), and 3 miles from the anchorage 

 in the cove. We got under way at 6 a. m., steamed in, and anchored 

 near the revenue cutter Coricin. Messrs. Townsend and Miller came 

 on board and reported their work finished on both St. George and St. 

 Paul islands in counting the dead pups on the rookeries. 



We left St. Paul at early daylight on September 13, with weather 

 moderately clear. Passed St. George at 11 a. ra., on the starboard 

 beam 3 miles distant, and shaped course to finish traverse where it 

 was suspended on the 11th. Eunning this out, with moderate weather 

 prevailing, we returned to Dutch Harbor, coaled, and sailed again on 

 the 17th for a short cruise between Unimak Pass and the Pribilofs in 

 search of sealers. Found a rough cross sea running from the north, 

 ward and westward during the two days we were out, the result of one 

 of the numerous gales passing along the chain of islands at this season 

 of the year. It was evident that most of the sealers had left the sea 

 within a short time, owing to the steadily unfavorable weather prevailing. 



We returned to Dutch Harbor again on the evening of the 18th, 

 coaled, and received final orders to return to Mare Island via Sitka and 

 Port Townsend. We left Dutch Harbor on the 20th at 11 a. m., with 

 threatening weather, and passed out of Bering Sea through Unimak 

 Pass that evening. A westerly wind kept the fog banked in Bering 

 Sea, which enabled us to lay a course for Cape Pankof, passing to the 

 northward of the Sannak Islands and reefs. The night being clear, we 



