136 HErORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



table flat of sand and clay covers one-half the area of this bay. It is 

 dry at low water and is to be avoided in choosing an anchorage, as the 

 shoal is abrupt, going from C fathoms to feet. It extends along the 

 north shore of the bay within 200 yards of a white blnfl", then curves to 

 the kSE., with a short projecting spit in the middle of the bay, to a 

 small island on the south shore. A good landing on the north shore 

 will be found at high water. The holding-ground is good, with smooth 

 water and good protection from heavy SW. winds. 



Although the SW. blow had not decreased during the night, we 

 got under way the next morning and stood on through Johnstone 

 Strait to Alert Bay, Cormorant Island. Seining and fishing parties 

 were sent out here, but nothing new was developed. Mr. Si)encer, the 

 owner of the cannery at this port, informed me that the canning indus- 

 try in these waters is rapidly increasing. Leaving Alert Bay on the 

 morning of June 0, we passed out to sea through Goletas Channel, clear- 

 ing the latter at noon, and shaped a course for the Shumagin Islands. 



June 7 was ushered in with heavy swell and seas from the southward 

 and westward, the weather becoming boisterous, ending up with a 

 SW. gale, which shifted around to a southeaster, with much rain and 

 mist, making it impossible to distinguish objects at a distance of half a 

 mile. Under these conditions, however, the Shumagins were sighted 

 on the 13th, and, passing through Gorman Strait, we anchored at 

 Sand Point that evening in order to intercept the mail steamer from 

 Unalaska, which was scheduled to leave on this date. This port has 

 liractically been deserted by sealers, only one having put in here this 

 season, the Mary Taylor, of Victoria. 



Leaving Sand Point on the morning of June 15, the run was made to 

 Unalaska, taking the inside passage north of the Shumagin and Sannak 

 islands, a gale still blowing outside, with fog and rain. We arrived at 

 Unalaska at 11.30 a. m. on the ICtli and found the following vessels of 

 the i)atrol fleet in port, viz: Bush, Bear, Corivin, and Grant. The Perry 

 was at the Pribilofs. 



Dr. LeonhardStejneger, curator in the United States National Museum, 

 arrived in the Alaska Commercial Company's steamer Bertha on the 

 17th and reported on board for passage to the Commander Islands. 

 We steamed out of Dutch Harbor on the morning of the 23d of June, 

 Mr. J. Stanley-Brown, manager and representative of the North Amer- 

 ican Commercial Company, taking passage with us to St. Paul. We 

 arrived at Village Cove anchorage at 5 p. m. on the 24th, picking up 

 the islands in a dense fog which prevailed throughout the day. Messrs. 

 True, Prentiss, and ^Filler were landed on the 25th to pursue their work 

 ui)on the islands. 1 called upon the chief Treasuiy agent, Mr. J. B. 

 Crowley, and made satisfactory arrangements with regard to seal 

 investigations upon the Pribilof Islands. I am ])leased to say that 

 Mv. Crowley fully entered into the spirit of the work, and facilitated 

 its execution, aJl of which was materially aided by the cooperation of 

 Mr. J. Stanley-Brown, of the North American Commercial Company. 



