FISHERY INDUSTEIES. 69 



and remained in that section until September 17, capturing 9 sulphur 

 bottoms, 144 humpbacks, and 31 finbacks during that time. The 

 reduction process was conducted aboard the Sommerstadt. The Star I 

 continued to operate in the vicinity of Port Armstrong, dehvering 

 the whales to the shore station. 



The total number of whales taken by all three vessels for the season 

 was 314, of which 143 were males and 171 females. Operations were 

 begun May 4 and continued until October 8. 



The floating boUeries Admiralen and Sommerstadt, employed by the 

 last two above-named companies, remained at anchor in the harbors 

 mentioned, and did not cruise with the American-built whalers on the 

 high seas to treat the carcasses of the whales as fast as taken. The 

 latter course is the usual one, and was the original plan of the two 

 new Alaska companies. A change was necessary, however, to bring 

 the work in conformity with the laws of the United States. Officers 

 of the customs service were stationed aboard the Admiralen and Som- 

 merstadt, with authority to enter and clear the American-registered 

 vessels used in hunting whales. 



SAN FRANCISCO WHALING FLEET. 



Operations of the San Francisco fleet in northern waters during 

 1912 were not of an extensive or satisfactory nature. Of the vessels 

 that went north in the spring, the schooner Lettitia (233 tons) arrived 

 October 3 wivh 245 barrels of sperm oil; the bark Gay Head (252 tons) 

 arrived Ociober 24 with 54 barrels of sperm oil; and the bark John and 

 Winthrop (321 tons) arrived October 25 with 35 barrels of sperm oil. 

 The steamer Belvedere (339 tons), which sjiiled north in the spi-ing of 

 1911 and wintered in the Arctic, arrived November 1 with 900 barrels 

 of oil and 32,800 pounds of whalebone, also a shipment of furs. The 

 schooner Alice Stofen (17 tons) cleared on a whaling voyage May 16, 

 but had not returned up to the end of the year. 



The power schooner Elvira (60 tons) arrived November 7 from a 

 cruise in northern waters, during which 12 bowhead whales were cap- 

 tured that produced 17,544 pounds of bone. The schooner Allen A 

 (266 tons), which arrived from Alaska November 7, was employed in 

 the interests of the Tyee Co.'s shore whaling operations. 



The steamers Herman (229 tons) and Karluk (247 tons) and the 

 brigantine Jeanette (217 tons), which vessels were until recently 

 engaged actively in whaling operations, did not sail this year. The 

 following whaling vessels (steamers) were also laid up during the year: 

 Beluga (409 tons), Bowhead (243 tons), Narwhal (389 tons), and the 

 Thrasher (502 tons). 



NORWEGIAN VESSELS. 



The Norwegian whaling steamer Kit (247 tons), which was equipped 

 in the dual capacity of floating factory and killing boat, attracted 



