226 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Sailed from Dutch Harbor at 8 p. in., June 21, for the Pribilofs. 

 Arrived at St. George Island and anchored off the village at 8 p. in., 

 June 22. Weather cloudy, rainy, and foggy, with fresh ENE. wind. 

 For several days previous to the arrival of the Albatross communica- 

 tion with the shore from the north anchorage had been interrupted by 

 heavy weather. At midnight got under way for St. Paul, where the 

 Albatross arrived at 5 a. in., June 23. The Treasury agents reported 

 that the seals were late this season in arriving, especially the cows. 



At St. Paul orders were received for the Albatross to "cruise for ten 

 days between a line drawn from St. Paul to Cape ISTewenkam, and 

 another from St. Paul to Akutan Island; then return to Unalaska. 

 To go as far to the eastward as judgment seems best." One killing of 

 1,200 seals had taken place from the Reef Point rookery a few days 

 previous to our arrival; another occurred on the 23d at Zapadnie rook- 

 ery, of 1,000 seals. Fresh salmon were found in the seals' stomachs at 

 the last killing. 



Information was received from otter hunters at Unalaska the day of 

 our departure that the majority of seals were entering Bering Sea 

 through False Pass, or Isanotski Strait, between Uniinak Island and 

 Alaska Peninsula. It was therefore concluded that some information 

 might be brought to light relative to the migratory habits of the 

 seal by making an examination at this period of that portion of Bering 

 Sea included between a line drawn from Amak Island W. by N. (mag.) 

 to a point 20 miles NE. of St. Paul, and another line from Cape Lapiu, 

 west end of Shaw Bay, W. £ N. (mag.) to a point 20 miles SW. of St. 

 George Island. 



Accordingly, the Albatross sailed from St. Paul at 7 p. in., June 23, 

 to cruise in search of pelagic sealers and investigate the supposed chan- 

 nel of migration, as outlined above. A part of the 24th and 25th was 

 spent in examining this locality. A haul of beam trawl, also surface 

 net, was made at a distance of If miles from and across the mouth of 

 False Pass; the usual temperatures and a specimen of bottom water 

 were taken. The trawl was drawn for thirty minutes, the haul being suc- 

 cessful. The principal specimens consisted of flounders, alligator-fish, 

 starfish, hermit crabs, and sponges; bottom composed of black volcanic 

 sand. On consultation with the naturalists it was decided that fishing 

 trials under these conditions would not be productive of any additional 

 information in this locality. Up to this time no seals nor sealers had 

 been seen, although favorable sealing weather; a very marked contrast 

 to conditions supposed to exist, from all accounts. 



The run was then made to Port Moller, where we arrived June 27 at 

 7 a. m. Neither seals nor sealers were seen in this locality; we there- 

 fore continued on to Port Haiden, which was reached that afternoon. 

 The weather being unsettled, accompanied by thick fog and mist, 

 together witli the late hour of the day, I did not consider it advisable to 

 examine this locality or employ the time allotted to cruising in making 



