INVESTIGATIONS OF THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 237 



but the natives do not exert themselves specially to lay in a supply of 

 either cod or halibut, their wants being - so well provided for by the 

 Government. The village of St. Paul secures its cod and halibut from 

 two small fishing-grounds, one of which lies off the eastern end of Otter 

 Island, the other about 1.1 miles from the settlement. 



The last trial with hand lines in Bering Sea was made at station Xo. 

 3558 (latitude 56° 58' N., longitude 170° 09' W.), 25 fathoms. Five cod 

 and o sculpins were taken there in the course of fifteen minutes, the 

 former averaging 12 pounds in weight. The total number of trials with 

 hand lines in the sea during the summer had been 70, the total catch 

 by that means amounting to 116 cod. 



On September 8 the Albatross again anchored in Akun Bay. The 

 charts locate a fishing village in this bay, but we found there only a 

 single small building, which is occupied by fishermen during the salmon 

 season. The salmon (red salmon) which run here are much superior to 

 those about Unalaska Island, and every year parties come over from 

 the latter island in order to obtain a supply. In one haul of the seine 

 on the beach we succeeded in capturing all the salmon we could take 

 care of, and all of the boats belonging to the ship could readily have 

 been loaded. 



Just back of the beach here there is a lake about 1£ miles long by £ 

 mile wide. We launched our dory into this lake and made about a 

 dozen seine hauls, securing a quantity of trout and young salmon. 

 We were puzzled at first to account for the presence of the salmon in 

 the lake, but on a closer examination we found that there had been an 

 outlet which the sea had closed up, the fresh water at the time of our 

 visit forcing its way under the beach through gravel and stones. At 

 the places where the fresh water was oozing through many salmon were 

 endeavoring to effect an entrance into the lake. So active were they 

 in their efforts that several had managed to work some 10 or 15 feet up 

 the steep beach into a little pool about G inches deep. 



Arriving back on board the ship at dark, we found that the crew had 

 caught several cod with hand lines, and a halibut weighing 17 pounds. 



From Akun island the Albatross proceeded to Deer Island, located 

 between the Sannak islands and the mainland, a night anchorage being 

 made off the southern and western end of the island. Hand lines were 

 thrown over there and in the course of li hours 27 cod and G halibut 

 were captured. The former averaged G.V, the latter GA pounds in weight. 

 In most parts of this region cod are plentiful, and if is not necessary 

 to go far from the harbors to find good fishing. Halibut do not seem 

 to be so abundant, however, although they are at least sufficiently 

 common to supply all local demands. 



A day was spent in collecting in Bailey Harbor, which is located 

 a short distance to the westward of Belkofski, a native village con- 

 taining about 200 inhabitants. Salmon, several species of flounder, 

 (chiefly the starry flounder), and young cod were taken abundantly with 



