14 PACIFIC COD FISHERIES. 
OFFSHORE BANKS IN BERING SEA. 
Owing to a lack of good harbors in Bering Sea, the offshore banks 
are the only ones frequented at present by the fishing vessels, and 
these are amongst the most productive in all Alaska. As the hold- 
ing ground on these banks is good, a properly equipped vessel finds 
little difficulty in riding out all ordinary gales. All cod banks so far 
found are mostly situated te the eastward of a line connecting Cape 
Newenham with the northwest cape of Unimak Island and off the 
northern side of Unalaska Island. 
Slime Bank.—The first cod bank to be reached by a fishing vessel 
after entering Bering Sea is Slime Bank. As delineated by the 
Albatross, it begins directly off Cape Sarichef, the northwest cape of 
Unimak Island, is elongate in shape, and follows approximately 
the trend of the adjacent coast to within a few miles of Amak 
Island, its inner margin lying only a short distance off the land. 
It is about 85 miles in length and 17 miles in average width, broaden- 
ing somewhat at the eastern end; its total area is estimated at about 
1,445 square miles. The depths found on the bank range from 20 
to 50 fathoms, while the bottom consists generally of black sand 
and gravel, frequently intermingled with pebbles, and sometimes 
of gray and yellow sand, rocks also occurring near the shore. 
The deep water lying off the northern entrance to Unimak Pass 
forms the western end of the bank, 70 fathoms being found near the 
edge and depths exceeding 100 fathomsa short distance farther away. 
Off its northern edge the depths determined by the soundings of the 
Albatross range from 53 to 62 fathoms, with muddy bottom at 
three of them. Toward the eastern end, however, on the northern 
side sand and gravel occur, and in this locality the precise limits of 
the bank are still undefined. 
There are no harbors suitable for cod vessels along the adjacent 
shore, although protection may be found in several bays, notably 
Dublin and Shaw Bays, during southeast to southwest winds. Amak 
Island, which les about 11 miles off Izenbeck Bay, also furnishes 
some protection during the prevalence of southeast and southwest 
winds. 
The bank derives its name from the presence of immense numbers 
of a large jellyfish, brownish or rusty in color, measuring 6 to 18 
inches across the disk, and provided with long slender tentacles 
having great stinging powers. It is said by the fishermen that 
the jellyfish are never observed upon the surface of the sea, but seem 
to occupy an intermediate zone toward the bottom. They claim that 
these animals sometimes interfere with the hooks reaching bottom, 
and by covering the bait render it unattractive to the fish. When 
brought to the surface they are uncomfortable objects for the fisher- 
men to disentangle from the hook and line. They do not become 
