THE RUSSIAN FUK-SEAL ISLANDS. 41 



Farther south the escarpment ayaiii assiiiiies its precipitous aspe(;t aud ai)proaches 

 nearer to the beach. 



About live-eighths of a mile from the base of the " reef" the rocliy beach projects 

 again a little and, as the coast line beyond takes a more southerly turn, a corner is 

 formed which the natives designate as Blisknl Mys. Just before this " cape " there is 

 an expansion of the gravelly part of the beach which, like ''the sands" of the reef, 

 serve the seal hauling up in this neighborhood as a "parade" ground. This portion 

 of the beach is now called Kinhotchiuuja. The patch of breeding seals located here 

 arc known as Kishotchnoyv Iczhhistrhe or (rarely) BUzluwye lezhbistchc. 



Beyond Blizliui Mys the reef fringe, as well as the grassy belt, again expands, 

 theescarimient retreating from the coast, only to reapi)roach farther south at another 

 promonotory which is well marked by two liigh, grass-covered, mound like masses of 

 rock, the so-called tlrcat Marotihi.shitik, or Maroshnik, and Little lAIaroshnik. Beyond 

 this point the coast forms another slight bay, fringed with reefs, like the foregoing, 

 but not so wide. This is Kinikof, and as this is the last point where seals arc known 

 to have hauled up regularly, it nuxy be regarded as the southern end of the great 

 North Kookery. 



The JcilliiKj (/rounds are located on the gentle slope (about '.i in 100) aljove the 

 escarpment, about GOO feet southeast of the base of the reef. The ground is here 

 smooth and covered with a short, line grass. The upper end is pitted all over with 

 holes dug 4 to feet deep and about feet wide, used by the natives as "silos," into 

 which they place the seal meat, intestines, etc., destined for winter food for the 

 sledge-dogs. In addition, boxes aud barrels are likewise scattered over that part of 

 the ground, aud in these the natives salt the seal meat for their own use (pi. I'Ja). 



The driveways on this rookery are short and easy. From the reef the drive is 

 scarcely three eighths of a mile long, for the least part over the rocky beach, and for the 

 greater portion through the shallow lagoon at the base of the reef aud across the fields 

 of rank grass. The ascent up the escarpment is scarcely 30 feet high, with an im;liue 

 of about 35^. The road there is worn perfectly bare of vegetation aud in wet weather 

 is somewhat slii)pery, but not enough so as to cause a serious impediment to the drive. 



The driveway from the southern end of the rookery is considerably longer, from 

 Kishotchnaya, for instance, nearly three-fourths of a mile; but as it is partly over the 

 same beach ui)on which the seals themselves haul up and travel about with ease, and 

 partly over the inner grassy belt of the beach, no special hardship is involved. The 

 killing grounds are reached from the west side, where the escarpment is locally inter- 

 rupted, and the gentle slope beyond extends down to the water. 



The company's salt-house is located 500 feet north of the killing-grounds, at the 

 extreme north eud of the escarpment, and its reddish-brown walls and roof are 

 visible all around for a considerable distance, being, in fact, the best landmark on 

 this part of the island. It is a frame building, originally 45 by 2G feet, with a later 

 eastcru addition 20 by 24 feet. On the uorth side a plank "chute" aud stairs lead 

 down the escarpment to the beach below (pi. 24). 



Southeast of the killing-grounds, about 1,200 feet from the beach, and between 00 

 and 70 feet above the sea, the mud-hut villaye of the natives, where the men live 

 during the killing season, is located, and directly in front, north of the new huts, the 

 only wooden dwellings of the place, one belonging to the Eussian Government, iu 

 which the kossak aud his family reside, the other (16 by 20 feet) built by the company 



