THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 59 



William Hermann, a seal-hunter of San Francisco, states that in 1800 his schooner 

 got 283 seals on the island of St. lona; that, altogether, 700 seals were obtained there 

 that year by three schooners, and that in 1891 he was there again, and got 551 seals 

 in the schooner Arctic: 



These were got hauled up on the rocks, :iucl were first discovered by Captain Pine, of the Arctic, 

 ill 1889. Eight years ago Captain Peterson, of the schooner Diana, of Yokohama, was there, and there 

 were no seals there (Fur 8eal Arb., viii, p. 709). 



This last paragraph does not necessarily mean that we have to do with newly 

 formed rookeries on St. lona. In the first place, it is not stated at what date the island 

 was visited; in the second, the seals may have been easily overlooked. I will mention 

 an instance to show this. In 1881 Gapt. J. Sandman, in the Alelcsander II, iu passing 

 tlie Kuril chain was looking for the possible existence of fur-seal rookeries on the 

 uniidiabited islands. His attention was particularly drawn to Sredui Island, quite a 

 small and insignificant affair. He happened to ajijiroach it from the Pacific side, and 

 seeing nothing but sea lions went away. Imagine his chagrin when he heard that Mr. 

 Snow landed on the island that same season, taking several thousand seals. They 

 were located ou the Okhotsk Sea side. 



SHANTAR ISLANDS. 



It has been supposed upon the " very categorical statement" of the captain of the 

 Walter h. Rich, and of Captain Towers, that fur-seals occur at the Shautar Islands 

 (a numerous group of large and small islands in the Shantar Bay, 55'^ north latitude 

 and 138° east longitude), and it is quite possible that such is the case.' I am also told 

 that seals have been taken on a small island close to the Okhotsk coast. 



It is believed that both the company and the Eussian Government possess more 

 definite information about these various islands than has been given to the public, but 

 that it has been withheld so as not to invite raids by sealing schooners. In the spring 

 of 1805 the authorities in St. Petersburg granted the Russian Seal Skin Company the 

 right to take seals on all the islands, known and unknown, upon the payment of a 

 stij)ulated tax and upon condition that a Covernment ofHcer accompany the vessel 

 dispatched by the company. 



' " Sliantarsl-i Islandf: lie off the western coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, about 150 miles northwest 

 of Cape Klizabctli on Sanhaliu island, and although the largest island (Great Shantar) is 35 miles long, 

 cast and west, and about tlie same distance broad, it does not appear to afford any port or shelter; 

 though its southwest pcunt projects to the S W., so as to form a liay on the south side of the island, 

 lietwceu this bay and the nearest point of the continent, 14 miles distant to the southwest, are two 

 islets surrouudeii by rocl<s and reefs. Soundings of 30 to 40 fathoms over a bottom of stones will be 

 found at 8 to 10 miles to the eastward of the group. The tides run from li to 2 knots an hour. 



'•To the southward of the south points of Great Shantar island are some small islands which 

 havo not been ex.imined. 



" Feksh])1off IsUmd.—At 6 miles from the west side of Great Shantar is Fekshptotf Island. 20 miles 

 in extent, NE. iiud SW., and 10 miles wide, iiut it has no port nor shelter" (China Sea Directory, i v, 

 1884, p. 178). 



