l68 FROM RADACK TO 



who is, at the same time, chief of the island. He 

 readily offered us his assistance, as soon as he had 

 learnt the object of our coming. As the island has 

 neither a good anchoring-place, nor a harbour near 

 it, the Rurick was obliged to remain under sail as 

 long as I and the scientific gentlemen were on 

 shore, partly to execute some business, and partly 

 to gratify our curiosity about the sea-lions. The 

 landing is very inconvenient, and impossible in a 

 high wind. The agent conducted me to his habit- 

 ation, which is half under ground ; a number of 

 magazines, in which the skins of sea-cats and sea- 

 lions are preserved, lay scattered about. This is 

 the only inhabited spot on the whole island : 

 there are only twenty-five men who, with their 

 wives, have been sent here from the Aleutian 

 islands, under the superinten dance of three Rus- 

 sian directors, to kill sea-lions and sea-cats for the 

 company. The agent, who is married to an Aleu- 

 tian woman, treated us in his half-subterraneous 

 dwelling, with a cup of tea, and then went to the 

 shore, where the sea-lions were lying in great 

 numbers, only two hundred fathoms from the house 

 These, as well as the sea-cats, live on shore during 

 the time of copulation, and are prepared fearlessly 

 to attack every body who approaches them ; while, 

 at other times, the sight of men frightens them in 

 to the sea. The scene which we now witnessed, 

 was to us new and pleasing ; we approached these 

 animals within twenty paces : the male arrives to 



