THE FUR-SEAL ISLANDS OF ALASKA. 



55 



seals enjoy. Just around the point, a low reach of rocky bar and beach connects it with the ridge-walls of South- 

 west point : a very small breeding-rookery, so small that it is not worthy of a survey, is located here ; I think, 

 probably, on account of the nature of the ground, that it will never hold its own, and is more than likely abandoned 

 by this time. 



One of the prehistoric villages, the village of Pribylov's time, was established here between the point and 

 the cemetery ridge, on which the northern wing of Zapadnie rests. The old burying-ground, with its characteristic 

 Russian crosses and faded pictures of the saints, is plainly marked on the ridge. It was at this little bight of sandy 

 landing that Pribylov's men first came ashore and took possession of the island, while others in the same season 

 proceeded to Northeast point and to the north shore, to establish settlements of their own order. When the 

 indiscriminate sealing of 1868 was in progress, one of the parties lived here, and a salt-house which was then 

 erected by them still stands; it is in a very fair state of preservation, although it has never been since occupied, 

 except by the natives who come over here from the village in the summer to pick the berries of the Empetrum and 

 IZnbns, which abound in the greatest profusion around the rough and rocky flats that environ the little adjacent lake. 

 The young people of St. Paul are very fond of this berry festival, so called among themselves, and they stay here 

 every August, camping out, a week or ten days at a time, before returning to their homes in the village. 



Zapadnie rookery has, the two wings included, 5,880 feet of sea-margin, with an average depth of 150 feet, 

 making ground for 441,000 breeding-seals and their young, being the second rookery on the island as to size and 

 importance. 



The "holluschickie" that sport here on the parade-plateau, and indeed over all of the western extent of the 

 English bay hauling-grouuds, have never been visited by the natives for the purpose of selecting killing drives since 

 1872, inasmuch as more seals than were wanted have always been procured from Zoltoi, Lukauuou, and Lower Tolstoi 

 points, which are all very close to the village. I have been told, since making this survey, that during the past 

 year the breeding-seals of Zapaduie have overflowed, so as to occupy all of the sand-strip which is vacant between 

 them on the accompanying map. 



POLAVEVA KOOKKRY. Half-way between the village and Northeast point lies Polaviua, another one of the 

 seven large breeding-grounds on this island. The conspicuous cone-shaped head of Polavina Sopka rises clearly 

 cut and smooth from the plateau at its base, 

 which falls two miles to the eastward and 

 southeastward, sharp off into the sea, present- 

 ing a bluff morgin over a mile in length, at the 

 base of which the sea thunders incessantly. It 

 exhibits a very beautiful geological section of 

 the simple structure of St. Paul. The ringing, 

 iron-like basaltic foundations of the island are 

 here setting boldly up from the sea to a height 

 of 40 or 50 feet black and purplish-red, pol- 

 ished like eboiiy by the friction of the surf, and 

 worn by its agency into grotesque arches, tiny 

 caverns, and deep fissures. Surmounting this 

 lava-bed is a cap of ferruginous cement and 

 tufa from three to ten feet in thickness, making 

 a reddish floor, upon which the seals patter in 

 their restless, never-ceasing, evolutions, sleep- 

 ing or waking, on the laud. It is as great a 

 single parade-plateau of polished cement as 

 that of the lieef, but we are unable from any 

 point of observation to appreciate it, inasmuch 

 as we cannot stand high enough to overlook it, 

 Unless we ascend Polaviua Sopka, and then the 

 distances, with the perspective fore-shortening, 

 destroy the effect. 



The rookery itself occupies only a small 

 portion of the seal-visited area at this spot. 

 It is placed at the southern termination, and 

 gentle sloping of the long reach of bluff wall, 

 which is the only cliff between Lukannon and 

 Xovastoshnah. It presents itself to the eye. 

 however, in a very peculiar manner, and with 

 great scenic effect, when the observer views it from the extreme point of its mural elevation; viewed from thence, 

 nearly a mile to thu northeast, it rises as a front of bicolored lava-wall, high above the sea that is breaking at its 



POLA.VTNTA ROOKERY 



