AMPHIBIAN MILLIONS. 317 



molest. To-day at least they know it, or they would not submit to 

 these manifestations which we have just cited, so close to their 

 knowledge. 



The Lagoon rookery, however, never can be a large one, on ac- 

 count of the very nature of this ground selected by the seals ; it is 

 a bar simply pushed up beyond the surf-wash of boulders, water- 

 worn and rounded, which has almost enclosed and cut away the 

 Lagoon from its parent sea. In my opinion, the time is not far dis- 

 tant when that estuary will be another inland lake of St. Paul, 

 walled out from salt water and freshened by rain and melting snow, 

 as are the other pools, lakes, and lakelets on the island. 



Zapadnie, in itself, is something like the Reef plateau on its 

 eastern face, for it slopes up gradually and gently to the parade- 

 plateau above a parade-ground not so smooth, however, being 

 very rough and rocky, but which the seals enjoy. Just around the 

 point, a low strip of rocky bar and beach connects it with the 

 ridge-walls of Southwest 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 that point and the cemetery ridge, 

 on which the northern wing of Zapadnie rests. An 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 pro- 

 ceeded 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 occupied since* 

 except by the natives who come over here from the village in the 

 summer to pick those berries of the Empetrum and Rubus, which 

 abound in the greatest profusion around the rough and rocky 

 flats that environ a little lake adjacent The young people of St. 

 Paul are very fond of this berry-festival, so-called among them- 

 selves, and they stay there every August, camping out, a week or 

 ten days at a time, before returning to their homes in the village. 



So abundant have been the seals that no driving of animals from 



