344 HISTORY AND METHOD? OF THE FISHERIES. 



The company's steamer runs up here, watching her opportunity, and drops her anchor, as 

 indicated on the general chart, right south of the salt house, in about 4 fathoms of water ; then the 

 skins are invariably hustled aboard, no time being lost, because it is an exceedingly uncertain place 

 to load. 



There is no impression in my mind to-day more vivid than is the one which was planted there 

 during the afternoon of that July day, when I first made my survey of this ground ; indeed, while I 

 pause to think of the subject the great rookery of Novastoshnah rises promptly to my view, and I 

 am fairly rendered dumb as I try to speak definitely of the spectacle. In the first place, this slope 

 from Sea Lion Neck to the summit of Hutchinson's Hill is a sheer mile, smooth and gradual from 

 the sea to the hill top ; the parade ground lying between is also nearly three-quarters of a mile in 

 width, sheer and unbroken. Now, upon that area before my eyes, this day and date of which I 

 have spoken, were the forms of not less than three-fourths of a million seals pause a moment 

 think of the number, three-fourths of a million seals engaged in moving in one solid mass from 

 sleep to frolicksome gambols, backward, ibrvard, over, around, changing and interchanging their 

 heavy squadrons, until the whole mind is so confused and charmed by the vastness of mighty 

 hosts that it refuses to analyze any further. Then, too, I remember that the day was one of exceed- 

 ing beauty for that region ; it was a swift alternation overhead of those characteristic rain fogs, 

 between the succession of which the sun breaks out with transcendant brilliancy through the foggy 

 halos about it ; this parade field reflected the light like a mirror, and the seals, when they broke 

 apart here and there for a moment, just enough to show its surface, seemed as though they walked 

 upon the water. What a scene to put upon canvas, that amphibian host involved in those alter- 

 nate rainbow lights and blue-gray shadows of the fog ! 



RECAPITULATION OF THE ESTIMATES OP NUMBEE OF SEALS. Below is a recapitulation of the 

 figures made from my surveys of the area and position of the breeding grounds of Saint Paul Island 

 between the 10th and 18th of July, 1872, confirmed and revised at that date in 1874. It is the first 

 survev ever made on the island of its rookeries. 



BUEEDING-GBOUNDB OF THE FUR-SEAL, SAINT PAUL ISLAND. 



Number of 



seals, male, 



female, and 



young. 



' Reef rookery " hag 4,016 feet of sea maigiu, willi 150 feet of average depth, making ground for 



' Gorbotch rookery " has 3,660 feet of sea margin, with 100 feet of average depth, making ground for 



'Lagoon rookery" has 750 feet of sea margin, with 100 feet of average depth, making ground for 



NahSpeel rookery" has 400 feet of nea margin, with 40 feet of average depth making ground for 



'Lnkannon rookery" has 2,270 feet of sea margin, with 150 feet of average depth, making ground for 



'Keetavie rookery" has 2,200 feet of sea margin, with 150 feet of average depth, making ground for 



' Tolstoi rookery " has 3,000 feet of sea margin, with 150 feet of average depth, making ground for 



' Zapadnie rookery " has 5,880 feet of sea margin, with 150 feet of average depth, making ground for 



"Polavina rookery" has 4, 000 feet of sea margin, with 150 feet of average depth, making ground for 



" Novastoshnah or Northeast point " has 15,840 feet of sea margin, with 150 feet of average depth, making ground for . 



A grand total of breeding seals and young for St. Paul Island in 1874 of. 



301, 000 



183, 000 



37,000 



8,000 



170, 000 



105, 000 



225, 000 



441, 000 



300, 000 



1,200,000 



3, 030, COO 



THE ROOKLlUErf OF SAINT GEORGE. 



Saint George is now in order, and this island has only a trifling contribution for the grand total 

 of the seal life ; but though small, nevertheless it is of much value and interest. Certainly Pribylov, 

 not knowing of the existence of Saint Paul, was as well satisfied as if he had possessed the boundless 

 universe, when he first found it. As in the case of Saint Paul Island, I have been unable to learn 

 much here in regard to the early status of the rookeries, none of the natives having any real infor- 

 mation. The drift of their sentiment goes to show that there never was a great assemblage of 



