THE COMMANDER ISLANDS. 447 



In the afternoon H. M. S. Pheasant came to anchor off the village and landed Dr. 

 Jordan, Trofessor Thompson, and Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, from the Commander Islands. 

 They came on the SaitllUc direct to Uualaska and the I'luusant brought them up to 

 St. Paul. 



The Corwin arrived about the same time, bringing Colonel ^lurray from St. George 

 Island. He has with him branding irons and rejjorts that experiments made in 

 branding at St. George proved successful. Sixty-two pups and 9 cows were branded 

 on North llookery. 



THE COMMANDER ISLANDS. 

 Following are Dr. Jordan's field notes on the Commander Islands: 



ITINERARY. 



August 10. — Sailed from Lukaniu Bay on H. M. S. Satellite, Capt. Albert Clinton 

 Allen commanding, having rough weather for two days with southeast wind, then 

 fairly good weather. Sighted Cape Napropnsk on Bering Island August 22, and 

 anchored August 23 at a. m. in Nikolski Bay and spent the day on shore looking 

 about with Mr. Emil Kluge, returning to the ship at night. August 24 we sailed from 

 Nikolski atO a. m. around Cape Stotchnoi, rounding the north end of Medui Island and 

 reaching Preobrajenski at 9 p. m. August 25 we took Mr. Barrett-Hamilton on board. 

 Sailed at 9.30 for Glinka, visiting Zapadni, Palata, and Zapalata rookeries. In the 

 evening of August 25 left Glinka for Unalaska, arriving there on the afternoon of 

 August 29, embarking at once in the Pheasant for St. Paul. 



BERING ISLAND. 



To the northward this island has irregular lakes and moors surrounded by rounded 

 hills, abruptly flat and table-shaped on top. These are covered with moss and Emjie- 

 trum, their sides ridged with many buried bowlders. Snow lies on all the northern 

 slopes. 



To the southward are higher hills, all rounded off, not rocky anywhere, capped 

 with gray moss and topped in mist, the slopes green with moss down to high tide. 

 The sea to-day is without a ripple. The hillsides look like a grassy lawn edging a pond. 



Gohig south along Bering Island the hills rise 800 feet or more, with rounded tops 

 covered with reindeer moss and with many snow banks down to the water's edge. Kocks 

 are very i-are, the slopes all soft and gently rounded, ending sometimes in cliB's at the 

 sea. but those showing faint valleys extending well back to the interior. There is a 

 little waterlall in the valley off Poludinnoye Point. 



Mount Steller is a broad, stately peak with huge cliffs, perhaps 500 to 600 feet, at 

 the seasliore. From the northern view the i>eak is not specially impressive, being 

 similar to the rest of the moss-covered, snow-strewn slopes. Along the bay farther 

 south there are some green cliffs far higher than Mount Steller. 



Lisinsky Bay is rather green and smiling, with scattering snow patches flecked 

 with shadows of clouds mirrored on its surface this most charming Arctic summer 

 day. Cape Stotclinoi is a very high, rocky, and precipitous iieadland, its rocks 

 apparently gray and stratified. The outline is very striking, almost knife-like. The 

 first seal we see is asleep opposite this cape. 



