FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 35 



position with the village, causes me to extend the lines of my survey of 

 it, so as to include the entire site of the town, the killing grounds, the 

 salt houses, and contiguous territory.. It illustrates a remarkable 

 paradox. 



The natives say that when the village was first established here, it 

 was placed under thp southern slope of the Black Jilufis, near East 

 Landing, in 1817 ; but the need of utilizing a good landing in the village 

 cove finally became so urgent that, in spite of the i)resent village site 

 being then a large hauling ground for seals, with Xah Speel rookery in 

 the foreground, the town was moved over and the seals driven oil' in 

 1824. This caused quite an exodus of breeding seals from Nah Speel, 

 which established themselves then for the first time on the lagoon sea 

 wall, across the cove. Prior to this date no fur seals had ever hauled 

 there to breed. 



The little rookery of Nah Speel has been gradually dwindling away 

 since 1881; in 188(3 only a few harems remained: and they disappeared 

 altogether in 1887. 



A detailed analysis of the survey of Lagoon rookery, as it is pre- 

 sented on the accompanying map, is unnecessary, since the eye at once 

 grasps a simple extension of 1,500 feet of ragged sea margin and an 

 irregular scattered massing, which is best expressed by allowing 12 feet 

 of solid massing for the average depth. That gives ground for 9,000 

 seals — bulls, cows, and pups — July 12, 1890. The survey of 1872 gave 

 a total here of 37,000 bulls, cows, and pups. 



LUKANNON AND KEETAVIE ROOKERIES (1872-1874). 

 [Their condition and appearance July, 1874.1 



The next rookeries in order can be found at Lukannon and Keetavie. 

 Here is a joint blending of two large breeding grounds, their continu- 

 ity broken by a short reach of sea wall right uiuler and at the eastern 

 foot of Lukannon Hill. The appearance of these rookeries is like all 

 the others, peculiar to themselves. There is a rounded swelling hill at 

 the foot of Lukannon Bay, which rises perhaps 160 or 170 feet from the 

 sea, abruptly at the point, but swelling out gently up from the sand 

 dunes in Lukannon Bay to its summit at the northwest and south. 

 The great rookery rests upon the northern slope. Here is a beautiful 

 adaptation of the finest drainage, with a i^rofusion of those rocky nod- 

 ules scattered everywhere over it, upon whitdi the female seals so 

 delight in resting. 



Standing on the bald summit of Lukannon Hill, we can turn to the 

 south and look over Keetavie Point, where another large aggregate of 

 breeding seals comes under our eye. The hill falls away into a series 

 of faintly terracecc tables, which drop down to a fiat that again abru))tly 

 descends to the sea at Keetavie Point. IJetween us and the Keetavie 

 rookery, is the parade ground of Lukannon, a sight almost as grand as 

 is that on the Reef, which we have feebly attempted to portray. The 

 sand dunes to the west and to the north are covered with the most lux- 

 uriant grass, abruptly emarginated by the sharp abrasion of the haul- 

 ing seals. This is shown very clearly on the general map. Keetavie 

 Point is a solid basaltic shelf. Lukannon Hill, the smnmit of it, is 

 composed of volcanic tufa and cement, with irregular cubes and frag- 

 ments of i)ure basalt scattered all over its tiipper-worn slopes. Lukan- 

 non proper has 2,270 feet of sea margin, with an average depth of 150 

 feet, making ground for 170,000 breeding seals and their young. Kee- 

 tavie rookery has 2,200 feet of sea margin, with an average depth of 

 150 feet, making ground for 105,000 breeding seals and their young, a 



