FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA^ 149 



THE LAGOON. 



June 13, 1890.— 1 think that there has been little or no change in the 

 top'.)gra])hieal cliara<'ter of this lagoon sea wall since my snrveys of 

 1S71*-1S74, except that in its height I think the )3owlders are shoved 

 up higher by ice tloes, some (> or 10 feet, perhaps. The lower segments 

 of the rookery ^\>all are nnchanged, being just above surf wash at high 

 water, and the comical choocbkies are breeding in the chinks, just as 

 usual. 



The shoving up of these bowlders, which compose the lagoon sea wall 

 on which this rookery is established, has also resulted in perceptibly 

 shoaling the cove. Although the sand therein has shifted some, yet it 

 all api)ears very natural to me. 



The rookery itself does not show np any better than a ragged rem- 

 nant of what it was in 1872. 



My sketch shows the Lagoon rookery, the slongh, the killing gang at 

 v/ork on the village killing grounds, and the Lagoon salt house, all as 

 they appeared this afternoon at 4 p. m. 



±.ITKANNON. 



June 2, 1890. — A strong west-northwest wind blew all day yesterday, 

 with snow, which covered everything white and wet last night. The 

 wind still blew this mOrning: but the sky cleared at noon and the snow 

 quit.' I made a visit to Ketavie, taking angles from the base of Black 

 Uhiff up to JiUkannon Hill. 1 do not observe any great increase of bulls 

 today; a few more: still, large areas are unoccupied by these animals 

 right <lown to the water line. They have hauled at odd intervals as far 

 back as they did in 1872, but no crowding into the same area at all. 



Some bulls have ascended high up on the ftanks of Lukannon Hill: 

 but large intervals of from 50 to 10(» feet of vacant ground lie between 

 them, and this day is not moie than two or three days in advance of the 

 first arrival of the females. 1 can not avoid taking significant note of 

 tliis point. These old bulls that now appear, are all in good physical 

 trim outwardly; they look well. 



The snow seems to surprise some of those bulls; they smell and smell 

 at it, then roar angrily. A squad of small holluschickie were in the 

 center of the rookery area on Ketavie, this morning. 



June 12, 1890. — Very slight change in bulls during the last ten days. 

 They have hauled here very wildly far back from the water, with large 

 areas of 30 and 40 feet between them. Two cows in sight here; one 

 "rusty," so must have been hauled out several days. She has a pup. 

 Mr. (roft' reported the arrival of a cow here, two days ago. Perhaps 

 this is the one, so that this i)up has not been born long; a few hours or 

 a day at the most. 



June 32, 1890. — A survey of Lukannon rookery this afternoon shows 

 an astonishing apathy among the bulls, and not a single half hull on 

 ihe shore or in the water. A few clusters of cows just along the water 

 niiirgin are all I see. They have been out at least four or five days, 

 because they all look rusty. The newly-arrived cows are very con- 

 s])icuous for a day or two after arrival by reason of their shining white 

 abdoifiens and silvery gray backs and necks. There is not a bright 

 cluster of cows anywhere in sight todaj^ on Ketavie, Tolstoi, Lagoon 

 Keef, or Garbotch. This shows how gradually and slowly these small 

 clusters have grown in size since the first arrivals on the 4th and 5th 

 instants. 



' A fall of less than 3 iuches; remained two or three days. 



