156 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



June 4, 1890. — An odd seal bridge and grotto is on the extreme point 

 of Polavina, and makes one of the queerest vSort of subjects for the 

 pencil. When T visit it in July I presume I shall find it tenanted with 

 a harem, although it may be a thoroughfare, since the seals can haul 

 uj) through it. 



J take this sketch of Polavina Point from my station, C, just 300 feet 

 below those bulls in the foreground, and which maps out, as they lay 

 today, the southern limit of the i)resent extent of these breeding 

 grounds. Oii this Hat of sand, just above surf wash, basaltic bowlders, 

 mostly small ones, are thickly strewn, with many pieces of driftwood. 

 That renmrkablereef table which projects out under Polavina Point, is 

 well bared to-day, by the low tide and gives me a full view. It is a 

 solid, flat table of purplish basalt, covered with innumerable pools of 

 water and forests of sea weed, which fairly glisten as they are now 

 bared, damp and drip])ing. 



June 55, 18'.)0. — 1 revisited this morning, that spot from which this 

 sketch is taken. A few small clusters of females have arrived, as 

 shown in the sketch on the other side of this page. The uund)er of 

 vagrant bulls dozing on this sand beach in the foreground has increased 

 vastly, but the cows are very scant in number for the day. They are 

 feebly suggestive of that wonderful massing which they were makiug 

 on tliis ground m 1<S7L* at this time. 



I thought at the time when 1 established this station, C (ou the 4th 

 instant), that it was way below where the rookery would go this year, 

 .judging from the lay of the bulls then. I now see it plainly. 



July IS, 1H9I}. — Visited this rookery ground and surveyed the ai'ea 

 and position of the breeding animals in company with Mr. (loft". * * * 



My final survey of tliis rookery shows it to be one of the two rookeries 

 which seem to have suffered only half in loss of form and numbers. I 

 can not avoid the conclusion, however, that this rookery, like Zapad- 

 nie, has been cruelly driven during the last four or five seasons- per- 

 haps the last eight years, since the chief hauling grounds always laid up 

 behind the breeding lines of Polavina. Therefore, when shrinking ot 

 holluschickie began, the scra[)ing of the large semicircular edge of 

 Polavina rookery commenced in earnest, since the young males naturally 

 do here as they do everywhere else on this island today, lay up closer 

 and closer to the lines of the breeding seals. 



NOVASTOSHNAH. 



June 2, 1890. — Came onto the great rookery ground this morning from 

 the Arago. Made my headquarters in Webster's new house, and pre- 

 pared for the day's work. A clear day with light north wind. I find 

 the bulls here in as good or better number than on any other rookery of 

 this island. Still there are large vacancies and several wholly deserted 

 sections. 



A greater number of sea lions than I expected to see — several thou- 

 sands of them clustered principally on Sea Lion Neck and Northeast 

 Point, although they lianl all along the east, north, and west shores of 

 this point. The bulls were in full rutting ardor. There were several 

 cubs or pups newly born. Their stifled wheezing, roaring, deep gutterals 

 and grunting groans come out into sharj) contrast witli the clear-cut 

 voices of the fnr seal bulls, which haul out here side by side with their 

 huge cousins. 



I saw very few holluschickie to-day, although I inspected every foot 

 of the great rookery. 



That slope of Hutchinson Hill which drops to the westward, is cer- 



