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upon them at this time except in the brief table of 
statistics which is appended to the present article. 
The halibut of Alaska grows to a great size, some- 
times weighing three hundred pounds and even more. 
It is a very important fish to the natives, who devote 
themselves to its capture almost exclusively. Smoked 
halibut is very excellent in flavor and must some day 
win its way into our markets, though as yet only a few 
thousand cases are prepared for commerce. 
Cod of Alaskan waters is almost analogous with the 
fish of the eastern coast whose fame is wide-spread, 
except that it grows larger and by dealers in the 
Western States it is considered superior in both fibre 
and flavor Another point in its favor is that as far 
east as Chicago, it is cheaper as well as better than its 
compeer of the Atlantic. The value of Pacific cod may 
be roughly estimated by the returns for its receipt in 
San Francisco in 1893, when there were 1,243,000 fishes 
delivered to the numerous dealers. Even at variable 
prices the income must be large, for the fishes some- 
times when caught reach a weight of thirty pounds 
each. The receipts of these fish alone at San Francisco 
have amounted to 29,123,800 fishes between the years 
1865 and 1893. 
Even estimating the individual weight to be. small 
the returns seem to prove that the Cod Fisheries alone 
are well worthy of protection. Cods abound in the sea 
and ocean around the Aleutian Islands, and are so 
plentiful that they can be obtained at almost any time 
inthe year. Taking the statement of dealers in Chicago 
and other central Western cities regarding quality and 
price it is reasonable to believe that a systematised 
arrangement could be made which would benefit 
commerce in the States and aid the islanders in gaining 
a less variable livelihood; for the poorer part of the 
population on the islands and near coast are practically 
compelled to fairly gorge themselves during the season 
