70 
when seals, whales or walruses can be obtained, and 
live a life of semi-starvation the remainder of the year. 
Alaskan herring is positively so  super-abundant 
during the running season that millions are thrown 
upon the beach by the tides, where they remain to 
perish, a most reprehensible practice there or elsewhere. 
Perhaps the possibilities of this fish cannot be highly 
estimated because of the lack of fuel to use in smoking, 
the only manner in which this species seems to be 
considered palatable. But there may yet be a way 
found by some enterprising American to utilize this 
enormous production of the sea. From the great 
waves which leap far on to the shore in stormy weather, 
thousands of tons of kelp, a strong, ropy sea-weed, are 
thrown and left beyond the reach of their recession. 
The natives use this for fuel but leave vast quantities 
to waste Perhaps the time will come when this 
material will be used in preparing the fish for Eastern 
markets. Used for food when fresh, it is claimed to 
have superior qualities to those of the herring of the 
Atlantic coast. 
Mackerel, that prime favorite of salted fish, abounds 
in quantities almost beyond belief. The vast schools 
appear near the coasts at Attu literally piled one upon | 
another. ‘They grow to fine size, and the flavor is said 
to be the same as that of Atlantic mackerel. Their 
season is short—from June 1st. to July 31st—but Mr 
Lucian Turner asserts that from his own observation 
‘‘500 barrels of 200 pounds each could easily be prepared 
at the rate of about $2.00 per barrel.” It would be a 
slight matter to erect fish-curing sheds (men work 
willingly for a $1.00 and women for 50 or 75 cents per 
day) and as the Alaskans are experts in cleaning the 
fish, doubtless Mr. Turner’s estimate could be over- 
reached by systematic labor. The value of these few 
species of fish alone would pay for investment in the 
addition to the stock for trade, and go a great distance 
in teaching the natives to utilize the abundant products 
