though sixteen yoars havo elapsed. Now everything is tomb-like in its 

 quietness, excepting the raucous squawking of the Murre and the dis- 

 cordfmt, attempted defiantly terrifying roar of the sea lions. The 

 smoking peak is no more. In its place is water lapping, gently or 

 violently, as old Neptune decrees, the shores of a new island v;hich 

 has caused Growingk to lose its pre-eminence as a visited spot. No 

 one is ever likely to scale Grewingk's precipitous, crumbling heights 

 again, while Castle Rocks have become the point of vantage from which 

 the general view of the island is taken. Now the earth is cold, the 

 water is cold, no' vapors are to be seen. Nothing of interest remains 

 save comparison with what was. The Murres still come back. Perhaps 

 to do honor to their forebears* spirits, surely to rear their young. 

 The seagulls are also still to be found, but both these species are 

 found in very much smaller numbers than of yoro. The sea. lions toe 

 are still true to the call of their progenitors though they too are 

 smaller in number, I personally considered the males to bo largely 

 in excess of the females, but several of those in the visiting party 

 hold the contrary. The chief sea lion rookery is at the extreme Northern 

 end of the island making out ftom Castle Rock, There was naught to ex- ^^ 

 cite one in the matter of danger unless it were being caught on the pre- y 

 cipitous slopes of Castle Rocks with one^s foot hold insecure due to 

 easily dislodged rocks. To the East, a couple of hundred yrjds from 

 where formerly Metcalf Cone ("Perry" Peak) and later "Perry" Peak reared 

 their smoky interesting heads begins a high plateau, presenting perpendi- 

 cular faces seaward and unscalable on the west face- and scalable- in but 

 few places on the East side, varying in height from fifteen feet tc prob- 

 ably two hundred at its highest (middle) points This plateau runs into 

 and merges with Castle Rock due South of it, and with a long spit north 

 of it, forming one island about one nautical mile long in a duo south 

 line. Passage may now be made by moderate' draft vessels leaving the 

 place where "Perry" Peak formerly stood on the South hand. Excitement 

 being less, more accurate data wa,s obtained, though due to threatening 

 weather conditions, our stay was all too short. The distance North and 

 South, East and West, of the prominent points wore obtained. Bearings 

 of various prominent points we're taken. Moving picture scenes were 

 gotten, photographs and sketches were made. Several celestial observa- f 

 tions, both on diip and shore taken by different officers, five of us ia ■ 

 fact. The average result was taken, latitude 53"^ -57' N,, 168° - 04' W. 

 A line of soundings was made along the East shore and in the passage be- 

 tween G-rewingk and the spit. Landing was irTcde on the beach in a bight 

 on the East shore E.K.E. from Castle Rock porJcs,. Kc difficulty was ex- 

 perienced as the wind and sea were both from the westward. The many 

 photographs taken will depict the island in elevation from various view 

 points. The extent of the island is shown in the accompanying sketch 

 which is accurate enough to give anyone a definite idea of the islfmd. 

 The general appearance of the island built up around Castle Rocks gives 

 one the irrpression that the whole sea bed was pushed up bodily by enor- 

 mous, though evenly applied pressure. This is evident from the fact 

 that n-umerous quite distinct strata are practically horizontal. The 

 high plateau is covered with brown, 'igneous rock, easily broken up and 

 pulvered, varying in size from gravel to huge boulders. The heavy rains 

 have eroded gullies of considerable size on the South end of the East 

 side of the plateau. It was through one of these that I reached the top, 

 A sandy beach fringes the island on all sides. This beach is probably 

 200 feet wide, except on the extreme South side where little Q'T Ho eandy 



62 - 



