FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
109 
pose that it would be disturbed by competition, for the boundless re- 
sources of the Northern Pacific in supplying the material, the suitable- 
ness of the cod to this market, and the fact that fish can be taken so 
near the shore, appear to afford advantages not found elsewhere. It 
may take time to develop the trade, but its apparent ultimate results 
warrant the attempt. There is seemingly no reason why the fish could 
not be successfully shipped in sailing vessels (always a cheap method 
of transportation), as they are still sent to South American countries 
from Canada and Newfoundland. 
Captain Slocum tells me that there is a good market at the Philippine 
Islands for a limited amount of hard-dried cod, each weighing from 2 
to 2J pounds and packed in tins or tin-lined boxes holding about 25 
pounds. He suggests that the packages should be attractive in appear- 
ance and neatly labeled in Spanish. Undoubtedly hard-dried boneless 
cod, packed in “ bricks’ 7 of 1 to 3 pounds each, may meet with great 
favor as soon as the people become familiar with fish packed in that 
way. In 1876 Captain Slocum found the wholesale price of Norway 
cod at the Philippines to be 12£ cents (or a real) per pound. At that 
figure only the wealthy people could afford to eat bacaloa^ but he thinks 
large quantities would be used by those of limited means if the fish could 
be sold at a somewhat lower price. 
Possibly many people along the Pacific slope might prefer cod pre- 
pared as laberdan (put up in pickle in barrels) to the dried article. I 
am not informed whether any attempt has ever been made to introduce 
this style of curing, for which the Pacific cod are well adapted. If not, 
its introduction may open new markets. Fish cured in this manner can 
not, however, usually be safely transporte d across the tropics, because 
the pickle sours in the excessive heat. But for ordinary temperatures 
it kesps well, particularly if a small amount of “preservative” or 
boracic acid is used with the salt. 
THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY.* 
Importance , etc.— -San Francisco is practically the headquarters of the 
world for the prosecution of the fur-seal industry, which may be fairly 
, considered one of the most important commercial enterprises of the 
west coast. The Alaska Commercial Company has the privilege, by 
lease from the United States, to take from the Pribilof Islands, in Bering 
Sea, 100,000 fur-seal skins annually.! The same corporation is the agent 
*For details of the fur-seal industry see “The Seal Islands of Alaska” (4to), by 
Henry W. Elliott ; “ The Fur-Seal Industry of the Pribylof Islands,” Alaska, by the 
Same author; and “ The Fur-Seal Industry of Capo Flattery, Washington Territory,” 
by James G. Swan. The two latter papers with others relating to the Antarctic fur-seal 
industry, the sea-otter limiting, etc., may be found on pages 320 to 491, of “Fisheries 
and Fishery Industries of the United States,” section v, volume 2. The paper by Swan 
relates more particularly to the pelagic sealing from Cape Flattery. 
tThe term of the lease, which covers twenty years, expired May 1, 1890. 
