454 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Gavarushkaya, the next bight, is still more closely walled in, accessible only from 

 water and then under great difficulties. 



In these rookeries young males grow up to make good the loss from the extremely 

 close killing of the accessible ones. It seems to me that the existence of these coves 

 explains the comparative abundance of bulls on Medni in spite of the fact that 

 everything killable is taken and the rookeries scraped closely. It would seem that no 

 bands of bachelors haul out separately anywhere. 



The reefs at Zapalata are black with pups, but there are few on the beach. They 

 are too far down for us to see the dead ones. 



The green water and foam of the surf make the view down on Zapalata a wonderfully 

 interesting iiicture, the most striking one on any of the seal islands. The climb from 

 Zapalata to the cliff over Sikatchinskaya is a giddy one. The narrow ridge is covered 

 with slippery grass and heather, and the ascent is made on rough steps worn in the 

 soil by previous travelers. 



The season for killing is now regarded as over at Medni Island, but it continues 

 at Bering. Something over 6,000 are said to have been taken on Medni. 



Mr. Barrett Hamilton came in a boat to Zapalata about August 15, but found no 

 dead pups there. The seals on the Medni rookeries spew up remains of a small squid 

 which is very abundant about this island. I have not seen it at St. Paul. 



ESTIMATE OP THE SEALS OF THE COMMANDER ISLANDS. 



A very rough estimate of the seals for the rookeries of Medni and Bering islands 

 would be as follows, based upon Dr. Stejneger's report and my own inspection of certain 

 rookeries : 



Medni Island : 

 Glinka — 



Palata 5,400 



Zapalata 4, 000 



Sikatchinskaya 2, 300 



Gavarushkaya 1, 200 



Sabatcha Dira 350 



Zapadni 1,900 



Urili, etc 2,400 



17, 550 



Karabelni rookeries 8, 500 



Bering Island : 



Severnoye 23,000 



Polndinnoye 1, 250 



24, 250 



Total 50,300 



This estimate is probably over rather than under the facts. 



SEPTEMBER 2. 



Dr. Jordan, Mr. Lucas, Colonel Murray, and Mr. Clark went this morning to 

 Lukaiiin rookerj^ to experiment in the branding of pups. Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, 

 Professor Thompson, Dr. Voss, and Treasury Agent Crowley were present. 



The work of branding was directly under charge of Colonel Murray, assisted by 

 a force of natives. 



