ALASKA. 69 



size, aud in regard to its size, shape, &c., I found the same 

 ■want of linowledge experienced at Saint Paul's ; a survejs which 

 I immediately made on my first arrival, June, 1873, gives to 

 the island a lengtli of not quite ten and a half miles by four 

 aud a quarter between points of the greatest width. It has an 

 area of about twenty-seven square miles ; has twenty-nine 

 miles of coast-line, of which only two and a quarter are visited 

 by the fur-seals, and which is in fact all the eligible landing- 

 ground afforded them by the structure of the island, which 

 rises everywhere else, save at the village-front, abruptly from 

 the water, which breaks boldly at the bases of the lofty cliffs 

 all around. Nearly half of the shore-line of Saint Paul is a 

 sand-beach, while on Saint George there is less than a mile of 

 it all put together, viz, a few hundred yards in front of the 

 village, the same extent at the Garden Cove, southeast side, 

 and less than half a mile at Zapadnie, on the south side. Sev- 

 eral thousand sea-lions hold exclusive though shy possession of 

 half a mile of good landing on the east side. 



" Tolstoi Mees," or East Cape, lies in north latitude 50° 37' 1",* 

 and the west end, or "Balnoi iliees," 50° 38' 3",* with west 

 longitudes of 169° 27'* and 169° 44'*, respectively, while the 

 village, on the north shore, is in 56° 39' 16".6, 169° 19' 6". 



On the north shore of the island, three miles west from the 

 village, a grand bluff wall of basalt aud tufa intercalated rises 

 abruptly from the sea to a height of 920 feet at the reach of 

 greatest elevation, and runs clear around the island to Zapad- 

 nie, a distance of some ten miles, without affording a single 

 passage-way up from or down to the sea. Upon the innumer- 

 able ledges and in countless chinks and crannies millions of 

 water-fowl breed during the summer-months. 



The general elevation of Saint George, while not great, is on 

 an average three times as great as that of Saint Paul, which is 

 quite low, and slopes gently to the sea east and north. But 

 Saint George rises abruptly, with exceptional spots for land- 

 ing. The highest land on Saint George is 930 feet, and the 

 summit of the high bluff's before mentioned; that on Saint 

 Paul is Boga Slov Hill, 600 feet. All elevations on either island 

 10 or 12 feet above sea-level are rough and hummocky, with 



* These observations are taken from Rassiau authority, and are several 

 miles out of the way, hut the only ones available. That of the village was 

 determined by Lieutenant Maynard last summer, July 10, and may be con- 

 sidered accurate. 



