ALASKA. 75 



chasing flies, goats, &c. They are followed, as they leave iu 

 September, by several species of jacksnipe, (Fringa and Chara- 

 drius,) which, Ijoweyer, depart by the end of October and early 

 in November, and when winter fairly closes in upon the islands, 

 the loud roaring, incessant seal-din, together with the screams 

 and darkening flight of innumerable water-fowl, are replaced 

 by absolute silence, marking out, as it were, in lines of sharp 

 and vivid contrast, summer's life and winter's death. 



I have been unable to discover a single representative of the 

 reptiles ou the islands, and a small list only of the fishes and mol- 

 luscans rewarded the most careful search. The presence of such 

 great numbers of seals in the water about the islands during 

 iive and six months of every year renders all fishing abortive, 

 unless expeditious are made seven or eight miles, at least, from 

 the land, with the exception of halibut, which the natives cap- 

 ture within two or three miles of the reef-point and south 

 shore during July and August ; but the weather is usually, 

 after this season, too stormy and cold for the fishermen to 

 venture in their bidarkies during the fall or spring. 



11. THE NXJMBERS OF FUE-SEALS WHICH ANNUALLY VISIT 

 THE ISLANDS. 



Until my arrival on the Seal Islands, April, 1872, no steps 

 had been taken toward ascertaining the extent or the impor- 

 tance of these interests of the Government by either theTreasury 

 agent in charge, or the agent of the company leasing the islands. 

 This was a matter of no especial concern to the latter, but was 

 of the first importance to the Government. It had, however, 

 failed to obtain a definite knowledge upon the subject, on account 

 of the inaccurate mode of ascertaining the number of the seals 

 which had been adopted by its agent, who relied upon an 

 assumption of the area of the breeding "rookeries," but who 

 never took the trouble to ascertain the area and position of 

 these great seal-grounds intrusted to his care. 



After a careful study of the subject during two whole seasons, 

 and a thorough review of it during this season of 1874, in com- 

 pany with my associate, Lieutenant Maynard, I pro^jose to show 

 plainly and in sequence the steps which have led me to a solu- 

 tion of th3 question as to the number of fur-seals on the Prybi- 

 lov Islands, together with the determination of means by which 

 the agent of the Gov&rnment will be able to correctly report 

 upon the condition of the seal-life from year to year. 



