12 THE ASIATIC PUE-SEAL ISLANDS. 



OoTnmission, as -well as the British commissioners, on St. Paul Island, Lieut. Commander 

 J. F. Moser, U. S. IST., commanding the Albatross, I proceeded on July 23 in that 

 vessel to the Commander Islands, after having coaled in Dutch Harbor, Unalaska. 

 On July 30 we anchored off Preobrazhenskoye village, Copper Island, but being 

 informed that Mr. Grebnitski, the administrator of the islands, was in Nikolski, Bering 

 Island, we proceeded to that place, arriving there the next morning. 



Having received Mr. Grebnitski's permission to visit the rookeries, I inspected 

 and photographed South Rookery, Bering Island, August 1. The Copper Island 

 rookeries were next examined under very unfavorable weather conditions. Returning 

 to Bering Island, the North Eookery was photographed in a gale of wind accompanied 

 by rain on August 8. It being impossible to make a landing at Mkolski the next 

 day, course was set for Kamchatka, as it was necessary to stop at Petropaulski in 

 order to coal. This accomplished, and having examined the rocks and islands in the 

 Kuril Archipelago, belonging to Japan, the Albatross came to anchor off Eobbeu 

 Island, in the Sea of Okhotsk, on August 28. The next day and August 31 were 

 spent on that rock observing and photographing. After a second visit to the Kurils 

 for further information, we anchored in Hakodati, Japan, September 10. I arrived in 

 Washington December 22, 1896, having been absent six months and four days. 



My itinerary for 1897 is as follows: Leaving Washington on June 5, I arrived in 

 Tacoma, Wash., on June 12, whence, on the following day in company with Mr. P. A. 

 Lucas, I proceeded in the steamship City of Topeha to Sitka, Alaska. Upon our arrival 

 there, June 20, I at once embarked in the U. S. revenue cutter Grant, Capt. F. M. 

 Munger commanding. Departed from Sitka the following morning; arrived in 

 Unalaska June 27. After coaling, the Grant, on the 30th, proceeded to the Com- 

 mander Islands, landing me at Mkolski, Beriug Island, on July 7. The British 

 commissioner. Prof. d'Arcy Thompson, arriving on July 11, he, Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, 

 and myself proceeded per dog-sledges to the North Eookery, 12 miles distant, making 

 an examination of the condition of this rookery. Professor Thompson them departed 

 for Copper Island, while Mr. Barrett-Hamilton and I remained on Bering Island, 

 deeming the closer inspection of the rookeries of the latter island, particularly the 

 South Eookery, of higher importance. Neither the administrator nor the assistant 

 administrator having as yet arrived on the islands, it was considered best to await 

 the arrival of the latter, Mr. N. S. Wachsmuth, in order to obtain the necessary 

 permission for a protracted stay and thorough examination of the South Eookery. 

 In the meantime Mr. Barrett Hamilton and I undertook another dog-sledge expedition 

 to the North Rookery on July 16, which was in every way satisfactory. Upon Mr. 

 Wachsmuth's arrival we commenced to make the necessary preparations for the trip 

 to the South Eookery. A boat and crew was obtained with some difficulty; tents 

 rented and camp equipage purchased, and on July 19, in the mOrning, we set out for 

 the South Eookery. Although only 20 miles from Nikolski, it took five days to get there 

 on account of stress of weather. The nights we had to pass on the beaches, sleeping 

 under the overturned boat. Wet and worn, we landed at the rookery on July 24 and 

 went at once into camp. Until the 30th we studied this rookery every day very 

 carefully at all stages of the tide and in all kinds of weather, and a satisfactory count 

 of the pups was made. On the latter date the Imperial Russian steamship Yakut 

 arrived off the rookery, announciiig the arrival in Nikolski of Mr. Grebnitski the 

 administrator, and offering to give us passage to the village, an offer we gladly accepted 



