SALMON FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 17 



fathoms of line, about 500 yards from the shore, and found no bottom. The water 

 is blue. Along many portions of the shore the lake is very shoal for a considerable 

 distance from land. In other places there is deep water close to the margin. The 

 shores are composed of bowlders of various sizes, consisting of granite and other 

 rocks. Sand beaches are entirely absent as far as our observations extended. No 

 aquatic plants were observed around the margin of the lake. The shores are covered 

 with a greasy deposit, doubtless composed of decayed animal matter, and in the very 

 shoal water in many places there is a dense growth of dirty looking conferva. There 

 is a luxuriant growth of grass throughout the basin of Karluk lake, extending often 

 to the tops of the mountains. Willows exist here as good-sized shrubs, and in some 

 places as small trees. The low grounds in many portions of the basin are covered 

 with cottonwood trees, some of which attain to a height of 60 feet and a trunk diame- 

 ter of 18 inches. 



Conspicuous among the fruit-bearing plants is a species of elderberry, Sambucus, 

 bearing brilliant red berries, which form part of the food of the bear. In the cotton- 

 woods are numerous families of the American eagle, and the shores of the lake har- 

 bor many species of birds, among which are gulls and terns, plovers and magpies. 

 Ducks and loons are found on the lake. At about the middle of its length Karluk 

 Lake divides into two arms ; one, extending to the eastward, is referred to in this re- 

 port and on Mr. Booth's charts as the east arm ; the other follows the general direc- 

 tion of the lake and is very much longer than the east arm. Three small islands are 

 situated near the junction of the east and west arms. Karluk Lake receives the waters 

 of numerous small streams, in which salmon and trout are found whenever they are 

 not prevented from entering them by the abruptness of the ascent. Each of the arms 

 of Karluk Lake is connected by a short, rapid, and crooked river with smaller tributary 

 lakes. The lake tributary to the east arm is about four-fifths of a mile in length, and 

 the one connecting with the west arm is about 1£ miles long. In the small tributaries 

 of Karluk Lake the rivers connecting its arms with their tributary lakes, and at 

 various places around the shores of the principal lake — particularly at its southern 

 end, between the mouths of rivers — we found nests of the red salmon. Karluk Lake 

 is surrounded on all sides, except the north, by low mountains, some of the elevations 

 of which exceed 2,000 feet. 



During our stay, from the 18th to the 21st of August, the lowest temperature of 

 the water of the lake was 48^°; this was at 4.30 a. m. The highest recorded temper- 

 ature of the water was 55°, at 9.30 a. m., August 20. The highest temperature of the 

 air was observed at 10.20 a. in., August 20, when it was 77°, and the lowest temper- 

 ature during our visit occurred at 4.30 a. m., August 21, when it dropped to 30£°, 

 ice being formed at our camp. Although the air was intensely cold, the surface 

 water of the lake registered 48^-°. The small rivers connecting Karluk Lake with its 

 tributary lakes contain no obstructions to the passage of the salmon. These lakes 

 freeze over in winter and the natives travel over them to attend to their traps. They 

 claim that they can obtain salmon at any time during the winter through the ice. 



The mouth of Karluk River is out of all proportion to the importance of the indus- 

 try located near it. Its width at low water is less than 100 feet, and its depth is so 

 slight that steam-launches drawing only 3J or 4 feet often find it impossible to enter. 

 It flows parallel to the direction of the beach, almost the entire length of the spit, 

 belore it passes into the sea. When it turns to the eastward it widens out into a shal- 

 low lagoon nearly 2 miles long and about a half mile wide. Beyond this lagoon it 

 H. Mis. 211 2 



