286 SHISHALDIN AS A FIELD FOR EXPLORATION 



Some 40 or 50 miles from Unalaska in a north of west direc- 

 tion are the two tiny dots of rock which compose Bogoslov 

 (Joanna Bogoslova), whose origin was within historic time and 

 whose form has undergone changes quite recently. Columns of 

 steam steadily rise from one of the mounds, and here the warm 

 earth temperature is now utilized, as some one has playfully sug- 

 gested, to assist in the hatching of the eggs of the myriads of guil- 

 lemots which, in company with a colon} 7 of sea-lions, occup} 7 these 

 volcanic remnants. The other member of the group, connected 

 with its neighbor by a low-tying strip of sand, is without heat. 



Suggestions concerning the exploration of these areas would 

 be incomplete without reference to methods of reaching them. 

 A mail boat now makes a monthly trip from Sitka to Unalaska. 

 This boat is under the control of the Pacific Steam Whaling 

 Company, a corporation which would willingly extend a helping 

 hand to such work. It would not be difficult to get this vessel 

 to stop at the village of Morshovia, past which it goes, where 

 could be readily secured the services of such men as Rosenberg 

 and Swanson, who own a hunting cabin at the base of Shishaldin 

 and have boats and suitable equipm ents for transportation. They 

 could also obtain from among their Indian friends the necessary 

 packers. The approach would have to be made from the Pacific 

 side, as here the ground is high, barren, and rolling, while on the 

 Bering Sea side there are lakes and swamps which would make 

 travel difficult if not impossible. 



From Morshovia the mail steamer on its next monthly trip 

 could move the part} 7 to Unalaska ba} 7 , where are located the 

 comfortable stations of the North American Commercial Com- 

 pany and the Alaska Commercial Company, both of which cor- 

 porations would doubtless render all possible assistance to such 

 an expedition. Here also the aid of a revenue, cutter or that of 

 a small schooner could be secured to make the short trips to 

 Akutan and Bogoslov. The Revenue Cutter Service has won a 

 high place for itself in the field of travel and of exploration, 

 and is alwa} 7 s in sympathy with such matters. At Akutan, some 

 twenty or thirty miles from Unalaska, there is an Indian village 

 within a beautiful land-locked harbor. Here the party could be 

 left for ten days or two weeks, guides and packers secured from 

 the Indian village, and the ascent and exploration of the volcano 

 of Akutan readily accomplished. Bogoslov could be explored 

 in a round trip of two days or possibly less from Unalaska, if 

 the conditions for landing were favorable. Using the commer- 



