CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 91 



Russian-speaking population. The Eskimo name of this fish is IE Mth loo uk. Many of the 

 white traders give this fish the English name of "Tom-cod." 



Natives of Unalashka speak of the fish as Vdlh riya, a name used by all the Russian-speaking 

 people where this species occurs. 



At Saint Michael's this species is a constant resident, and wonderfully abundant at all seasons. 

 In the spring, as soon as the ice goes out, they are caught from all the small points of land that 

 project into the water. During the summer but few are caught as the abundance of other fishes 

 make the Vakhnya little sought after. 



When the ice in November has set, small holes of a few inches in diameter are cut through it. 

 The thin ice which may form during the night is easily removed with the ice-pick, and scooped out 

 with a small sieve-like scoop of a few inches in diameter, having a hoop made of bone, horn, or wood, 

 and netted across with whalebone (baleen) or sinew. This scoop is also used to free the hole from 

 slush which drifting snow may make during the day while fishing. The hook used by the Eskimo 

 consists of a piece of slightly curved bone, ivory, or deer horn. A small piece of metal (preferably 

 copper, as this will not be so easily broken as steel or iron) is sharpened and firmly set in the con- 

 cave side of the shaft of the hook. No barb is used, as the weather is so cold in winter that the 

 hands would be frozen in removing the fish, which the presence of the barb would render necessary. 

 Without the barb the fish is detached instantly unless the hook is swallowed too far. Sometimes 

 the hook is made to imitate the form of the sea-slug or other crustacean. The great secret is to 

 keep the line taut, so that in drawing it to the surface the fish has no chance to become detached, 

 but does so. as soon as the line is slackened. The bait used is generally a piece of fresh fish of any 

 kind. The bait is secured to the hook by two little sinew threads which are fastened to the upper 

 part of the hook. This keeps the bait from being taken off by the fish, as in winter it would be 

 serious work to fasten on bait every few minutes. All this is done before leaving the village. The 

 line is generally made of whalebone (baleen), cut into long strips, and polished so that the water 

 will not cling to it and freeze. The lower part of the line next the hook is sometimes made of strips 

 of the shaft of the quill of a gull, goose, or swan, or the sinew from the wing of a swan is also used. 

 Several of these snoods may be used on one line, and during times of abundance offish each hook 

 will have a fish on it. 



Each of these materials has the property of not retaining the water on its surface, so that the 

 line rarely becomes clogged with ice. A sinker is seldom used, excepting in summer fishing, and 

 then may be a grooved stone from the beach, or often a piece of ivory is cut in imitation of a fish 

 and tied on the line with the tail upward. This serves two purposes, one to represent a fish going 

 down to seize the bait and make the live, big fish hurry up and bite, and secondly, to make less 

 resistance when the line is drawn from the water. Just above the hooks are sometimes found small 

 red beads, or the little red processes which are to be found on the base of the bill of the anklet (Simo- 

 rhynclms cristatellus). These are also used as attractions for the fish. 



The Eskimo fisherman, or woman, goes out early in the morning to the hole, which has been 

 made the day before, for while cutting it out the fish are frighteued away from it and nothing will 

 be caught that time. The person takes a grass sack or basket along to carry the fish home in. A 

 piece of old sealskin or grass mat is taken to sit on. On arrival at the place it is carefully cleaned 

 out by means of the seine-like scoops with as little disturbance as possible, the line prepared and let 

 down into the water. Ere many seconds one or two fish will be drawn out and slung high in the 

 air; and, as they slap down on the ice they invariably become detached from the hook. The native 

 is now in good humor, as an abundance of fish is indicated by their taking the hook when first put 

 down. He takes off his glove and contentedly reaches behind his right ear for the quid of to- 

 bacco, which has lain there for the last twelve hours, covered by his abundant locks of hair; and, 

 thrusting it far back between the teeth and cheek, calmly lets it soak while he pulls out dozens 

 of Vakhni (plural form of the word). When he has caught a sufficient number he gives a signal for 

 those on the lookout to come with a dog aud sled to carry them home. During favorable times 

 two or three bushels may be caught by a single fisherman. Any that are not wanted for home 

 consumption are brought to the trading post aud sold for so much per basketful of about 75 to 125 

 fish, the price being fifteen to twenty cents in trade, which represents six to nine cents in money. 

 During the winter fishing a short pole is used, while in summer a long pole is held over the pro- 



