THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 
11 
Nevertheless, in all this uncertainty, the following points may now be regarded 
as fairly Avell established : 
(1) The Commander Islands are situated on the extreme eastern point of a 
plateaudike ridge liaviiig a.probable average depth of about 500 fathoms and extend- 
ing eastward from the coast of Kamchatka. 
(2) This plateau, upon which the Commander Islands are located, rises very 
abruptly from an ocean tloor of a little more than 2,000 fathoms, so that the islands 
themselves on their northern and eastern sides rise nearly perpendicular out of this 
depth. 
(.3) Between the Commander Islands and Attn, the nearest of the American Aleu- 
tian Islands, there is a gap certaiidy more than 1,000 fathoms deep. Whether the 
Albatross maximum sounding of 1,90G fathoms, only a short distance from the south 
end of Copper Island, is really the maximum depth, thus indicating a slightly elevated 
ridge between the floor of the Bering Sea and the so-called Tmearora deep, or whether 
there may not be a channel of 2,100 fathoms, or thereabouts, on one side of the 
sounding in rpiestion, remains to be seen. 
(4) The bottom of Bering Sea to the east of the Commander Islands forms a nearly 
level floor of an almost uniform depth of 2,100 fathoms, sending off an arm, or bay, of 
equal depth to the north of the islands toward the neck of the Kamchatkan peninsula. 
The walls of this basin are excessively steep at the islands, but are believed to slope 
off gradually toward the curve of the coast between Capes Oserni and Oliutorski. 
To complete the account I append the records of the soundings taken by the 
Albatross and the Vitiaz in the waters covered by the map (plate 1). 
Records of recent soundings in the western portion of Bering Sea. 
Hydro. 
station. 
Bate. 
Time. 
X. lat. 
E. long. 
Depth. 
Bottom. 
Vessel. 
1888. 
o / 
/, 
0 / 
,/ 
Fill' ms. 
107 
52 58 
0 
160 02 
0 
49 
108 
July 29 
6.40 p. ni 
53 02 
0 
160 16 
0 
438 
Do. 
109 
July 30 
53 41 
0 
163 29 
0 
• 
Do. 
390 
no 
July 30 
8.15 p. m 
54 15 
0 
165 56 
0 
300 
Do. 
111 
July 31 
8.37 p. ni 
54 39 
0 
166 35 
0 
55 
Do. 
112 
Aug. 1 
2.30 p. ra 
55 02 
0 
165 15 
0 
109 
Do. 
113 
Aug. 2 
4.30 a. m 
53 45 
0 
162 50 
0 
400 
Do. 
52 55 
0 
160 14 
0 
175 
Do. 
1892. 
3231 
May 29 
10.40 p. m.. . 
53 13 
0 
172 38 
0 
1,447 
yl. M. fne. S 
Albatross. 
May 30 
5.43 a. m 
53 38 
0 
171 28 
0 
1,818 
Do. 
3233 
May 30 
11.35 a. in... 
54 02 
0 
170 17 
0 
1,853 
fne. l)k. S 
Do. 
3234 
May 30 
6.12 p. m 
54 19 
0 
169 03 
0 
1, 996 
yl. M. S 
Do. 
3235 
May 31 
12.03 a. m. .. 
54 30 
0 
108 07 
0 
47 
ine. gy. S 
Do. 
3236 
May 31 
1.34 p. an 
55 09 
0 
165 51 
0 
25 
i-ky 
Do. 
3237 
May 31 
3.10 p. m 
55 10 
0 
165 47 
0 
33 
rky. M 
Do. 
3238 
May 31 
4.33 p. m 
55 08 
0 
105 48 
0 
30 
gy-S 
Do. 
3239 
May 31 
5.34 p. m 
55 10 
30 
165 45 
0 
32 
do 
Do. 
1895. 
3546 
June 30 
3.04 p. m 
55 59 
0 
178 43 
0 
2,105 
br. M. oz 
Do. 
3547 
Juno 30 
10.25 p. m . . . 
55 55 
0 
177 12 
0 
2,113 
do 
Do. 
3548 
J uly 1 
7.05 a. m 
55 52 
0 
175 25 
0 
2, 120 
do 
Do. 
3549 
July 1 
4.35 p. m . . . . 
55 53 
0 
173 53 
0 
2,111 
do 
Do. 
3550 
J uly 2 
2.37 a. lu 
55 59 
0 
171 57 
0 
2,086 
do 
Do. 
3551 
July 2 
10.20 a. m . . . 
56 00 
0 
169 46 
0 
2, 154 
do 
Do. 
3552 
July 2 
4.58 p. m 
56 00 
0 
168 16 
0 
2, 153 
do 
Do. 
3553 
July 2 
11.07 p. m - . . 
55 58 
0 
166 43 
0 
2, 119 
gy. s. M 
Do. 
3554 
July 3 
2.21 a. m . . . . 
55 43 
0 
166 15 
0 
2, 090 
do 
Do. 
