ALBATROSS EXPLORATIONS; ALASKA, WASHINGTON, AND 
OREGON, 41 
between Kadiak Island and the mainland, and several factories have been established 
along the borders of the strait for the purpose of extracting their oil. Ground sharks, 
which are also numerous in this strait, are likewise captured for their oil. A few 
herring are found in Cook’s Inlet, where codfish are said to be increasing in abun- 
dance every year, being attracted there it is thought by the offal from the salmon 
canneries in Shelikoff Strait, which is carried into the inlet by the tides. Halibut 
have been taken in small numbers at the head of Cook’s Inlet, and dogfish are* very 
numerous along the coast from the northeast entrance to Shelikoff Strait to Prince 
William’s Sound. 
Notes on the fisheries and fishing vessels . — The weather at Kadiak was unexception- ^ 
ally fine during 1888 up to the middle of August, there having been less fog and rain 
than for many years past. Cod could have been successfully dried, but in most years 
this would not be possible, as moist weather generally prevails. 
Besides the Indians, there are at St. Paul about twelve or fifteen white men of 
various nationalities who engage in sea-otter hunting throughout the year. The white 
hunters have small schooners of about 25 tons burden, in which they make long voy- 
ages. The crew consists of two to four men, and occasionally one or two Indians are 
taken along. They use rifles chiefly during the summer, but in winter, when stormy 
weather prevails, gill nets are exclusively employed. Some of these hunters are very 
skillful, and several thousand dollars have been earned by a single individual in a 
season. Captain Anderson, one of the most successful hunters of St. Paul, and, in 
fact, of Alaska, landed fifty sea-otter skins as the result of one trip during the present 
season, receiving for them $100 each. The gill nets are the same as those employed 
at Belkovsky, and have already been described. Gill-net fishing for sea otters is 
expensive for the reason that the nets last only a very short time, one month being 
considered the extreme limit of service for a net in constant use. The short life of the 
nets is due, not to actual wear, but to neglect on the part of the hunters to properly 
care for them. After having remained down a few days they become covered with 
slime and sea-weed, and when taken up they are merely dried and cleaned, no preserva- 
tive being used upon them. When told of the method of salting the seines, pursued 
by the mackerel fishermen of the eastern coast, whereby their nets are sometimes kept 
in good order for several years, much surprise was manifested, and that plan will now 
probably be tried by some of the Alaskan hunters. 
Most of the sailing vessels of Alaska are schooner-rigged. The mainsail is gen- 
erally triangular in shape, resembling the “riding” sail used by the Grand Bank fish- 
ermen. This prevents the use of a main gaff, however, which detracts greatly from 
the beauty of the rig. It is claimed by those wno employ it that this pattern of sail is 
much safer in squally and otherwise rough weather, and that with it there is less dan- 
ger of carrying away the main-boom or mainmast in jibing. Its advantages are also 
said to be greater than those of the ordinary pattern in approaching the many danger- 
ous bays and headlands on the Alaskan coast. It is possible that this style of main- 
sail may be better adapted to stormy weather, as it presents less area to the wind, but 
in an ordinary sailing breeze it labors under a great disadvantage in going to wind 
ward with schooners carrying a gaff to their mainsails. Furtlierrhore, the Kew Eng 
land fishermen enter harbors on the Atlantic coast which are fully as dangerous as any 
in Alaska. The topmast of these schooners is a continuation of the mast above the 
eyes of the rigging. Should the topmast be carried away close to the rigging, an 
