CHAPTER X.

ISLANDS

T

An island salt and bare,

The haunt of seals, and orcs, and seamews

clang.

MILTON (Paradise Lost).

ALASKA AND THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS.

HIS chain of islands, stretching from Alaska in a southeasterly direction to the shores of Kamptchatka, lying between 51 deg. and 56 deg. north latitude, and 163 deg. and 188 deg. west longitude, form almost a connecting link between North America and Asia.

They are about fifty in number, and comprise within their limits nearly 8,000 square miles. They at one time formed a portion of the possessions of Russia in America, and were, with Alaska, deeded to the United States by purchase in 1867.

Unimak and Ounalaska are the principal and largest of the four different groups. From climatic reasons, as well as their long distance from the civilized world, they are very thinly populated and with little or no agricultural cultivation. Water is very scarce, while there is hardly any growth of timber, they present a picture not at all inviting to future pop

ulation. Some of the valleys are well fitted for grazing purposes, abounding with nutritious grasses, while the surrounding waters of the sea teem with fish. The whale and the seal make these latitudes at one time of the year a favorite resort, and are taken in great numbers. There are about 3,000 inhabitants in the Aleutian group, whose existence must be anything but cheerful.

From their geographical situation, some writers and ethnologists have supposed the Aleutian chain to have formed the bridge between America and Asia, over which the Asiatics crossed, gradually peopling America.

The purchase price paid by the United States to Russia for Alaska and the adjoining islands was $7,200,000. The late important developments being made in that territory in minerals alone, gold, silver, copper and coal, not to mention the immense forests of valuable timber, leaves one with the impression that our Government did a wise thing in its purchase. Its area, something over three and one-half times that of the State of California, for which we paid Mexico $15,000,000, may yet prove it a veritable bonanza. Probably not in an agricultural way, but in fisheries, minerals and timber it may exceed all our past fortunate experiences in territorial acquisitions, like California, Arizona and New Mexico, etc.

ISLANDS OF ST. PAUL AND ST. GEORGE.

Two of the islands, St. Paul and St. George, have been found to be the favorite resorts of the fur seal. This was taken advantage of by a San Francisco corporation, who leased the Islands from the Govern

ment at a yearly rental of $55,000, for the purpose of a seal fishery alone. They are restricted to taking but 100,000 a year, on which the United States. receives a tax of $2.62% each, producing in all a revenue to the Government from rental and tax of $317,500 per annum.

The island of St. Paul is located in north latitude 57 deg. 8 min., and west longitude 170 deg. 13 min. St. George lies about forty miles to the south. From the former, 80,000 seals are taken each year; from the latter, 20,000.

SEALS AND SEAL FISHING.

From "Dall's Alaska and its Resources," published in 1870, we learn that the fur seal fishery, formerly less important than that of the sea otter, has of late years far exceeded it in value. A short review of the history of this fishery may not be out of place. At present the fur seal are almost exclusively obtained on the islands of St. Paul and St. George in Behring Sea. A few stragglers only are obtained on the Falkland Islands and the extreme southwest coast of South America. The case was formerly very dif ferent. Many thousands were obtained from the South Pacific Islands and the coasts of Chili and South Africa.

The Falkland Island seal (Artophoca Falklandica) was at one time common in that group and the adjacent seas. The skins, worth fifteen Spanish dollars, according to Sir John Richardson, were from four to five feet long, covered with reddish down, over which stiff gray hair projected. They were hunted especially on the Falkland Islands, Terra del Fuego, New Georgia, South Shetland and the coast of Chili.

Three and a half millions of skins were taken from Mas a Fuera to Canton between 1793 and 1807. Another species (Artocephalus Delandi) formerly abounded on the coast of Africa, near the Cape of Good Hope. Their fur was the least valuable of the different kinds of fur seal, and the species seems to have become extinct. * *

Of the Arctic or Behring Sea species (Callor pinus Ursinus) not less than 6,000,000 skins have been obtained since 1741.

HABITS.

The Alaskan fur seal formerly extended from the ice line of Behring Sea to the coast of Lower California. At present a few stragglers reach the Straits of Fuca, where 5,000 were said to have been killed in 1868, but the great majority are confined to the Pribyloff Islands. They have never been found in Behring Strait, or within 300 miles of it. They arrive at the islands about the middle of June, a few stragglers coming as early as the end of May. They leave on the approach of winter, usually about the end of October. They are supposed to spend the winter in the open sea, south of the Aleutian Islands.

When returning from their winter quarters (the location of which is yet unknown), they come up in droves of many thousands on the hillsides near the shore, and literally blacken the islands with their numbers.

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METHOD OF KILLING SEAL.

The manner of conducting the fishery is as follows: A number of Aleuts go along the water's edge, and getting between the animals and water, shout and

wave their sticks. The seals are very timid, and always follow each other like sheep; yet, if brought to bay, they will fight bravely. A man who should venture into the midst of a herd would doubtless be torn to pieces, for their teeth, though small, are exceedingly sharp.

A body of four or five hundred having been separated, as above, from the main assembly, they can be driven very slowly by two men into the interior of the island, exactly as a shepherd would drive his sheep. Their docility depends upon circumstances. If the sun is out and the grass dry, they cannot be driven at all. If the day is wet and the grass sufficiently moi t, they may be driven several miles. Every two or three minutes they must be allowed to rest. Those who become tired are killed and skinned on the spot by the drivers, as it is of no use to attempt to drive them. They would at once attack the driver. * When the seals have been brought to a suitable place, they are left with some one to watch them until it is desired to kill them. The skins of old males are so thick as to be useless. The Russians restricted the killing solely to young males less than five years, and more than one year, old.

**

No females, pups or old bulls were ever killed. This was a necessary provision to prevent their extermination. The seals are killed by a blow on the back of the head with a heavy sharp-edged club. This fractures the skull, which is very thin, and lays them out stiff instantly. The Aleut then plunges his sharp knife into the heart, and with wonderful dexterity, by a few sweeps of his long weapon, separates the skin from the blubber to which it is attached. The nose and wrists are cut around, and the ears and