Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission

14.-THE FISHING GROUNDS OF BRISTOL BAY, ALASKA: A PRELIMINARY REPORT UPON THE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE

U. S.

FISH

COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS DURING THE SUMMER OF

1890.

BY LIEUT.

COMMANDER

Z. L. TANNER, U. S. NAVY.

[Accompaniedby^{threecharts,forming}Platescvni-cx.]

INTRODUCTION.

BeringSea

was

designated as theworking

ground

for thesteamerAlbatross dur- ing the

summer

of1890,the object of thecruise being to develop its offshore fishing grounds.

The

exploration of thecod

banks

ofBristol

Bay

occupied

most

of thetime, and thisreportis chieflylimited to a discussion of thatregion.

We

^also

made

apar- tial reconnoissanceofthe coast lines as an indispensable preliminary to the fishery investigations. In prosecuting the

work

the region

was

thoroughly sounded, the currents, wind,

and

weather observed,

and

other information obtained of suchdirect valueto the fisherman

and

marinerthat ^it

was deemed

advisableto present the prin- cipal results in advance ofthe regularreport. All the bearingsgiven are magnetic,

and

the depthsare expressedin fathoms. Longitudes

depend upon

Dali’sastronom- ical station, Iliuliuk

Harbor

^(point opposite the wharf), being in longitude 166° 31' 44.2"

W.

Bristol

Bay may

be said to includeall thatpart of Bering Sealying eastofaline

drawn

from theNorthwest

Gape

of

Unimak

Island to the

Kuskokwim

Eiver.

The

Island of

Unimak and

the

Alaska

Peninsula

bound

itonthe south

and

east,

and

sep- arate ^it from the Pacific Ocean.

The Naknek

Eiver is at the head of deep-water navigation, while the

bay

itself terminatesin the

Kvichak

Eiver, afew milestothe northward.

The

regionaboutthe

Nushagak

Eiver,

Kulukak

Bay,

and

the

Kuskokwim

formsitsnorthwest boundary.

The

shorelinesare usually low,

and

without distinctivefeatures,but high

moun-

tain ranges

and

volcanicconesextend along the central jiarts of

Unimak and

tbe

Alaska

Peninsula. These rugged snow-covered mountains and lofty peaks would serve asunmistakable landmarks werethey notobscured

by

thealmostconstant fogs which prevail inthat regionduringthe

summer

months. In fact,theywereso seldom visible during the season of 1890 that the officers of the Albatross

made

nopretense

279

280 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION

ofusing

them

aslandmarks.

The

shore line

and

objectsnear the sea^level were often seen beneath the fog

when

the higherlandswere obscured, and,therefore, mostofthe available landmarks were found onornear the beach.

THE COAST FROM UNIMAK PASS TO POET MOLLEE.

The

Northwest

Cape

of

Unimak

islow withdetachedrocks,around whichstrong tidalcurrentssweep.

The

landfalls

away

to theeastward in a gentle curve,forming an open

bay

about4 milesindepth between thecape

and Cave

Point, which lies

NNE.

J E., 16 miles from the former. Itis avertical rocky ^cliff about 150 feet in height,

and

takes its

name

from acaveon its face, inhabited

by

sea birds which in

summer

timehover about^itinthousands,

making

itconspicuousinclearweather

by

their

num-

bers

and

in fogs

by

theirconstant cries.

The

snow-cladpeakof

Progrumuoi

Volcano,rising toanaltitudeof5,523 feetabove thesea, formsa striking background tothelow

monotonous

coast.

Passing

Cape

Lapin, a low bluff' point 8 miles from

Cave

Point, the coast falls

away

slightly for6 miles,

when

itturns abruptlytotheeastwardfoi»5 miles,

and

then takes a northerly direction, forming

Shaw

Bay. This

bay

is open tothe northward, butaffords protectionfromallwindstothesouthwardof eastorwest.

The

approaches areclear,

and

thewater shoals graduallyto 6fathoms,black sand,aboutthree-quarters ofa milefrom shore.

From Shaw Bay

to Isauotski Strait thecoasttrendsin a northeasterlydirection, isverylow,

and

hasseveral rockypatches extending from half a mile to a mile from shore,

making

navigation ut)safe inside the 12-fathom line.

The

volcano of Shishaldin rises 8,953 feet, about

midway

between the above points

and

7 or 8 miles inland.

Isanotski Straitis available onlyfor vessels of the smallest class.

From

thestrait to

Cape

Glaseuap, about 19miles, the coast lineretains the

same

general direction

and

is very low untilreaching thelatterpoint,which isovalinform, about150feet in height,

and

has been called

Bound

Point.

Izenbek

Bay

coversa large areaathigh tide, but

much

of it becomes dry atlow water.

A

^{small vessel} may, however, find a secure harbor behind the cape.

The

channelfollows close aroundthe point,

and

has adepth of 10 to 12 feeton the bar.

Amak

Island is of volcanic origin, about 2^ miles ^{in length,} IJ milesⁱⁿwidth,

and

1,682 feet in height. ^{It lies}11 milesnorthwestfrom

Cape

^Glaseuap.

Tbe

beaches aremostly of

huge

water-

worn

bowlders,havingvertical bluffs from 30 to 150feet in height with moss-covered plateaus, which in

summer

time are covered with a rank

growth

of grass

and

wihl flowers.

The

central peak is of dark

brown

rock, exceed- ingly rugged

and

precipitous,

and

entirelydevoid ofvegetation.

The

southeast point

was

found to bein latit’ule 55° 25'05.6" N.

and

longitude 163°07'33.6"

W.

Thereis foul ground off the northwestextremity of the island, several rocks

awash

orunder water,

and

Sea Lion

Bock

lyingbetween2

and

3 milesdistant.

The

latteris several hundred yards in extent

and

about 150 feet high, its slopes being occupied by an extensiverookeryofsea.lions.

The Khudiakof

Islands extend about19 miles

NNE.

_^ E.,between

Cape

Glaseuap

and

Moffett Point.

They

are but^littleabove high water,

and some

of

them

are con- nected by narrow spits

when

thetideis out.

FISHING GROUNDS OF BRISTOL

BAY.

281 From

Moflett Point tbe low coast trends north

by

east 15 miles to Gerstle Bay, then to the nor

hward and

eastward about55 milesto

Wolf

Point,onthewesternside ofthe entranceto PortMbller.

The Khudubin

Islands occupy the last 23 miles of this distance.

They

are very low,

and

it is difficult to distiuguish

them

from the mainland, theonly distinctive feature beinga

knob

about 25feethighon the eastendofKritskni.

The

landbetween

Herendeen Bay and

Nelson

Lagoon

is verylow.

PORT MOLLER, HERENDEEN

BAT,

AND

VICINITY.

Port ^Moller

and Herendeen Bay had

no commercial importanceuntilthe recent openiugofacoal

mine

in thelatter, which has

drawn

attention tothis almost

unknown

region.

The

Albatross visited the

mine

twice during the season of 1890,

and made

a survey which

was

foundto be sufficiently accurate for purposesof navigation.

The

chart should be used withcaution, however, untilitis ascertainedwhetherthe exten- sivebanks guarding the entrance are

permanent

or shifting.

To

enterPort Mollerfrom the southward, pass

Walrus

Island in from 10 to 12 fathoms

and

bringEntrance Pointto bear east-southeast. It will then be about 8 miles distant

and have

theappearance of beingthe southern extremity of a high

and

bold headland, the firstthatapproachesthe coastbetweenthatpoint

and Cape

Glase- nap. Stand in, keepingthe point on the above bearing until within 2 or 3 miles,

when

itwill

show

as a low spit

backed by

acluster of hillocks, the high land before referred tobeing seenfarther inland. Pass Entrance Point at a distance of 1 mile, steeringabout

SSE.

_JE.,

and

stand for

Harbor

Point, passingit within aquarter ofa mile,where anchoragemaj^ befound.

The

pointis low.

A

shoal

makes

off from Entrance Point about northwest

by

north, extending be- tween3

and

4miles,

and

vessels

making

for the harbor from the northward are liable toruninbehindit. Entrance Pointshould not bebrought tobear to thesouthward of southeast afterhaving approached within 4 miles of it.

To

enter

Herendeen

Bay, bring Entrance Pointto bear

NE.

_JE., 1 miledistant,

and

Point Divide

SSW.

_| W., _{8f miles}distant; thensteer forthe latter, keeping iton that bearinguntil within 2J ^miles,

when

the course

may

be

changed

to about

SW.

_f

S., passing in

mid

channel between Point Divide

and Doe

Point.

The

leastwateris

4fathomsatthe entrance tothe channel.

Having

cleared

Hague

Channel, bring Coal Bluffto bear SE. S.,

and

stand for ituntil PointDividebears S.

by

_{E. ^} E., IJ miles distant

and

about400yardsopenof

Doe

Point; then

SSE.

_fE.,until Eagle

Eock

is abeam, keeping the above points a

little opento clearHalf Tide Eock.

Then

steer S.

by

_{E. ^ E.} until Shingle Point is

abeam,

when

acourse

may

be laid for

Mine

Harbor, giving Bluff Pointa berth of a quarter of a mile.

Mine Harbor

issmallbutfreefromdangers, except

Midway

Eeef, which

shows

at half tide.

Anchor

in from 12to15 fathoms,

and

if a vessel intends to remain

any

timeit is advisabletomoor.

It is high waterin

Mine

Harbor, full

and

change, at8 hours0 minutes0 seconds, rise15 feet,

and

it occursat Eutrance Point about

two

hours earlier, with ariseof10

to12feet.

Hague

Channelis 1 milein widthatits northern entrance,

and

is contracted to

282 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION.

lessthan halfa milebetween Point Divide

and Doe

Point.

The

tidalstreamsarevery strong,

and

near high water they

sweep

acrossthenarrow channel

and

over the flats,

making

itimpossibleto steer a

compass

course.

They

are

more

regularnearlow tide,

whichis the besttimeto

make

the passage, as the channel is indicated

by

the flats

showing above water on eitherhand.

Johnston Channel hasfrom 7 to 15 fathoms of water,but is very

narrow

with steep sides. Itisdifficult to find but,once in,thenavigationiscomparativelysimple, asthe tidesfollowthe general direction of deep water.

The

width of the northern entrance is a quarter of a mile, with little variation untd near the south extremity,

where

itcontracts to250 yards.

Having

cleared the channel

and

entered the upper bay, thereis ainjile

room and

depthof waterin every direction,

Crow Eeef

beingthe only outlying danger.

Anchorages may

be found

anywhere

between

Walrus

Island

and

Entrance Point in case of fog,

and

a vessel

may

anchor in

Hague

Channel, butthe tides arestrong.

Therearefairlygood anchorages under tbe northsideof Point Divide

and Doe

Point where, nearthebank, avessel will beout of the strength of the current.

The

Alba- trossanchored in mid-channel a mileinside of the abovepoints at the timeof spring tides,

and

theflood

came

in with a borebetween2

and

3 feet inheight,the patent log registering a 9-knot currentfor

some

time, with a swell whichoccasionally splashed into the scuppers. There is fairanchorage off the northern entrance to Johnston Channel,

and

an excellentone atits southernextremity, off

Marble

Point, or,in fact,

almost

anywhere

ⁱⁿ the

upper

bay.

The

last quarter of the flood tide is the best timetopassthrough this channel.

High

land rises atthe base of

Harbor

Point,

and

extends to the northward

and

eastward near the center of the peninsula. Point Divide is 50 feet in height,

and

mountain rangesrisea fewmiles back.

The

coal measuresare found between

Mine Harbor and

the

head

ofPortMoller.

Doe

Point is40feet in height, while therest of

Deer

Island

and

the mainland south

and

westofitis generallylower.

The

southern shores of

Herendeen Bay

are mountainous withintervening valleys, thewhole face of thecountry being covered withrank grass

and

wildflowersduringthe

summer months

j

butthere is no timber except occasional small poplars, alder bushes,

and

w'illows.

Freshwinds with fog

and

mist blowacross thelowdivides from the Pacific, obscuring thesun

and

greatly increasing therainfallin PortMoller

and

vicinity.

The

regionisuninhabited,excejjt

by men employed

atthe coalmine,yet bears

and

reindeer wereplentiful,

and

thewaters

teemed

wdth salmon. Thereareno largefresh- water streamsenteringthe bay, however,

which

probably accountsfor theabsence ^of

Esquimaux.

The

coalminein

Herendeen Bay

lies milesfromthelandingin

Mine

Harbor, the coalbeingtransported to the waterfront

by

asteam motor over alighttramway.

The

openingofthis

mine

is

an

event of no little importance to vessels visiting Bering Sea, and, the Albatross having used between 200

and

300 tons ofits firstout- put, the following reportofPassed Assistant Engineer C. E. Eoelker, U. S. Navy, chief engineer ofthis vessel, on the results obtained

by

the consumption of80 tons ofthis coal, willberead with

more

than usualinterest

:

Thefollowingstatement regardingthecoalreceivedfromtheminerecently opened atHerendeen Bayisbasedon the resultsobtained wtih some 80 tons ofthis coal consumed while thisvessel was engagedinher regularworkat sea,under average conditions. The quantities oi coalconsumed and

FISHING GEOUNDS OF BKISTOL

^BAY.

283

of refusematterwerecarefullymeasured,thebehaviorofthe coalinthe furnaceswascloselyobserved, andtheresultsobtainedhave been deduced fromtheentriesinthesteamlog.

Theaverage consumptionof the coalwasattherateof 25poundspersquare foot of grate per hour.

Theboilersfurnishedthesameamountofsteamaswhenwehave beenusing afairquality ofWelling- toncoal, huttoobtain theresultwehadtoburn from20 to25 percent,moreof the HerendeenBay

coal.

Thecoalignites readily,andburns withconsiderableflame,formingacloselycoheringcokewhich

easilybreaksupintosmall pieces; thus a considerableamountof smallparticlesof coalislostthrough the grates. Therewasa large proportion offine stuff inthecoal, which burnedwell, hutcontained an excessive quantityof refuse matter. Therefuse amountedto26 per cent, ofthe totalweight of fuelconsumed; itconsistsof ashand cinders,noglassy clinkers being formed. The smoke produced

islighterincolorthanthatofWellingtoncoal,andless sootisformed.

Toforma correct estimateofthevalue ofthiscoalforsteamingpurposesfromthe foregoingstate- ment, the followingfactsshouldhetakeninfoconsideration,viz: Thecoalreceivedbyuswasthefirst lottakenfromthisnewly openedmine. Itcamefrom oneofthe smallerveins,through whicha tunnel hadbeen driven thena distance ofabout200feet,inordertoget accessto themainveins. Noproper

facilities for screening the'coal existed, and in orderto suiiplythe quantityrequired byus a large amountoffinecoalcontainingmuch dirtwasdelivered. It

may

be reasonablyexpected that, asthe mine becomes furtherdeveloped and jjroper screening facilities are provided,theamount«of refuse matter in the coal will be greatly diminished and its steam-generating powercorrespondingly in- creased. Itwill beabsolutely necessary,however,to store this coal under shelter, as it apj)ears to absorbmoisturereadily, andthe constant rainswhichhaveprevailedin thisregion duringthe present seasonwouldsoonsaturateittosuchan extentas togreatlydiminishitsvalueas fuel.

THE COAST PEOM POET MOLLER TO THE KUSKOKWIM

RIVER.

The

coastis low for 19 miles between Entrance Point

and Cape

Kutnzof, which

rises ina ronnded bluff toan elevation of 150 feet.

Cape

Seniavin, 11 miles tothe northward

and

eastward, is a rocky point 75 feet high. Passingit,thelow

monotonous

beachcontinues to the Seal Islands; aclusterof smallhillocksnearthe beach, 12 milesfrom

Cape

Seniavin,being the only exception.

The

Seal Islands arecomiiosed ofseveralsmallislets but little above high water, strungalong nearthe coastfor about 10miles.

Thence

to Strogonof Point the laud continues very low.

Port

Haideu

issaid to be a good harbor, but

we

did not examine it. Should a survey

show

itto be safe

and

easy of approach, itwill provea great convenience to vesselsemployed onthenorthernpart ofBaird Bank.

The

approach to Port

Haideu

willberecognized

by

high boldheadlands, which risefromits northernshore.

ChestakofIsland, low

and

crescent-shaped, forms the seaward sideof the harbor, the channel lying betweenits northern extremity

and

areefwhich

makes

outfromthe land.

The same

lowcoastextends to

Cape

Meuchikofin nearly adirect line, thehigh land ofPort

Haideu

gradually recedingfrom thecoast.

The

^IJgashik, orSulima Eiver, liesto thenorthwardof

Cape

Menchikof,

and

has beenreported navigable for several miles

by

vessels of 14-feet draft.

The

schooner Pearl enters theriver, buther captain reports a wide bar having intricate channels, strongcurrents,

and

usually a

heavy

swell.

Ten

feet is about all that canbe carried inwithsafety.

Once

inside,itis reported to be a goodharbor, but itcan hardlybe consideredavailable forthe ordiuary purposesoffishing vessels.

Cape

Grey, ablufl:’243 feet in height,

and

a peculiar notched mountain

some

dis- tance inland, aregood landmarksfortheriver.

The

lowcoastcontinuesfromthecape

284 BULLETIN

Ofc"

THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION.

to the

Ugaguk

Eiver,

and

thence to the

Naknek

Eiver, with hardly a distinguishing feature, except Johnston’sHill, a solitary elevation 5 milesfrom theheach

and

about 9 milesS. J E. from the

month

ot the

Naknek. The

coastsweeps in a graceful curve to thenorthward between

Cape Grey and

the

Ugaguk,

and thence to theeastwardto the

Naknek

Eiver.

A

gravel

bank

linesthe coastin several places, behind whicha narrowstrip ofwater isseen, xaarticularly at or nearhigh tide.

The Naknek

Eiver

may

be considered as the head of deep-water navigation in Bristol Bay.

The

Albatross found anchorage in 6 fathoms about 6 miles southwest from

Cape

Suworof, the water shoaling rapidly to3 fathoms towardthe head of the bay. Vessels ofmoderatedraft can pass the bar at high water, but thereis hardly depth

enough

tofloataship’s boat

when

the tideis out. Itisdeeperinside,however,

and

a smallvessel

may

find anchoragewith swingingroom. Thereisafishing station on theriverwhich is visited periodically by a small steam tender.

The

South

Head

is in latitude 58°-12' 04.3"IST.,

and

longitude 157°02' 45.4" W..

High

water,full

and

change, 1 hour 5 minutes; rise, 23 feet. Shoal ground

makes

oflf from the west shore, Qpnflniugthechannel inone placetoabout 3 miles inwidth. It

may

possibly be amiddle

ground

with achannel on either side, butthe conditions off Etolin Point

seem

to disprovethis.

The Nushagak

Eiver is

assuming

considerable importance as the location ofa tradingstation

and

ofseverallarge

and

well-equippedsalmon-canningestablishments.

Protection Point, the entrance tothe river, is 50 miles

SW. by W.

from the

Eaknek

Eiver, and,

owing

to swiftcurrents

and

extensiveshoals, it

may

beclassed

among

the

most

intricate pieces of navigation in Bristol Bay.

A

6-knot currentisfrequently encountered, hencethe shifting of

banks and

shoals

must

be expected,

and

theneces- sity forthe constant use of the

hand

lead becomes too obvious to require remark;

indeed, the warning from a lead on each side will leavebut a small margin ofsafety at times.

The

laud on both sides of the entrance is very low,

and

it isdifficultto recognize Etolin Pointeven underfavorable conditions.

A

^vessel from thewestward

would make

the

Walrus Group and

follow the coastto

Cape

Constantine,and,having cleared the outlying shoals, stand in for Protection Point, which isdifficultofrecog- nitionfrom adistance.

Nichol’s Hills,280feet inheight,areacluster ofrounded elevations 5 miles north- westof the above point,

and

arethe first natural objectsdistinguishableonthe penin- sula. Bring

them

to bearwest-northwest

and

stand in,keeping

them

on thatbearing until Protection Point bearsaboutsouth,

and

anchor,

making due

allowancefor falling tide.

There is apilot station

on

the Point, with a small flagstaff', on which a flag will

behoistedifthepilot is athome.

He

isanEsquimau,

and

speaksverylittle English, but he

knows

thechannel. Ifheis not atthe Point

when

thevessel arrives, he will

probably be at

Ekuk, and may

be expectedon board within afew hours iftheweather

is nottoo rough for his kayak.

A

stranger should not attempt to enterwithouta pilot, unlessfrom necessity.

Clark’s Point is 18 milesnorthby west fromProtection Point, the usualanchorage being fromhalfa mileto a mileabove it.

Ekuk, an Esquimau

village, is on the bluffnearly 3 miles belowClark’s Point.

Clark’sPointis a bluff 200 feet in height, beginning below

Ekuk and

extending 2 or 3 miles

up

theriver,

and

thence to

Eushagak.

It variesfrom 100 to150feet in

FISHING GROUNDS OF BRISTOL

^BAY.

285

height.

The

westsideis generallylower,but fromCoffee Pointto thenorthward the bluffs risefrom 50to 200feet.

The

reconnoissauce of the

Lower Nushagak was made

duringthefewdays

we

were detainedin theriver.

The

i)riucipalpointsare located

by

triaugulatiou,Clark’sPoint

by

astronomical observations,

and

the reduction of soundings to low water

depends upon

thetidesduring ourstay. Itis to beregretted that

we

were unable to extend the soundingsto the westshore.

The Nushagak

^Packing

Company

have acanneryat Clark’s Point,

and

there are three others,besides a trading station,in theriver, thelatterat

Nushagak,

formerly calledFort Alexander. Vessels ofmoderatedraft can reach thecanneries, and, with alittlecare, find anchorage with sufficientwater even during the lowest tides.

The

timberlineis welldefined about3 milesbelowthe

mouth

of

Wood

Eiver,

and

extends to the

westward

as far as the eye can reach.

The

weather

was

pleasant during our stay, and,fromall reports,theyhave lessfoginthe

Nushagak

thanin

any

other part ofBering Sea.

Clark’sPoint(footofbluff)isin latitude 58°49'14"N.

and

longitude 158°31'43.9"

W. High

water, full

and

change, 0 hours 53 minutes, aijproximate; ^rise, 24 feet.

Variation, 23°40' east.

Cape

Constantine, thesoutheastextremity oflandattheentrancetotheI^Iushagak, is very low,

and

shoals extend10or12 miles to the southward

and

eastward,

making

its approachinthickweather verydangerous. There is said tobea channel between the cape

and

the first shoal, but the report requires verification.

The

coast line increases inheighttothe

westward

oftbecape,the headlands in

Kulukak and

Togiak

Bays

^reachinganaltitude of500feet or more.

The Walrus Croup

^is

composed

of three islands

and

three rocks, allabove water, extending 16 mileseast and west,

and

about 6 miles north

and

south.

Round

Island,theeasternmost ofthe groui),lies

W.

_^ S.,36 milesfrom

Cape

Con- stantine. Itis nearly 2 miles inlength, three-quarters ofa mile wide,

and

about 800 feet high,itswestendbeinginlatitude58°36'09" N.

and

in longitude 159°57'51.7"

W.

Crooked Islandis between 4

and

5 miles inlength

and

2 milesin greatest width.

The

eastern part is rather low, but toward the western extremity the elevation is

nearly equal tothat of

Round

Island. There is quitea large

bay

on the northeast side, but

we

did notexamine it.

High

Island, thewesternmost of the group, is4 miles in length, about a milein width,

and

900 feetor

more

in height.

The Twins

are

two

isolated rocks 4 miles tothe southward of

Crooked

Island, the larger300

and

the smaller 100feet in height.

Black Rock, about 150 feethigh, lies1 miletothenorthward of the southend of Crooked Island.

No

other outlyingdangers wereseen inpassing betweenthe islands

and

the main- land.

From

6 to 10fathoms were found abreast of the group, the depth gradually decreasing to3fathoms ^off' the north end of Hagemeister Island.

We

were near the shore, however,

and

would doubtless have fouud

more

water in mid-channel.

HagemeisterIslandlies9 mileswestof

High

Island,

and

is14miles in length

and

8 inwidth. Itismountainousexceptforabout5miles atthenorth end. Shoal

ground

surrounds the island

and

extendsfrom 20 to 25 miles to the eastward, including the areabetween Hagemeister

and

the

Walrus

Groui>.

286 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION.

Hagemeister Channelisabout16 milesinlength

and

liesbetweenthe island of that

name and

themainland. Itisfrom 3to 4 milesinwidth,butshingle spits contractit in

two

places toless than2 miles.

The

leastwater

was

fathoms.

Good

anchorage

was

found under

Tongue

Point, the shingle spit

making

outfrom the mainland about

midway

of the channel.

From

the above anchorage the Albatross stood directly to sea, passing within a mile of the southwestern extremity of Hagemeister Island;

thence S. ^

W.,

shoaling the water to 3 fathoms 7 miles from the island. Greater depths might possiblybe found

by

taking a

more

westerly course.

The

tidesarevery ^' strong through the channel.

We

were visited

by

a

number

of

Esquimaux

while at anchor under

Tongue

Point.

Cape

Peirceisof moderate height

and

symmetrical form,while

Cape

JSTewenham

is high,with sharp peaks

and

rugged hues.

The

Albatrossfound anchorage

under

thelatter cape near Seal

Eock

during asoutherly gale,

and

laiditout verycomfort- ably,notwithstanding swiftcurrents

and heavy

tiderips.

The Kuskokwim

Eiveris

much

dreaded

by

navigators on account ofitsextensive shoals,strong currents,etc.

The

Albatrossascendedit between35

and

40 miles with- outdifficultyordelay,but encounteredextensive shoalsonherreturn. Thick weather

and

the lack of timeprevented an extended examination.

They commenced

about9 miles west-southwestfrom

Good Hews Bay and

extendedina westerlydirection for10 milesor more. Thereis achannel betweenthe shoal

and

theland about4 miles wide, having a depth of 5 fathoms.

From

a point 5 miles west-southwest from the west headof

Good Hews Bay we

stooddirect for

Cape Hewenham,

theleastdepth being 4 fathoms. Great quantities of fresh water are borne

down

the

Kuskokwim by

the rapidcurrents,and,while therehave been no surveys

by

which changes can benoted, there seems no reasonable doubt that great alterations

have

takenplace since

Cook

ascended theriver inthelast century.

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF BRISTOL

BAY.

The

winds

and

weatherinBristol

Bay and

theother parts ofBering Seavisited

by

the Albatross fromthe last of

May

tothe 1st of September,1890,

may

be

summarized

in afew words.

Southwest windsprevailed, but

we had them

frequently from southeast to north- west. It

was

boisterous weathernearly half thetime, but seldom rough

enough

to interferewith ourwork.

We

had several

summer

gales of moderate force, but

no

severe storms.

Fog and

mist prevailed,

and

aclear

day was

the rare exception.

The

tidal currentswere strongest inthe vicinityof

Unimak

Pass

and

at thehead of the

bay

; they were greatlyaffected, however,

by

the winds.

The

flood stream set to the northward

and

slightlyinshore along the coasts of

Unimak and

the peninsula, tbe ebb to the southward

and

offshore.

The

former

was

invariably the stronger,

and

probably foundan outlet

by

sweepingpast

Cape

Constantineinthedirection of

Cape Hewenham.

There has been nosystematic studyof the currents of BeringSea,

and

the almost constant fogs prevent the navigator from adding

much

to our

meager knowledge

concerning them.

V

FISHING GEOUNDS OF BRISTOL

^BAY.

287 THE CODFISHING BANKS OP BRISTOL

BAT.

The

codfish

hanks

of Bristol

Bay

extend from

Unimak

Pass,along theBering Seashores of theisland of that

name and

theAlaska Peninsula, to

Cape

Chichagof,

and

thencetothe

Kulukak Ground and

thevicinity of

Cape Newenham.

Slime

Bank

extends from Northwest

Cape

of

Unimak

to the vicinity of

Amak

Island,embracing depths from 20to 50fathoms. It isabout 85 milesin length, 17in ^. average width,'

and

covers an area of 1,445 square miles.

The

character of the bottomis generally blacksand

and

gravel,pebblesbeingfrequentlyadded,with rocks near shore

and mud

in the greater depths.

The bank

received its

name

from the fishermen on account of the

number

of medusaeor jellyfishes found onit.

The

species

was unknown

toour naturalists, but

it

may

be described as brownish orrusty incolor, from6 to18 inchesin diameter,

and

withlong slendertentacles well coveredwith stinging cells. These jelly fishes

seem

toinhabitan intermediatespacenear the bottom, very few beingseen on the surface.

Their

numbers

increase during the season until they

become

agreatnuisancetothe fishermen. Codfish of fair size

and

good quality were very plentiful over thewhole bank,

and

scatteringspecimens of small halibut were taken.

A

^{well-foundfishing} schooner couldanchor

anywhere

onthis

ground

between

May and

September with an even chance of being able to lay out any gale she

would

encounter.

Shaw Bay

affords excellent protection against winds from southeastto southwest.

Baird

Bank

has been

named by

the writer in honorof thelate Prof. Spencer F.

Baird,the first U. S. Commissioner of Fish

and

Fisheries, through

whose

untiring effortsthe great

scheme

of deep-sea fishery investigation

was

inaugurated. This

bank

isthelargest

and

mostvaluable of thefishinggrounds yet discovered in Bering Sea.

Commencing

inthe vicinity of

Amak

Island, itstretchesalong the coast of the peninsulato

Cape

Chichagof, 230 miles,with an average width of 40 miles,

and

thus coversan area of 9,200 squaremiles.

The

depths range from 15to50 fathoms, with a bottom of fine gray sand, occasional spots of black sand, black sand

and

gravel,

and

a few rockypatchesnear the shore.

Well-equipped fishing vessels can anchor

anywhere

on Baird

Bank and

layout suchwindsasshe

would

belikely toencounter duringthe

summer

mouths.

The

penin- sulawill afford a weather shore for southeast winds,

and Amak

Island offers fairly

good protection on its southeast

and

southwest sides. PortMoller

and Herendeen Bay

will be ports of^call for fishermen

when

they

become

better

known.

Port

Haiden

also

may become

available afterithasbeen surveyed.

We

foundcodfishingreat

abundance and

ofgoodqualityover thewhole bank, but the best^fishing ground is without doubt in depths between 25

and

40fathoms,

and

the Port Moller region isthe

most

prolific. Fish taken nearshorewere smaller

aud

apparently notinas good condition. Codfish arefoundon the

Kulukak Ground and

in the region of

Cape Newenham,

but they are smaller

and

inferiorin qualitytothose on theshores of

Unimak and

the peninsula.

Codfish have theirenemies in Bering Seaas well as in other parts of the world.

Many wounded

fishare seen, particularly in spring

and

fall, after thepassage ofthe seals into

aud

out of the sea. This

phenomenon

^isobserved

more

noticeably nearthe passes between the Aleutian Islands. Bering Sea also suffers, in

common

withother

288 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH

COMMISSION.

prolificgrounds that arenot

much

fished upon,in that

numbers

of fish areleftto die ofoldage or other natural causes.

At

acertain agethefish

become weak and more

liable tobe infested with parasites, all of which is soon apparent from the general condition of the victims. This is a trouble which decreases, however, as a

bank

becomes

more

generallyfished.

Scatteringspecimensof small halibut of fine qualitywere found on Baird Bank.

•Floundersof severalspecies,

some

of

them

excellentfish, were alsotaken in the

beam

trawl whereverit

was

lowered inBeringSea.

'filahangairmt

Mu^rali'a'lishamuI

Arja.gyiak.

LI

S.

Cornmissioii of Fish and ^Llsheries,

Marsliall

Mchonalh

Coiumlssiorver- ^V'i'''.''aadj-:r

Nuefj>g?Ui

TogJt^Ji-

JiaV _Ooallikh

•ANNLHy

ik Vjlia.^e

COiL^¹I C.^^6vv'erd^am

EI-our Walrus'-

PalmI’

1890

^{freS.a Cape,l^eirce}

Compiled

^{i'rom all} accesstbl-e data anyX shyyyvh of recent uivestp/a.ti.on^ made, by the Officer's

Fidh

Coinrnly^swn Sfeanver

'^AhBATKOSS

Lie-at.⁽

Z L Tanner. ^flS.M Corruruanr-iiny.

TIDES

H-WT-

^C. Ai^prosamate.

Qiirka TT- 0^53"' EiseafPdB NnsliagakEavei-

A'almck River

HereiLdeenBay;

Mme

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27 VneiAx-

fnc.ffyS

Capo^[cnahii\oy

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