The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-06-01
From the Atlantic Monthly.
Animal Life Of Russian America

Russian America teens with animal life.
It's seas afford the finest fisheries in the
world, its rivers are filed with fish, and its
woods, hills, valleys, and plains support
vast quantities Of fur soaring animals and
valuable birds. The waters Of the North
Pacific, along the whole coast from Dixon
| Strait to the end of the Aleutan Islands,
swarm with cod and halibut of the largest
size. In 1865, Acting Surveyor Giddings,
of Washington Territory, called the atten-
ton of the Secretary of the Interior 20 this
fact. After describing the value of the
fisheries in the Strait Of Fuca, he said:-
q" Farther north, along the coast, between
Cape Flattery and Sitka, in the Russian
possessions, both cod and halbut are very
plenty, and of Il much larger size than those
taken at the Cape, or farther up the straits
and sound. No one who knows those facts
for II moment doubts that, if vessels similar
to those used by the Bank fishermen that
| sail from Massachusetts and Maine were
| fitted out here, and were to fish on the
various banks along this coast, it would
even now be q most lucrative busncss.........
The cod and halibut on this coast, up near
Sitka, are fully equal TO the largest taken
in the Eastern waters
The Legislature of Washington Territory,
by formal resolution, called the attention Of
the general government to the great value
! of the fisheries of the Russian American
coast, and petitioncd for the adoption Of
such measures as would obtain for Amer.
cans the right to fish in those waters
Lieutenant Pcase reports that, on the pas,
sage up. the sea near the Kodiak group Of
islands was found to be full Of cod, II barrel
Of which was caught with a line rs The YES
sci sailed through. No attempt has been
made to utilize those treasures oI the deep,
except by the Russians on the islands and
coast, who fish for their own support and
that Of the Indians dependent on them
Whales are numerous in the North Pacific,
and also in Behring' Sea- the whalers fol-
lowing them up to Behring Strait.
The rivers, from the Stkine to the high
est known on the great peninsula, swarm
with fish, especially with the different varie-
ties of salmon. In the Stikine the salmon
and salmon.trout are plentiful. The red
salmon, or "squoggan of the natives,
weighing about four pounds is taken in July
and August, and the sea salmon-the native
"kase," weighing sometimes thirty pounds
is taken from the commencement of the
fishing season until late in the autumn
The rivers Of the upper peninsula abound in
salmon Of the largest size, white-iSh IN i'm
mcnse quantities. sturgeon, pike, and noun
tain trout. The natives catch pike salmon,
and whitelsh by spearing them, using n
long. shaited spear with a loose head attach
ed to the shaft by short line. They launch
this spear with great deXtcrity, and the
head, when buried in the fish, is detached
from the shaft by the shock: the short line
allowing play to the fish. which cannot then
twist Itself free. Lieutenant Peasc reports
spearing salmon weighing forty pounds, and
! Ia 81 in no tlr,
the fish in strips, which, with dried reindeer
meat, form their winter provisions
The islands on the Pacific coast have been
tavoritc hannts of the fur seal and the sea
otter, and it was from this source that the
Russian Fur Company obtained the greater
part of their supplies In spite of eighty
years Of war waged upon them by the hunt
ers for this company, the numbers Of the
seal and the otter have not been seriously
diminished. Above the Alaska peninsula
where they have been almost exempt from
molestation, they are found i'll immense
numbers. On the island Of St. Paul are
: large numbers Of fur SEAL and seal of differ
ent varieties with herds of walrus swarm
along the coast Of Behring's Sea.
The animal life along the Yukon and its
J tributaries is reported by Lieutenant Pease
and the late Major kennicott to be in aston
/ D'a 90 e a., Esl.aI,;., ond
''aSs"ti eAPioc' r. " ny MN, H',"
other river VI 'as 'o'.s'I"v s o s';,'i.Il
reports. Among inc la : "N'IN''s
that are found in great numbers may be
enumerated the outer, beaver MINK, efm'ne
, sable, martini PACK ana Arcue ,oNes' win
other varletles, large anu smai' mar,Ao'S'
squirrels,-a RED variety WIN very handsome
inr beng partcularIy hoticeaole'IilynX'
wolverine, wolves, plack, Srlzzie' ana Are'lc
bears, muskra's,|oi dlneroht species from
those found IN inc lower lat'lu"es,-relh'
, deer, and, north o, the fuRon' the moose.
But, great as are lhe NUMBERS ana an, variety
OF these animals, the ieathered HE ,,, OF the
country is still more remarkable. me re-
gion which hes between the rocky Noun
tains ana behrinss sea rs tne breeding
place OF myriaos OF p'rds that WISH the low
| er latltudes during Portloh OF the year.
? he winged column that comes up me cas-
! tern slope OF the ROCKY mountains from inc
l Atlantic coast an1 the 0ult OF Mexico, ana
. the column that comes up ITS wesfeTfnn race
Y and the Sierra Nevada from the lower la'i
i tudes OF the racine ocean, meet on TINS
!. spot, .east on the berries ,hat cover The
ground IN protuslon, raise Their broods o.
young, ana staft e. the end OF summer OIL
" their southern tour,
o The fooa c: The hooks OF geese, ducks