Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-11-05
ALASKA.

Pacific. Some slight information, it is
true, was, q few years ago, commune
Gated to the public by the engineers of
the Russian American Telegraph Com
pauy, but the only authentic knowledge
of the region was kept concealed by the
traders and fishermen as one Of the Sc
crets Of business. Conflicting opinions
as to the value Of the Territory Of Alas
ka were, therefore, very prevalent, and
to settle the serious doubts that had
arisen as to the prudence Of the pur-
chase by Mr.. Seward, a. scientific party
of the United States Coast Survey was
at once organized, to explore the hith-
! erto unknown lands Of Northwestern
America. The official report Of this
exploration has been made, and one of
the members of the party has furnished
to the November number of LPpineotf''
Magazine a memoir on Alaska, which is
the freshest, fullest and most satisfac-
tory description of the country that has
yet appeared.
The instructions to the corps OF sur
veyors were to observe and study the
law of the tides, to observe and collect
information of the ocean currents, and
discuss their influence upon the climate
and vegetable productions Of the u
try, and their bearing upon the impor-
tant question Of the ocean steamship
routes between San Francisco and ia
pan and China to search for fishing
banks f; to collect statistics Of the furs
| and minerals, and Of the Inhabitants,
and their prospective relations to the
new order of rule and trade. This ex-
tended scope Of observation is far be-
yond the limits of q newspaper article,
and making use Of the facts reported
by tho Coast Survey, we shall confine
ourselves for the preseneto the richness
of the fisheries, to the discoveries Of
| the coal beds, and to the influence Of
the warm currents setting from Japan.
Our fishermen for cod, who have here
tofore cast their lines in the North Pa
ci6c, have been obliged to resort to San
Francisco for every article used in their
pursuit, but now the acquisition of
Alaska enables them to fish in every
bay when stormy weather compcls them
to leave the banks in the open sea. In
stead of making the long trip to and
from San Francisco, and keeping the
imperfectly cleaned fish for a long time
IN salt, now it will be entirely practical
BILE to establish curing stations and de-
pots, where the fish may be collected
and conveyed to Asia and Australia.
Fishermen may now carry on their
business in waters less than fifty faith
oms deep, with no other capital than
open boats. The number Of American
vessels employed among the Shumangin
| Islands, off the southeast shore Of the
| peninsula Of Alaska in 1867 was 81,
the average catch nearly 100 tons, the
average cost Of outfit and labor $4,000
in gold, and the average value Of cod
fish nine and q half cents per pound in
coin. The supply from the Alaska
banks, it is stated, has already closed
the importation Of Goldfish from New
England ports into California. The
eastern part Of the Retiring Sea is ga
mi ghty reservoir for cod" and the area
within the limits of so fathoms of water
is no less than is, 900 square miles. The
banks along the shores of Alaska bor-
dering on the Gulf Of Alaska and south
of the Aleutian Islands will add, it is
stated, not less than $4,000 square
miles, and thus the fishermen will have
q surface Of $4,000 square miles, with
an average depth not greater than 80
fathoms over which to ply their voca-
ton. The valne Of this ~boundless
source Of wealth is almost incalculable,
and the Banks of Newfoundland will
sink into insi gnificance by the side Of
the cod banks Of Alaska.
As to whale fisheries, the Gulf of
Alaska has always been celebrated.
The waters Of the Archipelago Alexan-
der abound in this fish. In June and
July every bay, hurbor and strait is COW
cred with the "whale's food" This
mollusk is carried by the currents along
the shores of Alaska gulf, and collects
under the lee Of the Pamplona reef, at
the very height of the fishing season.
This field is very rich, and it is sug-
gested that whaling can be more profit
ably and effectively carried on here by
means of small vessels, especially con-
structed for the purpose, and then by
storing the oil at n depot to be shipped
thence to the large markets.
The immense advantages arising from
the discovery OF coal suitable Tor cou-
sumption on the ocean steamers, are
obvious to every one and need not be
dilated on. II will be sufficient to state
here that the United States Coast Sur
vey, following the traces Of Ignite and
water-worn specimens of coal which
were to be found in the St. John VAL
ley, arrived at the conclusion, from
well-known geological Indications, that
abundance of coal would be discovered
in that part OF Alaska. The lateness OF
the season, however, prevented a thor
ough exploration, but after the depart
ure of the corps, news was received by
telegraph that the bed of coal pointed
out by the geologist of the expedition
had been opened, and the substance, by
trial on the war steamer Sarauac, pro.
nounced to be anthracite.
The Japan warm ocean current has
an important influence IN the climate
and consequently upon the habisability
of Alaska, this stream, which is much