The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-01-19
Tah -a1-ssLs.Hsa tlsaksrr..

ing sCnt the first vessel frem the Allan
! tie coast to tho watefs q Alaska 10 en-
) gage IN The seal far business This YES
SCI was The bark Peru. r Morgan. mas
ter owned BY Williams a Haven ai Tia
!. city The Hartford Courani SAYS
Captain Morgan has recently return
cd home. overland. from San Francisco
!. and gives ard interesting account o
! has operations aud description Of the
locality where the fur seals arc found
He joined his ship at the Sandwich Is
) lands m February lasbrroceedei by way
T q Sltka % The island where the seals
resort, and arrived there on The li,l Of
April. soon after he landed. his men.
with building material provisions. salt
and utensils, bad hoisted for the 6rst
time the American flag on the island.
The master hired some natives to as
sist, and made preparations for the sum
mer's work.
Needing more supplies, the ship
was sent back t. Honolulu for addition
| al provisions aud lumber which arrived
later m the season. Some twelve or
fourteen buildings or dwellings, store
and salt houses, were erected along the
shores, aud in due time the taking Of
skins commenced The men employed
IN this work followed the old Russian
rules Of killing only the males and re-
moving these back from the beaches
before despatching them lest those com
ing in from the water shonld be alarm
ed and driven off by blood or carcasses
on the shores, The young seals or
pups were never molested The mon
report the antics OF those little fellows,
gathered in vast numbers learning to
swim and fish, as very amusing.
The Peru party met with strong ri
valry aud opposition in their work from
the employees Of San Francisco con.
cern who, having bought out the stock |
Of goods and vessels belonging to the
old Russian American Fur Company, |
claimed to be their successors in the fur
business Of the territory They tried
almost every means Of annoyance, but
soon found that our Now England sea-
men were not to be coaxed or driven
away.
"The islands known for many years
as the home of the fur seal, are two in
number, and are situated inside or
North Of the Fox or Aleutan islands,
about forty miles apart and two or three
hundred miles from any other land =
They are triangular in shape, the larg-
est about twenty miles long. East and
West; the other about two thirds the
size, The soil is sandy, with underlay-
ing clay and rocks; some prominent
hills with low places aud ponds between
them. Along the shores are sand beach
es with cliffs and projection lodges Of
rocks, on Which the ocean surf con
stantly breaks, No harbor afrording
good security is found at either island.
Strong winds from almost every quar-
ter are prevalent, and during the sum
mer fog and rain are very common, in-
duced BY the vast quantity Of leo that
comes floating down from the northern
seas. In winter the cold northern winds
make the climate extremely cold and
inhospitablo No trees or shrubs Of
any kind are found; rank grass, some
vines producing berries, and profus-
ion Of flowers are the sole vegetable
products. OF animals, sea hons, wal
rus, foxes, ducks aud and fish comprise
the list
Abont one hundred families OF the
native Afutes live upon these islands
and derive their subsistence from the
land and sea They are an active and
hardy race, peaceably disposed, resem-
bling somewhat the Esquimaux, bat
more intelligent, They live in huts or
caves speak the Aletutian and Russian
anguage and have been employed fer
many years IN the taking and curing of
he fur seal skins The seals are found
It these islands only ii the summer
season; they begin to arrive In April or
Nay, and continue to come and 20 dur.
ng the summer occupying the shores.
'tten coming up the bluffs 10 a c9nsid.
'rable height. Their number Is legion.
The young are brought forth during
he months Of June and July, the moth
rs sucking them for nearly two months
when they can provide for themselves
ater ~ the season all the old seals
he'd their coats Of hair; as soon as this
; renewed they begin to migrate, and
g fore winter sets in the whole herd
ave departed on their annual voyage
0 sea, not TO return until the ensuing
pring.
The bark Peru is believed to be the /
My vessel on this side of the continent 1
bat has been sent TO engage in the fur {
'nslness IN onr new possessions. There /
fere, ~ fact, but few vessels at the .
cal islands this year. al Of them ez
cp, the Peru aud one other combining