Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-01-02
NORTH PACIFIC risHEaIEs.
Interesting rsct,resnrarns Alaska,


essary Z" Develop a Grent Indus.
try-UnIimi,edsn supplies OF Cod ISL,
A Gloucester correspondent to The Boston
Globe writes: The recent Information received
by Manager w. A. Wilcox, Of the Americas
fish bureau from Alaska fisheries Is of espcc
ial interest at this time to all who are inter
estcd In the resources OF that country, and
more especially to American fishermen. Til,
recent trip OF the schooner John HANCOCK
brought from the Aleutian islands eighty
thousand Goldfish. These fish are dried and
average from five to six pounds each, 90 thai
the trip aggregated between four hundret
thousand and five hundred thousand pounds
The Hancock also brought $1,000 worth o.
furs In the near future the Alaskan fisher
les may be a great field for the surplus fisher
men on the Atlantic coast, IL reciprocity IL
fish with Canada Is consumated.
Capt Solomon Jacobs, Of this city, 10 nov
at Alaska, and the fishermen OF Glouceste
will be much interested in his reports. Kito
! the japanese fish commissioner, will visit the
northwest fisheries. The discovery Of gold IN
Alaska will attract crowds, and the fsheric.
there will be developed.
Dr. Tarleton II. Bean, of the Smithsonian
institution, enumerates eeventy- five species Of
food fishes in Alaskan waters, over sixty oil
which he claims to be strictly adapted to the
use OF man, while the remainder come under
the heading only as bait for catching the 9th.
ers or the sea fishes the Goldfish STANDS fore
most in quantity as well as In commercial I'm.
| portance.
Within a short time after the purchase Of
Alaska by the United States Prof. George
Davidson, of the United States coast survey,
stated that the surroundings OF Behring ses
and OF the Arctic ocean north Of the BehrinR
strait indicated the largest submarine plateau
| yet known. In the eastern half OF Behrng sea
soundings OF less than so fsthoms are found
over an extent of 1900 square miles. The ex.
tent of the banks in the Gulf OF Alaska, be.
tween longitude 1870 degrees and 10 degrees,
and latitude % degrees and 81 degrees, has
not thus far been estimated, but It Is probably
! equal to that Of the banks OF Behrlng sea. In
| general terms 1t may be stated that the cod
fish Is found around the whole south shore Of
Alaska. Its distribution on banks properly
begins, however, with the Straits Of Fuca,
though 1t Is found occasionally as far south a
the Faralloncs. A few schooners fish in British
| Columbia waters, especially near the Alaskan
line. The fish is quite abundant In many Of
the channels OF the Alexandria archipelago
and is found in Yakulat bay, off the southern
and western shore Of Kaiak island In Prince
William Sound
The first large bank after crossing the south.
crn boundary Of Alaska Is found IN Chatham
strait, but another AMI smaller bank lies In
Peril strait, between Baranof and ChIcayof
Islands The next bank OF general inpor-
tancc is the Portlock bank, located by the eX.
plorer Of that name, along the southeastern
coast Of Afognak and Kadiak islands The
soundngs of this bank are from - TO 90 faith
| oms. Some distance to the southeast OF IA.
diak in latitude 81 degrees 10 minutes and
| longitude l53 degrees % minutes, there Is an-
| other bank with sOundings Of % to rs fathoms
| To the southwark is found Smeouof bank,
| discovered in 1851 The famous Shumagiu
banks are located around Nagai, Popof, aud
| Ounga islands, within short distance OF the
shore. Most Of the shipments OF goldfish from
Alaska to Sau Francisco are made from this
| vicinity, the banks heretofore named being
worked almost exclusively for local cons Jump
| ton.
\ very prolific Goldfish bank exists inside of
| Captains hat Dor, with shallow soundlugs Of
| from ten to twenty fathOms. The western
most goldfish bank definitely located In the
| Aleutian chain of islands has soundinys Of
| thirty lathom'. Many more such banks exist
| in the vicinity of the Aleulian islands, but
these rich stores Of food fish will probably re.
| main undisturDed Tor some time to come,
| Even the banks enumerated here are merely
| skinned as 1t were OF their abundant produce
the fishing being done chiefly "insiore" In
| dOries, boats, and canoes, the schooners EN- @.
gagged in the business being employed almost
| exclusively as carriers OF the catch.
| The codliShCry of Alaska may be considered
| as in its infancy Since Cap. Turner, OF the
| schooner Purpoi.e, sailed fIom San Francisco
| IN the spring of 1876 aud returned In the same
year, after "a lricf visit TO Queen Charlotte
| Islands and the ShuEagin sruup with n cargo
of mLrkc table goldfish, the Industry opeued iIy
! this pioneer has not developed la sucu a dc.
| gree as might have been expected from The
almost unlimited supply and the favorable
| location OF the banks.
As has bcCu stated, no deep sea fishing
such as is carried on IN the north Atlantic, eX-
| lists in Alaska In tue channels Of the Alex
| anGer archipelago the fish NJ for cod has until
lately been confined altogether to the natives
OF the Ihlinket tribes who opposed all at
| tempts OF white men 10 compete with them in
this particular industry. The few small sloops
| engaged In the business In this region depend
| ed altogether upon the inclination Of these
natives TO exert themselves in obtaining their
| CargOes. These fishermen use their own
| appliances, fishing with bark lines aud wooden
| iron pointed hooks, and two men In q canoe
| feel satisfied with a catch Of thirty or forty
| fish, which they sell at u comparatively high
rate to the captains of the slOops, and thus IL
| happens these crafts are frequently detained
| for many weeks awaiting cargo that could
| easily have been secured within 1--we or six
| days by white men.
In Prince William sound the Goldfish ID only
caught by natives for their home consump-
ton at q season when no other fish can be
obtained IN abundance. Perhaps one-half OF
OF the catch Is consumed fresh, while the
other half Is split and hung up to dry In the
| open air without sailing or smoking. In spite
OF the damp climate Of this region the speci-
mems of dried Goldfish that came under my
observation were apparently well cured, quite
| palatablc, and In better condition than salmon
| or reddish treated C the same manner.
As the Goldfish Of Prince William sound Is
! nov cOnlncd almost entirely to its northern
| shore, 1t is safe to state that the total annual
consumption, both fresh and dried, does not
| exceed $1,000 or 1000 fish. On the islands
| Of Afognak and Kadiak we meet a people
| partially suhsisting upon Goldfish throughout,
| tho year. The old men aud the boys of the
| Creole and Innuit families may be seen In their
boats or GAUGES mile or more from shore on
almost any morning throughout the year. In
the Creole settlements of Afoghak, Spruce
island, and in the vicinity of Kadiak fresh cod
| hsh together with potatoes grown In their lit
| Tie garden patches, form the constant diet of
the Inhabitants throughout the year.
Since the first opening OF this industry Oh
Shumagin banks the rotal annual catch has not
exceeded 10000 fish. The best results in
| dory fishing at Pirate cove are obtained 10 the
month OF February. The schooner fishermen
meet with good success from late In April
until the middle of August. At Simeonof
island it is reported that ton men caught 4, 900
! .ish In Que day.
| Careful investigation by Prof, Jordan and
| DR.. Z. Bean, Of the United States fish con-
mission, into the quality of the Shumagih
cod have shown no essential difference be-
tween this species and that OF the North
Atlantic The facilities for the pursuit Of
the industry are greater on the Bacihc eide
than they are on the Atlantic. The Journey
from San Francisco or Puget sound TO the
Shumagin banks is comparatively brief and
, very safe, and the banks are within a few
|. hours ran Of numerous commodinus harbors
| In Fiew Of al The circumstances the eonciI-
sion Is unavoidable that the great want 81
The Shumagil fisheries Is not fish or safety to
the lshing craft but simply a demand for
! FISH, aud that market such as the New Eng
land fishermen enjoy would whiten the vast
extent OF the Shunagin banks with sails Of
all description. The shipments CT Goldfish
from the Shumagin islands TO San Francisco
| n the year 1880 consisted OF seven cargocs,
bgsrcgatin. i32,0r0 fish and weighing /. 72s,-