The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-08-20
a spoRTsMAA's PARADISE.
Alaskan Islands Teeming with Game
Blrds-Streams FILLED with Trout.

II
Alaskan Islands Teeming with Cana
1 Birds-Streams Filled with Trout.
Alaska is chiefly known to the gen
eral public MS the home and dwelling
place of the fur seal and place where
tourists go during the brief summer
season to see some of the grandest
scenery on this continent. To speak
of Alaska is to suggest to the mind a
picture of vast glaciers, rugged. snow
| capped mountains and impenetrable
iorests-a land of desolation aud sic
.ence.
How different from this mental pict-
are is the reality can only be under
stood after trip taken to this land Of
queer contrasts which will not only
:over the ground usually traversed by
tourists, but extend to the westward
along the beautiful Aleutian archipcl-
ago, the numerous islands in Bering
'ea and the ice-girdled shores OF the
Arctic ocean. During six months of
the year all this region actually teens
with life. There is not an island nor
rocky ledge in Bering sea which will
aot hold the Observers attention for
hours if he be lover of nature, with
the myriads of birds which find in the
,revices of the cliffs just the place to
rear their young. 1t is useless trying
to describe the immensity of their
numbers, as it is impossible to form
any estimate in mere figures.
At st. George Island, one of the
Pribylov group, there is one particular
place that never loses its fascination
Tor the student of bird life. The
northwest end of the island shows
perpendicular mural cliff nearly
thousand feet high, facing tf1e sea. IL
Is shattered and broken into millions
Of shelf-like projections, buttresses and
| pinnacles by the action of frost, and
during the height of the breeding sea-
son every little crcvice seems to con-
tain bird. There are murres and
gulls, kittywakes, shags, puflins, and
all the known members of the sea-birt
families, screaming and chattering rs
if their very lives depended upon max
ing noise.
But if the sight of so many birds
partially concealed by the rocks is in
spring, the exhibition of life and en-
ergy is ovcrpowering when, MS some-
times happens. they are disturbed.
Then from the face of this great cliff,
a thousand feet high and over mile
long, q cataract of whirring, scream
ing, shrieking birds pours down and
toward the sea, filling the air with an
indescribable, deafcning roar, and
then, rising again, they form long
lines of flight. which seem like parti-
colored ribbons girlling the island
Leaving the Pribylov group and
steering to the northwest some two
hundred miles, the next land to be
seen is st. Matthew's Island. Here,
too, birds abound, and as the island is
uninhabited by man, the birds are
free from disturbance, except from
! their natural enemy, the fox, and an
occasional Polar bear. Around the
edges of tho salt marshes found on the
eastern end of st. Matthew's elder
ducks are found in great numbers.
The birds are but Indifferent flyers,
and it is one of the amusing expcri-
enccs of the Arctic voyagcr to see the
awkward efforts of the clumsy bird to
get out of the way Of an approaching
steamer. They find it extremely diff
licult to rise from the water, especially
if there be no wind, and an approach
ing vessel causes them to flap noisily
along the surface for distance, and
then, as if animated by single pur-
pose, hundreds of them will dive, only
to reappear few moments later and
struggle off again.
The lover Of field sports would find
a gunner's paradise along the shores
of the Arctic ocean in the summer
season. Curlew, snipe and ducks are
SO plentiful that one tires of shooting
them. So far as known tho canvas
back duck, SO much priced by gour-
mands, is not found north of the Arc
tic circle; but the delicious little blue
and green winged teal and toothsome
mallard are found everywhere along
the coast and on the banks of the
streams.
During the last of May, when the
late Arctic spring first shows signs OF
opening, the natives begin to look
anxiously southwark for the coming of
the emperor goose. This bird forms
one of the principal articles of food
supply to the natives, and during the
monlting season the slaughter of tho
birds is enormous. Long nets are set
across the marshes and the water fowl
are driven into them by the natives.
Thousands of young birds are killed
IN these drives by the wasteful saw
| ages, who excuse themselves by say
ing that they will thus prevent them
being in the way the next drive.
One OF the handsomcst small birds
found in Alaska, and one afTording the
best sport for shooting, is the red pha-
larope. 1t is abundant along tho
coast and on all the islands of Bcrinc
sea, arriving about June /, and is com.
mon until Oct. %. The flight of the
| phalarope is very crratic, and the gun
ner fond of wing shooting has in this
bird an excellent chance to test his
skill.
Should the sportsman grow weary
of tramping over the half-llooded flats
and timber plains of the northern
coast, which form the breeding places
| OF the wadcrs and snipe, and desire
less monotonous cunning, let him
land on any one of the Aleutian isl.
ands, and there. high up on the sides
of the mountains he will find the
ptarmigan or rock grouse. This beau.
tiful bird frequcnts the higher slopes
aiSHSS lHc sHUW lluc O2 lHs nlllS uuTlnn
the summer season, and to reach its
| hauntS one must he r-ccd :.l:..,t-
sound IN wind ana limb lndeeu, 1or
the way is rough and there are no
| roads.
Up the steep grass-covercd slopes
the hunters journey will lead him,
over intercropping masses of volcanic
rock and across brawling mountain
streams, where the trout love to live
in the deep pools, and so on until he
reaches the snow. Here he may pause
for moment to gaze downward where
the bluc-tinged waters of the bay are
softly tapping the shore. But his hunt
er's blood will not permit of long de-
lay, and when the deep whirr-r-r of a
passing grouse arouses him every
nerve is strung, and amid some of tho
most beautiful scenery in America his
sport begins.
But the list OF Arctic birds is not
limited to those which are of interest
merely from n sportsman's point Of
view. There are others which must
not be forgotten and which would be
sadly missed by the true bird lover.
| AZ. ~