The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-06-22
a sPoRTsMAN's PARADISE.
Alaskan Islands Teeming with Game
Birds-Streams Filled with Trout.

season to see some OF Ine granuesI
scenery on this continent. 10 speak
of Alaska is to suggest to the mind
picture of vast glaciers, rugged, snow
capped mountains and impenetrable
forests land of desolation and ST.
lence.
How different from this mental pict-
ure is the reality can only be under
stood after trip taken to this land OF
queer contrasts which will not only
cover the ground usually traversed by
tourists, but extend to the westward
along the beautiful Afeutian archipel-
ago. the numerous islands in Bering
sea 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
not hold the observers attention for
hours if he be lover of nature, with
the myriads of birds which find in the
crevices 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
for the student of bird life. The
northwest end of the island shows a
perpendicular mural cliff nearly
thousand feet high, facing the sea. 1t
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 crevice seems to con-
tain bird. There are INJURIES and
gulls, kittywakes, shags, pufins, and
all the known members of the sea-bird
families, screaming and chattering as
II 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 overpowering when, as some
times happens, they are disturbed.
Then from the face of this great Cliff,
a thousand feet high and over a mile
long, cataract of whirring, scream
ing, shrieking birds pours down and
toward the sea, filling the air with an
indescribable, deafening roar, and
then, rising again, they form long
lines of fight, which seem like parti-
eolored ribbons girdling 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 the 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 expert
ences of the Arctic voyager to see the
awkward efforts of the clumsy bird to
get out of the way of an approaching
steamer. They find it extremely diff
ficult 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
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 the 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 toothsom'
mallard are found everywhere alons
the coast and on the banks of thu
streams.
During the last of Nav. when thu
late Arctic spring first shows signs Of
opening, the natives begin to lool
anxiously southwark for the coming oi
the emperor goose. This bird forms
one of the principal articles of fooc
supply to the natives, and during the
moulting season the slaughter Of the
birds is enormous. Long nets are SCI
across the marshes and the water fow
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 then
being in the way the next drive.
One OF the handsomest small birds
found in Alaska, and one affording the
best sport for shooting, is the red pha
larope. 1t is abundant along the
coast and on all the islands of Berine
sea, arriving about June 1, and is com
mon until Oct. 90 The fight of the
phalarope is very erratic, and the gun
ner fond of wing shooting has in thi.
bird an excellent chance to test hi:
skill
Should the sportsman grow weary
of tramping over the half-fooded fiat.
and timber plains of the northern
coast, which form the breeding places
of the waders and snipe, and desire
less monotonous cunning, let hin
land on any one of tie Aleutian isl
ands, and there, high up on the side
of the mountains, he will find tn,
ptarmigan or rock grouse. This beau
tiful bird frequents the higher slopes
along the snow line of the hills during
the summer season, and to reach it,
haunts one must be good climber
sound in wind and limb indeed, TO
the way is rough and there are NJ
roads.
Up the steep grass-covered slope
the hunters journey will lead him
over intercropping masses of volcanic
rock and across brawling mountain
streams, where the trout love to liv
in the deep pools, and SO on until h
reaches the snow. Here he may paus
for moment to gaze downward wher
the blue-tinged waters of the bay ar
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
passing grouse arouses him ever,
nerve is strung, and amid some of tn
most beautiful scenery in America hi
sport begins.
But the list of Arctic birds is no
limited to those which are of interes
merely from a sportsman's point c
view. There are others which mus
not be forgotten and which would
sadly missed by the true bird lover
All through the summer days tn
clear, sweet notes of the song sparrow
are heard as it fits over the flower
strewn valleys of the Aleutian islands
The tiny and rare snow fake is foun
on the grassy slopes of Halls Islam
and the red-throated warblers, wren
and robins are common visitants t
this land of so-called ice and snow
Away up in the interior of Alask
within the Arctic circle the vicinity c
our camps was made home-like by tn
familiar form of the barn swallo7
Ii