The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-30
SEALING IN SOUTH SEAS,
A Promising Business Nc
Longer to Be Overlooked
by Hunters.
ALASKAN SEASON.
Yukon Gold Fields and Their Profits.
Volcanoes and Harbors Of
the North.

A letter received in this City from
Unalaska, under date of August 2, 1895,
the fur-seal hunters in northern waters,
and also mentions some new fields for in
vestment that may yet attract attention.
The letter says:
We made harbor here to-day after an
eighteen days trip from Attn Island, dis
lance of about 700 miles Fogs and head
winds put us back. We were for seven days
within twenty miles of this place trying to get
in. We found the United States Fish Commits
sion steamer Albatross here upon our arrival,
but all the sealers had gone. Thirty seven
left on July 81 and three yesterday. Tonight
the schooner Olga came in with 104 sea offers.
This is about the most valuable cargo for some
5000 upward. The best seal catch that have
heard of is under 1900 skins. while there are
very few over 500. For the balance of the
season the hunting must be done with spears,
and the catch will be a great deal smaller than
if guns were used. The regulations will be
more strictly enforced this year, and severe
penalties will be inflicted for any infraction.
This season has been o very disastrous one.
four schooners having been lost. Two OF
these, the C. G. White and the Walter o. Earle,
you have doubtless learned about. The Rosie
Olsen was lost in Tsugar Straits, near HakO-
dadi, but her crew safely reached that port,
where they reshipped on the Agnes Mcdonald
and continued to hunt. On June 10 the
Brenda, a fine large schooner from Victoria,
went ashore on Sfmushir Island, one OF the
Kurile group, and was complete loss. The
crew managed to get ashore safely, and after
the storm took out of the vessel the skins. 500
in all, as well as guns, ammunition and pro,
visions They saved very few clothes and
were on barren island for five days before
being rescued. On the island they found
three Japanese who had been there for a year
and had seen no other human beings during
that time. Five days after the wreck the
schooner Geneva came into the island and took
the castaways off. At Attn Island the Agnes
Mcdonald was met, ard although she was
crowded at the time she took the shipwrecked
men from the Geneva and brought them e,
where they will await steamer. Captain
Locke of the Brenda is loud in his praise Of
the two other schooners, especially Captain
Gutter of the Agnes Mcdonald, who In taking
the Brenda's crew had to provide for sixty
seven men in all.
Besides the vessels, number of boats and
crews have been lost, although not SO many
have been lost by drowning as last year.
1t would not be surprising to sealers IT
large number of the vessels would be making
their way to Cape Horn in the near future. A
schooner coming out from the East,to join the
fleet stopped in south of Montevideo and in
few days killed 700 seals Why she did not
stop there is at present a mystery to US. 1t Is
well known that there are large herds OF seal
off the South American coasts, both in the Pa
citic and in the Atlantic. 1t has been consid-
cred only question of time when the atten-
ton of hunters would be turned that way,
where seals have never been hunted in the
open sea. It will be virgin field for the first
vessels, and fortunes may be made in short
time by the adventurous ones. Already some
of the captains are talking OF going down. and
next year some of us may see the southern
cross above US.
Gold mining on the Yukon seems to have a
boom now around here. Fifty dollars day to
the man is spoken of as common diggings,
and it is even said there is white woman in
the district already. The full cost of an outfit
q NJ roIyigi f0r q NJ n
be $3.50. There is no doubt the mines are very
rich and good finds are being made, but the
chances are fully as small as they are in seal
ing; and to the one that makes good strike,
there are many who will come back poor, If
they come back at all.
A volcano on Akutan, few miles west of
here, is sending out great volumes OF smoke,
and 1t is doing a little in the way of belching
out fire and lava. Last night we were close to
it, and as it was clear, gooo view was had. I
believe this is only periodically active, as was
in this vicinity last season and twice before
that, but have not noticed so much smoke
from it.. There are five volcanoes within 100
least smoking. In one Of these, Bogaslov, the
crater is on the beach, barely above the water
line, while the others are quite lofty.
Bogaslov made It's appearance in 1895 in the
sandspit between them. A couple Of years ago
the spit sank and both peaks were greatly re-
duced in size ! saw it in 1885 while it was in
its old form and was lucky enough to have
recognized from the sketch.
On Unalaska Island is Makushin volcano
which is almost extinct. There is an opportu-
immense INN fields OF sulphur which are above the
snow line. Fine harbors are numerous around
the foot of the mountain, and wire ropeway
could bring the sulphur to the ship. But it is
pretty cold In perpetual snow, don't know
how many feet deep.
On our trip we sailed around Copper Island
and into the harbor of Attu Island, the most
Tow, ~ o< NYrr = paw~
line drawn from the most eastern part of
Maine to the furthest point of Attu could be
equally divided at point about $50 miles west
OF san francisco Last year the only village
and was in reality "Adamless," but not an
Eden by any means. This year the men were
at home. This was caused by the lack of de-
mand for otter hunters, that being the trade
of this tribe. While here we caught great
many Alaska mackerel, a very toothsome fish
found only in the waters of the Western Aleu-
and some grouse, which are plenty. There are
large numbers of blue foxes on the island,
which the natives trap during the winter.
The port of Malaska is situated on the south
headquarters of the Alaska Commercial Com
pany. There is quite respectable town, and
it contains some very good buildings. The
large and of quaint architecture There is a
large store, q collectors Office, wharf, ware
houses and shops. The town is built between
the bay and river that runs along the rear.
An inlet runs beyond the wharf, and here are
the decaying hulks of sealers which were
taken by Uncle Sam in the early days of
seizures.
station and the headquarters of the North
American Commercial Company, who now
have the control of the seal islands. Here
there are only few houses, but they are good
ones. and almost all occupied by white people.
Lumber and coal yards are in both harbors,
and keen rivalry for trade is carried on be-
tween the two firms. The lack OF population
mer months by the trade OF revenue cutters,
men -of-war sealers and whalers that come to
this harbor on account of its greater accommo-
dations for vessels.