PRIBILOF ISLANDS (often called the Fur Seal Islands, Russian equivalent, " Kotovi ")

This article appears in Volume V22, Page 313 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: PRE-PYR

PRIBILOF ISLANDS (often called the Fur Seal Islands, Russian equivalent, " Kotovi ") , a group of four islands, part of

Alaska

ALASKA

, lying in Bering Sea in about 56 50' N. and 17o W., about goo m. N. of Unalaska and 200 M. S. of Cape Newenham, the nearest point on the mainland. The

principal

PRINCIPAL

islands are St Paul (about 35 sq. m.; 13 M.

long

LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

, from N.E. to S.W.; maximum width about 6 m.; named from St Peter and St Paul's Day, on which it was discovered) and St George (about 27 sq.m.; ro m.

long

LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

, maximum width, 4 In.; probably named after Pribilof's ship) about 30 M. S.E.; Otter and Walrus islets, the former covering about 4 sq. m., and the latter merely a

reef

REEF (1)

covering about 64 acres, are near St Paul. In 1907 the native population was 263170 on St Paul and 93 on St George. Only agents of the United States or employes of the lessees are permitted as residents on the islands. The islands are hilly and volcanicBogoslof, a crater on St Paul, is 600 ft. highwithout harbours, and have a mean annual temperature of about 35.7 F., and a rainfall of about 35 M. There are only two seasonsrainy summers lasting from May to October, and dry winters from November to April. ' The flora is restricted to ferns, mosses and

grasses

GRASSES

, though there are some creeping willows and small shrubs. The largest seal rookery, containing about 8o % of the seals in the Pribilofs, is on St Paul. The seals found here are a distinct variety (Callorhinus alascanus) with much better fur than that of any other variety. Besides the fur seal there are blue and grey foxes (more on St George than on St Paul), and on St George

Island

ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

and on the Walrus

reef

REEF (1)

there are

great

GREAT

bird rookeriesthe breeding places of immense numbers of gulls, sea-parrots, auks, cormorants and arries (Lomvia arra).
The islands were first sighted in 1767 by Joan Synd, and were visited in 1786 by Gerasim Pribiloff, who discovered the fur seal rookeries for which they became famous. From

Russia

RUSSIA
RUSSIA (Rossiya)

the islands passed with

Alaska

ALASKA

to the United States in 1867. From 1870 to 1890 the United States government leased the islands to the Alaska Commercial Company. In 18901910 the North American Commercial Company held the monopoly. But the industry shrank considerably owing to pelagic sealing. The season during which land

hunting

HUNTING (the verbal substantive from " hunt "; O. Eng. huntian, hunta; apparently connected with O. Eng. hentan, Gothic hinpan, to capture, O.H.G. hunda,booty)

is allowed on the islands includes June, July, September and October. (See also SEAL
and BERING SEA ARBITRATION.)`

End of Article: PRIBILOF ISLANDS (often called the Fur Seal Islands, Russian equivalent, " Kotovi ")

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