THE FUR SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 333 



repair to Saint Paul, in perfect comfort, over the 16 to 20 miles of splendid landing-ground found 

 thereon conld visit Saint George, when all of the coast-line tit for their reception at this island is a 

 scant 2 miles; there were afloat, at the time of the beginning of my investigation, a score of 

 equally wild and incredible legends in regard to the rookeries on Saint Paul and Saint George. 

 Finding, therefore, that the whole work must be undertaken de novo. I set about it without further 

 delay. 



IMMENSE MORTALITY OF THE SEALS IN 1836. No native on the islands seemed to have 

 any direct knowledge or was acquainted with a legendary tradition even, in relation to the seals, 

 concerning their area and distribution on theland here, prior to the year 1835 ; but they all chimed 

 in with great unanimity, saying that the winter preceding this season (1835-'36) was one of 

 frightful severity; that many of their ancestors who had lived on these islands in large barraboras 

 just back of the Black bluffs, near the present village, and at Polaviua, then perished miserably. 



They say that the cold continued far into the summer; that immense masses of clearer and 

 stronger ice-floes than had ever been known about the islands, or were ever seen since, were brought, 

 down and shoved high up on to all the rookery margins, forming an icy wall completely around 

 the island looming up 20 to 30 feet above the surf; they further state that this wall did not melt 

 or in any way disappear until the middle or end of August, 1836. 



They affirm that for this reason the fur-seals, when they attempted to laud, according to their 

 habit and their necessity, during June and July, were unable to do so in any considerable numbers. 

 The females were compelled to bring forth their young in the water and at the wet, storm-beaten 

 surf-margins, which caused multitudes of the mothers and all of the young to perish. The 

 result was virtual annihilation of the breeding- seals. Hence, at the following season, only a 

 spectral, a shadowy imitation of past times could be observed upon the seal-grounds of Saint Paul 

 and Saint George. 



On the Lagoon rookery, now opposite the village of Saint Paul, there were then only two males, 

 with a number of cows. At Nah Speel, close by and light under the village, there were then 

 only some 2,000 ; this the natives know because they counted them. On Zapadnie there were 

 about 1,000 cows, bulls, and pups; at Southwest Point there were none. Two small rookeries were 

 then on the north shore of Saint Paul, near a place called " Maroonitch "; and there were seven small 

 rookeries running round Northeast Point, but on all of these there were only 1,500 males, females, 

 and young; and this number includes the " holluschickie," which, in those days, lay in among the 

 breeding-seals, there being so few old males that they were permitted to do so. On Polavina 

 there were about 500 cows, bulls, pups, and "holluschickie"; on Lukannon and Keetavie about 

 300 ; but on Keetavie there were only ten bulls and so few young males lying in altogether, that 

 these old natives, as they told me, took no note of them on the rookeries just cited. On the Reef, 

 in Gorbotch, were only about 1,000 ; in this number last mentioned may be included some 800 

 " holluschickie," which lay in with the breeding-seals. There were only twenty old bulls on Gor- 

 botch, and about ten old males on the Eeef. The village was placed on its present site ten years 

 prior to this period of 1835-'36. 



Such, briefly and succinctly, is the sum and the substance of all information which I could 

 gather prior to 1835-'36; and while I do not entirely credit these statements, yet the earnest, 

 straightforward agreement of the natives has impressed me so that I narrate it here. It certainly 

 seems as though this enumeration of the old Aleuts was painfully short. 



Then, again, with regard to the probable truth of the foregoing statement of the natives, per- 

 ha.ps I should call attention to the fact that the entire sum of seal-life in 1S36, as given by them, 

 is just 4,100, of all classes, distributed as I have indicated above. Now, on turning to Bishop 



