ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



73 



In other words, for every 1,000 seals killed by the lessees, during 

 their twenty years' lease, there was a loss of If skins. 



As these figures were compiled by me, originally, from the books 

 kept on both of the seal islands, I know they can not be denied or suc- 

 cessfully contradicted, and I respectfully submit them, and the lesson 

 they teach, to the most careful consideration of the Department. 



Lest some critic may say I have not quoted all the figures, let me add 

 right here that I am speaking of the large young males which were 

 actually killed for their skins to make up the lessees, annual quota, and 

 of those only. 



That the natives killed, for food, 99,684 young male seals during the 

 same twenty years (in addition to pups), and that 27,690 of the skins 

 were rejected, is true; but the lessees are notblamable for that, for they 

 had nothing whatever to do with it, and consequently I have counted 

 only the skins of the seals killed during the regular sealing season and 

 before the seals became " stagy." 



Most of the seals killed for natives' food were taken during the 

 "stagy" season, hence the rejection of so many of the skins. 



This is why I have repeatedly advised in this and former reports 

 that no killing for any purpose should be permitted during the "stagy" 

 season. 



The management of the seal islands, and the care bestowed on the 

 seals by the lessees and their agents, are matters of history into which 

 it is not necessary to enter, because the above figures show far more 

 eloquently and conclusively than words of mine could that that must 

 of necessity be a well-managed business which can make such a show- 

 ing at the end of twenty years. 



Only 7 rejected skins out of every 4,000 seals killed is a record for 

 good and careful management that the lessees may very well be proud 

 of, and it is a withering reply to all the idle story-tellers who have 

 attempted from time to time to make the world believe that careless- 

 ness and brutality united in driving the seals hurriedly to the killing 

 grounds, leaving hundreds dead on the road, and that bad manage- 

 ment, corruption, and dishonesty reigned supreme on the seal islands. 



In another part of this report I have given a table showing the num- 

 ber of seal skins actually recorded as sold as a result of pelagic sealing 

 from 1868 to 1894, both inclusive, which shows the gradual increase of 

 the catch from year to year as the sealing fleet increased in numbers 

 and efficiency, until the 4,367 skins taken in 1868 have grown into 

 121,143 in 1894. 



To further illustrate the growth of pelagic sealing and the havoc it 

 has wrought on the seal herd I will now insert another table comparing 

 the numbers taken on the Pribilof Islands with those taken on the open 

 sea from 1890 to 1894, both inclusive. 



a Estimated. 



