ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 363 



(5) The catch of American schooners lauded at Astoria, Oreg. 



(6) The catch of American schooners Lmded at San Francisco. 



(7) The catch of Pribilof Islands (American). 



(8) Tlie catch of Copper Islands (Russian). 



(9) The boarding of British vessels in Bering Sea. 



(10) The copies of official logs of all British vessels sailing from Victoria, giving 

 location of each day's far seal tisliiug operations. 



In submitting the above report of the fur-sealiug operations for the past year, I 

 would beg to say that the figures have been collected with considerable care and 

 trouble, and I desire here, for your better understanding of the year's work, to give 

 a resume of the operations of the fleet sailing from this port. 



Eesidts, 1894. — The catch of 1894 being the largest in the history of this port, 

 amounting to 94,474 skins, the results, however, were generally unsatisfactory and 

 unprofitable to the owners of vessels. 



This loss was brought about partly by their own act in giving exorbitant prices 

 to the seal hunters, paying them as high as $4.50 and $4.75 per skin, when the sales 

 in London only brought about $7 to $8 per skin, thus bringing quite a number of 

 owners into debt, and some to disaster. 



I endeavored at the time of the engagement of the crews in 1894 to bring the owners 

 to realize that there was great danger in paying this high figure to hunters, but 

 there was such competition that all argument was unavailing. 



The present year, however, the effect of the low prices brought the owners to 

 realize the situation, and the vessels paid this year to all white hunters only one- 

 fifth lay and to the Indians tlie same, with a small bonus. 



Licenses. — There have been licensed during the past year 64 British vessels sailing 

 from this port. Of this number 22 sailed during December, 1894, and January, 1895, 

 to Japan ; 33 were engaged in the British Columbia Coast catch, and 9 Indian 

 schooners, which likewise confined their operations to the British Columbia Coast 

 up to the 1st of May. 



Crews. — There were engaged in this industry 705 white seamen and 854 Indians, 

 showing this year a decrease in the white seamen and an increase in the number of 

 Indians. The fact of the increase of Indians was owing to the demand for spear- 

 men in Bering Sea, where firearms could not be used. 



Boats and canoes. — The record shows that there were 210 boats and 421 canoes in 

 use this year, exhibiting a decrease of 56 boats and an increase of 162 canoes. This, 

 as with the crews, was owing to the number of Indian spearmen going to Bering Sea. 



British Columbia Coast catch. — The figures show the total British Columbia Coast 

 catch to be 9,853, exhibiting a decrease of 1,850 skins compared with 1894, although 

 a larger number of vessels were engaged. The cause assigned for this decrease was 

 chiefly owing to the boisterous weather which prevailed along the British Colum- 

 bian Coast, and when the weather moderated the seals had passed northward, so 

 that the larger herds could not be reached before the 1st of May, the commencement 

 of the close season. 



Japan catch. — The total result of the operations on the Japanese Coast show that 

 there were only taken 18,687 skins, as against 49,483 in 1894, being a marked decrease 

 of 30,796. This decrease caused me to make diligent inquiry from the masters and 

 crews, and the conclusion arrived at was that stormy weather usually prevailed all 

 along the Japanese Coast, preventing the schooners from lowering their boats some- 

 times for days together. Also, it seems to be the consensus of opini(m among them 

 that the schooners this year were in advance of the seal herd, which had apparently 

 gone farther to the south than usual. 



Coj)per Island catch. — Twenty schooners were sealing in the vicinity of Copper 

 Island, which obtained a catch of 6,281, as against 24 vessels last year with a catch 

 of 7,437. 



Bering Sea. — In the month of June last 33 vessels cleared from this port for Bering 

 Sea, proceeding to the west coast, where they obtained Indian hunters, and pro- 

 ceeded direct to Unalaska, where they were all instructed, if they reported them- 

 selves to the custom-house there, that no difficulty was anticipated. On the clearance 

 papers from this port it was plainly stated tliat they had no firearms, nets, or explo- 

 sives, and that their hunting outfit consisted only of spears. On the Ist of August 

 they all left tho port of Unalaska, United States of America, and at once sailed to 

 the sealing grounds. 



There were also 8 vessels which entered Bering Sea from the v/estward which had 

 been engaged in sealing on the Japanese side, making a total of 41 British vessels 

 fishing in Bering Sea, the result of their fishing being 35,918, as against 27 vessels in 

 1894, with a catch of 26,425 — an increase of 9,493 seals. 



The weather was good, and seals reported to be fairly plentiful; but in this 

 regard some conflicting accounts were given, no doubt measured by their individual 

 success. 



