ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



373 



It is also well known, in connection with the history of pelajfic sealing, that 11 ves- 

 sels of the British Coluniliia fleet, who were nofcitied of the operation of the modus 

 Vivendi, left Bering Sea and adjacent waters, going over to the Russian side of Bering 

 Sea, and sealed a short season in the vicinity of Copper Island, returning from them 

 direct to this port. 



It must be borne in mind that most of the 11 vessels which went to Copper Island 

 had, on leaving the east side, a considerable number of skins, which they ke])t on 

 boiird on their voyage to the Russian side, having no opportunity of landing them, 

 so that when they did return to this port, the locality of catch then being deemed 

 of little importance, the whole of the skins were entered on their reports as being 

 from Bering Sea and were classilied in our statisticnl books as such, and which is 

 perfectly accurate, so far as the actual nuuiber of skins landed was concerned, and 

 which agree with the tabulated returns. (Table A, page 205, of the report of the 

 Bering Sea Commission, 21st June, 1892.) 



Since the receipt of your letter of the 19th of September last, I have examined the 

 log books and papers of the various sealers as to the exact number of skins taken 

 by those 11 vessels iu the vicinity of Copper Island, and after many interviews with 

 masters and owners, much delay, and patient inquiry, I am now able to present to 

 you iin accurate report of the result of their sealing operations while in the neigh- 

 borhood of the Commanderosky Islands in 1891, which was: 



The schooner BoreaVis, after her return to this port on the Slst August, was char- 

 tered by a man named Hansen and went from here to the Kurile Islands, and returned 

 late in the fall with 399 skins. These ligures are given in the al)ove statement as 

 belonging properly to the Asiatic side. Tlierefore the figures for the season of 1891 

 are as follows : 



Lower coast catch' 3,565 



Sand Point or Ujjper coast catch ' 17, 162 



Bering Sea • 22, 293 



Copper Islands (Asiatic)'^ 6,196 



Kurile Islands^ 399 



Total 49,651 



Taken by Indians on British Columbia coast 1, 953 



It will be seen by the figures above given that the actual number of skins taken 

 in 1891 within the area of the Paris award was 43,020, and 6,595 were taken on the 

 Asiatic side, outside of the award area. 



By the returns of 1894 you will observe that the total catch of seals within the 

 area now covered by the Paris award was as follows: Eastern side Pacific Ocean, 

 including Bering Sea, 38,014. 



The foregoing figures relate solely to British vessels, but in the year 1891 the 

 American schooner City of San Diecjo landed at this port 641 skins taken on the east- 

 ern side of Bering Sea, which should be added to the catch taken by British vessels, 

 because they were landed here, making the total catch of seals landed at Victoria, 

 taken in that year within the area of the Paris award, 43,361, and in comparing the 

 year 1891 with 1894 the result is as follows: Total skins obtained within the area of 

 the Paris award in 1891, 43,661 ; in 1894, 38,044, making 5,617 more skins in 1891 than 

 in 1894. 



It must be taken into consideration that the vessels in 1891 were very early in the 



* Paris award area. 



* Asiatic. 



