266 ALASKA. 



by any great numbers of tbe fur-seal, not at least while so 

 much good rookery-ground on the American side is vacant as 

 is the case now. 



If we, however, possess virtually all the best-situated ground, 

 then we can count upon retaining the leal-life as we now have 

 it, and in no other way ; for it is not unlikely' that some season 

 may occur when an immense number of the fur-seals which 

 have lived during the last four or five years on the Prybilov 

 Islands should be deflected from their usual feeding-range by 

 the shifting of schools of fish, &:c., so as to bring them around 

 quite close to the Asiatic seal-grounds in the spring, and the 

 scent from those rookeries would act as a powerful stimulant 

 for them to land there, where conditions for their breeding may 

 be as favorable as desired by them. Such being the case, this 

 diminution which we would notice on the Prybilov group would 

 be the great increase observed here, and not due to any mis- 

 management on the part of the men in charge of these inter- 

 ests. Thus it appears to me necessary that definite knowledge 

 concerning the Commander Islands and the Kuriles should 

 be possessed ; without it, I should not hesitate to say that any 

 .report made by an agent of the Department as to a visible dim- 

 inution of the seal-life on the Prybilovs, due, in his opinion, 

 to the effect of killing, as it is conducted, was without good 

 foundation ; that this diminution would have been noticed just 

 the same in all likelihood had there been no taking of seals at 

 all on the islands, and that the missing seals are more than 

 probably on the llussian grounds. 



If we find, however, that the character of this Eussian seal- 

 land is restricted to narrow beach-margins under bluffs, as at 

 Saint George, then we know that a great body of seals will never 

 attempt to land there when they could not do so without sufl:er- 

 ing, and therefore, with this correct understanding to start on, 

 we can then feel alarmed with good reason should we observe 

 a diminution to any noteworthy degree on Saint Paul. 



I do not think, however, that we will be called upon to look 

 into this question for an indefinite time to come, though it may 

 come soon j but the seals undoubtedly feed in systematic rou- 

 tine of travel from the time they leave the Prybih)v Islands un- 

 til their return, and therefore, in all probability, unless the fish 

 upon which tbey feed suddenly become scarce in our waters on 

 soundings, they (the seals) will not change their base as mat- 



