72 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



Hpeckd Ayent Bryant: prelUn'marn report for 1875. 



Treasury Agent's Office, 



St. Paul Island, May J ,2, 1875. 



Sir : I have the honor to inform you of the arrival at this island on 

 the 10th nitimo of the Alaska Commercial Company steamer Alexander, 

 twenty- two days from Sau Francisco, laden with supplies for the seal 

 islands ; also bringing as passenger Samuel Falconer, assistant Treasury 

 agent, returned from leave of absence, who reports here for assignment 

 for duty. I have received no communication from the Department by 

 mail, but learn from Mr. Falconer that Assistant Agent Francis Lessen 

 had been relieved and another appointed in his place, and from his 

 uonarrival must conclude he was detained on the road and failed to 

 connect with the steamer, and may be expected to arrive here late in 

 June. Assistant Agent Samuel Falconer will be again placed in charge 

 of St. George Island, and no changes made until the arrival of the newly 

 appointed agent. 



I have received the letter granting leave of absence to take effect at 

 the close of the season, of which I shall avail myself, and would most 

 respectfully request that the collector of customs at San Francisco be 

 authorized to j^ay on my vouchers my salary from April 14 to August 31, 

 inclusive. This advance is necessary to enable me to settle my bill in 

 San Francisco and meet the expense of taking my family east. 



I have had no communication with the island of St. George since 

 August last, as the steamer did not touch there on her way here, and 

 as she will go to Unalaska from there on lier way down before she 

 returns here I am compelled to delay anj^ report on that island until I 

 receive the report of Assistant Agent William J. Mclntyre, now in 

 charge. 



As there will be no opportunity for the Department to again commu- 

 nicate with these islands before my return to Washington, when I shall 

 file a detailed report covering my six years' administration, I now only 

 submit a brief statement of the occurrences since my last report, dated 

 August 7, 1874. At that date the Alaska Commercial Company had 

 finished taking seals for their skins, the number then taken being suffi- 

 cient, when added to the skins of animals killed for food after the close 

 of the last season, to fill the quota for 1874. There were taken for food 

 after the close of the sealing season, from July 3 to December 30, 3,585 

 fur seals. Of these skins G2G were of no value, from the animals shed- 

 ding their fur; the remainder, 2,lt59, Avere accepted and salted by the 

 Alaska Commercial Company, to be counted as a part of the quota for 

 the year 1875. 



The past winter has been one ot unprecedented mildness, the mean 

 temperature of the months of November, December, January, and Feb- 

 ruary all being above the freezing point, while the lowest degree of 

 cold occurred in March, the thermometer falling to 14 degrees above 

 zero. Owing to the mild weather, the seals delayed their departure from 

 the island much later than usual — considerable bodies of them remain- 

 ing until February, and a few still lingered until March. The first seals 

 returning the present season landed the 5th of Ajiril, and they are now 

 present in about the same conditions as last year at this date. 



