ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 45 



excepted, until it was liiiished, July 23. Eight natives from Unalaska 

 were brought up to assist in unloading vessels and do the other work 

 of the company while the sealing lasted. 



An attempt was made on June 11 by the general agent of the Alaska 

 Commercial Company to induce the chiefs to adopt as a native, to share 

 iu the sealing and its profits, an employee of the company, a Spanish 

 Creole, a native of the Ladrones Islands. This being contrary to the 

 formerly established law of the Russians, and the i)rinciple always kept 

 in view in all legislation that to the natives of the island belong the 

 privilege of doing the labor and receiving the pay, it was not permitted. 



In my report, dated November 10, 1871, I had the honor to recom- 

 mend to the Secretary of the Treasury to ask for an appropriation by 

 Congress for the purchase of lumber and material to enable the natives 

 of the seal islands to build wooden houses for themselves. As the 

 president of the Alaska Commercial Company voluntarily offered to 

 build those houses and allow the natives to live in them free of rent, no 

 further action was taken iu the matter. There have since been built 

 on St. Paul Island 13 such houses and so disposed of, and 3 more will 

 be built this season. There are now 43 native families living in 35 turf 

 huts. The proposition was made by the company to build a large 

 number of these houses the present year instead of the church, but the 

 people unanimously desired the church first. On St. George there have 

 been built 3 houses for the use of natives, and 1 more to be built the 

 present season. Arrangements were made with the general agent of 

 the comiiany before I left the islands by which the i)eople will all be 

 comfortably housed during the coming winter. A very large amount 

 of the necessary su])plies for the uses of the natives have been stored 

 on the islands for the coming winter. Eighty tons of coal have been 

 landed on St. Paul, but owing to the pressure of other matters the 40 

 tons for the natives had not yet been delivered to the Treasury agent 

 in charge. The 20 tons for St. George Island have been delivered to 

 the officer in charge and duly receipted for. 



The Alaska Commercial Company have this year introduced two 

 labor-saving improvements on St. Paul Island of groat advantage to 

 the people. The first is a moveable railway track jDlaced on the beach, 

 extending into deep water, so that boats come to and discharge their 

 freight into cars to be hauled on shore. This saves the men from the 

 necessity of wading through the water to land coal, salt, and other 

 heavy articles on their shoulders as formerly. The other is the intro- 

 duction of a horse and mules to haul the skins from the killing ground 

 to the salt houses while sealing, instead of men bringing them on their 

 shoulders. This improvement alone reduces the labor of taking the 

 skins fully 25 jjer cent, and is the principal reason of the work being 

 done so much earlier this year than before. 



It will be seen by the foregoing report that all the conditions of the 

 lease have been fulfilled by the Alaska Commercial Company in a broad 

 and generous spirit that entitles them to very high commendation. 



I inclose herewith copies of the reports of Samuel Falconer, assistant 

 Treasury agent in charge of St. George Island ; and at the same time 

 desire to express in the strongest manner my appreciation for the able 

 manner in which he has administered the affairs of that island since the 

 date of his taking charge, November 9, 1870. 

 I have the honor to remain, 



Charles Bryant, 

 Treasury Agent for Seal Islands. 



