ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



39 



St. Paul two years ago, as no experiment of this kind had ever been 

 tried on this island. 



Their arrival at the islands this spring was on the Gth of May, nearly 

 the same time as last year, and on the following day I collected and 

 took charge of all firearms belonging to the natives, as I did the year 

 before. This I found to be necessary for the reason that there are two 

 fresh-water ponds within gunshot of a like number of breeding rook- 

 eries where numerous Hocks of wild fowl constantly frequent, and the 

 temptation is so great that they can not resist shooting if allowed to 

 retain their arms. The prevention of the use of firearms during the 

 sealing season, together with other precautions taken concerning the 

 rookeries, is, in my opinion, the cause of the increase of seals on the 

 island during the past two years. 



Mr. Lessen, your assistant, joined me early in May last and has ably 

 assisted me in the discliarge of the duties of the island since that time. 



The general health of the island has continued good. There has been 

 one birth and one death since the date of my last report. 



Samuel Falconer, 



Assistant Treasury Agent. 



Charles Bryant, Esq., 



Agent in Charge of ISeal Islands, 



1873. 



Special Agent Bryant: Annual Report for 1873. 



Fairhaven, Mass., September 30, 1873. 

 Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the condition 

 of the fur seals and the general affairs of the seal islands since my last, 

 dated September 9, 1872. At that time there had been taken and 

 shipped from St. Paul Island, of the quota of 1872, 71,070 fur-seal skins, 

 the balance of the quota being left to be supplied from the skins of 

 animals necessarily killed for food for the natives. Of this balance 

 were shipped, as per certificate dated June 2, 1873, 3,900 fur-seal skins, 

 making a total of skins shipped from St. Paul Island of the catch of 

 1872 of 74,976; so the account for seals taken stands as follows: 



Seals talien by the Alaska Commercial Company for their skins. 



For the month of — 



June 



July 



October 



Seals taken for natire food 



May 



August 



September 



October 



November 



December 



Total 



a Stagey. 



Of these, 74,976 were shipped as above stated, the balance of 724 skins 

 remaining over to be counted on the quota of 1873. 



