38 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



Tills, however, tney were unable to do on account of the skins being^ 

 stagey in the last part of the season, and for this reason the full com- 

 plement has been secured in June and July. 



In reference to the appearance of the rookeries, I find that the seals 

 are very numerous, much more so than they were last year, especially 

 tbe old males and young bachelors, the class that is driven for their 

 skins. In corroboration of this fact, I saw large numbers haul up at 

 the foot of the high cliffs, apart and distinct from all the other rook- 

 eries, where they were never known to frequent before. From these 

 places I deemed it advisable to have them driven away, as they could 

 not be taken if allowed to remain. Why they should resort to places 

 of this kind is more than I can conceive if it is not that they are pre- 

 vented to some extent from landing on their usual places by the numer- 

 ous old males that constantly guard the shore line. 



The number of breeding rookeries on the island is four, viz, North, 

 East, Starry Athille, and Zapeny. They, too, seem to be in a flourish- 

 ing condition this year, as their breeding grounds are enlarged to some 

 extent. Their positions on the islands are as follows: Zapeny is on the 

 southwest side, and about 5 miles from the villtige; Starry Athille is 

 on the north side, 2 miles from the village; North rookery is also on 

 the same side, and not more than 1 mile from town, and East rookery 

 is on the northeast side, and about 3 miles .from town. 



The following figures will show the number of drives made from each 

 of those places, also the number of skins obtained from each rookery 

 during the season : 



Rookery. 



North 



East 



starry Athille. 

 Zapeny 



Number 

 of drives. 



IC 

 16 

 14 

 11 



Total 



Number 

 of skius. 



4,818 

 9,714 

 5,274 

 5,194 



25, 000 



From the last-mentioned rookery two drives of 2,583 were made to the 

 killing ground near the village, the balance being salted at that place 

 on the rookery. A larger number of skins would have been secured 

 this year had there been sufficient salt on hand with which to cure them. 

 There has been, however, a salt house recently erected, which will con- 

 tain all the skins taken at that place in future. 



The number of seals lost from overheating while driving was very 

 small, not more than one in a thousand. I would also mention that great 

 care has been taken not to molest nor disturb the breeding rookeries 

 at any time during the season, and the same amount of precaution has 

 been used after arriving on the field not to kill any that appeared to be 

 the slightest damaged. As you will observe, out of the entire num- 

 ber taken this j ear only 164 have been rejected by the company on 

 account of accidental cuts in skinning. This is considerably less than 1 

 per cent. 



1 would also state that through the course of the season a few seals 

 were killed in which were found buckshot and rifle bal|s. It would 

 appear that they had been down about the coast of British Columbia 

 or somewhere east of Sitka, as the natives on the entire Aleutian chain 

 use no other weapons than the spear in killing seals. I also noticed a 

 few this season apparently about 3 years old with the tip of the right 

 ear off. Probably they were some of those clipped by your direction on 



