ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 29 



The breeding rookeries, so called, are the rocky shores selected by 

 the old males for that purpose. They are of variable length, from one- 

 eighth of a mile to 3 miles in length, and from 5 to 50 rods in width, 

 separated from each other by intervals of sand beach from a few rods 

 to 6 miles in length. The old males land early on these places and pre- 

 vent any but females occupying them with themselves. All the other 

 classes, with those selected for killing, occupy the uplands immediately 

 in the rear of these. It is claimed by the natives that the seals return 

 invariably the second year to their places of birth and, when not too 

 often disturbed by driving, continue to do so. 



This is important, as will appear, and I have instituted experiments 

 to determine the fact by having 100 male pups selected before I 

 leave and marked by cutting off" the right ear, on a rookery 1 mile north 

 of the village, and a like number with the left ear, on the rookery to 

 south of village. This has been done for two years, and next year the 

 first will be old enough to be taken. The seals occupy the southeast 

 and southwest shores of the island for a distance of 25 miles. For 

 convenience and to save long driving three salt houses have been built, 

 one at the village, one 5 miles west of that point, and one at the north- 

 east point, 12 miles distant. It being more convenient to take and ship 

 skins from the village, the tendency is to kill an undue proportion of 

 the whole number taken from the island from the adjacent rookeries, 

 which contain less than one-fourth of the number. To do this necessi- 

 tates their being driven at too short intervals from the same places, so 

 that those driven to the killing ground and allowed to return to the 

 water as unfit for present use do not return to their old places, but 

 shift to more distant parts of the islands. This has been the effect 

 from the season of 1868, as over one-half the skins taken each year 

 have been from these places. I would therefore suggest that a regula- 

 tion be established requiring the seals to be taken from all the rookeries 

 in such number as the size of the rookery bears to the whole number 

 on the islands. 



The breeding males and females occupy the same ground from year 

 to year without leaving their places until the end of July and no other 

 classes mix with them. These have clearly defined boundaries entirely 

 separate from the grounds occupied by the classes driven for killing, 

 and are never disturbed by it. 



As these are the sources that produce the supply, and the age at 

 which most of them are killed is 3 vears, their condition will furnish a 

 standard by which to estimate the product three years in advance. A 

 careful comparison of their condition the present year (1871) with those 

 of 1869 and 1870 shows a decrease in the number of females the present 

 year equal to 10 per cent of the two former years, which showed a 

 gradual increase. This might indicate a necessity for restricting the 

 number to be taken, were it not that the excess of 1870 will compensate 

 the deficiency for one year, but should two successive years of decrease 

 follow it will be different. This decrease is the same on the rook- 

 eries where no seals have been taken since 1868 as on those that have 

 been worked continually. Whatever may be the cause of this decrease 

 I am sure it must be looked for outside the islands — a period of the 

 year in which we have little or no positive knowledge of their habits. 

 Sufficient search has been made for their winter abodes, with a view to 

 taking their skins to prove they do not land in any considerable num- 

 bers on any known land. They begin to leave the islands early in 

 October and by the middle of December have all left, and none are 



