26 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



take on board skins. Stephen N. Buynitzky, acting under verbal orders 

 from me, took passage on her for the purpose of conveying- to Samuel Fal- 

 coner a letter of appointment as special agent of the Treasury Depart- 

 ment; also a letter of instructions from myself, a copy of which, with a 

 copy of his report on the condition of that island, I herewith inclose. 



There are on the island a population of 370 natives, so called. These 

 are about one-half pure Aleutian blood, the other half of creole blood. 

 In several the foreign element predominates. They have a well-organ- 

 ized system of government, under chiefs of their own selection, subject 

 to removal at the will of the people whenever they choose. Those now 

 acting have done so for three years, and are very efiflcient men. These 

 exercise a kind of patriarchal supervision over the affairs of the whole 

 people, but possess no power to enforce their authority beyond the 

 expression of their will. This meets all their wants as a simple com- 

 munity, but there sometimes arise contingencies when this is insufficient. 

 The' proceeds of the sealing business are a common property, shared 

 by all, and all are expected "to participate in the labor. Sometimes, 

 when delivering skins to ships, some are disposed to shirk their duty 

 for apparently frivolous reasons. In such cases I have felt called on to 

 exercise my authority. There is always a liability of differences arising 

 between natives and the employees of the company which call for the 

 exercise of judicial powers. These make it worth while to consider how 

 far the resident officer should be empowered to act in cases where an 

 appeal to the Department would require a year to get a decision. 



The population of St. Paul is 249; that of St. George 127. This 

 is somewhat unequal in proportion to the labor and proceeds of the 

 sealing business, St. Paul having two-thirds of the population with 

 three-fourths of the labor and proceeds; but this will probably be 

 equalized by the removal of some of the people from St. George to St. 

 Paul. 



The population of both islands — except the chiefs, who live in wooden 

 houses of their own — are living in underground houses built of turf, 

 containing three compartments — an outer one where, in an open space, 

 the cooking is done, with blubber for fuel; a middle one, half workroom 

 and half outhouse; an inner one, not larger than 10 by 12, lighted by a 

 single sash. ]S^ot half of these have wooden floors or ceilings. Here, 

 crowded together, without ventilation, to keep themselves warm as 

 they best can by animal heat during long, tedious winters, sickness 

 necessarily prevails, and without means to struggle against privation or 

 for comfort, their average life is shortened, and their later years are full 

 of pain and suffering, while full half the infants, for want of care, do not 

 live six months. This is the condition where the experience of tlie mili- 

 tary and civil officers and employees of the company demonstrates the 

 climate to be especially favorable to robust health. I would most re- 

 spectfully ask, ill behalf of these people, that application be made to 

 Congress for an appropriation to furnish material to build small, wooden 

 houses above ground. There are native carpenters sufficiently skillful 

 to do all the labor. All that is necessary is to furnish the material at 

 the islands and place it in charge of the Government officer, who will see 

 to its proper disposal and use. Such material would cost, at the island, 

 $500 per house, and the number required would be, on St. Paul 40, and 

 St. George 20. The company propose building such houses and allow 

 the natives to live in them, but refuse to sell the lumber or houses to 

 tliem, being averse to the natives acquiring any right or title to such 

 property on the island. This, for obvious reasons, ought not to be. 

 The natives are already more than sufficiently dependent on the com- 

 pany, and ought not to hold their houses at the will of the resident agent. 



