ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 99 



from July 10 up to date bad been exceptionally unfavorable to the wel- 

 fare of the young- seals, and had resulted in a greater loss than in previous 

 years. This condition of unfavorable weather,with frequent and severe 

 storms, continued through the whole season ; October 30 and 31 a severe 

 gale occurred, accompanied with a heavy fall of snow, covering the 

 breeding grounds to the depth of 10 inches,which drove all the seals into 

 the water. When the storm ceased, the snow melted, and large num- 

 bers of the females returned to the shore without their young, aud 

 remained several days searching and calling to find them, aud then left 

 the island for the winter. As many of these young seals thus driven 

 into the water by the storm and snow, for reasons stated in my report 

 of September 26, were too young to live in the rough sea, it is apparent 

 that a very considerable loss in the product of this year is to be looked 

 for; and as the time that these mature for the taking of their skins at 

 3 years old will be the season of 1879, careful attention should then be 

 given to gnard against the effect of this loss, and preserve a sufficient 

 number of breeding males to supply the rookeries. 



When the usualtime (the middle of November) arrived for taking 

 the supply of young seals for native food for winter, it was found, after 

 driving all the rookeries, only one-half the number necessary could be 

 taken, and this deficiency had to be made up by driving and killing 

 older seals, which resulted in the loss of 000 skins, that number being 

 too small to be accepted by the agent of the Alaska Commercial Com- 

 pany as fit to salt. 



But few seals remained on the island after the storm, and those only 

 whose young were too immature to live at sea, the great body of them 

 leaving on an average of one month earlier than usual; but this did 

 not affect the time of their arrival in the spring, the first seals being 

 seen returning April 24, and there were enough landed to make the first 

 drive for fresh food JMay 22. 



The following table will show the date of seeing the first seals and 

 time of making the first drive for food from 1871 to 1877: 



Tear. 



1871. 

 1872. 

 1873. 

 1874. 

 1875. 

 1876. 

 1877. 



Seals first seen. 



May 1.. 

 May 5.. 

 Apr. 21. 

 Apr. 23. 

 Apr. 27. 



do.. 



Apr. 21. 



In 1871 and 1872 they were delayed by ice in the water melting, ren- 

 dering it too cold for them to pass through. It will thus be seen that 

 the time of their first arrival varies but little from year to year. 



The winter proved the most severe in storms of wind and severity of 

 cold since the transfer of the Territory to the United States, the heavy 

 gales bringing large bodies of drift ice from the Gulf of Anadeer, that 

 completely inclosed the island on the 24th of December, and the severe 

 cold of January and February froze the mass solid, so that the island 

 remained inclosed by it until May 5. 



The island was supplied with all the necessary stoves for the use and 

 comfort of the natives. Coal, however, was not on sale to the natives. 

 Of this article, as stated in my rej)ort of September 26, 187G, the general 

 agent of the Alaska Commercial Company had promised to send after 

 the date of that report, and two attempts were made, one in January, 



