ALASKA INDUSTRIES. do 



In regard, to the details of affairs on St. George Island, I liave to state 

 that I am in receipt of a copy of a certificate of the shipment of the full 

 quota of seal skins at that island. (10,000), July 15, 1876, accompanied by 

 a private letter from Assistant Treasury Agent Samuel Falconer, stating 

 that his full report would be forwarded to this oflice on the return of 

 the steamer iSt. Paul. The weather obliged the steamer to pass the 

 island on her way hither without landing, and as she will not return 

 here after going there, I have no information of later date than that cer- 

 tificate. I wish to call especial attention to this point: 



Under the original act of Congress authorizing the lease of these islands, 

 approved July 30, 1870, from imperfect information concerning the num- 

 ber of seals breeding on St, George Island, the proportion of the quota 

 for that island was fixed at 25,000 and St. Paul at 75,000. It was found in 

 1873, from information based on actual observation, that this proportion 

 did not correspond with the true proportion of numbers of seals breeding 

 on the two islands, and the proportion was changed, giving to the island 

 of St. Paul 90,000 and St. George 10,000 per annum. As the island of 

 St. George had one-third of the native population, this decrease in the 

 number of seals taken there worked a great hardship in depriving them 

 of the means of their necessary support, and to obviate this a portion 

 of the number of sealers were permitted to come over and reside during 

 the sealing seasons of 1874-75 on St. Paul, and assist in taking the 

 increased number of that island and in sharing in the proceeds. This 

 gave some dissatisfaction to the natives of St. Paul, so that when it 

 became necessary for me to recommend, as I did in my report dated 

 October 11, 1875, a reduction in number of seals to be taken on St. Paul 

 Island, for reasons therein set forth, I recommended that the proportion 

 for St. George should be increased 5,000. This was not done. These 

 same reasons being now in full force, I would again recommend that 

 the quota for St. George be fixed at 15,000 per annum, as the rapid 

 increase of male seals on that island since the reduction of its quota in 

 1873 will fully warrant this increase. This, vath 80,000 on St. Paul, will 

 make the full quota for both islands 95,000 for 1877. 



Eespectfully referring to my report from this island dated July 20, 

 informing the Department of attempts by unknown parties to take seals 

 from Otter Island, I would further state that Otter Island is a small 

 islet adjacent to St. Paul, being miles distant from its most southern 

 point in a southwest direction and 8 miles distant from the village. It 

 is about 1 mile long and one-half mile in breadth, and contains an esti- 

 mated area of 150 acres. It lies with its longest diameter parallel to 

 St. Paul. Its two ends and farther side are bold, precipitous bluffs, 

 rising directly from the water from 50 to 250 feetiu height, affording no 

 landing for boats and scarcely for seals. From its rim-like edge it 

 slopes gently to the shore of tlie northeast side, presenting its slightly 

 concave surface to view from St. Paul like the side of the roof of a house, 

 so that in a clear day any object the size of a man moving on its surface 

 can be seen from the hill in the rear of the village on the latter island. 

 In this way the parties were discovered on the 26th of June, as stated 

 in my report of July 26. On this side is the boat landing, and that is 

 available only in a smooth sea when there is no surf. This inclined 

 plane affords a most convenient hauling ground for seals, but there is 

 no breeding rookery there, nor do any female seals vir^it the island. 



It is the habit of the young male seals, from 2 to 5 years oldj to return 

 to the island at the same time as the old ones, but being prevented from 

 landing on the breeding places by the hitter, their only'object is to seek 

 some other resting jilace, where they can lay at rest and wait until old 



