132 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



Special Agent Otis ; annual report for 1880. 



Office Special Agent Treasury Department, 



In Charge of Seal Islands, 



St. Paul Island, July 30, 1880. 



Sir : I have the lionor to submit the following report on the results 

 of the sealing season just closed on the islands of St. Paul and St. 

 George, and other affairs of the seal islands during the year which has 

 elapsed since my last annual report. 



SEALING OPERATIONS. 



The regular sealing season was begun by the Alaska Commercial 

 Company on this island on the 1st day of June; the respective quotas 

 of fur seals allowed by law to be killed on the two islands having first 

 been fixed by me for 1880 on the basis of 1879, viz, 80,000 on St. Paul 

 and 20,000 on St. George Island. Killing continued on St. Paul, with 

 some interruptions, until the 17th day of July, when the island's full 

 quota had been completed. Thirty-five working days were consumed 

 in the work — two more than in 1879. 



On St. George Island the sealing season commenced June 3 and closed 

 July 9, one week earlier than in 1879. Tbe full catch of this island was 

 completed in twenty-three working days — six less than were required 

 last year. 



The results of the entire sealing operations of the year are shown in 

 detail by the accompanying tabulated statements, marked, respectively, 

 A and B. It will be seen that the prime skins taken from all animals, 

 save " pups," killed for food since the close of the sealing season of 

 1879 are included " as part of the taxable quota of the Alaska Com- 

 mercial Company," in accordance with the Department's instructions 

 of April 8, 1880. 



All the shipments of fur-seal skins were made and certified after 

 actual and careful count by the Treasury agents, and were as follows: 



From St. Paul Island: 



June 7, 1880, per steamer St. Paul 2,270 



June 30, 1880, per steamer Dora 12, 184 



July 21, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30, 1880, per steamer St. Paul 65, 546 



80,000 



From St. George Island : 



May 22, 1880, per steamer St. Paul 1,132 



July 24, 1880, per steamer St. Paul 12,692 



July 26, 1880, per steamer St. Paul 6, 176 



^ ' '^ 20,000 



Total from both islands 100,000 



Certificates covering all these shipments are herewith, being marked, 

 respectively, C, D, E, F, G, and H. Duplicates have been iurnished 

 to the masters of the vessels on which the shipments were made, and 

 copies mailed to the collector of customs at the port of San Francisco. 



THE SEAL LIFE. 



I am glad to be able to report the seal life of these islands as still 

 abundant and in satisfactory and promising condition. Seals of all 

 classes and ages, and of both sexes, have appeared upon the hauling 

 grounds and breeding rookeries during the present season in countless 

 numbers. The grand aggregate can not even be approximated with 



