152 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



1882. 



Special Agent Otis; preliminary report for 1882. 



Santa Barbara, Cal., April 1, 1882. 

 Sir : I have the honor to present for your consideration and action 

 the following matters pertaining to the seal islands of Alaska, etc. : 



I. Otter /6'towr?.— This island, lying about 6 miles off the southwest 

 end of St. Paul Island, and not embraced within the terras of the 

 Alaska Commercial Company's lease, is the resort, annually, from June 

 to November, of some thousands of (nonbreediug) fur seals, which haul 

 up from the sea to rest and play upon its rocky shores. They appear 

 to be simply the overplus from the larger island, and are mainly males, 

 both young and old. It is believed that from 5,000 to 10,000 market- 

 able skins might be taken there annually, if there were any authority 

 fur doing so, and the tendency is for the seals to steadily increase in 

 numbers there. 



It was formerly the practice of certain subordinates of the Alaska 

 Commercial Company to go to Otter Island in boats and drive the seals 

 found there into the sea, the object being to discourage their coming to 

 that island and force them to concentrate upon St. Paul Island, where 

 the greater part of the fur-seal skins are taken. This practice I have 

 disapproved and forbidden, taking the ground that the lessees have no 

 authority under their lease to interfere with Otter Island or to harass 

 the seals found thereon or thereabouts, and that the spirit of the law 

 enacted for the protection of the seal life was violated whenever it was 

 done. (See sections 1 and 2, act approved July 1, 1870.) Besides, 

 such harassment is wholly unnecessary, as the number of killable seals 

 found upon St. Paul and St. George islands in the season is so vast 

 that the entire annual quota allowed to be taken can be secured in 

 less than thirty-live working days, leaving a countless number still 

 upon the shores untouched. 



The device, even if it were legitimate, of driving the seals from Otter 

 Island for the pretended purpose of taking away the attraction for 

 marauders to make descents upon the island, is a futile one, because 

 the seals persistently return after a few hours and can not be kept 

 away except by a degree of harassment which is warranted by neither 

 law nor good policy. 



By existing orders of the Department, Otter Island is placed under 

 the immediate care and protection of the Treasury agents stationed at 

 St. Paul Island, who are required to visit it occasionally during the 

 season when the seals resort to it, in order to keep oft marauders, etc. 

 In my iudgment this practice should be continued, and the seal life of 

 Otter Island be protected against destruction and harassment from 

 whatever source they may come, until such time as the Secretary of the 

 Treasury shall be authorized by law to lease the island or take other 

 measures to make it a source of revenue to the Government. 



I submit the whole subject to you, asking specific directions for the 

 future, which shall be binding alike upon the Treasury agents, the 

 lessees, and all concerned. 



II. Protection of the seal islands.— In this connection I have the honor 

 to renew my recommendation that Congress be asked for an appropria- 

 tion to build a suitable vessel to be used for the protection of Otter 

 Island and the seal fisheries against lawless intruders. At present the 

 revenue steamer which cruises in Alaskan waters is able to make no 



