ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 153 



more tlian two or three brief calls at tlie islands during the entire sea- 

 sou, covering a period of not less than five months, during which the 

 sensitive seal rookeries are practically at the mercy of marauding ves- 

 sels, so far as any means for repelling them on water are concerned, for 

 the Government officers at the islands have no such means at com- 

 mand, not even a whaleboat. 



I think the policy of furnishing a small and inexpensive, though swift 

 and effective, steam vessel for this purpose would be in the interest of 

 true economy, for it would secure the complete protection of these 

 priceless resorts of the fur seal, and at the same time relieve the revenue 

 steamers entirely from the necessity of cruising in the immediate waters. 

 III. Unauihorized Mlling of fur seals ^^in adjacent irate>-6'."— Respect- 

 fully referring to my letter to the Department dated November 3, 1881, 

 I again call attention to the evil of the unlawful killing of fur seals in 

 waters adjacent to the Aleutian Islands, and recommend that explicit 

 instructions be issued to the commanding officers of all revenue cutters 

 which may hereafter cruise in Alaskan waters directing them to break 

 up the practice, which is not only unauthorized by law but is in direct 

 violation of Treasury regulations, and particularly of the Department's 

 ruling contained in the letter to D. A. d'Ancona, dated March 12, 1881. 

 I think it would also be well for the revenue officers to keep a sharper 

 lookout upon the sea otter grounds, to the end that the hunting of 

 those rare fur-bearing animals shall no longer be carried on in defiance 

 of law, as I suspect it has been in some cases. 



lY. The killing of seals for food.— The matter of the killing, by natives 

 of St. Paul and St. George 'islands, of young seals (viz, 4 month old 

 imps) for food has heretofore formed the subject of correspondence with 

 the Department. The latest rulings on the subject are those contained 

 in the Department's telegram to Assistant Agent Moulton, dated Sep- 

 tember 3, 1881, and in the letter to me, dated November 21, 1881. These 

 rulings authorize the Treasury agents, in their discretion, to materially 

 reduce the number of such seals heretofore killed for food provided the 

 Alaska Commercial Company shall make good its offer to supply to the 

 natives, in lieu of seal meat, a quantity of corned beef and condensed 

 milk, free of charge. 



Anticipating this action by the Department, and being aware of the 

 company's oft'er, I had, previous to the date of the telegram referred 

 to, instructed my assistants to reduce the number of pup seals to be 

 killed for the last winter's supply of food to 3,000 on St. Paul and to 

 1,000 on St. George Island. 



The new supplies which the company offered to furnish went forward 

 to the islands in September last, and doubtless proved an acceptable 

 substitute for pup seal meat. An abundance of the meat of larger seals 

 (the skins of which are merchantable) is always put u]) in the fall, so 

 that there is no danger whatever of the natives suffering for meat food. 

 If it shall be found that the result of this experiment has proved 

 successful, then I shall recommend that the killing of pup seals be 

 entirely discontinued in the future. It is a needless sacrifice of the 

 seal life, which, though done under the color of law, ought not to be 

 persisted in. If, however, the practice be continued to any extent, the 

 course indicated in Department letters of July 11 and July 18, 1881, 

 should be strictly followed, and all such skins be taken possession of 

 by the Treasury agents as the property of the United States. I ask 

 qualified instructions in advance to carry into effect my proposed 

 recommendation. 



