162 



ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



Consolidated annual return of fur seals killed at the seal islands of Alaska in the year 



ended July 20, i<?5^— Continued. 



St. Paul Island, Alaska, July 21, 1882. 

 I hereby certify that the foregoing is correct; according to my knowledge and 



"bplici 



Henry A. Glidden, Special Agent, 



The Secretary of the Treasury, 



Washington, I). C. 



Assistant Agent Wardman; report of interview with Mr. OrebnitzTcy, 



manager of Russian seal islands. 



Special Agent's Office, 



San Francisco, Cal., November 6, 1882. 



Sir: On October 27 the hd,!^ Alexander arrived in this port with 

 about 45,000 fur-seal skins, mainly from Copper and Bering islands. 

 She also brought as passenger Mr. Nicholas Grebnitzky, who, during 

 the past five years has been the chief representative of the Eussian 

 Government on those islands. Believing that some account of the 

 condition of the seal interests in Eussian waters might be acceptable 

 to your Department, I sought and obtained an interview with Mr. 

 Grebnitzky, from whom I received the substance of the following 

 statement. 



During the five years of Mr. Grebnitzky's administration there has 

 been a gradual increase of seals upon the islands in question. Mr. 

 Grebnitzky thinks there are "millions" of seals which resort annually 

 to those islands, but the ratio of increase may be practically understood 

 from a glance at the figures of the number killed within the time of 

 Mr. Grebnitzky's personal supervision. The fur seals killed on those 

 islands during the time stated is given, in round numbers, thus: First 

 year, 11,0005 second year, 20,000; third year, 32,000; fourth year, 

 48,000; fifth year (1882), 45,000. 



He avers that a much larger number might have been taken this year 

 on those islands but for a want of salt to preserve the skins. The 

 selection of seals to be killed on Copper and Bering islands is made as 

 on the islands belonging to the TTnited States. On the Eussian islands 

 neither female seals nor pui^s are killed. 



