184 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



last clay of sealing), when five TTnalaska men on their way to Zapadnie 

 with a whaleboat to be left there for the use of the Government ofiBcer 

 reported having seen men and boats on the beach under tlie high cliffs 

 near Starry Ateel rookery. I immediately started for that point, send- 

 ing the men who brought the boat back overland to the village for arms 

 and word to Mr. Morgan of the company to meet me at the rookery, 

 which he (though sick) promptly did, and after a consultation con- 

 cluded to send to the village for colors and a boat, on the arrival 

 of which I entered and went around and under the cliffs to the spot 

 where the men had seen the marauders a few hours before. In the 

 meantime Mr. Morgan and Dr. Lutz of the company had gone on 

 reconnoitering, hoping to be able to Hank and hold the rascals till I 

 could reach them, but they found it impossible to get down or even see 

 over the high cliffs, which are of a most rugged and ragged shape, and 

 were forced to return to a point at the foot of the mountain touching 

 the sea and about the commencing point of Starry Ateel rookery, and 

 follow the rough, narrow beach. We met at the point indicated by the 

 men, but found the marauders gone, leaving, however, evidence enough 

 of their presence there in the shape of the skinned carcasses of from 

 four to five hundred female seals. They hid the carcasses in caves and 

 under rocks with much labor. We also found dead pups in every direc- 

 tion. We returned to the village very tired, for I had tramped over 10 

 miles (with poor legs) over moss bed, trap holes, and rocks, and Mr. 

 Morgan was not well (not being able to be on hand for the last day's 

 sealing), so the next day we put in resting, feeling confident that the 

 marauders would not dare to put in an appearance there again for at 

 least a few days, for they knew that our men saw them. 



Early on the morning of the 22d I sent watchmen to every rookery 

 that could be in any danger, and to Starry Ateel, the chief, with several 

 men, with instructions to look over the ground and sight the best point 

 for a rock house as a headquarters for watchmen in protecting that 

 rookery. In an hour or so one of the men returned with the news that 

 the marauders, with two boats, were on the beach. We got there in 

 "double quick." We sent five Unalaska men in charge of an expe- 

 rienced seaman by water, but the sea was too rough for his crew and 

 forced him to return. When we got there, our game had again tiown, 

 leaving behind them 112 seal skins, all their seal clubs, one pair over- 

 alls, one woolen blouse, and one Chinese handkerchief. The skins I 

 brought to the village and salted down in the com])any's salt house. 

 But for the failure of our expedition by sea we should have captured 

 the whole party. 



Starry Ateel rookery has always been considered as safe from maraud- 

 ers. The company people and natives seemed much surprised, but it is 

 your assistant's opinion that the rookery has been robbed for years. 

 The marauders' manner of taking seals from this island has been to 

 kill the seals and take them to their craft to be skinned, but in this case 

 they became overconfident and bold and concluded it would be safe to 

 start a killing and skinning ground within 500 feet of the rookery. 

 In this they have blundered, for now that it is known it can and will 

 be protected from work of this kind in the future. I have under way 

 at all the rookeries, thought to be in any danger from marauders, stone 

 and sod houses at locations that will aid cowardly watchmen in doing 

 their duty. The se(;ond day after this the night watchman at Starry 

 Ateel reported seeing a schooner about 3 o'clock a. m. far off to the 

 westward; that she had sent up three signal rockets and shortly after 

 disappeared. I immediately got four of the natives and two of the 



