ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 185 



company men in a wbaleboat and started for the west end of the island, 

 a distance of over 8 miles, hoping, from the reported display of fire- 

 works, to find marauders near there needing onr attention. We found 

 no signs of them until returning, when, in stopping at all suspicious- 

 looking spots under the clifts, we came on a very comfortable place 

 for such people, about 1^ miles from the west end (which we named 

 Pirate Harbor), where we found every evidence of their presence but 

 a short time before, in the shape of fresh ashes, a hatchet, a silk hand- 

 kerchief, seal clubs, and a broken oar. On returning to the village I 

 got word from the Zapadnie watchman that a small boat burning a 

 blue light had passed toward the west end about 1 o'clock that morning, 

 which, no doubt, was looking for those at Pirate Harbor. During this 

 time we have often wished for a revenue cutter to make her appear- 

 ance, but, of course, they were "foolish wishes." "You will excuse the 

 length of my report in regard to marauder hunting, but I have thought 

 it my duty to inform you, as near as possible, as to the poor protection 

 and the work required to protect the seal interests of this island. The 

 killing of seals for food after the 20th of August, I suggest, should be 

 prohibited. It looks to me as an unnecessary waste. I find that out of 

 449 seals killed in the latter part of August and in the month of Sep- 

 tember, in the years 1882, 1883, and 1884, 352 were rejected as stagy 

 skins, to be cut up and destroyed. It will be no hardship for the 

 natives to save sufficient food out of a killing along in the middle of 

 August to supply their wants till the pup-killing season, about the last 

 of October. 



About the first thing that impressed itself on my mind shortly after 

 coming here was that the natives were not only treated well, but in a 

 measure spoiled; the foundation of which is, in my judgment, the system 

 that allows twelve months' pay for less than two months' work. There 

 is no objection to the sum they receive, but for that sum they should be 

 made to render, hke other laboring people, a year's service; and to dis- 

 courage idleness, and to encourage self-reliance and daily thrift, they 

 should be hired by the month and paid by the month, with a contract 

 for a year's employment during good behavior, under a system that 

 would give them in the year the same amount of money they get now. 

 Under the present system it is next to impossible to induce them to do 

 anything (outside of sealing and a little rookery watching) in the way 

 of making themselves more comfortable. If they were likely to be 

 called out to do a day's work now and then, at any time during the 

 year, many improvements to their advantage would be made that under 

 the present system of work and pay will never be made. 



Since the close of the sealing season the rookeries show that from 

 4,000 to 5,000 more seals could have been taken this season without 

 injury to future supply. 



The Alaska Commercial Company have complied with all the require- 

 ments of lease, up to this date, for the year 1885. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



T. F. Ryan, Agent. 



P. S.— I wish to add that Captain Healy, of the Gorwm, informed me 

 that he had written the Department over a year ago requesting that he 

 should be permitted to leave a lieutenant and two men on this island, 

 but that his request had not been even replied to. 



T. F. E. 



Hon. G, R. TiNQLE, 



Special Treasury Agent of Seal Islands. 



