ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



187 



for native food, was accomplished without any injury whatever to the 

 natives, as all had an abundance of meat. The reduced number of 

 rejected skins this year is the result of constant watchfulness and 

 peremptory orders of your agents that seals should not be killed below 

 the size, as was claimed heretofore could not be avoided. Experience, 

 however, has taught us that, with the exercise of a little patience and 

 care when clubbing a pod of seals, but few mistakes need be made. 

 The number of seals perished on the drives this season did not exceed 

 100, which, considering the vast numbers driven, is insiguiticant. The 

 skins of all killables perishing were taken and salted, which leaves the 

 actual loss from all causes not exceeding 50, exclusive of the rejected, 

 as shown in Statement A, or less than one-tenth the number last year. 



The drives and general conduct of the business was satisfactory this 

 year. The natives sliow a marked improvement in their promptness to 

 obey all orders, and excel in tlieir work ; they readily acknowledge the 

 authority of the Government officer and never show any dissatisfaction 

 with his decisions when brought before him for any offense committed. 

 Five persons only were summoned before the Treasury agent on this 

 island during the past year who on examination were proven guilty of 

 the charges preferred, and iines aggregating $65 imposed on them for 

 oifenses, as shown in the statement of the general fund account 

 marked "D," herewith inclosed. Transportation from the islands and 

 fines are the only modes of punishment at hand. I am happy to say 

 no offense worthy of tlie former has been committed. A small lock up 

 or jail on each island would have a very salutary effect on the people, 

 and in my opinion would do much more than fines to accomplish reform. 

 The buildings could be provided at a cost of not more than $100 each, 

 and while they might not be occupied by three persons in a year their 

 existence would be a constant reminder of the strong arm of the law. 



The sanitary condition of the two islands is very good and the health 

 of the natives for the past year has been about as usual. They are 

 not generally robust or long lived and in almost every case adults die 

 with consumption, the result of imprudence. For the past fifteen 

 months there has not been a single case of sickness among the white 

 persons on either island ; in fact all are in robust health. 



The census taken on the 1st of January, 1886, was as follows: 



Island. 



St. Paul ... 

 St. George. 



IS 







14 

 4 



The ice closed in around St. Paul Island on the 6th of February and 

 finally disappeared on the 1st day of May. The coldest day of the 

 winter was 5° below zero and the warmest this summer so far was 54° 

 above. We had a godsend on the 23d of January, when the cutter 

 Rush came to anchor and landed all our mail up to the date of her 

 departure from San Francisco, January 2, being the first instance on 

 record of a vessel reaching this island at that season of the year. 



The natives not wishing to use any bull-seal skins for clothing or 



