238 ALASKA INDUSTEIES. 



ing apartment measuring 10 by 10 feet, they are not treated right, nor 

 does our Government intend to have such things existing where it has 

 jurisdiction. 



The dwelling houses are badly in need of repairs, and the attention 

 of the local agent, Mr. Webster, has been called to their condition, but 

 as he is to leave the island this year it may be necessary for you to 

 mention it to the general manager of the North American Commercial 

 Company. 



Mr. A. W. Lavender arrived on May 26 and immediately entered upon 

 his duties. On July 12 the watchman reported a schooner in sight off 

 Zapadnie, and I armed the men and sent a squad to exposed rookeries, 

 Mr. Lavender going to Zapadnie wath four men, the second chief and 

 four men to East Eookery, and I went with four men to Starry Ateel. 

 We all watched until next morning without seeing an enemy. To 

 facilitate the guarding of the rookeries it is necessary to have some 

 sort of shelter for the watchmen; a small hut on each of the three 

 rookeries would be sufticient, and they need not cost over $50 each. 



On Sunday, May 11, the schooner AUo7i (Captain Worth), of San 

 Francisco, touched at the island and the captain came ashore and 

 informed us of the new lease and new company. On learning of the 

 change the natives held several meetings, and afterwards came to the 

 Government house to have my advice as to how they should act in case 

 any material changes were made in their mode of working, government, 

 or the amount of their pay. 



The meeting was adjourned from time to time until they had thor- 

 oughly discussed the most important questions raised, and at the last 

 meeting, held May 23, they unanimously declared that it was their firm 

 belief and honest opinion that the seals had diminished and would con- 

 tinue to diminish from year to year, because all the male seals had 

 been slaughtered without allowing any to grow to maturity for use on 

 the breeding ground. 



I made a note of the suggestion on the journal that day, and I am 

 now fully convinced by personal observation that it is only too true, 

 and that the natives were correct in every particular. 



In 1889 the full quota of 15,000 skins was obtained here, but I know 

 now (what I did not understand then) that in order to fill the quota 

 they lowered the standard toward the close of the season and killed 

 hundreds of yearling seals, and took a greater number of small skins 

 than ever before. 



The first seals of this season appeared upon the hauling ground on 

 April 26, and the first killing for food was on May 13. The killing 

 season for skins opened on June 2, and they killed 71. 



I inclose a full statement of all the killings of the season, from June 

 2 to July 20, inclusive, and you will observe that the greatest number 

 killed at one killing— excepting those of July 19 and 20— was only 394, 

 although the driving and killing were under the iumiediate supervision 

 of Mr. Webster, who is admitted to be the most experienced and most 

 careful sealer on the islands. 



Until July 19 an attempt was made to keep to a standard of not less 

 than 7-pound skins, but when it was apparent beyond question that 

 there were no large young seals on the hauling ground, the standard 

 was lowered and skins of 5 pounds were taken wherever found. It was 

 thus that the last two killings were swelled to their present proportions. 



For the whole season we obtained a total of 4,112 skins, against a 

 total of 10,138 on the same date last year. 



That the seals should have disappeared so rapidly since the report 



