202 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



taken each year, or three times as many as were taken on St. George, 

 while St. Paul, according to Mr. Elliott, had eighteen times as many 

 seals on the rookeries. For 1879, 1880, and 1881, 20,000 were taken 

 annually on St. George. Since that time the lessees have not been 

 able to take conveniently more than 15,000 annually, notwithstanding 

 the rookeries have received large accessions of cows and bulls each 

 year since 1873 and now have seven times the number estimated by 

 Mr. Elliott to have been there when they took 25,000 seals. The num- 

 ber of seals at present shown to be on the breeding rookeries of the 

 two islands is as follows : 



St. Paul 5,148,500 



St. George 1,209,250 



Total 6,357,750 



The young male seals haul out separately from breeders, and no esti- 

 mate of their number has ever been made or attempted, so far as I 

 know. It is certain one-half the pups born are males and that pups 

 equal to 90 per cent of cows on the rookeries go into the water — that 

 is, exclusive of the young cows which come ujDon the rookeries for the 

 first time to meet the males. The estimated loss of 10 per cent is 

 caused by bulls in ineserving rigid discipline and administering neces- 

 sary correction in the management of their domestic alfairs. 1 heir idea 

 of a female's duty does not admit of any little indiscretions, and at the 

 slightest sign of deviation, regardless of consequences, he quickly 

 pounces ui)ou the oilending female and shakes her by the neck. A 

 number of pups are also lost by being washed off the rocks by the surf 

 and drowned before they have learned to swim. Fully one half tlie 

 l)ups which go to sea in the fall return as yearlings the following 

 spring, the absent ones having furnished food tVtr their natural enemies 

 in the water. As they grow older the percentage of loss from this 

 cause decreases largely. I have made frequent and close inspections 

 of the rookeries this year and find the lines of occupancy extended 

 beyond those of last year and the cows quite as densely packed on 

 the ground on most of the rookeries, while on two rookeries there is 

 some falling off. It is certain, however, this vast number of animals, 

 so valuable to the Government, is still on the increase. The condi- 

 tion of all the rookeries could not be better, and the seals, undisturbed 

 when ashore, seem to take great comfort out of their season of rest 

 after a long winter voyage at sea. The Department can not place too 

 high an estimate on the value of this seal property, and the Govern- 

 ment, I am sure, will not yield to any demands which would make it 

 possible to accomplish the destruction of her seal rookeries and seal 

 life, which, under judicious management and protected by law, may be 

 perpetuated indefinitely. 



THE MARAUDERS. 



Last fall, after the steamer had departed for San Francisco, a num- 

 ber of marauding sclioouers were (sighted from St. Paul Island. One, 

 a steam schooner, laid off" the Reef Kookery several days from the 8th 

 of August, with boats down, killing seals in the water. Owing to the 

 distance from land (though in full view) and the uncertainty of the 

 weather it was not deemed safe by Captain Loud, assistant Treasury 

 agent in charge, to go out to her in small boats. She was rewarded 

 by securing a cargo of 4,300 seal skins for her British owners, which 

 were delivered and sold in Victoria. 



