ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 331 



Compensation to icatclimen. — Previously all watclimeii were supplied 

 with provisions by the compauy gratuitously, but as there seemed to 

 be no good reason why the Government should not assume all liability 

 for the protection of its property, this was changed and watchmen now 

 receive a regular per diem comiiensation. The amount earned is placed 

 to their credit on the books of the Government, and they are at liberty 

 to purchase on orders whatever supplies they may select while employed 

 upon guard duty. The detail of men for this service is made in regular 

 rotation, and none are exempted except by reason of age or intirmity. 



TRANSLATION OF THE RUSSIAN RITUAL. 



It was uot found possible to secure on the island a copy of the Eus- 

 sian ritual, and this duty was therefore deferred until I should arrive 

 at San Francisco, but by the exigencies of the summer, as previously 

 uoted, it became necessary to return by way of Victoria. An efibrt, 

 however, has been made through Agent W. H. Williams, who was in 

 San Francisco, to procure a copy of the church service for translation. 



RETURN OF CHURCH FUNDS TO NATIVES. 



Amount of the funds. — In accordance with the instructions of May 2, 

 the funds placed in tlie hands of the North American Commercial Com- 

 pany by the priest of the Greek Church for transmission to the consis- 

 tory at San Francisco was counted in the presence of the Government 

 officer and the company official, and the amount was found to be 

 $3,344.10. 



Method of distribution. — On June 26 a meeting of the priest and the 

 chief men of the village was called, and they were informed that in view 

 of the needy condition of the natives the Department deemed it wiser 

 that these funds should be redistributed to them. The natives agreed 

 that as the funds were to be distributed all those present in the village 

 should be }Mirtakers in the benefits of it. The money was accordingly 

 divided among the people as follows: $200 to Eev. Paul Shaisnikoft', 

 and $16.12 to each of the 195 natives of the village, the odd 70 cents 

 being divided among 7 orphans, giving them $16.22 instead of $16.12 

 each, and the Department was informed of this fact on July 2. 



consistory's ATTEMPT TO RECOVER THE FUNDS. 



Statement of the case. — Since my return I have ascertained that an 

 attempt is being made on the part of the consistory at San Francisco 

 to secure the return of this money. Concerning this point and the gen- 

 eral question of the relation of the Greek Church to and its infiuence 

 exerted there upon the natives of the island, I beg leave to make the 

 following statement: 



While it must be admitted that the fund distributed among the 

 natives of St. Paul Island was money which they had previously vol- 

 untarily contributed to the church, and that it may be that the action 

 of the Department appears arbitrary and unwarranted by reason of 

 existing treaty relations, nevertheless it was morally right, and it 

 should be remembered that it was done solely in the interest of the 

 natives. Not one dollar of this fund was diverted but was distributed 

 to and accepted by the natives; every penny of it was employed in 

 their behalf, as is shown by the official records of the island, and the 



