ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 311 



I wisli to testify to the uniform kindness of the company's agents, 

 who have clone much to make my sojourn on these far-away islands 

 pleasant and agreeable. 



Eespecttully, yours, 



Wm. H. Williams, 

 Treasury Agent in Charge of the Seal Islands. 



Hon. Charles Foster, 



Secretary of the Treasury. 



Assistant Agent Neitleton; Report for 1892. 



St. George Island, Alaska, June 10, 1892. 

 Sir: I respectfully submit the following report of affairs on tliis island since the 

 date of my last report, November 23, 1891, to date : 



HEALTH OF THE NATIVES. 



Attached hereto and marked AA please find the two several reports of Dr. L. A. 

 Noyes, resident physician. In this connection I desire to commend the vigilant and 

 faithful manner in'which Dr. Noyes has discharged the duties of his position. 



SCHOOL. 



Attached hereto, and marked B, please find report of Mrs . Nettleton, teacher. Mrs. 

 Nettleton found the work of teaching these native children perplexing, disappoint- 

 ing, and somewhat discouraging. While it may be said that she did her utmost to 

 discharge her duties faithfully and well, the results reached are not such as she or 

 the Treasury agent in charge had hoped for. The very young pupils made much the 

 more encouraging advancement, and the older ones made very fair progress. Per- 

 haps, under all circumstances, as much was accomplished as could be expected. 

 . On Friday afternoons, during nearly all of the term, Mrs. Nettleton had the girls 

 of her school, as well as the older girls of the village not in school, at the Govern- 

 ment house, where they were instructed in sewing, needlework, etc. There is cause 

 for encouragement in this branch of their education. 



I am of the opiuiou that there is small probability of these people acquiring much 

 knowledge of the English language so long as they hear nothing but the Aleut lan- 

 guage out of school hours, and so long as the services of their church are conducted 

 in the Russian or Aleut language, and their couimunications with the representa- 

 tives of the lessees of the islands is largely in other than the English language. 



FUEL SUPPLY. 



The winter was very severe, more snow lying on the ground during the entire 

 season than during any previous winter for several years. If the extra supply of 

 coal had not been furnished liy the Department last fall these people must have 

 suffered. It would have been impossible, on account of the depth of snow, to gather 

 driftwood. If it had been possible, the wood could hardly be used as fuel in the 

 absence of a supply of seal blubber. The supply of coal, by economy in its use, 

 kept the natives in "comfort throughout the winter, and there are at this Avriting 7 

 tons remaining. 



SUBSISTENCE OF THE NATIVES. 



As you are aware, it was supposed last fall that, owing to the limited seal catch 

 last year and the consequent small amount earued by the natives, their credit on the 

 books of the lessees would not be sufficient to carry the people through the winter. 



The amount standing to the credit of the natives on the books of the lessees on 

 August 12, 1891, was as follows : 



From the savings of previous years $2, 933. 27 



Fnmi the division of 1891 ----- 1- 350. 00 



Amount advanced by North American Commercial Company in 1891 1, 72o. 00 



6, 008. 27 

 Less amount to credit of priest 1- 880. 70 



Leaving balance to credit of natives 4, 187. 57 



