ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 319 



Save in one direction, and this may be more apparent than real, there 

 has been no imi)rovesueut in the rookeries. By rookeries I mean both 

 the "breeding- groniids" and the "hauling grounds." On the "breed- 

 ing grounds" there has been a perceptible falliug off in numbers. This 

 decrease is the more noticeable at points where the smaller groups of 

 breeding seals are to be found. It is the old story of the little pool 

 showing the efl'ect of evaporation more plainly than the larger ones. 



There was so little driving during the season of 1892 that an excel- 

 lent opportunity was given to observe life upon the "hauling grounds," 

 several of which were not disturbed during the entire season. Here 

 there seemed to be a slight increase of the youug bachelor seals, although 

 this may have been only apparent, from the fact that being unmolested 

 they accumulated in larger bands. 



Drivmg and its effects. — All killing and driving was under the direc- 

 tion of a Treasury agent, and while the usual care was exercised, no 

 change was made in the manner of driving, for the reason that I desired 

 to satisfy myself as to the alleged injurious effect of driving upon the 

 young male seals. The best illustration of such injurious effect arising 

 from driving would be furnished by the drives on St. George, where, 

 by reason of topographic conditions, and the greater distance of the 

 "hauling grounds'' from the "killing grounds," the travel is more 

 arduous than on the island of St. Paul. The weather at the islands 

 was the sunniest and warmest known there for several seasons. By 

 actual count the deaths resulting from driving on St. George Island 

 was 20 in 10,000, or one-fourth of 1 ])er cent of all seals driven. As all 

 of these "road skins," as they are called, were accepted by the lessees, 

 absolutely no wastage resulted. 



Government management not responsible for decrease. — While it is rec- 

 ognized that it is the duty of the Government to perfect in every way 

 the management of the islands from a business stand[)oint and in its 

 relation to seal life, still I do not hud, after two seasons' residence upon 

 the islands themselves, and with a close acquaintance through my inves- 

 tigation with all the details of administration from the time they came 

 into the possession of the Government until the present day, that the 

 methods adopted by the United States for the care and protection of 

 the seals can in any way be justly made responsible for the present 

 diminished state of the herd. 



Destructive agent note at tvorl-. — While the United States, in compli- 

 ance with the demands of England, has cheerfully submitted to a reduc- 

 tion of the catch upon the ishmds where our jurisdictional rights are 

 undisputed and where careful selection of seals and cDmplete control in 

 taking them is possible, killing upon the sea, where it is indiscriminate, 

 deadly in its effect upon the herd, and entirely uncontrollable, has gone 

 on with unabated zeal. For the past three years the average annual 

 killing on the islands has not reached 15,000. During that same period 

 not less than 150,000 skins taken in the sea have been sold in the Lon- 

 don markets. When it is remembered that most of the seals taken at 

 sea are females, and many are lost from sinking or escape fatally 

 wounded, this apparent catch of 150,000 represents the actual death of 

 something like 300,000 seals of all sizes and of both sexes. It is not 

 difficult to realize tlie injurious effect of this u])on the seal herd as com- 

 pared with the damage inflicted by killing on the islands during the 

 same period about 42,000 young immature males, the taking of which 

 in nowise disturbed the breeding grounds. 



It is naturall}^ the object of the pelagic sealers to increase the efficiency 

 of their schooners by carrying as many small boats or canoes as possible. 



