ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 361 



WATCHHOUSES. 



Before leaving the island I gave Mr. Ainsworth fnll instructions as to his duties 

 during my absence, and especially of the necessity of building the watchhonses and 

 guarding the rookeries against raids. The lumber for the watchhonses was landed 

 from the Berth a before I sailed, and Mr Ainsworth has since informed me by letter 

 that the watchhonses were completed and garrisoned by the native men. 



HOW" TO GUARD THE ROOKERIES. 



It has been said that to thoroughly guard the rookeries will require a force of sol- 

 diers or marines on each of the islands, but the advocates of such a scheme do not 

 understand or appreciate the real situation. The natives are able and willing to 

 guard the rookeries, and under competent direction are found to perform the service 

 efficiently and thoroughly. 



It is recommended that th(dr present breech-loading rifles be superseded by Win- 

 chester rifles of the caliber .45-.70. 



TRANSLATING THE RITUAL. 



Before I left the island the natives assembled at my house and told me that the 

 money set aside to pay for translating the ritual was not intended for an English 

 translation, but for a translation from the Russian into the Aleut, their own native 

 tongue. 



They expressed themselves as having no antipathy to having their church ritual 

 in English if they could have it in Aleut too; and they suggested that the school 

 should be kept open every day in the year, except necessary holidays, of which they 

 named twelve that they wished to be allowed to observe and keep as sacredly as the 

 Sabbath. 



HABITS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 



It should be kept in view while considering the present status and low condition 

 of the inhabitants of the seal islands that they are in some respects not more than 

 two removes from childish simplicity and in other respects not more than one re- 

 move from barbarism, and that they need a guardian and a conscientious guide, as 

 well as an overseer and a ruler. 



They know but very little, if anything, about domestic economy or thrift, and the 

 word ambition has no place in their vocabulary. 



Give him his year's earnings all at one time and the average sealer will s]>end the 

 whole sum on the spot, and he will purchase articles which he not only does not 

 need, but of which he knows not the use. 



Give him an opportunity to get liquor or the ingredients to make it and he will 

 get drunk in s]dte of pledge or promise given to the contrary. 



He has no idea of a moral responsibility, courts rather than vshuns death, and feels 

 sure of eternal bliss in a future state. He is an enthusiastic believer in the "church," 

 and could be wonderfully imjiroved thereby if the church would attempt anything 

 for his improvement morally or physically while living in this world. But the 

 "church'' as it is known on the seal islands is nothing more than idle ceremony and 

 the mumbling of a priest who is a native of St. Paul Island and is fully as ignorant 

 as any of his unfortunate congregation. 



To expect one brought up in such surroundings to appreciate thrift or to practice 

 economy is to expect the impossible, and to treat him as a criminal because of his 

 ignorance or to attempt to reform him by fining or imprisonment or starvation is to 

 attempt to surpass him in imbecility. 



During a four years' residence on the seal islands I learned by experience that 

 after all the neglect and bad treatment he formerly received, and in spite of his sur- 

 roundings and lack of opportunity, the native Aleut has within him the germs of 

 many good traits which need but the kindness and charity due from those above him 

 to one of his helpless condition to make a fairly good and useful citizen. 



Prominent among others of his many good traits are honesty, docility, obedience, 

 and a love of law and order equal to that of any people in the Union. 



I respectfully suggest, therefore, that we do him simple justice before we condemn 

 him or leave him to his fate. 



Let us give him an education before we blame him for not having it. Let ns give 

 him a school in which his children can not only learn to read and write the English 

 language, but where they will be under the care of Christian men and women, who 

 will teach them, by precept and example, to be pure and dean in all things, both 

 morally and physically. 



