REPORT OF SPECIAL AGENT CROWLEY. 



Office of Special Agent, 

 Treasury Department^ November 20^ 1893. 



Sir: In pursuance of instructions given me at Department April 

 26, 1893, I proceeded to San Francisco, Cal., arriving there May 10, 

 and on May 13 I sailed on the North American Commercial Company's 

 steamer Farallon for the seal islands, accompanied by Assistant Spe- 

 cial Agents Joseph Murray, E. T. Hall, and Thomas E. Adams. 



We arrived at St. George Island June 1, finding Agent A. W. Lav- 

 ender in charge. I at once assumed the duties assigned me by placing 

 Agent E. T. Hall in charge, relieving Agent Lavender as directed. I 

 arrived at St. Paul Island June 3, finding Lieut. D. J. Ainsworth in 

 charge, whom I relieved by placing Agent Joseph Murray in charge 

 until July 1, at which time he was relieved by Thomas E. Adams, whose 

 appointment took effect on that day. 



Agents Lavender and Murray returned to their homes by the first 

 available vessel leaving the islands after they had been relieved. 

 Lieutenant Ainsworth went aboard the cutter Gorwin upon her arrival. 



Upon my arrival at San Francisco I found a box addressed to me, in 

 care of the North American Commercial Company, containing nine 

 volumes of seal-island records, which I distributed on the islands St. 

 Paul and St. George, respectively, as they belonged, according to direc- 

 tions in your letter of Ajjril 29, 1893. 



From Agent Ainsworth I learned there were no seals killed on St. 

 Paul between the dates December 16, 1892, and May 19, 1893. Agent 

 Lavender informed me that there were none taken on St. George Island 

 between the dates November 19, 1892, and May 20, 1893. There were 

 none killed between these dates from the fact that the quota was filled. 



When I arrived at the islands, the agents reported that there were 

 1,133 seal skins salted to the Government credit, 784 of which were 

 taken on St. Paul and 349 on St. George, these being skins taken from 

 seals killed for native food during the fall of 1892. 



Considering this number of skins to be on hand, I ordered that 6,367 

 seals T^e killed prior to the 10th day of August, 1893, thus furnishing 

 the lessees the full quota, 7,500 skins, ready for shipment at the usual 

 time, the last of August or 1st of September. This leaves to be killed 

 for native food during the months of October, November, and Decem- 

 ber the same number that was killed last fall, 1,133, this number being- 

 necessary to fill the quota, 7,500, directed to be taken in 1893. 



After visiting St. George Island as early in July as was possible for 

 me to obtain passage between the islands, and observing the condition 

 of the rookeries and the number of seals thereon, in comparison with 

 those of St. Paul, ] directed that only 2,000 seals be taken on the 

 island of St. George and that 5,500 be taken on the island of St. Paul 

 during 1893. 



While I have no question in ray mind but that the actual number, 

 7,500, were taken and salted to the Government credit from the 20th 



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