ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 415 



eveuing. On the 9th of July auotlier schooner was sighted close inshore 

 to the westward of the village of St. Paul. At this time there was au 

 exceedingly heavy fog. When the vessel was tirst discovered, she was 

 heading toward Southwest Bay rookery. Additional guards, accompa- 

 nied by myself, again went to the rookery. The watchmen at Southwest 

 Bay reported to me when I arrived there that the schooner came almost 

 within gunshot reach from the rookery. It changed its course to the 

 northwest and soon disappeared in the dense fog. These were the only 

 evidences of attempted raid or seal poaching on the seal islands during 

 the season, notwithstanding newspaper reports to the contrary. In a 

 few days after the api^earance of the second schooner, Commander 

 !Nicoll Ludlow, of the war shij) Mohican^ arrived at the islands. He was 

 informed of tlie appearance of the schooners, and from that time to the 

 time of my departure from the islands there was no time but what there 

 was one or more vessels of the fleet doing active patrol duty around the 

 islands. There was not a request made by a Treasury agent of the 

 commander or captain of any vessel of the fleet but what was granted 

 with promptness and dispatch. 



Captain Hooper, of the Rush, informed me that an order had been 

 given that an armed boat's crew of marines in charge of an officer 

 should be landed upon each of the islands, to remain in the villages as 

 a "reserve guard." I do not consider a guard stationed thus in the 

 villages of any value whatever toward protecting the rookeries. The 

 native guard stands watch upon the rookeries from 4 to 12 miles from 

 the village. They make faithful watchmen and are perfectly willing to 

 perform this service. If a raid is attempted on the rookeries it is either 

 during a dense fog or the darkness of night. 



Before the watchmen on the rookeries could go to the village and 

 alarm the officer of the marines and they march to the scene of the 

 raid, the poachers would have their boats loaded with seals and pulled 

 away from the rookery, ready to be picked uj) by the schooner. If we 

 are to keep a sufficient number of native watchmen on the rookeries 

 that a part of them can hold the raiders off' while the "reserve guard" 

 is being sent for, the same number of watchmen can hold them off for 

 all time to come. Under competent direction the natives are able and 

 willing to guard the rookeries, and are found to perform the service 

 efficiently and thoroughly. 



If a telephone line were constructed from ISortheast Point and South- 

 west Bay rookeries on St. Paul and Zapadnie, and East rookeries on 

 St. George, to the Government House on each of the islands, so the 

 native watchmen on the rookeries could notify the Government agent 

 of the appearance of a vessel when first sighted, that he might be in 

 close communication with the watchmen, instructing them how and 

 when to act, I have no fear of a successful raid ever being made again 

 on the islands. The cost of the construction and maintenance of these 

 lines would be nominal, as the natives could perform the greater part, 

 if not all, the work of erecting and keeping them up after the material 

 is once furnished. 



In July Commander Ludlow delivered to the agent on each of the 

 islands 500 cartridges, Nos. 45 to 70, for use of native watchmen. 



STAGEY EEJECTED SKINS. 



During the fall killing of 1892 there were 121 stagey skins taken 

 on St. Paul Island. They were all rejected by the lessees. Having no 

 instructions from the Department as to what disposition should be 

 made of this class of skins, I permitted the lessees to take them, as 



