272 .ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



tne natives July 28, and from that time to December 31, 1890, there 

 were killed for food by tbe natives 2,750 seals; the skins of 106 were 

 small and stagey and were given to the natives, and tbe remaining 2,044 

 (1,231 of which were stagey) were placed in the salt bouses by the Gov- 

 ernment agents. 



From January 1 to May 1, 1891, no seals were on tbe islands, hence 

 none were taken. From May 1 to June 10, 1891, the latter being tbe 

 date of my arrival at the islands, there were 1,651 seals killed by the 

 natives for food, making a total of 4,295 seals killed for that purpose, 

 the skins of which were iu the salt houses on my arrival. The fore- 

 going number includes about 50 skins, mostly rejected, from former 

 year's catch, and 147 skins taken from cow seals killed on the island of 

 St. George in September, 1890, by raiders, who were driven ofi' before 

 they had secured their plunder, but does not include 3,468 small pup 

 seals killed by the natives in November aud December of last year, 

 the skins of which were used by them for clothing and other purposes. 



On the morning of June 11, 1891, I gave permission to the lessees to 

 commence killing on a quota of 7,500, as directed iu Department tele- 

 gram of May 27. (Exhibit A.) 



From June 11 to June 15, 2,920 seals were killed by the lessees as a 

 part of their quota of 7,500, and the skins were jdaced in the salt houses. 

 The 4,295 seals killed for food by the natives, together with the 2,920 

 seals above referred to, made a total of 7,215 seals killed prior to June 

 15, 1891. 



The President's proclamation of the modus vivendi, dated June 15, 

 1891 (Exhibit B), was received on St. Paul Island July 2 and on St. 

 George July 8. From June 15 to these dates 4,471 seals were killed 

 by the lessees as a ]>art of the 7,500 quota allowed them by Department 

 instructions of May 27. After careful consideration of the modus vivendi 

 by myself and the other agents, it was determined that the 4,471 seals 

 killed after June 15 should be deducted from the 7,500 specified in 

 Article II of the International Agreement, thus leaving 3,029 seals to 

 be taken for the " subsistence and care of the natives" from July 2, 1891, 

 to May 1, 1.^92. I found it necessary to kill 1,796 of this latter number 

 for food prior to August 11. A portion of the meat was salted by the 

 natives for use during the stagey season, which is usually from August 

 10 to about November 1, during which time the skins are uumerchant- 

 able on account of the seals shedding their hair. Under the modus 

 vivendi this left 1,233 seals upon which to maintain the natives until 

 May next, a number much too small for that purpose, and I was com- 

 pelled to ask the North American Commercial Company to bring salt 

 beef to the islands for issue to the natives. 



Daily statements of the killing of fur seals on the islands of St. Paul 

 and St. George from July 28, 1890, to August 11, 1891, are herewith 

 inclosed. (Exhibits C and D.) 



The lessees by actual count removed from the islands this year 12,251 

 prime skins, on which they should i)ay the Government tax, also 1,231 

 stagey skins, which are subject to settlement hereafter as indicated in 

 Department telegram of May 21 to me (Exhibit E), making a total of 

 13,482 skins. (Exhibits F and G.) The above does not include one 

 old bull and one medium sized bull taken by tlie agent of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution to be used as specimens at the Columbian Exposi- 

 tion at Chicago, one large bachelor seal taken for the National Museum 

 at Victoria, and two live specimens presented to the zoological gardens 

 in San Francisco by the lessees. 



The first appearance this year of bulls on the rookeries was May 1, 



