422 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



to St. Paul, 1; joined school from St. Paul iu September, 1; iu Novem- 

 ber, 4 ; total scholars from St. Paul in scliool, 9. Population of St. Paul 

 Island, 196. 



Of the 7 deaths mentioned, 2 were of consumption, 1 of pneumonia, 

 1 of cancer, 1 Bright's disease, 1 epilepsy, and 1 infants' complaint. 

 Of the 7 births, 3 were illegitimate. The health of the people has been 

 and continues good. 



On my arrival here last August there were a large number of car- 

 casses of dead pups at the rookeries, there having been a heavy mor- 

 tality among them. August 22 I visited the rookeries around South- 

 west Bay with British Commissioner Macoun, and he counted 190 dead 

 pups on the sandy spit at the eastern end of Zapadnie Eookery, they 

 having been washed up by the sea. I visited the place a number of 

 times after and did not see any. Also noticed on my visits to the dif- 

 ferent rookeries the very slight mortality among the pups and other 

 seals. The pups which were dead were probably killed by the larger 

 seals crawling over them. 



The great difl'erence between the mortality last summer and in the 

 autumn was probably due to the pups being older, could take better 

 care of themselves in the water, and were not killed by the sea break- 

 ing on the shore. The rookeries have been well guarded and no raids 

 or attempted raids have been made on them. 



No sealing schooners have been seen. The last vessel seen in 1892 

 was the United States revenue steamer Bear^ which left November 26. 

 Since then the only vessels sighted were a whaling bark on the 25th of 

 April and the lessees' steamer Farallon, on which you arrived June 3. 



The rookeries' watchmen were all withdrawn by the 16th of Decem- 

 ber; the few seals remaining were at the edge of the water, and the 

 cold and stormy weather acted as a natural protection. 



Seals were seen as late as the 7th of January by natives hunting 

 foxes at Northeast Point. There were 7 of them which had been caught 

 by the arctic ice closing in on the north side of the Point and forcing 

 them up on the land. They were afterwards seen in the neighborhood 

 of the wreck of the brig Alexander iiitQ,x the ice had separated from the 

 shore far enough to admit of their swimming. 



As usual, the old bulls hauled up before the bachelor seals. The first 

 bachelors seen were in the water off the Eeef Rookery on the 12th of 

 April; and it was at Zapadnie Eookery on the 27th of April the first 

 old bull was seen to be hauled up. 



On the 5th of May the second chief, returning from Northeast Point, 

 reported seeing 9 old bulls and about 100 bachelor seals hauled up. 

 Stationed watchmen there on the 7th of May. On the 27th of the same 

 month I saw numerous old bulls and about 1,800 bachelor seals hauled 

 up at the Eeef Eookery. The same day watchmen were so stationed 

 that all the rookeries on the island were guarded. I deemed this nec- 

 essary, as no Government vessel had been seen. Up to the time of my 

 being relieved no cows had been reported as hauling up. 



I would recommend that a good pair of night glasses be provided for 

 the use of the Government House. Those here belong to the janitor 

 and are no better for use at night than the naked eye. From the west 

 blufi" near the flagstaff a fine view can be had, and at night, in clear 

 weather, a good lookout can be kept without walking down on the reef, 

 as is now necessary, thus avoiding the possibility of disturbing the 

 seals. Pairs of glasses for use of the watchmen at Zapadnie, Halfway 

 Point, and Northeast Point would also be useful. 



