454 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



$25. They are becomiug vevj scarce because of indiscriminate slaugh- 

 ter in the past. When under Kussian dominion the sea-otter grounds 

 were divided into three districts, one-third being open to hunting each 

 year. Firearms were prohibited and only bows and spears were per- 

 mitted to be used, and whites were never employed as hunters. After 

 the cession to the United States many whites engaged in hunting, and 

 vessels were fitted out from Pacific ports with otter boats propelled by 

 steam. The result has been almost extermination. 



The sea otter, contrary to what is generally supposed, has no regular 

 breeding time; it brings forth its young during every month in the 

 year. To prevent its extermination hunting should be prohibited 

 between May and October, and then should be allowed only by natives 

 and whites married to natives. 



While at Kodiak (St. Paul) a delegation of whites waited upon me 

 and stated that they were deprived of the right to hunt sea otter in 

 Alaska. This right had previously been limited by Treasury regulation 

 to natives and to whites married to natives; that relying on the regula- 

 tions then in force, they had married native women and had invested 

 all their property in schooners, tackle, etc., and that on March 2, 1893, 

 the regulation previously in force, permitting whites married to natives 

 to hunt, was rescinded by President Harrison; that this took away all 

 their means of support. They therefore asked that the old ruling as 

 to whites married to natives be restored, and that the ruling of March 

 2, 1893, be rescinded. 



I am of the opinion, after carefully examining the question, that such 

 of these whites as married natives, relying on the existing law as laid 

 down in the Treasury regulations of April 21 , 1879, were wrongly deprived 

 of the privilege of hunting otter by circulars of January 19, 1893, and 

 March 2, 1893, and I believe that said circulars should be changed so 

 as to permit such whites to engage in sea otter hunting. 



I further recommend that the regulations prohibiting the sale of 

 breech -loading firearms be changed. In the gold region about the 

 Yukon River there are many traders who have much gold. They are 

 surrounded by newcomers who have rifles, and they should also be 

 permitted to have them. The natives now almost universally have 

 Winchester rifles, but they buy them at enormous prices and have 

 inferior weapons. Firearms are a necessity to Indians to-day, for with- 

 out them they can not kill deer or bear upon which they depend for 

 their support. 



I am further of the opinion that the present prohibition against whites 

 hunting land fur-bearing animals in Alaska should be discontinued. 

 It was originally passed to protect the seals, but their killing is regu- 

 lated now by other statutes, and this x>rohibition should be removed. 



LAND FURS. 



There should also be a closed season from April to October for each 

 year for land fur-bearing animals. During this period furs are useless, 

 but the natives can not resist the temptation of killing. For many 

 years parts of the Territory have suffered from failure of reindeer 

 because of indiscriminate slaughter in the past, simply for the tongue, 

 eyes, and tallow, rejecting the meat. Said proposed closed season 

 should also embrace deer and mountain sheep. There should further 

 be a prohibition of the exportation of deer skins from the Territory, 

 because of the indiscriminate slaughter carried on by the natives 

 simply to procure the skins for export. 



