FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1907. 59 



mackerel fishing under the name of the Henry Dennis. In 1888 she 

 came around the Horn to join tlie pelagic sealing fleet and in 1891 

 was seized for illegal sealing. Subsequently she was caught by a 

 tidal wave and wrecked on the Japanese coast, was then floated and 

 repaired, and has since sailed under the Japanese flag. 



On May 29 the revenue cutter Rush captured the British Columbia 

 sealing schooner Carlotta G. Cox about 14 miles off Yakutat Bay, 

 charged with sealing before the opening of the season. There were 

 77 skins aboard the vessel and 5 seemed to be of freshly killed seals. 

 She was towed to Port Simpson and turned over to the Dominion 

 government for trial, was convicted and subjected to a heavy fine. 



Owing to the restrictions under which the British Columbia fleet 

 labors at present, certain of the owners have decided to place their 

 boats under the Japanese flag. The schooner Umhrina left early 

 in 1908 for Japan in order to secure a register from that country. 

 It is to be feared that others of the fleet will follow the example of 

 these and thus the restrictions promulgated by the Paris tribunal 

 will be evaded, soon undoubtedly resulting in the total destruction 

 of the seal herd. 



MISCELLANEOUS AQUATIC MAMMALS." 



HAIR SEALS. 



This fairly common and quite generally distributed animal is 

 probably the most useful aquatic product the natives hunt, for from 

 the flesh and oil is secured a considerable part of their winter food, 

 while those skins not sold to traders are put to many useful purposes. 

 The skins, flesh, and oil are also used by the coast natives in barter 

 with the interior tribes. Only a small portion of the skins are shipped 

 from Alaska, the number this year being 25,139, valued at $13,354. 

 This is a large increase over 1906, when 17,684 skins, valued at 

 $12,332, were shipped. 



WALRUS. 



This animal is sought mainly for its ivory tusks. At one time 

 it was quite plentiful in Bering Sea, but at present there is to be 

 found only one small herd, which hauls out on the small islands off 

 Port Heiden, on the Alaska Peninsula. They appear here in the 

 spring and fall. The natives occasionally catch one, but this is a 

 rather difficult matter as the animals are very wary and sleep lightly. 

 The meat and oil is used by the natives as food, while the ivory is 

 sold to the traders. On the Bering Sea side of the Alaska Peninsula, 

 the natives pick up considerable ivory on the beach each year, where 

 it has been uncovered by the action of the ice and waves. The 

 main herd, which is now quite small, is found in the Arctic Ocean. 

 This year 19 skins, 4 heads, 8,189 poimds of ivory, and 5 pounds of 

 teeth were shipped out of Alaska. 



