ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1929 333 



Throughout April and May the Biant was detailed to patrol waters 

 in the vicinity of Cape Flattery. The Auklet was engaged in the 

 seal patrol near Sitka during the month of April. 



SEALING PRIVILEGES ACCORDED ABORIGINES 



The North Pacific Sealing Convention of July 7, 1911, provides 

 that Indians and other ahorigines dwelling on the coasts of the 

 waters designated by the convention may take fur-seal skins under 

 limited conditions. There have been authenticated by agents of the 

 United States 1,586 fur-seal skint, taken by Indians in 1929 in the 

 waters off the coasts of Washington and southeast Alaska. The 

 details are as follows: 



Washington. — A total of 591 skins taken by the Indians of Wash- 

 ington were authenticated. Of these 166 were from males, 421 from 

 females, 3 from unborn pups, and 1 from a seal whose sex was not 

 recorded. The skins were taken by Indians of La Push and Neah Bay 

 and in the months from February to June, both inclusive. Dr. Carl B. 

 Boyd, Superintendent of the Neah Bay Indian Agency, Neah Bay, 

 Wash., attended to the authentication of the skins for the bureau. 



Alaska. — Nine hundred and ninety-five sldns taken by natives of 

 Sitka were authenticated. Of these 582 were reported to be from 

 males, 291 from females, and 122 from unborn pups. The seals from 

 which the sldns were secured were taken in waters off Biorka Island 

 and Cape Edgecumbe and in the months of April, May, and June. 



An official report received by the bureau stated that 3,383 fur-seal 

 skins were taken by natives of British Columbia in 1929. 



JAPANESE SEALSKINS DELIVERED TO THE UNITED STATES 



The North Pacific Seahng Convention of July 7, 1911, provides 

 that 10 per cent of the fur-seal skins taken annually upon Robben 

 Island or any other islands or shores of waters defined by the con- 

 vention subject to the jurisdiction of Japan shall be turned over to 

 the United States Government unless the number of seals frequenting 

 the Japanese islands falls below 6,500, enumerated by official count. 



In January, 1929, there were deUvered at St. Louis, Mo., 152 fur- 

 seal skins, comprising the United States Government's share of such 

 skins taken by the Japanese Government in 1928. They were sold 

 at pubHc auction on September 30, 1929. Before being sold 142 

 were dressed, dyed, and machined. The remaining 10 were sold in 

 the raw salted condition. Details of the sale are given on page 326. 



The United States Government's share of fur-seal skins taken by 

 the Japanese Government in 1929 was 170. They were received at 

 St. Louis in January, 1930. 



VISIT TO PRIBILOF ISLANDS BY RUSSIANS 



In June a permit was issued by the Department of Commerce 

 authorizing two Russians, Leonty Vasilievich Boitsoff and Titus 

 Ardeevich Malkovitch, to visit tiie Pribilof Islands for the purpose of 

 observing fur seals and making general observations of the activities at 

 those islands over a period of not exceeding three weeks. They arrived 

 at the Pribilofs on July 14 and left July 25. The U. S. F. S. Eider 

 afforded them transportation from Dutch Harbor to the Pribilofs and 

 on their departure took them from the islands to Akutan. 



