132 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



boarded and examined 36 vessels, assisted 3 vessels in distress, and afforded 

 medical assistance to 61 persons. 



Mojave. — The Mojave arrived at Unalaska on May 30 and was assigned to 

 duty on the Pribilof Islands patrol. Sailed on June 1 and was engajied in this 

 duty until return to Unalaska .Tune 14. * * * On .July 5 the Mojave sailed 

 to resume the Pribilof Islands patrol and continued until her return to Dutch 

 Harbor on July 21 for fuel and fresh water. On August 5 the Mojave sailed 

 to take up patrol duties in the Pribilof zone, and continued until August 21, 

 when the vessel returned to Dutch Harbor and landed rnnil, 33 passengers, 

 their personal effects and baggage, transported from the seal islands to 

 Unalaska for the Bureau of Fisheries. The official seal-killing operations on 

 the Pribilof Islands being complete for the season, native employees belong- 

 ing to the Aleutian Islands were returned to their villages and the Fouke 

 Fur Co.'s operatives sent to Unalaska on the Mojave for further transporta- 

 tion to the States by commercial steamer. * * * Arrangements had been 

 made with the superintendent of the Pribilof Islands for the Mojave to trans- 

 port seven live fur seals to San Francisco for the Academy of Sciences. The 

 seals, accompanied by a keeper from the seal islands, were to be landed at 

 Unalaska by the fisheries vessel Eider, but prevailing stormy weather in 

 Bering Sea prevented the Eider's reaching the islands after three attempts ; 

 therefore the Mojave was compelled to make a special cruise to St. Paul Island 

 in order to procure the shipment. 



The Mojave left Dutch Harbor in the evening of September 30 and pro- 

 ceeded to sea, bound for St. Paul, Pribilof group. At m'dnight the Mojave 

 was detached from the Bering Sea patrol force and became an independent 

 command for the I'est of the time while en route to San Francisco. Wliile on 

 her northern cruise the Mojave traveled 12,741 miles, boarded and examined 

 18 vessels, assisted 2 others, and afforded medical assistance to 25 persons. 



Bear. — The Bear steamed from Seattle on May 16, stopped at Unga to land 

 mail, and arrived at Unalaska on May 28, where mail for this point was put 

 ashore. The Bear left Unalaska on .Tune 2 and arrived at Nome on June 7. 

 * * * Only a few seals were seen off the Columbia River entrance and 

 not many in the Bering Sea. * * * After completing investigations the 

 Bear on September 17 arr ved at St. Paul Island, loaded .5.5 barrels of seal- 

 skins, 103 barrels of seal oil, 1 barrel of seal specimens, and 1 box of miscel- 

 laneous freight, after which it proceeded to St. George Island, where 32 casks 

 of sealskins were taken on board ; then proceeded to Unalaska. While at 

 Unalaska 14 casks of sealskins from St. George Island were delivered to the 

 Bear by the Bureau of Fisheries vessel Eider. On October 1 the Bear left 

 Unalaska and arrived at Port Townsend on October 10, 1923. 



Conelusion. — Reports from the commanding officers of the cutters on patrol 

 duty indicnte that but few seals (travelers) were sighted in the North Pacific 

 Ocean. Th's fact may be due to the herd's migrating northward ahead of 

 the patrol, although with the exception of a few bulls the seals did not begin 

 to land on the rookeries, Pribilof Islands, in large numbers until the latter 

 part of ]\Iay and early in June. The Government agents on the Pribilof 

 Islands and persons at other Alaskan points reported a very mild winter, w th 

 little or no ice in the lower section of Bering Sea. During the entire season 

 not a marauding vessel was sighted nor was there evidence or reports from 

 any source indicating the presence of poachers, pelagic sealers, killing of sea 

 otter, unlawful hunting of walrus, raiding of fox farms, or the illegal killing of 

 other fur-bearing animals in Alaska. 



SEALING PRIVILEGES ACCORDED ABORIGINES 



A total of 1,394 fur-seal skins was authenticated as having been 

 lawfully taken in 1923 by Indians in the waters off the coasts of 

 Washington and southeast Alaska. In addition there were authen- 

 ticated 107 skins of unborn pups, of which 106 were secured in 1923 

 and 1 in 1922. The details are as follows : 



Washington. — Eight hundred and forty-one skins were authenti- 

 cated, of which 271 were from male seals and 569 from females. 

 The sex of one animal was not recorded. In addition, the skins of 

 34 unborn pups were authenticated. The work of authenticating 



