40 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



chief. The head of each family is the person to whom the money is 

 given in charge, the amount he receives being according to the number 

 of persons in his household. These need not be actual relatives, but 

 may be invalids, aged, or otherwise nonsupporting persons under his 

 protection. All community work is performed without pay. The young 

 man is naturally anxious to handle the family fund; hence he marries 

 early in order to take his place as head of a family as soon as possible. 



A small guard is maintained for watching over the rookeries. The 

 privates are selected from the native youths between the ages of 15 

 and 21; they serve three years without further compensation than 

 their share of the family fund. The noncommissioned officers are 

 Eussians. While the guards are stationed at the rookeries, they occupy 

 barabaras usually situated on the bluffs overlooking the beaches, and 

 are not allowed to approach a rookery except to repel poachers. It is 

 their first duty to give the alarm, in case boats are seen approaching, 

 and warn them oft"; if the warning is not heeded, they are to drive the 

 seals into the water, and if the poachers still persist in landing or do 

 not depart they are to fire upon them, using sufficient force to drive 

 them away. 



Strict rules for the preservation of the seal herd are rigidly enforced 

 on the rookeries ; they are voluminous and cover every possible con- 

 tingency. The following are a few that differ from those in vogue on 

 the Pribilofs : 



None but natives are allowed to work on the rookeries. 



A fine of 100 golden rubles is imposed by the Government upon any one who kills 

 a female fur-seal, and 10 rubles for killing a pup, and such additional fine shall be 

 paid as shall be imposed by the natives themselves. 



No person, native or otherwise, is allowed to wear boots with nails in them on the 

 rookeries ; rubber boots or tarbosas must be used. 



Chewing or smoking tobacco, expectorating, or attending to the requirements of 

 nature are strictly prohibited on the rookeries. 



Knives may be carried, but a stick with a metal ferule is not permitted. 



No small boys or females are allowed on the rookeries, aud dogs must be left half 

 a mile from the rookeries during the breeding season. 



Transportation on the islands is by means of dog sleds, nearly every 

 adult native having at least one team. The dogs are kept staked out 

 or penned up on tbe bluff back of the village, each team forming a sepa- 

 rate colony, and when all are howling and barking the noise is deafen- 

 ing. In summer, when there is little or no snow on the ground, a team 

 usually consists of 12 to 14 dogs harnessed two and two, with a leader; 

 in winter, 8 to 10, harnessed in pairs with a leader, complete a team. 

 When the ground is covered with snow the latter team will easily travel 

 25 miles a day, drawing a sled with 3 men and a reasonable amount of 

 baggage, while in summer it is considered good work for the larger 

 team to travel 15 miles with 2 men and baggage. The dogs are fed on 

 seal meat, fish, fresh or dried, sea birds, etc. The teams are allowed 

 considerable liberty during the winter season, and roam about the set- 

 tlement at Mill, but in summer they are more strictly confined. 



