112 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



standing and to make our statement correct. That affirmation is, that 

 if the effect of annually killing 100,000 young male seals is either to 

 increase or to diminish the seal life on the Pribilof Islands, it can not 

 be noticed; it has not, to a certainty, wrought injury, and it has not 

 promoted an increase. I advanced this hypothesis in 1873, and I now 

 find it completely verified and confirmed b}^ the united intelligent 

 testimony of those who liave followed on the ground in my footsteps. 



Pecuniary value of the seal life on the Pribilof Islands. — 

 The theoretical value of these interests of the Government on the Pri- 

 bilof Islands, represented by 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 fur seals, male and 

 female, in good condition, is not less than $10,000,000 or $12,000,000; 

 taking, however, the females out of the question and from this calcu- 

 lation, and looking at the "holluschickie" alone, as they really repre- 

 sent the only killable seals, then the commercial value of the same 

 would be expressed by the sum of $1,800,000 to $2,000,000. This is a 

 permanent principal invested here, which now nets the public treasury 

 more than 15 per cent annually; a very handsome rate of interest, 

 surely. 



Strange ignorance of their value in 1867. — Considering that 

 this return is the only one made to the Government by Alaska since 

 its transfer, and that it was never taken into account at first by the 

 most ardent advocates of the purchase of Russian America, it is in 

 itself highly creditable and interesting. To Senator Sumner the 

 friends of the acquisition of this territory in 1867 delegated the task 

 of making the principal argument in its favor. Everj'thing that was 

 written in strange tongues was carefully translated for the choice bits 

 of mention which could be found of Alaska's value. Hence his speech ^ 

 on the subject possesses this interest: It is the embodiment of every- 

 thing that could be scraped together, having the faintest shadow of 

 authenticity, by all of the eager friends of the purchase, which gave 

 the least idea of any valuable natural resources in Alaska. Therefore, 

 when in summing all this up he makes no reference whatever to the 

 seal islands or the fur seal itself, the extraordinary ignorance at home 

 and abroad relative to the Pribilof Islands can be well appreciated. 



Thoughts upon the possible movements of the fur seals in 

 THE FUTURE. — As these animals live and breed upon the Pribilof 

 Islands, the foregoing studies of their habits declare certain natural 

 conditions of landing ground and climate to be necessary for their 

 existence and perpetuation. From my survey's made upon the islands 

 to the north, St. Matthew and St. Lawrence, together with the scien- 

 tific and corroborating testimony of those who have visited all of the 

 mainland coast of Alaska and the islands contiguous, including the 

 peninsula and the great Aleutian archipelago, I have no hesitation in 

 stating that the fur seal can not breed, or rest,- for that matter, on any 

 other land than that now resorted to, which lies within our boundary 

 lines. The natural obstaclesare insuperable. Therefore, so far as our 

 possessions extend, we have, in the Pribilof group, the only eligible 

 land to which the fur seal can repair for breeding, and on which, at 

 St. Paul Island alone, there is still room enough of unoccupied rookery 

 ground for the accommodation of twice as many seals as we find there 

 to-day. But we must not forget a very important prospect; for we 

 know that to the westward only 700 miles, and within the jurisdic- 



' Speech on cession of Russian America, United States Senate, 1867; Summary, 

 p. 48, 



