178 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



The company's store. — Clothing, provisions, and other articles are 

 kept in the company's storehouses on the island, and are sold to the 

 natives at prices not exceeding those for which the same could be 

 bought at retail in San Francisco. I examined the goods and found 

 them to be of good quality. The people have but little idea of econ- 

 omy, and would spend all their money in a short time for certain 

 articles of which they are fond, hence it is necessary to limit their 

 sale, such as butter, sugar, and perfumery. They are encouraged to 

 save money by the company, which receives deposits from them, sub- 

 ject to the usual rules of "'savings banks," and pays an interest of 9 

 per cent per annum. Deposits range from llOO to 11,100. The church 

 has a deposit of $8,000. Some are in debt to the company, but become 

 less so every year. Such as are without means of support, widows 

 and orphan children, are supported by the company. 



Sanitary advancement.— The natives live partly in ' ' barrabaras," 

 or earth houses, and partly in comfortable frame houses. Thirty of 

 the latter have been built within the last two years by the company 

 and given rent free. Others are being built as rapidly as possible, it 

 being the intention of the company to give each family a house. The 

 lease requires the annual delivery upon the island of 60 cords of fire- 

 wood and 25,000 dried salmon, for the use of the natives; but, with 

 the consent of the Secretary of the Treasury, coal, ton for cord, has 

 been substituted for the former, and an equivalent quantity of salted 

 salmon and codfish for the latter. Both have been regularly supplied, 

 as shown by the receipts of the Government agent and the statements 

 of the natives, together with as much salt and as many barrels as 

 have been desired for curing and storing their seal meat. 



Two physicians are in the employ of the company, one residing on 

 each island, who are charged with the care of the sick, and have 

 already, by their efforts, seconded by the example of the other white 

 residents, induced greater cleanliness and a more healthful mode of 

 living among the natives. 



School attendance.— The education of the native children has not 

 been neglected, though so far the attempt to teach them has not been 

 as successful as could be desired . For each island a competent teacher, 

 a convenient and well-warmed school room, and a supply of school 

 books, etc., have been provided every year from the 1st of October untd 

 the 1st of June, but the difficulty has been to induce the parents to send 

 their children, as they do not think them able to learn both English 

 and Russian, and as the latter is the language of their chui-ch they 

 consider it the most important. The average attendance at the school 

 on St. George has been but 5 or 6, while there are from 30 to 40 chil- 

 dren, and on St. Paul but 4 or 5, with from 40 to 50 children. Last 

 year on the latter island there was a better attendance, and the chil- 

 dren made considerable progress. The prejudice of the older people 

 seems likely to wear away, as they learn a little English themselves 

 from constantly hearing it, and will doubtless disappear after a time. 



TERMS OF THE SEAL-ISLAND LEASE FROM THE GOVERNMENT. 



This indenture in duplicate, made this 3d day of August, A. D. 1870, by and 

 between William A. Richardson, Acting Secretary of the Treasury, in pursuance 

 of an act of Congress approved July 1, 1870, entitled "An act to prevent the 

 extermination of fur-bearing animals in Alaska," and the Alaska Commercial 

 Company, a corporation duly estalilished under the laws of the State of Cahforma, 

 acting by John F. Miller, its pres'dent and agent, in accordance with a resolution 

 at a meetins of its board of trustees, held January 31, 1870, witnesseth: 



That said Secretary hereby leases to the said Alaska Commercial Company, 



