ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 233 



and killed, and were also driven from the rookeries to places wliere they 

 were slauglitered. 



It was only in 1822 that G. Moorayvev (governor) ordered that young 

 seals should be spared every year for breeding, and from that time there 

 were taken from the Pribilof Islands, instead of 40,000 to 50,000, which 

 Moorayvev ordered to be spared in four successive years, no more than 

 8,000 to 10,000. Since this, G. Chestyahkov, chief ruler after Mooray- 

 vev, estimated that from the increase resulting from the legislation of 

 Moorayvev, which was so honestly carried out on the Pribilof Islands, 

 that in these four years the seals on St. Paul had increased to double 

 their i^revious number, {that) he could give an order which increased 

 the number to be annually slain to 40,000; and this last order or course 

 directed for these islands, demanded as many seals as could be got; 

 but with all j)ossible exertion hardly 28,000 were obtained. 



Poor results.— After this, when it was most plainly seen that the 

 seals were, on account of this wicked killing, steadily growing less and 

 less in number, the directions were observed for greater caution in kill- 

 ing the grown seals and young females, which came in with the droves 

 of killing seals, and to endeavor to separate, if possible, these from 

 those which should be slain. 



Partial checks again ordered. — But all this hardly served to 

 do more than keep the seals at one figure or number, and hence did 

 not cause an increase. Finally, in 1834, the governor of the company, 

 upon the clear {or ^^ handsome^'') argument of Baron Wrangel, which 

 was placed before him, resolved to make new regulations respecting 

 them, to take effect in the same year (1834), and, following this, on the 

 island of St. Paul only 4,000 were killed, instead of 12,000. 



On the island of St. George the seals were allowed to rest in 1826 

 and 1827, and since that time greater caution and care have been 

 observed, and headmen or foremen have kept a careful count of the 

 killing. 



From this it will be seen that no anxiety or care as to the preservation 

 of the seal life began until ISOo (i. e., with the united companies). 

 ^It is further evident that all half measures, seen or not seen, were 

 useful no longer, as they only served to preserve a small portion of the 

 seal life, and only the last step (1834) with the present j^eople or inhab- 

 itants has proved of benefit. And if such regulations of the company 

 continue for fifteen years (i. e., until 1849), it may be truly said that 

 then the seal life will be attracted quite rapidly, under the careful direc- 

 tion of headmen, so that in quite a short time a handsome yield may be 

 taken every year. In connection with this subject, if the comj^any are 

 moderate and these regulations are carried out, the seal life will serve 

 them and be depended upon, as shown in this volume, Table 'No. 2. 



Ideas of the old natives. — Nearly all the old men think and 

 assert that the seals which are spared every year {'■'■ zapoosliat kotov^^), 

 i. e., those which have not been killed for several years, are truly of 

 little use for breeding, lying about as if they were outcasts or disfran- 

 chised. About these seals, they show that after the seals were spared, 

 they were always less than they should be, as, for instance, on the.island 

 of St. George, after two years of saving or sparing of 5,500 seals, in the 

 first year they got, instead of 10,000 or 8,000, as expected, only 4,778. 



Why the seals diminished. — But this diminution, which is shown 

 in the most convincing manner, is due to wrong and injustice, because 

 it would not have been otherwise with any kind of animals — even cat- 

 tle would have been exterminated — because a great many here think 

 and count that the seal mother brings forth her young in her third 

 year, i. e., the next two years after her own birth. As it is well shown 



