ALASKA INDUSTRIEB. 243 



might be, were placed by the compauy to their credit, for all general 

 himtiiig and working was established or fixed for tlte whole year fairly. 

 Tl e Aleuts, in general, received no si)eciflc wages, though they were 

 nut all alike or equal, there being usually three or four classes. 



In these classes, to the last or least, the sick and the old workmen 

 were counted, although they were only burdens, and therefore they 

 received the smaller shares, about 150 rubles, and the other and better 

 classes received from 220 to 250 rubles a year. Those who were zealous 

 were rewarded by the company with 50 to 100 rubles. The wives of 

 the Aleuts, who worked only at the seal Imnting, leceived from 25 to 35 

 rubles.^ 



Animals on the Pribilof Islands. — Foxes and mice. Sometimes 

 the ice brings bears and red foxes. The bears were never allowed to 

 live, since they could m)t be made useful; and also the red foxes, as tliey 

 would only spoil the breed already existing, with regard to color of 

 the fur. 



Fur seals, sea lions, hair seals, and a few walrus are the only animals 

 that may be said to belong to the Pribilof Islands. 



Birds. — The guillemots (or arries); gulls; puffins; crested, horned, 

 and white-breasted auks; snow finches; geese (two kinds); a few kinds 

 of Tringa ; sea ducks, black and gray. Most of these birds come here 

 to lay, and with them jjigers, hawks, owls, and "chikees" (big Lams 

 glaucus), and the albatross is frequently to be seen around the beaclies. 



Sea otters became scarce, generally, in 1811, and in the next thirty 

 years extinct. 



The fur seals ("sea cats") astonish us by their great numbers, as 

 they gradually come up on to their breeding places, notwithstanding 

 harsh and foolish treatment of them, continued almost half a century 

 (until 1824) without mercy. 



EussiAN waste and slaughter. — In the first years, on St. Paul 

 Island, from 50,000 to 60,000 were taken annually, and on St. George 

 from 40,000 to 50,000 every year. Such horrible killing was neither 

 necessary nor demanded. The skins were frequently taken without 

 any hst or count. In 1803 800,000 seal skins had accumulated, and it 

 was impossible to make advantageous sale of so many skins; for in this 

 great number so many were spoiled that it became necessary to cut or 

 throw into the sea 700,000 pelts. If G. Ilesanov (our minister to Japan) 

 had not given this his attention, and put himself between the animals 

 and this foolish management of tliem, it appears plainly to me that 

 these creatures would have long ago changed for the worse. 



No RECORDS PRIOR TO 1817: Karly DRIVING. — Of the number of 

 skins taken up to 1817, 1 have no knowledge to rely upon, but from that 

 time and up to the present writing I have true and reliable accounts, 

 wliich I ])ut in the api)endix to this volume. From these lists it will be 

 seen that still in 181:0, on both islands, there were killed more than 

 50,000 seals, viz, on St. Paul 39,700 and on St. George 10,250. There 

 were eyewitnesses to the reason for this diminution of the seals, and 

 it is only wonderful, besides, that they are still existing, as they have 

 been treated almost without mercy so many years. The cows produce 

 only one pup each every year. They have known deadly enemies, and 

 also are still ex])Osed to many foes unknown. From this killing of the 

 seals they steadily grew less, except on one occasion, which was on St. 

 George Island, where an opportunity was given suddenly to kill a large 



'Compare this annual payment of the Russians with the cash settlement made 

 every year by the Alaska Commercial Company, the present lessee of tiiese islands, 

 as indicated, by a prior chapter on the condition of the business there. — H. W. E. 



