ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



269 



First arrivals of "holluschickie" usually appear May 14- 

 15. — The first "driving" for the season of the "holluschickie" seldom 

 takes place sooner than the 12th or 15th of May; then only small num- 

 bers are secured, usually on the Eeef Point at St. Paul, and at the 

 Great Eastern rookery on St. George. They are driven thus early for 

 food, though the skins are always carefully taken and accepted by the 

 company. The sealing season oi)ens lawfully by the 1st of June and 

 closes on the 15th of August; but in practice it does not begin until the 

 12th-14th of June and ends by the 20th-25th of July. 



Annual creaking by the sealers. — 1 noticed in this connection 

 a very queer similarity between the sealers on St. Piiul and our farmers 

 at home; they, just as the season opens, invariably prophesy a bad 

 year for seals and a scant supply; then when the season closes they 

 will gravely tell you that there never were so many seals on the island 

 before! I was greeted in this manner by the agents of the company 

 and the Government in 1872, again in 1873, and again in 1871. I did 

 not get up to the grounds in 1876 soon enough to hear the usual spring 

 croaking of disaster; but arrived, however, in time to hear the regular 

 cry of "never was so many seals here before!" 



FINAL NOTES AND TABLES RELATIVE TO THE VALUE, PROTECTION, 

 AND GROWTH OF THE FUR SEAL, AND THE REVENUE DERIVED 

 FROM THAT INDUSTRY ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



An EXHIBIT OF VALUES GIVEN BY Veniaminov. — Pt. I : Zapieskle, 

 etc., p. 83, showing the relative importance, commercially, of the laud 

 and marine furs taken from the Unalaska district (and sold) in 1833 by 

 the Knssiau-American Company. (This district embraces the Pribilof 

 Islands.) 



Poods. 



The country (Alaska) is divided up into five districts : Sitka, Kadiak, 

 Unalaska, Atka, and the North. 



This whole country is under the control and government of the "Rus- 

 sian-American Company." * * * The business is conducted with 

 a head, or a colonial governor, assisted by oflicers of the imperial 

 navy (Russian) and those of the company's fleet, and other chiefs. In 

 every one of the districts the company has an office, which is under the 

 direction of an office chief (or agent), and he in turn has foremen (or 

 '•bidarsheeks"). 



The comjjany on the island of St. Paul killed from 60,000 to 80,000 

 fur seals per auiium, but in the last time (1833?), with all possible care 



