274 



ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



eiiiijg tlie arm of tbe Government in that region, because, in addition 

 to tlie foregoing reason, the following still more urgent one existed and 

 exists: 



Early in 1873 it became well known on the Pacific Coast that the offi- 

 cers of the law on the seal islands had no means of enforcing the regu- 

 lations protecting the seal life on the same or in the waters adjacent. 

 Hence a number of small craft, fitted out at San Francisco and contig- 

 uous ports, which cleared for the Northwest Coast and the Aleutian 

 islands on "fishing ventures;" but, in reality, these vessels proceeded 

 directly to the waters and rocks adjacant to the seal islands, where, in 

 plain sight of the villages on either islet, they shot the swimming seals 

 with assumed indifference and great aflectation of legality. 



In order, therefore, that this plain violation of law and its disastrous 

 consequence should be effectually punished and evaded, I published 

 and personally urged in 1874-1877 the urgent need and great propriety 

 of enabling the responsible agents of the Government on the Pribilof 

 Islands to enforce the law as well physically as it could be done theo- 

 retically, and pointed clearly then to the advantage and effect which a 

 revenue-marine cutter would have, employed for this purpose. By 

 repeated and untiring appearance before the Committees on Appropria- 

 tions in the House and the Senate, I finally secured the legal authority 

 and the money for the object in view; and the late Captain Baily, in 

 the BicJiard Hush, made the first cruise, in the season of 1877, that had 

 been ordered and sustained by the Government toward the direct \)V0- 

 tectionof the seal Islands and its valuable property thereon since 18()9. 



The interesting Alaskan reports, which have arisen from the inciden- 

 tal cruisings of the Rush and the Corwin, United States Revenue 

 Marine, owe their origin to the above chain of circumstances, and this 

 service, so efficient and so valuable, will, I trust, be faithfully sustained 

 by the Government in the future. 



The author's closing presentation of the subject. — As I 

 end this memoir, I am aware of one omission which should not be over- 

 looked. It is the absence of a concise and condensed table, which shall 

 exhibit at a glance the whole physical progress made by the fur seal 

 from birth to advanced puberty. Therefore I submit the following 

 presentation of that subject : 



Table showing the relative growth, weight, etc., of the fur seals. 

 [Compiled from the field notes of the author, made upon the killing grounds of St. George and St. Paul.] 



GROWTH (A FAIR AVERAGE , ,„ ^i,, 6 months! 1 year 2 years 3 years I 4 years 5 years 



EXAMPLE). 



Callorhintis ^trsinus (male) . . . 

 Callorhimts ur sinus (female). 



QIKTH IMMEDIATELY BEHIND 

 FORE FLIPPERS. 



Callorhiiius ursinihS (male) . . . 

 Callorhinus ursinus (female). 



WEIGHT. 



Callorhinus ursinus (male) . . . 

 Callorliinus ursinus (female). 



Length. 

 12 to 1.3 in. 

 12 to V.i in. 



Girth. 

 9 to lOi in. 

 9 to 10 m. 



Potinih. 

 5 to7i 

 5 to 7 



Length. 

 24 in. 

 24 in. 



Length. 

 38 in. 

 37 in. 



Length. 

 45 in. 

 m. in. 



Girth. 

 30 iu. 

 30 in. 



Pininds. 

 58 

 56 



old. 



old. 



Length. 

 52 in. 

 48 in. 



Girth. 

 36 in. 

 34 iu. 



Pounds. 

 87 

 60 



Length. 

 58 in. 

 50 in. 



Girth. 



42 ill. 

 36 in. 



Pounds. 



135 



62 



Length. 



65 in. 



Ceases. 



Girth. 

 52 in. 

 37 in. 



Pounds. 

 200 



75 



