INTRODUCTION. xli 



Russian Fur Company. 



The Eussian Fur Company, which succeeded to more 

 than sixty smaller companies, was established in 1799. 

 Its greatest success was under Baranov's administration, 

 from 1808 to 1818. This Company was dissolved in 

 1867, when its property and rights were sold to the 

 United States Government. The headquarters were at 

 Sitka, and the chief trade was in Fur Seal and Sea-Otter 

 skins. 



Alaska Company. 



The Alaska Commercial Company has its head- 

 quarters at 310, Sansome Street, San Francisco. 



The President is Louis Storr. 



Most of the furs collected are sent to London, and 

 sold there. 



The chief source of income was the catch of the Fur 

 Seal on the Pribylov Islands, which the Company leases 

 from the United States Government, The catch was 

 limited to 100,000 skins, for which a royalty of two 

 dollars per skin is paid. After holding this lease for 

 twenty years, it lost the contract in 1890. The condi- 

 tion of the natives of the Pribylov Islands since the 

 establishment of the Company there has much im- 

 proved. The Company also obtains an abundant supply 

 of furs from the mainland of Alaska, such as Marten, 

 Mink, Beaver, Black Bear, and American Fox. 



Fort Yukon, although in the province of Alaska, was 

 formerly worked by the Hudson's Bay Company. 



The Alaska Company carry on also a considerable 



