NUMBER KILLED 233 



In 1889 it was quite difficult for tlie lessees to obtain their full quota 

 of 100,000 skins; so difficult was it, in fact, that in 

 order to turn off a sufficient number of four and ch«s. A. Goff,p. 112. 

 five year-old males from the hauling grounds for 



breeding purposes in the future, the lessees were compelled to take 

 about 50,000 skius of seals ot one or two years of age. I at once re- 

 ported this fact to the Secretary of the Treasury and advised the tak- 

 ing of a less number of skins the following year. Pursuant to such re- 

 port the Government fixed upon the number to be taken as 00,000, and 

 further ordered that all killing* of seals upon the islands should stop after 

 the 20th day of July. I was further ordered that I should notify the 

 natives upon the Aleutian Islands that all killing of seals while coming 

 from or going to the seal islands was prohibited. These rules and 

 regulations went into effect in 1800, and pursuant thereto I posted 

 notices for the natives at various points along the Aleutian chain, and 

 saw that the orders in relation to the time of killing and number al- 

 lowed to be killed were executed upon the islands. As a result of the 

 enforcement of these regulations the lessees were unable to take more 

 than 21,238 seals of the killable age of from one to live years during the 

 season of 1890, so great had been the decrease of seal life in one year, 

 and it would have been impossible to obtain 00,000 skins even if the 

 time had been unrestricted. 



It is an indisputable fact, and known to the most ordinary breeder of 

 domestic animals, that any surplus of males is a 



positive injury, and results in a progeny inferior Gustave Nlebaum, p. 77. 

 in size, quality, and numbers produced. The 



fierce struggles of the surplus male seals to gain a foothold on the 

 breeding grounds create great disorder and commotion, and often end 

 in crushing the pups, and sometimes even in killing the mothers. This 

 was so well understood by the Russians that long before the cession of 

 Alaska they ordered the slaughter, we are told by Veniamiuof, of the 

 superannuated males, in order to clear the way lor vigorous stock. 



During those years the sealing season commenced about June 1st to 

 4th and closed invariably before the 20th of July, 

 so that the disturbance to the herd was confined h. g. Oils, j>. 8G. 

 to the shortest possible period of time and reduced 



to the minimum. The effect of this was of course most excellent. In 

 addition to which fact the skins were always in prime condition during 

 that period; whereas, later on, the "stagey" season commences, when 

 the skins are inferior and not marketable. 



The practice formerly prevailed of permitting the native people to 

 kill a very considerable number of four-months' 

 old pups for food. This was done about Novem- n. G. Otis, p. 87. 

 ber in each year, the numbers so killed being 5,000 



on St. Paul Island and 1,500 on St. George Island. After observation 

 and study, I satislied myself that the number of pup seals so killed 

 might properly be diminished somewhat, although it could only be done 

 against strong opposition on the part of the native people, who are 

 specially partial to the meat of pup seals, claiming that for purposes ol 

 salting and preservation for winter food the meat of the older seals is 

 unfit. I, however, restricted the killing of pups to 3,000 on St. Paul 

 Island and 1,000 on St. George Island, upon the condition and agree- 

 ment on the part of the Alaska Commercial Company, which also 



