MANAGEMENT OF ROOKERIES NOT THE CAUSE. 303 



seals and unintentionally destroy many young - in their conflicts. The 

 healthiest condition of a rookery is, no doubt, when, under the laws of 

 polygamous reproduction for this species, the proportion of the sexes 

 is properly balanced. 



Following the surrender of occupancy of these islands by the Rus- 

 sian American Company in 1868, the sealeries 

 were left open to all parties and various expedi- Guatave Niebaum, p. 202. 

 tions visited them unrestricted by any govern- 

 mental control. Their catches amounted in 1868 to about 15,000 ; in 

 1869 to about 20,000, and in 1870 to about ,30,000 skins. 



In 1871 the Russian Government executed the lease to Hutchinson, 

 Kohl & Co., and it was found necesssary to restrict the killing for this 

 year to about 6,000 skins, because the rookeries had been largely de- 

 pleted by the excessive killing, unwise methods, and heedless hus- 

 bandry. The result of improved methods showed themselves at once, 

 and the rookeries steadily increased in size and number of occupants. 

 We were thus enabled to procure an almost constantly increasing num- 

 ber of skins from year to year during the whole term of our lease. We 

 were unrestricted as to the numbers to be taken, and after the first 

 two years of the lease were urged by the Russian authorities upon the 

 islands to take more than we wanted in view of the condition of the 

 seal- skin market. 



I revisited the islands on various occasions subsequent to 1871, and 

 my observations confirmed the fact that we were moving in the right 

 direction to secure an increase of the rookeries. The experience of the 

 whole term of the lease proves conclusively that our policy in conduct- 

 ing the business was a wise one and that our manner of handling, man 

 aging, and killing the seals was in every respect what it should have 

 been. This policy was predicated upon the custom of the Russian 

 American Company observed during many years and strengthened by 

 my own actual experience in conducting the business of taking seals 

 upon the Pribilof Islands in 1867-'68 and 1860, and more particularly 

 during the season of 1868, when there was unrestricted sealing done by 

 various parties regardless of the future of the rookeries. The perni- 

 cious effects of the methods pursued by them were at once observed, 

 and measures immediately taken by me, aided by the natives, over 

 whom I had complete control, to correct their practices and bring them 

 within the reasonable customs already proved efficacious in preserving 

 the rookeries from annihilation. 



If the right proportion is maintained between the sexes, the greatest 

 possible number of progeny is assured. As long- 

 as we were able to keep exclusive control, uudis- R. H. Mclntyre, p. 53. 

 turbed by outside influences, we maintained the 



steady increase of the herd and profitable returns from the industry. 

 When outside parties, beyond our jurisdiction, carried on their de- 

 structive work, to any considerable extent, the equilibrium of the sexes 

 was destroyed, any calculation of those in charge of the islands was 

 nullified or miscarried, and the speedy decrease and ultimate destruc- 

 tion of the seals and sealing industry made certain. 



We protect and take good care ot the seals, and if they were not 

 killed in the sea we could make them increase 

 upon the islands so that they would be as many a. Meiovedoff, p. 145, 

 as before. 



