8 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1910. 



dwelling house and warehouses were virtually rebuilt by the late lessee, 

 when also several new native dwellings were added. On St. Paul con- 

 stant repairs were made to all the buildings during the period of the 

 lease, and the buildings not only are habitable but efficient. When 

 it is considered furthermore that only 50 per cent of the inventory 

 valuation was paid for these buildings, it may be seen that the price 

 was not excessive. 



NATIVES' AFFAIRS. 



Upon the agents' arrival at the islands considerable anxiety was 

 found to have existed in the minds of the natives and others as to 

 the time of arrival of the supply ship and the arrangements which 

 might be made for the conduct of affairs under the changed condi- 

 tions. Through the revenue cutters which touched at the islands 

 previous to the arrival of the Homer, information had been received 

 of the assumption of active management by the Government, but no 

 intimation as to what efforts were being put forth by the Department 

 for taking charge of the practical affairs. This anxiety had been 

 heightened by the fact that the supply of some articles of necessity, 

 as food on St. Paul, had been almost consumed. In fact, to provide 

 against an imminent shortage it had become necessary in the early 

 part of June to obtain by the revenue cutter Manning a quantity of 

 flour, biscuits, salt beef, and canned vegetables from Dutch Harbor. 

 In addition to this fear of impending famine, the natives had received 

 the impression that they would be obliged to labor for the Govern- 

 ment without any compensation other than clothing and food, as 

 had been actually the case under the Russian regime. 



The agents' first effort, therefore, was to allay these impressions 

 and to establish relations of confidence with the natives, though, as a 

 matter of fact, the arrival of a shipload of supplies and of a gunny 

 sack containing about 150 pounds of coin had the effect automati- 

 cally of removing the greater portion of this uncertainty. In addition, 

 conferences were had with individual natives and with the assembled 

 communities, in which the changes which had occurred during the 

 past season were explained and assurance was given that the intention 

 of the Government was to improve the present condition of the 

 natives wherever possible rather than to make it less favorable than 

 under the late lessee. 



It was necessary specifically to reassure them that cash payments 

 for sundry labor would be continued under the new management. 

 This has been the source of almost all the cash received by the 

 natives, and the loss of it the occasion of their chief anxiety. The 

 assurance of the continuation of these payments in cash, together 

 with the increase in the rate of payment for taking sealskins, and the 

 material reduction in the prices at which merchandise is to be sold 

 to the natives out of the stores on the islands, all had the effect of 



