REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 81 



first be accidental; but which are acquiesced in by the seals and ren- 

 dered for a time permanent. This is particularly the case witb the 

 hauling-grounds or resorts of the hoUuschickie, which hang about the 

 borders of the breeding' rookeries proper, and thus in the course of 

 years, a very considerable area of ground in any particular locality 

 may come to bear traces, in polished rock surfaces and otherwise, of 

 the presence of seals, in consequence of the natural oscillations of the 

 whole body of animals which have occurred in the course of many 

 generations of seal life. 



273. It is unfortunate that no such precise or consecutive observa- 

 tions have been made, with the aid of plans, measurements, and fixed 

 marks, as to enable the changes in rookery- and hauling-grounds to be 

 followed out from year to year, either on the Pribyloff or Commander 



Islands. It will be sufficient, however, to refer to a few known 

 49 facts which are independent of very close observation, but bear 



on the point in discussion. One of these is the remarkable differ- 

 ences noted in various years between the relative proportion of seals 

 visiting the two islands, St. Paul and St. George. These are referred 

 to in connection with the historical notes on those islands. Of the 

 same purport is the fact that two rookeries existed within historical 

 times at a place called Maroonitch, on the north coast of St. Paul, 

 which even maintained their position in a reduced form in the season 

 of great scarcity of seals in 1830, but which have since absolutely dis- 

 appeared, though there is no reason to suppose that they were at any 

 time heavily drawn upon, if at all disturbed by man. Elliott states 

 that in 1872-74, when at the prompting of the natives he examined 

 this shore, he was still able to trace the old limits of these rookeries 

 tolerably well by the polished edges of the rocks.* Another, thougb 

 never large, rookery, named Nah-speel, situated near the village on 

 St. Paul Island, has become extinct more recently; while as a fact, in 

 the opposite direction, the formation of the Lagoon Eookery within the 

 memory of natives still living may be cited.t 



274. St. George Island again, the natives assert, was in early Eussian 

 times, entirely peoj)led by sea-Hons, and the fur-seal began to frequent 

 it only iu later years. Though more doubtful than the other cited 

 instances, there appears to be some reason to believe that there is a 

 basis of fact in this statement also.f 



275. An examination of the shores of the Pribyloff Islands, shows 

 that statements which have occasionally been made, to the effect that 

 all ground available for the purposes of seal life has been fully occu- 

 pied within historic times, are incorrect, and that the most extended 

 limits of even temporary occupation indicated by any marks still remain- 

 ing, do not prove that the area available and suitable for breeding 

 rookeries and hauling grounds has ever been occupied up to its full 

 capacity. From this it follows, that even if restricted for breeding 

 I)arposes to these particular islands, the fur-seal has never reached its 

 natural limit in numbers in consequence of a want of space for breed- 

 ing ground but only as the result of other causes. 



270. As a further result of the examination of the physical character- 

 istics of the rookery grounds, it may be stated that the necessary con- 



* United States Censua Report, pp. 49, 59. 



t Ibid, p. 52. 



t United States Census Report, p. 58. When Lutk6 visited the islands in 1827, 

 al)out 1,000 sea-lions were killed each year on St. George, and 300 or 400 on St. Paul; 

 but fill-seals were also abundant on both. "Voyage Autour du Monde/' tome i, 

 p. 2(J5. 



B S, PT VI 6 



