REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 199 



Mr. Elliott has iiifonued us that, aceordiiig- to a journal by the Eev. K. 

 Shisenekoff, only 100 holluschickie were obtained in IS.'it), the remainder 

 of the catch for this year being;- pups. Bryant, also according to native 

 evidence, gives the date of this destruction of seals as 184:2. (Allen, 

 Monograph of Korth American Pinnipeds, p. 388.) 



801. 1841'. First year of third term of Russian American Company. 

 Bancroft states that a system of "alternation "in hunting grounds was 

 adopted, which, in the case of the Pribylofif Islands, led to great increase 

 of numbers of seals. (Bancroft's Works, vol. xxxiii, p. 582.) 



802. 1842 to 18G1 (inclusive). The Russian American Company's ship- 

 ments showed a heavy decrease in fur-seal (and other) skins, as com- 

 pared with the preceding period of twenty years. This is mainly 

 attributed to the encroachment of foreign traders — particularly Amer- 

 ican whalers. (Bancroft's Works, vol. xxxiii, p. 582.) 



803. 1845. The great importance of never disturbing the breeding 

 seals was first recognized in this year. (Census Report, p. 143.) 



804. 1847. Up to this date males and females had been killed indis- 

 criminately for skins; thereafter only males were killed. (Census 

 Report, p. 49.) 



8!»o. 18(J2 to 1867 (both inclusive). Interregnu;n on Pribyloff Islands 

 following the close of the Russian American Company's third term. 



806. 1862. Techmainoff says, referring to this year: "In earlier times 

 more (seal-skins) were taken than in the later; at present there are 

 taken from the Island of St. Paul 10,000 annually, without diminishing 

 the number for future killing; on St. George, 6,000." (Quoted by 

 Elliott. Census Report, p. 163.) 



807. 1867. Bryant speaks of the judicious administration and 

 136 gradual increase of seal life on the islands under the Russian 

 rule for many years previous to this date. In the spring of 1867, 

 however, the Russians, knowing that the islands were about to be 

 surrendered to the United States, took a much increased number of 

 seals, amounting to 75,000. (Monograph of North American Pinnipeds, 

 p. 389.) 



808. 1868. Following the cession of Alaska to the United States in 



1867 a period of lawlessness ensued on the Pribyloff Islands, and in 



1868 a very great number of seals was killed. The number so killed in 

 this year is' estimated at 242,000 by Elliott; at 250,000 by Bryant. 

 Rival Companies were at work, and the killing appears to have gone on 

 without conn t, list, or supervision. In the autumn of this year, however. 

 Congress passed a special Resolution, prohibiting the killing of seals 

 until furtiier action of Congress. (Census Report, p. 25.) Bryant 

 states that, previous to 1868, the selection of seals killed had, under the 

 Russian regime, been left to the natives, and that most of those killed 

 were under 3 years of age, including many yearlings. The killing 

 being from this more numerous class plenty of males were left to reach 

 maturity, and the rookeries were well supplied with active males. The 

 males of all ages not engaged in actual breeding were about equal in 

 number to the combined totals of beachmasters and females so engaged. 

 Of these excluded males about 30 per cent, were virile, and there was 

 thus one efficient male to every three or four females, or about three 

 times as many as actually required. As a consequence, all females 

 were served before the 10th August. (Monograph of North American 

 Pinnipeds, pp. 390, 398, &c.) 



[Messrs. D. Webster and T. F. Morgan were on the island in this 

 year. They informed us that the seals were clubbed then as now, fire- 

 arms being used only in self-defence among the rival sealers. The kill- 



