THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



27 



small bay just back of Cape Zholti.' They did not do well there, and during the last few 

 years ( 1SS8) were tr.msferred to Reriug Island, their number helping to swell the total 

 of the Commander Islands j)opulatiou. This was not a very desirable addition, how- 

 ever, and has not resulted in elevating the morals of the former inhabitants. 



The other addition consists in a number of girls from Petropaulski. It was found 

 that the inbreeding of the natives on the two islands was not only having a deleterious 

 etlect ui)on the health and vitality of the community, but intermarriage had made tlie 

 inhabitants so interrelated that it was dillicult to find people who could be married at 

 all without violating the intricate laws of the Ivussiau Church governing marriage 

 between relatives. Under these circumstances a number of unmarried young men 

 from both islands were encouraged to go to Petroi)aulski and provide themselves with 

 brides. 



The following tables of the population on the islands are derived from various 

 official returns, published aud unpublished. The figures for 1860 are from Tikhmeniefs 

 book. The figures for 1S95 have been mislaid, but the total for both islands is believed 

 to be about (550(?). The tables are meant to show only the native population, and 

 not to include those temporarily living there, as the administrator, his assistaut, the 

 doctor, the midwife, the priests, the deacon, the kossaks and soldiers, the company's 

 agents, or their families. They would increase the total about 20; and the entire poj)- 

 ulation of the Commander Islands in 1S95 may therefore be set down as about 070 of 

 both sexes. 



Native population of Commander Islands, 1S60 to 1S92. 



Apart from the sudden increase, due to the importation of the Zholti Mys natives, 

 a pretty steady, though slow, increase of the population is noticeable since 1870. 

 This is rather interesting in a mi.xed population of but indifferent vitality ami, more- 

 over, afflicted by a tendency to scrofulous and pulmonary diseases, the more so since 

 a couple of rather severe epidemics of influenza and scarlet fever have swept over the 

 islands of late years.' The question of the movement of this iiopulation during the 

 years 18GS to 1881 has been studied by Dr. B. Dybowski,^ whose tables relating to 

 births and deaths are interesting enough to deserve a place in this connection. 



'I have partly traced tlie history of these natives in an article in Science (n. s. ii, July 19, 189.5, 

 pp. 02-63). When that was written, I little thought that on the very day of its publication I should 

 be living among these same natives on Bering Island. 



^As a result, the native population of Bering Island, according to Dr. Slunin (Prom. Bog. Kamch., 

 etc., p. 57). between 1SS(> and 1891 suliered a decre.ise of 16, there being 111 births only against 127 

 deaths, llis statement, however, that the population of Copper Island has not increased during the 

 20 years from 1872 to 1S92 is not in conformity with the facts as shown in the above table, 



' Wyspy Komandorskie, pp, 78-87. 



