98 



BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The table of the British commissioners in the note says "includinj;- Robbeii 

 Island," but no skins were regularly taken there in those days. 



During the so-called "interregnum" — that is, the years 1868-1870, inclusive — from 

 the time the Russian- American Oompany abandoned the management of the islands 

 until Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co. assumed control, no restrictions, except 

 such as the natives themselves might impose and enforce, were placed npou the 

 slaughter, which in these three years averaged about 20,000 annually. The seals taken 

 up to that time were exclusively gray pups, but during the interregnum at least one 

 of the traders, viz, Mr. J. Malovanski, had become aware of the increased demand 

 and higher prices for bachelor seals, and he consequently induced the natives to bring 

 him skins of the latter. However, of the 00,000 killed a great many must have been 

 young ones, but the proportion between the two classes will probably never be known. 

 Three sets of figures are given for the catch in these three years, as follows : 



It is doubtful whether any of these figures are e.xact, but as they agree pretty well, 

 and as the last set represents the official figures of the Russian administrator, they 

 may be taken as authentic' 



Upon the arrival on the scene of the agents of Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus <S: Co., 

 in 1871, it was found that the indiscriminate slaughter during these three years had 

 again done sensible iiyury to the rookeries. Says Mr. C. F. Emil Krebs, who stayed 

 on Copper Island from 1871 to 1881 (Fur Seal Arb., iii, p. 195): 



Upon my arrival at the isl.and, iu 1871, the nativo chief told me that the se.als were not as 

 plentiful as they hail heen formerly. I announced that we intended to secure 6,000 skins that year. 

 They protested that it was too many, and begged that a smaller number be Ivilled for one year at 

 least. We, however, got the 6,000 skins, as proposed, - and an almost constantly increasing number in 

 every subsequent year as long as I stayed on the islands, until in 1880 the rookeries had so developed 

 that about 30,000 skins were taken, without in the least injuring them. 



The history of the gradual increase of the yield of the rookeries during the fol- 

 lowing twenty years, and the subsequent decrease until the present day, is plainly 

 shown in the following tables. It should be remarked that the lower figures of 1870, 

 1877, and 1883 are due not to a lack of seals on the rookeries, but to the fact that tlie 

 company did not desire more (in 1883, in fact, not as many as they were obliged to 

 take). The following comparison of the Commander Islands and Tinleni catches 

 with those of the Pribylof Islands demonstrates the correctness of this statement. 



'I may here correct a mistake in the oft-mentioned table presented by the British Bering Sea 

 commissioners (Rep., p. 214). They run a line between the years 1869 and iSTO and mark it "Alaska 

 C'nmraercial Company's first term began." As a matter of fact the term (and onhi term) of Hutchinson, 

 Kohl, Philip))t'ns A- Co., the term and company meant, diil not begin nntil 1871, ,and the catch of 27,500 

 skins during 1870 is therefore to be credited to the mercliants trading during the interregnum. 



'' Ouly 3,614 of that number were shipped in 1871, the remainder iu 1872, 



