88 RUSSIAN CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO 



Oil the loth of June the lirst females began to land, but they came 

 slowly, and it was very late when the rookeries began to fill. Very few 

 of tiie females — no more than one out of twenty or twenty-five — had 

 their young after they (;aine ashore. Nearly all must have lost them 

 in the water, as for many weeks since the ice went away the bodies ol 

 young seals liave been washed up by the sea in thousands. This misfor- 

 tune I must humbly rei)ort to von. It was not the work of man, but of 

 God. 



Your very humble servant, 



Ivan Eepin, 

 Manager of St. Paul Island. 



No. 30. 



Letter from Captain of the first ranh and Knight Ivan Vassilivitch 

 Funihehn, Chief Manager of the liussian American Colonies, to the 

 hoard of administration of the Russian American Company. Written 

 from the Colonies, July 10, 1863. 



In re])ly to the communication addressed to my predecessor by the 

 board of administration January 31st of this year, No. Ill, I have the 

 honor to submit for youi* consideration the subjoined statement of the 

 cost of preparing- the dried and salted fur-seal skius: 



KEQUIKED FOR THE DRYING OF SEALSKINS. 



Kubles. 



Wood for each 1,000 skins, 2.} fatLoms, iiiakiug the cost of each skiu 2. 85 



For tyiugthebmidleof 100 skins, 12arsliin sea lion-hide strajis (a medium-sized 

 skin worth 40 kopek yields 16 arshiu straps), making for one skin 10 



Total 2.95 



Or 3.00 



To til is we must add the jiay of the Aleuts for each bachelor seal skin 75. 00 



Total 78.00 



REQUIRED FOR THE SALTING OF SEAL SKINS. 



The casks contain an average of 73 skins, and cost 5 rubles; the iron hoops 

 and fastenings Aveigh 17 pounds, costing 6/\ 80A;., a total of llr. SOA., mak- 

 ing for 1 skin ^. .16 



]*"<)r the preliminary salting on the islands 3^ ponds of salt .are nsed for each 

 skin ; during the linnl salting in New Archangcil, 8 pouds of salt are 

 ;uld(Hl to each cask of 73 skins, making 4.4 pouds for each skin, a total 

 ol' 7.9 pouds of salt 79 



I'or tying each skin 1^ zol. twine . 02^ 



I'or the wear .and tear of coopers' instnimeuts and material, approximately 

 for each skin 01 



Total 98 



To this must be added the i»av of the Aleuts for each batchelor fur-seal skiu . 75 



Total rl. 73 



Concerning the ]n'ocesses emjdoyed in i)reparalion according to both 

 metliods, 1 ha\ (' tlie honor to rei)ort to the board of administration. 



Tlie diied fur-seal skins are ])re])aired as follows: After separating 

 the skin irom the meat and carefully removing the blubber, the skin is 

 stretched upon a frame, reinaiiiing thus until it is finally dried. After 

 removing the skin from the frame it is folded twice lengthwise and 



