104 ACTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Island, situate about G miles from St. Paul Island, where large numbers 

 of seals congrogate, in order to keep off marauders and i)reveut tlie mi- 

 hnvful killing of seals. On shipment of the skins from the seal islands 

 a certificate, signed by the Treasury ageut and by the captain of the 

 vessel, of the number of skins laden on board will be made out in dupli- 

 cate, one copy to be given to the captain and one to be retained by the 

 agent. The captain will, on arrival, deliver his copy to the collector of 

 customs at San Francisco. The skins will be then counted by officers 

 detailed by the collector for that i)urpose, and a record of each day's 

 count made^ Temporary payment of tax will be accepted on the count 

 of skins at San Francisco, and a report will, upon payment of such tax, 

 be made by the collector of the Treasury, showing the number of skins 

 embraced in the certificate i)iesented by the captain, the number ascer- 

 tained by the San Francisco count, and the sum paid as tax. Should 

 any considerable variance be shown by these reports between the count 

 of the skins made at the islands and that made at San Francisco the 

 Department will take such action in regard thereto as the facts may ap- 

 pear to demand. 



These reguLations are in force to-day, except as modified by the lease 

 of 181)0 and the onodiis vivendi of 1801 and 1892. 



In the summer of 1891 instructions were given to the Treasury agents 

 stationed on the Pribilof Islands to prohibit in future all killing of pup- 

 seals for food, 01' for any other purposes. 



certificate of authentication. 



United States of America, 



Treasury Department, July 30, 1892. 

 Pursuant to section 882 of the Eevised Statutes, I hereby certify that 

 the annexed papers are true copies of the contracts made by the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury with The Alaska Commercial Company in 1870, 

 and with The North American Commercial Company in 1890 relative to 

 sealing rights in the Pribilof Islands. 



In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal 

 of the Treasury Department to be affixed, on the day and year first 

 above written. 

 [seal.] Charles Foster, 



Secretary of the Treasury. 



Lease of sealing rights on the Pribilof Islands to The Alasl-a Commercial 



Company in 1870. 



Contract between wieliam a. Richardson, acting secretary of the treas- 

 ury, AND the ALASKA COMMERCIAL COMPANY. 



This indenture, in duplicate, madethisSd day of August, A. D. 1870, by 

 and between William A. Ixichardson, Acting Secretary of the Treasury, 

 in pursuance of an act of Congress approved July 1st, 1870, entitled "An 

 act to prevent the extermination of fur-bearing animals in Alaska," and 

 The Alaska ('ommercial Company, a corporation duly established under 

 the laws of the State of California, acting by John F. Miller, its presi- 



