126 



FUR INDUSTRY OF BERING SEA 



''From an examination of the tables of furs imported by the various 

 companies from 1743 to 1823 it appears that within a period of eighty 

 years their numbers, including Government tribute, were as follows : 



Fur-seals 2,324,364 



Sea-otters 200, 839 



Otter tails 143, 689 



Blue foxes 108,865 



Red foxes 57, 638 



Beavers 



Cross foxes. 

 Black foxes 

 Land-otters 

 Sables 



58, 729 

 44, 904 

 30, 158 

 22, 807 

 18, 121 



''The tables of the importations of private companies show that the 

 cargoes of their various vessels were valued at 7,000,000 rubles, but to 

 this we must add at least 2,000,000 rubles, because the value of cargoes 

 of seven vessels which made long voyages is not given for want of rec- 

 ord, and it may be safely assumed that at least ten more made voyages 

 of which no record exists. The furs imi)orted by the Shelikof Company 

 were appraised at 1,500,000 rubles. The cargoes brought by the ves- 

 sels of the Eussian American Company were worth 35,500,000 rubles,^ 

 Thus there were obtained by Eussian hunters and traders in eighty 

 years from the Aleutian Islands, and the coast immediately adjoining, 

 furs to the value of 46,000,000 rubles.' Of all this quantity of furs 

 more than half was traded off with the Chinese at Kiakhta, and the 

 Government received in duties trom this trade more than 10,000,000 

 rubles.^ In addition the Government received large numbers of skins 

 as tribute from natives. From every cargo of the early private compa- 

 nies one-tenth was set aside for the Government, and the number of sea- 

 otters alone thus secured from 1745 to 1799 was 12,000, worth 720,000 

 rubles at the low price then prevailing." 



The seal catch at the Pribilof Islands between 1817 and 1837 is illus- 

 trated by the following table compiled by Veniaminof:^ 



Table i in Part ii of Veniaminof's " Notes on the Islands of the Unalasl'a District," 

 showing the seal-catch during the period of gradual diminution of life on the Prihilof Is- 

 lands, from IS 17 to 1SS7. 



Grand total for St. Paullsland 464,259 



Grand total for St. George Island 114, tiOO 



Total catch during nineteen years of diminution 578,919 



J These were silver rubles. 



-lu regard to the fur trade with China see also Coxe, pp. 354-357, and House Ex. 

 Doc. 177, pp. 145, 178. 

 2 See appendix to his " Notes on the Islands of the Unalaska District." 



