HUNTINti AND THR FUR INDUSTRY. 143 



gions, being supplied to the well-to-do at the cost price to the Government and being 

 issued to the poorer classes according to the resolution of the rural societies by way of 

 loans with obligatory payment next year. Without such Government aid the population, 

 in consequence of its extreme poverty and its not being able to acquire the tackle in 

 sufficient quantity and of due quality, would in many places suffer frightful want of food, 

 even although the rivers abound in fish. 



As has been explained before, not only the aborigenes of the Far East but the inhab- 

 itants of many places of the original Siberia have converted the chase of wild, mainly fur 

 animals, into an industry providing them with the necessities of life. And as nature has 

 endowed Siberia with an enormous quantity of valuable fur animals, the said industry has 

 a great importance to the country, the more so that, as already said, the Far East is the 

 chief centre of the Siberian fur industries, where virgin forests, affording asylum to every 

 wild beast, are yet preserved. 



There unfortunately exist no exact statistics of the fur industry, but summing up the 

 information in the hands of the Government and of private institutions interested in the fur 

 trade, it may be assumed that the dimensions of the former for the whole of Siberia are 

 approximately given in the following table: 



1879. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1891. 1392. 



Black foxes — 2 45 34 33 30 29 24 



Grey-chested 2,684 1,812 1,694 813 436 1,694 1,913 2,321 



Ermine ■ ... 18,454 26,313 34,254 24,536 21,618 19,011 7,306 12,416 



Arctic foxes and cubs . . 116 294 2,495 2,891 2,927 2,866 4,099 2,986 



Sable of all kinds . . - . 22,752 7,317 7,441 9,825 18,610 18,176 20,149 31,312 



Otters 165 168 3,295 2,706 3,866 4,246 3,508 2,300 



Red foxes — 4,111 23,758 12,218 22,0*00 19,405 22,334 16,«)59 



White (arctic) bears. . . 3 — 10 9 3 38 28 45 



Bears 314 526 1,643 1,389 1,118 432 1,114 218 



Wolves and dogs .... 1,456 — 5,008 2,664 19,840 23,916 31,932 7,803 



Mink 449 3,423 4,689 1,956 1,867 2,624 1,108 6,215 



Siberian weasel 3,432 19,431 4,3G7 12,257 5,634 11,367 4,612 10,123 



Squirrels On an average a million skins. 



Lynx 75 - 3,597 5,206 3,109 2,489 3,485 3,395 



Martens — 4,860 6,256 1,364 9,244 4,684 2,492 6,384 



Siberian tigers 6 8 4 11 21 15 9 4 



leopards .... 32 38 39 24 29 28 26 23 



Pyzhiks 1,109 1,364 1,684 1,573 1,932 1,917 716 1,223 



Cats 9,681 13,412 18,450 16,486 31,434 29,318 26,415 15,773 



In explanation of the liguros quoted it may be observed that heroin are not included 

 hares, as this small animal is everywhere caught, and on account of its little value, does 

 not form an article of export, but is confined to local consumption. Moreover, herein are not 

 included the furs taken in the lands belonging to the Cabinet of His Majesty. 



