14 SEAL LIFE ON THE iRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



FOXES. 



In December. ISM, there were trapped and killed by the natives of the 

 islands of St. Paul and St. George 811 foxes, of which 770 were blue and 

 \\cre white, divided as follows: 



811 



The skins were sold to the lessees and were classed as follows: First 

 grade, blue; second grade, blue; third grade, white. 



The amount realized on the skins and credited to the natives was as 

 follows: 



St. Paul: 



1- irst class. Mi. at .ffi $730 



Second class, u'7, at $1 L'OH 



Third class. '21 . at $1 27 



St. Gcortrr: 



First class. -l-i:, at *5 2, 1215 



Second class, 114. at .f 1 156 



Third class. 11, at fl .. 14 



Total 3,710 



The money received for fox skins is not a community fund, but is 

 divided among the men who catch the foxes, each man getting credit for 

 the full value of the skins he brings in. 



The money is credited on his puss book and drawn against for 1'ood 

 and necessaries until it becomes exhausted before he again becomes a 

 charge on the Government. 



This, too, is the system followed in the spending of the fund derived 

 from the taking of seal skins; so long as the man has money to his 

 credit, from daily earnings, lie is self supporting. 



I respectfully call attention to the fact that on St. George Island this 

 year the natives received for fox skins s^,(isr>. while the earnings for 

 taking seals were only 1. ;).'{!. leaving a balance of sl.l,~>l in favor of 

 the foxes. 



This. I think, is a lesson that should not be forgotten in future, espe- 

 cially as the indications are that unless a change takes place very soon 

 by which the fur seal maybe properly protected there will not be many 

 left to take fr any purpose, and t he natives will have nothing to depend 

 on but 1 lie blue fox. 



Firmly believing in t he necessity of fostering and preserving the foxes, 

 1 huve ordered t hat none shall be trapped on the islands of St. Paul and 

 St. ( leorge during t he trapping season of 1S!M-1),">, but 1 gave permission 

 to trap foxes on Otter Island, where none have been taken in many 

 years. 



SEALS. 



I learned on my arrival at the islands I hat owing to the extremely long 

 and cold \\ inter and the amount of ice remaining around the beach late 

 into May. the seals had not hauled out so freely as usual, and the assist- 

 ant agents informed me that as late as May 11 passages had to be cut 

 through the ice to allo\\ the bull seals to reach the breeding grounds, 



