34 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



St. George Island : 



To 2,500 seal skins, at 50 cents $1, 250. 00 



By 7 first-class men, at $67.91 475. 37 



By 8 second-class men, at $54.32 434. 56 



By 6 third-class men, at $40.75 244. 50 



By 1 fourth-class man, at $20.75 20. 75 



By salaries to first and second chief 75. 00 



1,250.00 



For detailed statement of distribution of the community fund, with 

 certificate attached, see Exhibit D. 



QUOTA NOT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN. 



It was not found specially difficult to obtain the maximum quota, 

 15,000 seals, at the islands this season. It need not be taken for granted, 

 however, that a like number can be as easily taken the coming year or 

 at any time in the future under the present regulations governing 

 pelagic sealing. It will be remembered that pending the modus vivendi 

 no seals were taken in Bering Sea, and only 7,500 male seals were killed 

 on the islands. A cow could then go to sea for food in safety, and 

 return to the rookery to suckle her young. Thus the pups born in 1891, 

 1892, and 1893 were properly nurtured during their infancy, and did not 

 die of starvation on account of their mothers having been killed at sea. 

 The male portion of them came of kill able age last year and this. Fully 

 50 per cent of the seals driven to the killing grounds this season were 

 of killable size. This exceptionally large percentage is accounted for in 

 no other way except in that just given. 



NEW KILLING GROUNDS. 



A new killing ground was established for Halfway Point, at the first 

 lake, one-half mile south of the rookery. The killing ground estab- 

 lished for English Bay, Tolstoi, and Middle Hill is at a small lake near 

 Telegraph Hill, not to exceed a mile from either rookery. Since the 

 establishment of these killing grounds there is not a drive on St. Paul 

 Island to exceed a mile in length. 



OVERDRIVING. 



The natives are accompanied on almost every drive by one of the 

 assistant agents in charge of the islands or myself, and absolute cau- 

 tion is taken in every instance to avoid overdriving. If seals be given 

 their time, they can be driven a mile, or even two, in the cool hours of 

 nighttime with but slight fatigue. It has been contended that many 

 seals die by reason of being turned back into the sea from the killing 

 ground immediately after the drive, while in a heated condition. This 

 is an erroneous idea. Evidence to the contrary appears at every drive 

 made. 



Two drives were made from Middle Hill and Tolstoi, and as many as 

 1,000 to 1,500 seals were turned back from each of these killings and 

 driven directly into the lagoon. A very large proportion of them 

 remained in this water as long as ten days before returning to the rook- 

 eries. They were watched constantly, and not a single seal was found 

 dead in these waters or along its shores as a result. At nearly every 

 killing of seals from the Keef, Zapaduie, Halfway, and Northeast 

 Point rookeries, a large proportion of the seals turned back went 

 directly from the killing ground to the rookery from which they were 

 driven, without going into the water, and took up their places there as 

 though they had never been disturbed. 



