SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIB1LOF ISLANDS. 3fi3 



ern methods of steamers and steam launches, they are seldom found 

 outside a few favorably secluded spots. The steamer and the steam 

 launch carry crows nf white hunters into every nook and cranny on the 

 coast and otter hunting grounds where an animal is to be found, and 

 every one of them is either killed or chased away from home chased 

 out to sea in many instances, where, if they happen to elude the hunter, 

 they die of starvation, for they can not go down for food in deep water. 



None but native hunters should be permitted to hunt sea otter, 

 because it is almost the only support of all the native people from 

 Cooks Inlet to Attou Island, and, if left to them exclusively, their simple 

 methods of hunting on the water in skin boats, in which they dare not 

 venture far from land, can not possibly drive the animal away from its 

 customary haunts nor exterminate it. 



I include in the term native hunters all whites who were married to 

 Indian women prior to 1893, when the ruling was changed. The orig- 

 inal ruling of the Department, made some twenty years ago, remained 

 in force until 1893, and in the meantime many white hunters married 

 native women, made homes, and raised families, and became natives of 

 Alaska to all intents and purposes. 



All their earthly possessions are invested in sea-otter hunting prop- 

 erty, their families have been brought up to that business exclusively, 

 the men themselves have made it their life work, and are now too old 

 to change or to go away from home to attempt to make a living at any 

 other business, and therefore it would be an act of gross injustice to 

 disturb them at this late day. With the white man who married a 

 native woman after the Department had given fair warning that he 

 would not be given the rights of a native hunter the case is altogether 

 different, and in his case the ruling of the Department ought to stand. 

 The farther away from the native settlements the average Alaskan 

 white hunter can be kept the better for the natives. 



FUR SEALS. 



Sailing from Sitka June 2, on board the U. S. revenue cutter AVs7/, 

 Capt. C. L. Hooper commanding, I landed at St. George June 18, where 

 1 learned that the preceding winter had been one of unusual severity, 

 that ice had lain around the island until June 15. and that, up to the 

 date of my landing, very few female seals had appeared upon the 

 rookeries. 



The same story was repeated on St. Paul Island, where I spent the 

 19th and L'oth of June visiting the principal rookeries and hauling 

 grounds, after which I sailed away and visited many of the native set- 

 tlements along the Aleutian chain, particulars of which will be given 

 in my report on the condition of the native tribes. 



1 returned to the seal inlands early in July and spent the 6th, 7th, 

 and Sth on the rookeries observing their daily growth and expansion, 

 as the cows were now arriving and the harems were well denned and 

 the pups becoming numerous. 



Being well aware of the fact, however, that it is not till about July 

 20 the rookeries are full for the season, I continued to follow the instruc- 

 tions which called me to other fields until July 18, when I returned to 

 the seal islands, where, all being ready, I entered on the most careful 

 and thorough inspection of the rookeries ever made by me. The result 

 is shown in the inclosed table marked Exhibit A. 



Beginning at St. Paul Island July L'l.and completing the work at St. 

 George August 14, I walked over the several rookeries and counted 



