30 



CRCISE OF THE STEAMER CORWEN. 



Table showing the number of arrivals of ress0ls at the island of St. Paul. 



Table shotoing the number of seals taken on the island of St. Paul, number of scalers employed, time occupied, the amount 



paid to the sealers, etc. 



I aai unable to give tbe increase, or deerease of poimlatioii that may be caused by immigration 

 or emigration, but it may be deduced, a|)i>roxiiiiately, from the lirst of the tables here given. At 

 least one interesting fact is shown by this table, namely : That while a given number of deaths 

 occurring during a given year is about equal to the uumber of births recorded during the same 

 time, an ei)idemic visits these people at intervals and carries oft' a number who are never replaced, 

 proving conclusively that the race is on the decrease. 



By the table on the preceding page it will be observed that there is a gradual decrease in the 

 number of days required for making the catch, which goes to prove an increase in the seallife on 

 this island. The catch for this season was comi)leted on the 21st of July, and although unusual 

 care had been exercised in the selection of the animals, in order to secure the highest grade of 

 skins, tbe whole work was done in the shortest space of time, considering the number of seals 

 taken and the men employeii. The natives of 8t. raul are required to drive the .seals up Irom 

 the beaehes and perform the <n)eration of skinning after the animals have been killed. All other 

 labor is i)erfarmed by men Irom Ounalaska and other ]ilaces, who are taken to St. Paul lur liiat 

 puri)Ose. The sealers are jiaid a sum etjii.il to forty cents for every skin taken, and are divided 

 according to their experience and piolicieney into live classes. Those belonging to the second, 

 third, fourth, and fifth classes receive, respectively, nine-tenths, eight- tenths, §even-teuths. ami fl ve- 

 teuths of a first-class share, 



