THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 377 



Ou tlie island of Saint George the seals were allowed to rest in 1826 and 1827, and since that 

 time greater caution and care have been observed, and headmen or foremen have kept a careful 

 count of the killing. * 



RUSSIAN WASTE AND SLAUGHTER. In the first years, on Saint Paul Island, from 50,000 

 to 60,000 seals were taken annually, and on Saint George from 40,000 to 50,000 every year. Such 

 horrible killing was neither necessary nor demanded. The skins were frequently taken without 

 any list or count. In 1803, 800,000 seal-skins had accumulated, and it was impossible to make 

 advantageous sale of so many skins ; for in this great number so many were spoiled that it 

 became necessary to cut or throw into the sea 700,000 jieljs. If G. Resanov (our minister to 

 Japan) had not given this his attention, and put himself between the animals and this foolish 

 management of them, it appears plainly to me that these creatures would have long ago changed 

 for the worse. 



No RECORDS PRIOR TO 1817 : EARLY DRIVING. Of the number of skins taken up to 1817, 

 I have no knowledge to rely upon, but from that time and up to the present writing I have true and 

 reliable accounts, from which it appears that still in 1820, on both islands, there were killed more than 

 50,000 seals, viz, on Saint Paul, 39,700 ; and on Saint George, 10,250. There were eye-witnesses to 

 the reason for this diminution of the seals, and it is only wonderful, beside, that they are still exist- 

 ing, as they have been treated almost without mercy so many years. The cows prod uce only one pup 

 each, every year. They have known deadly enemies, and also are still exposed to many foes un- 

 known. From this killing of the seals they steadily grew less, except on one occasion, which was on 

 Saint George Island, where an opportunity was given suddenly to kill a large number ; but the cir- 

 cumstances do not seem to be important. On this occasion a drive was made of 15,000 male and fe- 

 male seals, but the night was dark, and it was not practicable to separate the cows from the males, and 

 they were therefore allowed to stand over until daylight should come. The men put in charge of the 

 herding of the drove were careless, and the seals took advantage of that negligence and made an at- 

 tempt to escape by throwing themselves from the bluff's over the beach near by into the sea : but, as 

 this bluff was steep, high, rough, and slippery, they fell over and were all injured. Now, for the 

 first time, great numbers of seals were missed, and why, it was not significant or apparent; but 

 in the following year, instead of the appearance and catch of 40,000 or 50,000, less than 30,000 were 

 killed and taken, and then, too, the numbers of seals were known to diminish, and in the same 

 way, only greater, on the other island. For instance, in the first years, on the island of Saint 

 George, the seals were only five or six times less than on Saint Paul, but in 1817 they were only 



less than one-fourth ; but in 1826 they were almost one-sixth again. 



The diminution of seals there (Saint Paul) and on the other island, from 1817 to 1835, was very 



gradual and visible every year, but not always equal. 



The killing of seals in 1834, instead of being 80,000 or 60,000, was only 15,751 from both islands 



(Saint Paul, 12,700; Saint George, 3,051). 



SUM TOTAL OF FUE-SEALS TAKEN. In the first thirty years (according to Veniaminov's best 



understanding), there were taken "more than two and a half millions of seal-skins;" then, in the 



next twenty-one years, up to 1838, they took 578,924. During this last taking, from 1817 to 1838, 



the skins were worth on an average " no more than 30 rubles each" ($6 apiece). 



A great many sea-otters (Enliydra marina) were found on Saint Paul Island at first, and as 



many as 5,000 were taken from the island, but years have passed since one has been seen in the 



vicinity, even, of the islands. 



* A considerable portion of the translation is here omitted. This contains a very interesting exhibition of the 

 results of the legal protection of the seals, and tables showing the annual captnre from year to year. See Elliott's 

 Report, Tenth Census, vol. 8, pp. 142, 144. 



