20 



FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



Without explauatiou I may be considered as luakiug use of para- 

 doxical language by using these terms of description: for the incon- 

 sistency of talking of "i)U])s"and "cows" and "bulls" and "rooker- 

 ies," on the breeding grounds of the same, can not fad to be noticed; 

 but this nomenclature has been given and used by the American and 

 English whaling and sealing parties for many years, and the charac- 

 teristic features of the seals themselves so suit the naming that 1 have 

 felt satisfied to retain the style throughout as rendering my description 

 more intelligible, especially so to those who are engaged in the business, 

 or may be hereafter. The Eussians are more consistent, but not so 

 "pat." They call the "bull" "see-catch," a term im|)iying strength, 

 vigor, etc.; the cow, "matkah," or mother; the i)ups, "kotickie," or 

 little seals; the nonbreeding males under 4 years, "holluschickie," or 

 bachelors, and the young bulls between 4 and <> years, "])()1 seacatchie," 

 or "half bulls," The name applied collectively to the fur seal by them 

 is "morskie-kot," or sea cat. 



The rookeries of St. George Island have suffered also, but not to so 

 great an extent: only half of their number of 1873-1874 is missing as 

 we view them this summer. The following statement tells the story: 



Anah/sis of the breeding grounds of the fur seal on St. George Island {Fribilov group). 

 AS SURVEYED, SEASONS OF 1872-1874. 



Kookeries. 



July 12 1873, July 10. 1874, Zapadnie had , 



July 12, 1873, July 10, 1874, Starry Arteel had 



July 13, 1873, July 11,1874, North had 



July 13, 1873, July 11, 1874, Little East had-... 

 July 13, 1873, July 11, 1874, East had 



Grand sum total of 1873 



Sea 

 margin. 



Feet. 

 600 

 506 

 750 

 2,000 

 200 

 550 

 200 

 700 



Avoragi 

 depth 

 solid 



Feet. 



60 

 125 

 150 



20 

 100 



10 

 200 



15 



Square 

 feet. 



36, 000 

 60. 840 

 11 2, .500 

 40. 000 

 20, 000 

 5,500 

 40, 000 

 10,500 



Number of 



seals (bulls, 



cows, and 



pups). 



18, 000 

 30, 420 



70. 250 

 12, 750 

 25. 250 



162, 670 



AS SURVEYED, SEASON OF 1890. 



July 20, 1890, Zapadnie bad 



July 20, 1890, Starry Arteel had 



July 19, 1890, North hud 



July 20, 1890, Little East ha<l 



July 20 1890, East had 



12,500 

 16, 000 



38, 523 



4.800 



Showing a loss since 1873 of the rookeries of St. George of 81747 



In the light of the foregoing tables, it will be seen that during 1872- 

 1874 the rookeries of St. Paul and St. George carried ,"{,192,(>70 breed- 

 ing fur seals and their young; that sixteen years later only 959,455 

 breeding seals and their young can be honestly said to exist thereon. 



Great as this loss is, yet it is faint in comparison with that sustained 

 on the hauling grounds as we find matters to-day — there, not even hun- 

 dreds can be seen now, whore we saw thousands sixteen years ago! 

 The young male seals have been directly between the drive, club, and 



