FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



107 



The contrast thus clearly drawn between the work at Northeast Point 

 last year, and this season of 1890, tells its own story. Down on the kill, 

 iug grounds at the village of St. Paul, the general manager, in 1889 

 became alarmed at the ])rospeet of failure to get the season's quota of 

 100,()()0 for both islands. He accordingly lowered, on the 13th of .Inly, 

 the standard from a (i pound skin to a 4.i, pound skin, thus taking in all 

 the " long" yearlings and everything above to the H-year olds. But 

 Webster, then at Northeast Point, stubbornly refused to kill anything 

 under a ''short" 2-year-old or .5 ])ound skin. 



At tlie village, however, over -!0,()00 of these "long" yearlings were 

 knocked down, and taken after the 13th of July, 1889. That enabled 

 the shipment of that season's (juota of 85,000 skins from St. Paul after 

 the 31st July. 



Daily record of seals taken at Zapadnie, Si. George lulaud, seasons of 1S89-90, between 

 the 10th of June and 2dth of July. 



The following are extracts from the journal of the Treasury agent, 

 St. Paul Island, showing the dates of the first regular drafts made 

 upon the reserved male life at Zapadnie (Southwest Bay) and Polavina.' 

 These dates also declare the time of that exhaustion in part, of the regu- 

 lar sources of hitherto abundant supply at Tolstoi, Middle Hill, Lukan- 

 non, and Zoltoi: 



Jime 9, 1S79. — Antone Meloviedov started with a gang to make a drive at Halfway 

 Point. (P. 92.) 



June 10, 1819. — The drive to-day (at Polavina) resulted in the taking of 1,118 skins. 

 (H.G.Otis, p. 93.) 



June 11, 1S79. — Drive made from Southwest Bay (Zapadnie) to-day and 1,462 skins 

 taken. (H. G. Otis, p. 93.) 



In this connection I am able to say that I personally observed, in 

 1872, the origin and progress of every St. Paul Island drive made up to 

 the village killing grounds; and again. Lieutenant iMaynard and myself 

 ibllowed tbe record of every drive made on both islands during the 

 killing season of 1871. "Middle Hill" had no name — was not known 

 to the whites as such in those days. Everything the:i westward beyond 

 it, Tolstoi and English Bay hauling grounds, beginning at "Neaihpah- 

 skie Kammen," or "hair-seal rocks," was called " Zai)a(lnie" by both 

 whites and natives when alluding to that region. The " ICnglish Bay" 

 drives were all made from someways beyond the breeding Tolstoi seals, 

 where the holluschickie hauled out on what is now generally recognized 

 as the " Middle Hill" grounds. 



From this day on to the close of that sealing season's work, July 20, 

 Zapadnie was driven often, and Polavina also. But in 1880 only one 



' See detailed statement, Appendix, p. 195-197. 



