116 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



the morninj:^ until they go to bed late at night, is astoundlDg. Their 

 "samovars," and latterly the regular tea kettles of our American make, 

 are bul)bliug and boiling from the moment the housewife stirs herself 

 at daybreak until the tire goes out when they sleej). It should be stated 

 in this eonnection that they are suj)plied with a regular allowance of 

 coal every year by the company gratis: each family being entitled to a 

 certain amouut, which, alone, if economically used, keeps them warm all 

 winter in their new houses; but, for those who are extravagant and are 

 itching to spend their extra wages, an extra supi)]y is always kept in 

 the storehouses of the company for sale. Their ai)preciation of and 

 desire to possess all the canned frnit that is landed from the steamer is 

 marked to a great degree. If they had tlie opportunity 1 doubt whether 

 a single family on that island to-day would hesitate to bankru])t itself 

 in ])urchasing this commodity. Potatoes they sometimes demand, as 

 well as onions: and, i)erhaps if these vegetables could be brought here 

 and kept to an advantage, the people would soon become very fond of 

 them. Six or seven years ago, and after the sui)ply of sugar had been 

 cut off from their purchase at the store, on account of their abuse of it 

 in making (juass and getting frequently drunk, they developed a great 

 fondni'ss for canned milk, ordered it at all times, and never got enough 

 of it. Soon the reason appeared; there was and is a good body in 2 

 cans of Borden's condensed milk for the making of several gallons of 

 beer! 



Most of these articles of food just mentioned are purchased by the 

 natives in the company's store' at either island. This food and the 

 wearing apparel, crockery, etc., which the company bring up here for 

 the use of the people, was sold to them at the exact cost price of the same 

 plus the expenses of transportation, and many times within my knowl- 

 edge they have bought goods here at these stores at less rates than they 

 would have been subjected to in San Francisco. The object of the com- 

 pany was not, under an}- circumstances, to make a single cent of profit 

 out of the sale of these goods to the natives ; they aimed only to clear the 

 cost, and no more. Instructions to this effect were given to its agents, 

 while those of the Government were called upon to take notice of the 

 fact. 



Another important factor to the physical well being of these people, 

 is the presence on the Pribilov Islands of an abundant number of big 

 sea lions [EmnclopUin steUeri). This animal supplies them with its hide, 

 mustaches, tlcsh, fat, sinews, and intestines, which they make up into 

 as many necessary garments, dishes, etc. They have abundant reason 

 to treasure its skin highly, for it is the covering to their neat bidarkies 

 and bidarralis, the former being the small kyak of Bering Sea, while 

 the latter is a boat of all work, exploration, and transportation. These 

 skins are unhaired by sweating in a pile: then they are deftly sewed 

 and carefully stretched while green, over a light keel and frame of wood, 

 making a perfectly water-tight boat that will stand, uninjured, the 

 softening influence of water for a day or two at a time, if proi)erly air 

 dried and oiled. After being used during the day these skin boats 

 are always drawn out on the beach, turned bottomside up, and air 



'The store ;it St. Paul, as well as that at St. George, has its rcijular annual "open- 

 ing" after the arrival of the steamer in the spring, to which the natives seem to pay 

 absorbed attention. They crowd the buildings day and night, eagerly looking for 

 all the novelties in food and apparel. These slouchy men and shawl-hooded women 

 who pack the area before the counters here, seem to feel as deep an interest in the 

 ])roce8S of sh()pi)ing as the most enthusiastic votaries of that business do in our own 

 streets. It certainly seems to give them the greatest satisfaction of their lives on 

 the Pribilov Islands. 



