FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 143 



to provide for themselves; all of which foregoing agreements will be dono and per- 

 formed by the said company free of all costs and charges to said native inhabitants 

 of said islands or to the United States. 



The annual rental, together with all other payments to the United States provided 

 for in this lease, shall be made and paid on or before the Ist day of April of each 

 and every vear during the existence of tliis lease, beginning with the 1st day of 

 April, 1891.' 



The said company further agrees to employ the native inliabitants of said islands 

 to perform such labor upon the islands as they are htted to iierform, and to pay 

 therefor a fair and just compensation, such as may be fixed by the Secretary of the 

 Treasury, and also to contribute, as far as is in its power, all reasonable eiiorts to 

 secure the comfort, health, education, and promote the morals and civilization of said 

 native inhabitants. 



The said company also agrees faithfully to obey and abide by all rules and regula- 

 tions that the Secretary of the Treasury has heretofore or may hereafter establish or 

 •nakein]»ursuanceoflaw concerningthetakingof seals of said islands, and concerning 

 the couifort, morals, and other interests of said inhabitants, and all matters pertain- 

 ing to said islands and the taking of seals within the possession of the United 

 States. It also agrees to obey and abide by any restrictions or limitations upon the 

 right to kill seals that the Secretary of the Treasury shall judge uecessary, under 

 the law, for the preservation of the seal fisheries uf the United States ; and it agrees 

 tliat it will not kill or permit to be killed, so far as it can prevent, in any year a 

 greater number of seals than is authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury. 



The said company further agrees that it will not permit any of its ageuts to keep, 

 sell, give, or dispose of any distilled spirits or spirituous li(iuors or opium, on cither 

 of said islands, or the waters adjacent thereto, to any of tlie native inhabitants of 

 said islands, such person not being a physician and furnishing the same for use as a 

 medicine. 



It is understood and agi;ped that the number of fur seals to be taken and killed for 

 their skins upon said islands by the North American Commercial Company during 

 the year ending May 1, 1891, shall uot exceed 60,000. 



The Secretary of the Treasury reserves the right to terminate this lease and all 

 rights of the North American Commercial Company under the same at any time, on 

 full and satisfactory proof that the said company has violated any of the provisions 

 and agreements of this lease, or any of the laws of the United States, or any Treasury 

 regulation resjiecting the taking of fur seals, or concerning the islands of St. George 

 and St. Paul, or the inhabitants thereof. 



In witness whereof the parties have set their hands and seals the day aud year 

 above Avritten. 



[seal.] William Windom, Secretary of the Treasury 



[seal.] North American Commercial Company. 



By I. LiEBES, 

 President of the North American Commercial Company. 

 Attest : 



H. B. Parsons, Assistant Secretary. 



In both of these instruments it will be observed that the old and the 

 new lessees emphatically and unreservedly '■^ agree to abide by any rentric- 

 tion Of limitation upon the right to lill seals tinder the lease that the act 

 prescribes or that the ISecretary of the Treasury shall judge necessary for 

 the preservation of such seals.^'' 



Had there been any refusal on the part of tlie lessees to thus cove- 

 nant and agree in this important regard, no seal island lease could ever 

 have been sustained by its fiiends. The powerfnl and jealous oppo- 

 nents of this system would have carried the day in 1870 and again in 18!)0. 



The wisdom aud propriety of thisexi)ress reservation in behalf of the 

 Government, is now apparent; there is no legal or moral obstacle in the 

 way of taking the action which I suggest for the restoration of these 

 inteiests on the seal islands themselves : and, I tirndy believe tliat a visit 

 by some representative commission of Great Britani to these Pribilov 

 rookeries next season will result in securing the prom])t, hearty cooper- 

 ation of that power with our Government in protecting these seals from 

 slaughter in the open waters of Bering Sea, and certain portions of the 

 North Pacific Ocean, during the breeding season of those animals. 



