PUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 207 



" The very careful and correct measurements by Dr. Noyes shows the true condi- 

 tion of the rookeries, and is in proportion to the St. Paul Island seal population as 

 follows : 



Island. 



St. Paul ... 

 St. George. 



"St. Paul quota (sic) 85,000, St. George quota (sic) 15,000. To equalize the income 



of the natives on the two islands, the company allows the St. George men to assist 



on the St. Paul Island, where tliey earn about 3,000 each year — equal to taking 7,500 



additional seals on St. George as far as the St. George natives' income is concerned." 



Please enter the foregoing in your journal for future reference. 



I am, respectfully. 



Geo. R. Tingle, Treasury Agent. 

 St. Patl Island, Ju7te 10, 1887. 



OFFICIAL NOTES ON THE SEALS AND THE DRIVING}. 



[Extracted from the Treasury agent's journal, St. George Island.] 



Saturday, June SO, 1877. — » * * ^jjg month has been rather dry for killing seal, 

 but yet a large number has been killed, a much larger number than has been taken 

 in .June in any previous year since the island has been in the hands of the Alaska 

 Conmiercial Company., The number taken this month is 9,987, lacking only 13 of 

 being as many as was taken in the whole season of 1876. The highest number ever 

 taken in ,lune was 8,343 in 1872. The number taken in .lune last year was 3,397. 

 The first drive last year, June, was 108. The iir»t drive this year was made June 1, 

 and numbered 198. This drive of 198 has been equaled only once; that was in 1873, 

 when 198 were driven, June 4. It will be seen by the above comparisons that there 

 was an increase of seals the 1st of June, which continued throughout the month. 

 During this month there has been but one drive from Zapadnie, on account of the 

 prevailing dry weather. At this date there are at least 5,000 seals on that rookery 

 large enough to kill. The last drive this month was made from East rookery, nuni- 

 beriug 1,.589, and several hundred were left on hauling grounds. 



After conferring with Mr. Morgan, the company's agent, and the chief of this island, 

 I am convinced that there is a large increase of all classes of seal this year over last 

 year for the month of June. But whether this increase will continue to the end of 

 the hauling season remains to be seen. — J. H. Moulton, Assistant in Charge. 



Tuesday, July 10, 1877. — * * * The natives made a drive of 880 seals from East 

 rookery. This is the la.st drive for the season of 1877, making 14 drives in all, num- 

 bering 15,000 seals altogether. The number allowed by law to be taken from this 

 island this season was 15,000. It is hoped that the Alaska Commercial Company 

 will decide to take 17,000 the next season, in order that the natives may get out of 

 debt.— ,1. H. Moulton (p. 115). 



Sunday, July 15,1877. — « * * Mr. Morgan, company agent, the chief, and myself 

 visited Zapadnie rookery to make a careful examination of its condition; and, after 

 a careful examination, came to the conclusion that there is an increase of all classes 

 of seals over last year of .33^ per cent. The chief informs me that there are more 

 seals on all the rookeries than in any former year. » * * — j, h. Moulton. 



Tuesday, June 28, 1881. — ^ * * The drive to-day .numbered about 1,600, an 

 unusual number of 1 and 2 year olds, too small to kill. This has been the case with 

 almost every drive thus far this season. Drive for.East rookery : Seals killed, 746; 

 skins accepted, 744; rejected, 2. — W. B. Taylor (p. 260). 



July 111, 1881.— This makes a grand total of 20,000, the full quota for 1881; skins 

 all salted to-day. — W. B. Taylor (p. 265). 



June 14, 188,2'. — An examination of all the rookeries on the north side this after- 

 noon demonstrates that there were not more than 400 or 500 holluschickie hauled out, 

 which was not considered enough to make a drive desirable. Considerable numbers 

 of holluschickie haul out under the cliffs of North and East rookeries, from which 

 places they are driven out with a view to forcing them to other localities where 

 they may be available for driving to the killing grounds. — G. H. Wardman (p. 290). 



June HI, 188.'. — As the holluschickie have taken to hauling in considerable num- 

 bers under the cliffs of East and North rookeries, from which they can not be 

 obtained for killing, small flags saturated with kerosene were to-day set among the 

 rocks at those places with a view to frightening the seals to other grounds. On the 

 men visiting the flagged places a short time afterwards, the seals were found sleeping 

 between the flags. They do not scare, — G. H. Wardman (p. 291). 



