FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 227 



Pelagic aud poacliiug catch of 1888 : 



Lauded at Victoria, Britisli Columbia, by Britisli sealers 19, Oil 



Lauded at Sau Fraucisco, Cal., by American sealers 5, 348 



Total 24. 359 



Pelagic aud iioacjiing catch of 1889: 



Lauded at Victoria, British Columbia, by British aud American sealers . . 39, 538 



Landed at San Francisco, Cal., by American sealers 1, 800 



Seized in Bering Sea by cutters Bear aud Bush 2, 531 



Total 43, 869 



Pelagic and poaching catch of 1890 : 



Landed at Victoria, British Columbia, by British and American sealers. 38, 404 

 Landed at Sau Fraucisco, Cal., by American sealers 7, 228 



Total 45, 632 



Only in a general way, at this writing, can the relative number ol" skins taken in 

 Bering Sea be declared as distinct from the North Pacific catch. In 1886 the Bering 

 Sea catch can be said to be very near 20,000; in 1887, 29,000; in 1888, 19,000 (no seiz- 

 ures were made that year) ; in 1889, 25,500; in 1890, 16,000 (no seizures). 



The short supply, together with the threatened extermination of the 

 fur seal, made the .Loudon sale a very lively one last October. The 

 following citation from the Xew York Fur Trade Review for December, 

 1890, is interesting: 



OCTOHER SALES. 

 [Keport by Messrs. Blatajjiel, Stanii) A: Heacock.] 



The sales covered six days and comprised a larger variety of furs than previously 

 offered in the autumn. Of course the chief item has been salted fur seals, sold on 

 the 27th instant, and the various catalogues have contained 20,994 Alaska, 42,721 

 Copper Lslaud, 20,117 Northwest Coast, 9,649 Lobos, and 1,873 Cape of Good Hope, 

 etc., making a total of only 95,354 (as against 126,217 last year), and this total was 

 only brought together now by including the larger part of the catch from Copper 

 Island, which were heretofore always sold in the following spring. The attendance 

 for the seal sale was large, but for the other furs there was a smaller number of 

 buyers from Germany present than last year, and buyers generally were not eager. 



As soon as the small catch of Alaska hy the new company became known early in 

 September, the fur-seal market became excited aud values speedily advanced. It 

 was mentioned that the herds on the seal islands had been greatly diminished by the 

 indiscriminate slaughter of females on the open seas, and therefore the catch for next 

 year on tlie Pribilov Islands could not now be forecast; it might again have to be 

 very small. 



The quality of the 20,994 Alaska was excellent aud chiefly large sizes, the great 

 number of small skius which we have had the past few years being cousjiicuously 

 absent. Of course, for the, Alaska the demand was far greater than the siipi)ly, and 

 consequently prices advanced rapidly aud greatly, averaging about 90 per cent all 

 round. Separated, the ratio of advance was: On 6.59 middlings and smalls, 75 per 

 cent; on 2,939 smalls, 65 percent; 5,144 large pups, 85 jjer cent; 7,684 middling pups, 

 100 per cent; 3,752 small pups, 130 per cent, aud 71 extra small pups, 100 per cent. 

 There were exceptionally few (745) Ioav and cut skius, which were also in good 

 demand. Nearly all were secured for America. 



The 42,721 Copper Island skins were also of somewhat superior quality, but having 

 already somewhat imi>roved last March, they now sold at an average advance of 

 fully 50 per cent, being nearly level in advance in all the sizes; these were also 

 largely secured for America, but part were taken by European dealers and furriers. 



The Northwest Coast skins were of average fair (juality, and rauging lower in 

 prices, were more appreciated by tlie English trade; the advance, however, proved 

 about 60 per cent on rates current last sprimg. 



The Lobos, although the quality wason the whole nothing choice of tbesort, ranged 

 nearly 50 per cent dearer than last year. The small low skins hardly advanced in 

 the same ratio; many wei-e taken for France. 



The Cape of Good Hope also participated in the general advance. 



