﻿166 
  ALASKA 
  FISHEBIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  INDUSTRIES, 
  1913. 
  

  

  rutting 
  season. 
  The 
  herds 
  invariably 
  frequent 
  the 
  uplands 
  in 
  the 
  

   interior 
  of 
  the 
  islands, 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  nearest 
  seal 
  rookery. 
  When 
  

   driven 
  to 
  the 
  village 
  and 
  there 
  released, 
  the 
  herd 
  at 
  once 
  travels 
  back 
  

   rapidly 
  to 
  the 
  interior. 
  On 
  St. 
  Paul, 
  the 
  mules 
  while 
  grazing 
  find 
  

   sport 
  in 
  stampeding 
  the 
  herd, 
  if 
  it 
  approaches, 
  and 
  chasing 
  it 
  until 
  

   the 
  mules 
  tire. 
  The 
  reindeer 
  and 
  seals 
  have 
  never 
  been 
  seen 
  together, 
  

   but 
  it 
  is 
  almost 
  certain 
  that 
  the 
  latter 
  would 
  be 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  least 
  

   disturbed 
  by 
  the 
  deer. 
  

  

  At 
  present 
  the 
  reindeer 
  in 
  the 
  herds 
  on 
  the 
  Pribilofs 
  are 
  the 
  property 
  

   of 
  the 
  Government. 
  Native 
  herders 
  are 
  employed, 
  two 
  on 
  each 
  island 
  

   at 
  the 
  nominal 
  salary 
  of 
  $2.50 
  per 
  month 
  each, 
  to 
  look 
  after 
  the 
  

   herds 
  and 
  give 
  them 
  such 
  attention 
  as 
  they 
  may 
  need. 
  No 
  reindeer 
  

   have 
  yet 
  been 
  kiUed 
  for 
  food. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  intention 
  to 
  begin 
  kiUing 
  

   whenever 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  males 
  considerably 
  exceeds 
  the 
  needs 
  of 
  the 
  

   herd 
  for 
  breeding 
  purposes. 
  After 
  reserving 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  buUs 
  

   necessary 
  as 
  breeders, 
  the 
  useless 
  males 
  will 
  be 
  killed 
  for 
  food 
  and 
  their 
  

   skins. 
  The 
  conditions 
  under 
  which 
  this 
  food 
  will 
  be 
  furnished 
  to 
  the 
  

   natives 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  definitely 
  determined. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  suggested 
  that 
  a 
  system 
  of 
  apprenticeships 
  be 
  

   established 
  whereby 
  the 
  natives 
  may 
  acquire 
  individual 
  ownership 
  

   in 
  the 
  deer. 
  Such 
  a 
  system 
  has 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  advantages. 
  It 
  would, 
  

   it 
  is 
  beUeved, 
  cause 
  the 
  natives 
  to 
  take 
  a 
  greater 
  interest 
  in 
  the 
  deer 
  

   and 
  be 
  more 
  active 
  in 
  their 
  care. 
  

  

  The 
  natives 
  would 
  acquire 
  the 
  stimulus 
  that 
  comes 
  with 
  personal 
  

   ownership 
  and 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  personal 
  profit 
  from 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  meat 
  

   and 
  hides. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  reason 
  why 
  the 
  reindeer 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  utilized 
  to 
  a 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  extent 
  on 
  the 
  Pribilofs 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  travel 
  and 
  

   transportation 
  to 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  remoter 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  islands. 
  The 
  

   natives 
  should 
  be 
  taught 
  reindeer 
  driving, 
  not 
  only 
  for 
  utiUtarian 
  

   reasons 
  but 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  pleasure 
  to 
  be 
  derived 
  from 
  sleighing 
  

   parties 
  during 
  the 
  long 
  seasons 
  of 
  snow. 
  

  

  The 
  same 
  danger 
  of 
  deterioration 
  of 
  stock 
  as 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  inbreeding 
  

   will 
  be 
  encountered 
  here 
  as 
  with 
  domestic 
  stock 
  anywhere. 
  To 
  avoid 
  

   this 
  danger 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  general 
  improvement 
  of 
  the 
  herds, 
  

   it 
  is 
  recommended 
  that 
  reindeer 
  from 
  the 
  Alaska 
  peninsula 
  be 
  intro- 
  

   duced 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time. 
  

  

  SEA 
  LIONS. 
  

  

  The 
  small 
  herd 
  of 
  Steller's 
  sea 
  lions 
  on 
  St. 
  Paul 
  and 
  the 
  much 
  

   smaller 
  one 
  on 
  St. 
  George 
  seem 
  to 
  remain 
  without 
  either 
  increase 
  

   or 
  decrease. 
  These 
  animals 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  disturbed 
  at 
  all 
  by 
  the 
  

   islanders 
  were 
  it 
  not 
  for 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  skins 
  of 
  the 
  surplus 
  males 
  

   have 
  been 
  and 
  are 
  still 
  used 
  for 
  covering 
  the 
  native 
  bidarras 
  or 
  large 
  

   lighters 
  essential 
  for 
  transporting 
  cargo 
  from 
  the 
  supply 
  vessels 
  to 
  

  

  