140 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED ^TATES. 



repeated seasons Lave so enriched tlie soil as to render it like fire to most vegetation, a silkcu greeu Confervm grows 

 luxuriantly. This terrestrial algoid coveriug appears here and there, oq these grounds, like so mauy door-uiats of 

 pea-green wool. That coufervoid flourishes only on those spots where nothing but pure decaying animal matter is 

 found. An admixture of sand or earth will always supplant it by raising up instead those strong growing grasses 

 which I have alluded to elsewhere, and which constitute the chief botanical life ou the killiLggrouuds. 



Precautions necessary to successful botanical work. — If the following hints will serve to save the 

 next collection of botanical specimens that may be gathered on these islands, it is not superfluous to i>riiit them 

 here. Let the collector take a large amount of bibulous paper, and a small room all to himself; in the center 

 of this apartment place a little stove, with an "organ" pipe; then fit up a series of broad library shelves around 

 the walls from the floor to the ceiling; upon thes-e shelves he will be enabled, aided by a low, steady lire, to dry 

 the intensely juicy leguminoste, and several other exceedingly thick and watery stemmed plants so peculiar to the 

 Pribylov islands, thus save their color, and prevent them from turning black; a little fire must be kept in the 

 room all the time that the collection is in the process of curing, and also after it is ready for use, ere leaving the 

 islands. When shipped it should be hung nj), well boxed, iu the flre-roora of the steamer; or else, if the voyage 

 happens to be unusually foggy and dilatory, it will sweat in the hold, or cabin even, and be entirely destroyed 

 belore Saii Francisco is reached. I give these remarks advisedly and feelingly, for I lost the result of a hard 

 season's work in this line of collection. By not appreciating these desiderata, another naturalist may come hero 

 as I did, be charmed with the flora, as well as the fauna, and after gatliering hundreds of specimens at the expense 

 of weary weeks of constant tramping, lose them all. 



CouRTPSiES extended TO NATURALISTS. — The Alaska Commercial Comjiany afibrded me every facility that 

 I had the ingenuity to ask for — giving me the unrestricted use of their men, their buildings, and their experience. 

 Had it been the direct labor of the company instead of tiiat in which 1 was engaged, I could not have had more 

 attention paid to me and my pursuits. They stand ready to do as much again for any (fther accredited naturalist 

 who may follow in my path over the Pribylov islands while they have control; this they will possess for nearly 

 another decade hence. 



30. VENIAMINOV ON TUE KUSSIAN SEAL-INDUSTRY AT THE PEIBYLOV ISLANDS. 



[Translated by the author, from Vcuiamiuov's ZajpieaMe, etc ; St. Petersburg, 1842; vol. ii, pp. 568.*] 



Indiscriminate slaughter by the first discoverers. — From the time of the discovery of the Pribylov 

 islands up to 1805 (or, that is, until the time of the arrival in America of General Eesanov), the taking of fur-seals 

 on both islands progressed without count or lists, and without responsible heads or chiefs, because then (1787 to 

 1805, inclusive) there were a number of companies, represented by as many agents or leaders, and all of them 

 vied with each other in taking as many as they could before the killing was stopped. After this, in 1800 and 1807, 

 there were no seals taken, and nearly all the people were removed to Oonalasldca. 



Partial check ordered. — In 1808 killing was again commenced ; but the people in this year were allowed 

 to kill only on St. George. On St. Paul hunters were not permitted this year or the next. It was not until the 

 fourth year after this that as mauy as half the number previously taken were annually killed. From this time (St. 

 George 1808, and St. Paul 1810) up to 1822, taking fur-seals jirogressed on both islands without economy and with 

 slight cii'cumspection, as if there was a race in killing for the most skins. Cows were taken in the drives and 

 killed, and were also driven from the rookeries to places where they were slaughtered. 



It was only in 1822 that G. Moorayv'ev (governor) ordered that young seals should be spared every year for 

 breeding, and from that time there were taken from the Pribylov islands, instead of 40,000 to 50,000, which 

 Moorayvev ordered to be spared in four successive years, no more than 8,000 to 10,000. Since this, G. Chest.\ahkov, 

 chief ruler after Mooi'ayvev, estimated that from the increase resulting from the legislation of Moorayvev, which 

 was so honestly cari'ied out on the Pribylov islands, that in these four years the seals on St. Paul had increased to 

 double their ))revious number, {that) he could give au order which increased the number to be annually slain to 

 40,000; and this last order or course directed for these islands, demanded as many seals as could be got; but with 

 all possible exertion hardly 28,000 were obtained. 



Poor results. — After this, when it was most plainly seen that the seals were, on account of this wicked 

 killing, steadily growing less and less in number, the directions were observed for greater caution in killing the 

 grown seals and young females, which came in with the di-oves of killing-seals, and to endeavor to separate, if 

 possible, these from those which should be slain. 



Partial checks again ordered. — But all this hardly served to do more than keep the seals at one figure 

 or number, and hence did not cause an increase. Finally, in 1834, the governor of the company, upon the clear 

 {or ^^ handsome^') argument of Baron Wrangel, which was placed before him, resolved to make new regulations 

 respecting them, to take effect in the same year (lSo4), and, following this, on the island of St. Paul only 4,000 

 were killed, instead of 12,000. 



* The italics are mine, ami my translation is nearly literal, as might be inferred by the idiom hero and there. — H. W. E. 



