196 RUSSIAN DOCUMENTS. 



No. 8. 



Letter from the chief manager of the Russian American Colonies, Furu- 

 helm, to the board of administration of the Russian American Company. 

 Written from the Colonies, October 8, 1863. 



CONCERNING THE QUANTITY OF FUES TAKEN DURING THE CURRENT 

 YEAR IN THE KADIAK DISTRICT AND ON THE ISLANDS OF UNGA, 

 UNALASKA, ST. PAUL, AND ST. GEORGE, AND AT FORT MICHAEL. 



By the vessels which carried supplies to the Kacliak district and the 

 islands of Unga, Unalaska, St. Paul, and St. George, and to Fort 

 Michael, and which have now returned to New Archangel, I received re- 

 ports from the Kadiak factory aud the managers of the above-named 

 places with regard to their prosperous condition and the quantity of furs 

 obtained during the current year, viz : 



In the Kadiak district: The United Kadiak party, which was en- 

 gaged in huntiDg sea otters in Kenai Bay, could not visit the best 

 places for sea otters, owing to the constant bad weather, and conse- 

 quently its catch was extremely small in comparison with former years 

 in that bay, and amounted only to 253 sea otters. 



The hunt was, on the whole, very successful on the islands of Unga 

 and Unalaska and at Fort Michael. 



In the course of last year trading expeditions were sent from Fort 

 Michael to Quickpack Biver, and from Nulatof Station to Lake Miu- 

 tog. By the latter expedition 1,453 skins of different kinds were ob- 

 tained and were left at that station to be kept until the summer of next 

 year, 18G4. 



The manager of the island of St. Paul reports that the seal and sea- 

 lion rookeries are increasing, in spite of the considerable numbers 

 killed on them ; the white foxes, on the contrary, have been diminish- 

 ing in numbers. 



No. 8b. 1 



Letter from the chief manager of the Russian American Colonies to the man- 

 ager of the island of St. Paul. Written from Sitlca, May 1, 186-1. 



As to No. 32. —In my instructions No. 249 of last year I fixed the 

 number of fur-sealskins to be taken by you in each year. By order of 

 the board of administration I revoke said instructions No. 249, as well 

 as all previous instructions concerning the catch of fur seals, and I now 

 direct you to take hereafter, annually, as many as 70,000 fur-sealskins, 

 25,000 of which must be dried and the remaining 45,000 salted, accord- 

 ing to the new directions in your possession. 



You must take the 70,000 skins now ordered to be prepared, only in 

 case no decrease in the numbers of the animals is observed; otherwise 

 you must immediately advise me for the purpose of having the number 

 reduced, with a view to the preservation of the seals for the years to 

 come. 



As these instructions will reach you late in the season, and as you 



1 For the facsimile of this document, see No. 31 of the facsimiles published in Vol. 

 I of the Appendix to the Gase of the United States. 



