APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 369 



of salted skins from those islands antee tliat we shall be able to pro- 



in the same year cannot be guaran- cure a sufficient quantity of salted 



teed. sealskins next year. 



The experiment of salting fur- The experiment of salting the 



seal skins in New Archangel will skins at New Archangel will also 



also be made. be made. 



In regard to gray seals, I have With regard to the small gray 

 the honour to express the opinion seal-skins, I have the honour to 

 that the number of such seals express the opinion that only such 

 taken should be increased. Until a number of them have been killed 

 now, only such number of these hitherto as was necessary to pro- 

 seals was taken as was necessary cure the oil, the demand for which, 

 for obtaining blubber to supply the without speaking of the unavoid- 

 wants of the Aleuts on the islands able necessity of supplying the 

 and to send to St. Michael's Ee- Aleuts on the islands and of ship- 

 doubt in exchange for skins fur- ping a quantity to Fort Michael 

 nished by the indei^endent natives, for exchange for furs with the sav- 

 but of late the demand for blubber ages there, is increasing in New 

 in New Archangel itself has been Archangel itself, owing to the in- 

 on the increase by reason of the creased number of steamers and 

 increase in the number of steam- steam-engines, 

 ers and engines. 



The blubber to be found in this The oil purchased costs very 

 market comes very high, and in dear; hence, having in view the 

 order to reduce the expense I sent greatest possible economy in the 

 orders to the Islands of St. Paul expenditure of money, I made ar- 

 and St. George for supplies of fnr- rangements on the Islands of St. 

 sealblubber,andhavenowreceived Paul and St. George to procure oil 

 about a thousand gallons of seal from the seals, and about 250 

 oil, the cost of which at San Fran- buckets of it have been received. 

 Cisco would be about 8,000 jiaper The purchase of this quantity of 

 roubles. In view of the above- oil at San Francisco would have 

 stated considerations, while issuing cost about 8,000 paper roubles, 

 orders for the suppression, as far as For the above-mentioned rea- 

 practicable, of the killing of small sons, although I am making ar- 

 gray seals, fit only for oil and meat, rangements for stopping the killing 

 as winter supplies, I tind it neces- of small gray seals, so far as pos- 

 sary to request definite instructions sible, they being only fit to furnish 

 from the Board of Administration oil and supplies of meat necessary 

 as to the absolute suspension of for the winter, still, I tind it neces- 

 such killing. Should, however, the sary to respectfully request the 

 Board, in view of the above-stated Board of Administration to give 

 circumstances, authorize thekilling me definite instructions with re- 

 of gray seals in such quantities as gard to entirely stopping the kill- 

 may be necessary for the supi)lies ingof this kind of seal; but if the 

 of blubber and meat required by Board of Administration should 

 the natives and residents on the see fit, in consideration of the cir- 

 Islands of St. Paul and St. George, cumstances mentioned, to permit 

 in such case the question will arise me to kill so many of the small 

 as to the disposition of the skin. gray seals as may be necessary to 



procure oil and supplies of meat 

 for the Avinter for the inhabitants 

 of the Islands of St. Paul and St. 

 George, in that case the question 

 would arise as to the disposition 

 to be made of the skins of these 

 small animals. 

 B s, PT vin 2^ 



