APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. AaT 
be protected in a proper manner. The old rifles that answered for the protection of 
the rookeries belong to the natives, and are of but littleuse. In addition to the five 
rifles owned by the natives, the Company has found small Colt’s rifles and one large 
Sharp’s, with very little ammunition for any of them. 
We have had three deaths here this last week, all three females. At this writing 
every adult native on this island is either sick in bed or convalescent. Both church 
and school have been closed for the last two weeks, and I have been obliged to have 
boys only on guard at the rookeries. I think that the worst is now over, and do not 
apprehend that we shall have more deaths. There has not been any sickness among 
the white men up to this date, and everything upon the island is going along smoothly. 
On account of so much sickness, I have been obliged to issue coal to the natives 
sooner than I should have done under more favourable conditions, for these people 
must be provided with more fuel now that the catch of seal is so small they can- 
not secure near blubber enough, with what little drift wood they can collect, to 
last them through the winter, and to purchase coal from the Company at 30 dollars 
per ton of 2,000 lbs. is more than they can stand out of their earnings for killing 
seal. Their houses are small, with only two rooms each, and with a large family to 
be all sick at one time is almost certain death with nothing more to keep them warm 
than the few pounds of coal furnished them by Government, and the little water- 
soaked drift wood that they have been able to pick up around the island and bring 
home on their backs, for they have no other means of transportation; the fact is that 
the only places that drift wood can land upon this island is at the breeding rookeries, 
where they are not allowed to go during the season when the seals are there, and it 
is my o;-inion that these islands will soon be depopulated unless the Government 
comes to their rescue, for the few seal they will be able to kill here the next few 
years will not keep them from suffering. 
Of Captain Healy, of the “Bear,” and Captain Calson, of the ‘‘Rush,” I cannot 
speak but in the highest terms. These gentlemen have been very courteous and 
obliging to the Government officers in charge of these islands, and have also extended 
all possible favours to the Company agents when it was not interfering with their 
instructions. 
The weather here the past month has been very bad, and we have had three very 
heavy gales of wind, so that I cannot think it possible that a schooner should stop 
in Behring’s Sea at this season of the year. 
But I do think that they will follow the seal into this sea very early in the spring. 
As the seal begins to come upon the rookeries the last of April, I think the schooner 
will follow them very close. I would suggest that you place this letter before the 
Secretary, as well as my letters to you under the folhowing dates, 14th August, 10th 
September, and Ist October, that he may know the true state of affairs upon this 
island. 
Very respectfully, &e. 
(Signed) ALBERT W. LAVENDER, 
Assistant Treasury Agent. 
CuaARLes J. GOFF, 
Treasury Agent, Clarksburgh, Washington, Virginia. 
51 5. Report of A. W. Lavender 
OFFICE OF SPECIAL AGENT, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, 
St. George Island, October 30, 1890. 
Sir: I have the honour to report to you that the United States revenue-cutter 
“Bear” is still in these waters, and at this writing is lying at anchor at Zapadine. 
We have not seen but one schooner since the 18th ultimo, and that was the whaling- 
schooner “Alton,” which anchored at Garden Cove to secure brine boats previous to 
leaving these waters for San Francisco. The only enemy the sealand seal-pups have 
around these islands now is the kitten whales, which are in large schools destroying 
pups in large numbers. 
We have had very severe weather here most all the year, and I cannot think it pos- 
sible that there is a sealing-schooner on Bebhring’s Sea at this time. 
The natives are most all on the improve, and we have only had one death since I 
last wrote you, and that was a young girl of 11 years old, and she died with scrofula 
and general debility. 
The natives on these islands must have more furs, or they will suffer next season 
much more than they will this, as most of them have a little money to purchase 
wood, three sticks for 60 cents. ‘They should have at least 70 tons of coal for this 
island alone; drift wood is very scarce, and they have no blubber this season. 
B Sy PE. v 47 
