4 FIJK-SEAL FJSlll']lilE8 OF ALASKA. 



in piiiiiftil conlruHi. with all oiLor contlilioiiH «)i' llioir lil'c. Tlicro being no building 

 ^nlatol•illlH !it. tlio isliinds, IhonativeH iiio nnablo to accomplish any considcrablo ini- 

 provcniont in their HjHteni of building- without aBsiHtance on the i)art of the Govern- 

 ment. 



The i)revalcnc'o of intlaniinaiory diseases of the lungs, mostly duo to the miserable 

 condition of tll(^ dwellings, requires the presence of a medical practitioner at each 

 island. The lecall this "summer of tho United States troops, and therewith of the 

 contract (lectors -who were attached 1o the military posts at the islands, leaves the 

 l)opulaition withoiit medical assistance. (Some provision toward supplying this want 

 is absolutely necessary, 'J'he only ])]ac<< in the Territory liesides t ho islandsof St. 

 I'aui and St. George which 1 had the o])porl unity to visit wasOonalaska, the luost ini- 

 jtortant of the Aleutian Islands. Situated near the Ooninuik I'ass, which is the best 

 entrance to Uering Sea, and possessing a good liarbor, Oonalaska is visited by 

 vessels engaged in the fur trade nu)re than any other port, not excepting Sitka. 

 *lMie i>rincii)al settlement of the island is Illulook liarbor, with IJUO inhabitants. 

 It is the religions metropolis of the Aleutian tribe. From this point the light of 

 Cliristiauity spread all over the Aleutian Archipelago. Here lived thea])oslle of the 

 Aleuts, Father John Venianunov, whose name and teachings are reverently trana- 

 milted from fiither to son in every Aleutian family. 



Fishing and sea-otter huutiug are the i)rineipal occni)ation8of the .inhabitants of 

 Oonalaska. J'^rcsh and dried lish are the stai)lo articles of food. The sea-otter skins, 

 of which t he OoualasUans secure from thrive to four hundred a year, are trailed at the 

 rate of from flf) to $;!r) Jbr clothing, hardware, crockery, sugar, tea, and tobacco. 



Tlie Aleutian trilu^, numberiug about 15,000, re])resents nine-tenths of the trade of 

 t lie Territory, and is umiuest ioiuibly far in advance of all other tribes with respect 

 to moral, rt>iigious, and social tlevelopment. 



1 am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,. 



S. N. BuYNiTSKY, Chrk, 



Hon. Geougk S. Loktvvki.l, 



Secretary ofiho Treasury. 



Q. J)o(3s that, cover the entire raii^e of your kiiowle«li;e of the sub- 

 ject ? — A. This report was written after my first visit. I liave s])ent 

 nine montlis on tlie ishmd of ISt. Paul, in chari;e of that isUuul, since 

 niakinj;' lliat report. 



(j>. Were you there in the capacity of a Treasury agent ? — A. Yes, sir; 

 an agent of' the Treasury I)ej)artnient. I took charge of tlie ishmd of 

 St. Paul on July 31, 1871, and was relieved the next spring, April 24, 

 1S72. During these nine months I h;ul an opportunity to study n»ore 

 closely the character of the population. Whiluon St. (Jeorgc's it was 

 a (luestion how to keep the people alive; they were short of provisions. 

 On the island of St. Paul in the winter months there is no sealing ; 

 there are no olhcial duties for the agent, and I had time to study the 

 population, and I devoted much of my time to the starting of a school 

 there. I did the same on St. George's, but my time having been very 

 limited there, 1 could not attend to it so much as at St. rank IMost of 

 the adults speak intelligently Ivussian, and so do a good mnny of the 

 children. Is^ow, through the ability of a good many of the children to 

 speak llussian, 1 was able to start an English school. I gave my ex- 

 planation in liussian, so those who understood Kussian gave these ex- 

 planations in Aleutian ; and in this way, after nine months, I succeeded 

 iu preparing this school to be led and taught by a teacher who could 

 not command two languages. 1 took a great deal of interest in the 

 progress of the population. They are a very good people, and deserv- 

 ing of the very best care. 



Q. The lease of the Government requires certain things to be done 

 for the bcnetit of the population by the Alaska Commercial Company. 

 What were your observations upon that subject; what is the company 

 doing for the population in that respect?— A. At the time of my stay 

 the agent of the company there Avas II. II. JMcIntyre, and 1 never had 

 to make any presentation to him in that respect. 1 saw that everything 

 which was stipulated, and more, was done for the comfort of the natives. 



