78 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



diverting the seal from their usual haunts aiul making them seek some 

 other localities. 



Q. Was there a large number of seals which left the Pribylov group 

 and went over to the Russian ishiiuls ? — A, You could hardly expect 

 them to go in a body. There had liardly been sealing or seal liiv^ to any 

 extent on the Commander Islands or Copper and Bering. It had not 

 attracted the attention of the Russians, but after the indiscriminate 

 killing on the islands of St. Paul and St. George, it was noticed that seal 

 life increased lapidly on the other isliinds, and the supimsition is a nat- 

 ural one tliat they were diverrcd iiom the islands on which they had 

 heretofore been undisturbed and sought other })Iaces. The Russians 

 restricted tlie killing entirely for tour or tive years. After that they 

 permitted killing of a certain number. Then the so-called Russian- 

 American Fur Company was formed, and the privileges of those islands 

 given to that company to take furs. This Russian Company, 1 think, 

 continued to take from 15,000 to 20,000 skins from those islands and 

 shi])ped them in those days toGennany (llaniburg, 1 think) and London, 

 and in the regular course of business the trade all fell into the hands of 

 one German liouse, Oppenlieim &; Co., and they made a contract with 

 this liussian Fur Company to take their catch to tiie number of 20,000 

 skins at something like ten shillings per skin delivered in London. 

 The skins were transported around Cape Horn aiKl <lelivered in London. 

 Skins at that tin)e were shipped in what was called ])iirclunent; that 

 is, they were dried, not salted. The skins were taken from the animals 

 and dried and shipped as goat skins now are. When tlu'y arrived in 

 London they had to be softened again, which somewhat dei)reciated 

 their value. It was not until somewhere in the tifties that the tirst 

 shipment of salted skins took place, and it was considered a failure in 

 London; but after some further trial, the house of Oppeidieim was satis- 

 fied that salted shipments made better fur, ami they made contract with 

 the Russian Fur Comi)any tor fur seal salted, at 1-4 shillings. That con- 

 tract was in force and usage at the time of the cession of Alaska. 

 Skins were going forward delivered in London at 14 shilliugs. 



Q. How nnich is that in American coin? — A. Say 4 shilliugs to the 

 dollar is very nearly $.5.50. It would be as near tiiat as possible, de- 

 livered in London; that is, after the voyage around Cape Horn. 



By Mr. Jeffries : 



Q. Now, as I understand you, the first instance that the Government 

 undertook to restrict the killing of fur seal and protect them in any way 

 in the Bering Sea w^as a short time prior to the formation of the Rus- 

 sian American Company, as it was known' — A. Yes, sir; that is in 

 Bering Sea. 



Q. That charter was granted, I think, in 1799 by Emperor Paul for 

 twenty years, and renewed from time to time"? — A. Yes, sir; I think 

 so. 



Q. Until about the time of the cession of Alaska to the United 

 States?— A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Now you can go on with the question you were talking about 

 when 1 interrupted you about the markets. — A. This trade there went 

 on with the Russians until the time of the cession. It was not a profit- 

 able trade. The Russian American Company was always falling into 

 arrearages and debt, anil was always bringing the Russian Government 

 into its debt, and my own imi)ression is that the Russian Government, 

 at the time they disposed of those islands, did not consider that there 

 was any particular value in the seal trade, as it had always been a source 



