1140 
where they resorted. The group consists 
of two main islands, St. Paul and St. 
George, which are separated by 40 miles 
of water, and three islets lying within 
seven miles of the others. St. Paul, the 
largest island, is 13% miles long and has 
an area of 43 square miles; St. George is 
12 miles long and covers 30 square miles; 
while the largest of the islets comprises 
about 100 acres of extremely rugged vol- 
canic rocks. 
Owing to the entire absence of harbors, 
landings on the islands can be made only 
in small boats, and then only during calm 
weather ; when storms prevail or a heavy 
surf is running there is no possible com- 
munication between vessels and the shore. 
The installation of a wireless telegraph 
plant in 1911 has meant a great deal to 
the islands and reduced the excessive iso- 
lation to which the inhabitants have been 
subject. Heretofore, from the time the 
last government vessel leaves in October 
to the arrival of the first vessel in May, 
there has been no communication what- 
ever with the outside world. 
Throughout the summer dense fogs 
prevail about the islands, the air is cold 
and damp, and the sun rarely shines; in 
autumn cold winds dissipate the fog and 
clear days are more common. Winter 
begins in November, and high winds pre- 
vail and much snow falls. At the end 
of the season drift-ice piles high on the 
northern shores and remains there until 
May. With the return of warmth, the 
entire surface of the islands, wherever 
there is soil, becomes covered with a lux- 
uriant vegetation, consisting of grasses, 
mosses, and a profusion of showy flow- 
ers, of which the most conspicuous are 
lupine, chrysanthemum, harebell, poppy, 
betony, squaw-weed, and saxifrage. 
THE PEOPLE OF THE ISLANDS 
At the time of the discovery of the 
Pribilofs there were no human inhabit- 
ants. As soon as the Russians began to 
take seal skins they transferred thereto 
from the Aleutian Islands a number of 
natives to do the manual labor, and from 
time to time established small colonies 
at various convenient points. When the 
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
United States government took over the 
islands these people came into our con- 
trol, and since that time they have been 
“wards of the nation.” 
The present population numbers about 
300 on the two islands. The people have 
remained true to the influences to which 
they were first subjected, and in some 
respects are today more Russian than 
American at heart. All of them are mem- 
bers of the Russian Church, and all of 
them have Russian names, selected for 
the most part from among the nobility. 
The United States government has 
been a faithful guardian of these primi- 
tive people. The result is that today 
they are the most highly civilized, best 
clothed, best fed, and most healthy of all 
the natives of Alaska. 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DECLINE OF THE 
SEAL HERD 
When the seal islands came into our 
custody the fur seals thereon constituted 
the most valuable aquatic resource that 
any government ever possessed. Owing 
to the immense body of animals present 
and the difficulty of counting with any 
degree of accuracy, estimates of the size 
of the herd at that time necessarily differ 
widely, the extremes being two million 
and seven million. It is safe to assume 
that the number was between two and a 
half and four million, distributed on 20 
to 30 rookeries. 
At the close of the season of 1911 the 
Alaskan seal herd consists of not more 
than 150,000 individuals of all ages. 
This appalling dwindling of the herd 
has occasioned much concern and has 
subjected the government to much un- 
favorable criticism, because the govern- 
ment has exercised full and continuous 
control during all the intervening years 
up to the present date. It will be seen, 
however, that the criticism is not justi- 
fied, for the reason that the decline and 
decimation of the herd came through 
causes operating when the seals were on 
the high seas and beyond the protecting 
care of their foster father. 
It is furthermore a fact that the gov- 
ernment took active steps to secure ade- 
