ALASKA. 117 



A CONFERENCE WITH THE NATIVES OF THE SEAL ISLANDS, 



JULY 25-20, 1874. 



For the purpose of learning what these people might have to 

 say in regard to the seal business as it is now conducteil, Lieu- 

 tenant Maynard and myself asked the chiefs to select those 

 men among themselves who knew most in regard to the matter, 

 especially those who had been most in the habit of noting the 

 rookeries, and have them meet us privately to hear what they 

 might feel disposed to do if they had anything to say in the 

 matter; and accordingly some fifteen of them, oldest and wisest, 

 including all the chiefs of Saint Paul and one that belongs to 

 Saint George, met us. We had a smart Russian Creole for in- 

 terpreter, a sailor from our own vessel, and sat for two long 

 evenings with them in conference. The result maybe summed 

 up as follows : 



In regard to the condition of the seal-life, the natives are both 

 watchful and solicitous, but do not present any argument 

 against the annual killing of 100,000 young males over one year 

 and under five, as is now conducted; tliatis, 90,000 on Saint Paul 

 and 10,000 on Saint George; but the Saint Paul people have a 

 very natural and strong feeling that they should alone reap the 

 benefit that arises from the increase in the number killed on 

 their island ; that the $6,000, which is represented by the ad- 

 ditional 15,000 killed last summer on this island, should be 

 shared among themselves, and feel a little sore about having 

 the Saint George people come over here to do this work and take 

 the proceeds, which they did on their own island (Saint George) 

 last year. They do not think 90,000 any too many on Saint 

 Paul, if they alone shall kill the animals and take the reward ; 

 but suddenly, when it is found that they are to be paid only for 

 the original erroneous pro rata, 75,000, they become very fearful 

 of the result of killing 90,000, with as many five-year-old bulls 

 as have been killed this summer. As this solicitude is due to 

 no other reason than this very perceptible anxiety, its expres- 

 sion must be taken with some reservation. But this constant 

 anticipation of injurious results, even if there exist no grounds 

 for apprehension, is of great advantage to both the agents of 

 Government and the company ; for the public may rest assured 

 that the first evidence of any decrease of seal-life on these rook- 

 eries of Saint Paul will be at once observed by the jealous eyes 

 of their many native keepers, even were there no agents of 



