TERM OF HUTCHINSON, KOHL AND COMPANY. 119 



chiefly con fined to seeing that the company did not overstep its contract, that the 

 regulations for the protection of the seals, as well of the natives, were enforced, to 

 supervise the killing, keep account of the number of skins taken, to receive and 

 distribute the money for the skins to the natives, etc. 



The skins were taken by the company's steamer from the islands to Petropaulski 

 in instalments and there reloaded before shipment to San Francisco. One of the 

 reasons for this arrangement was that Petropaulski is the -only port of entry in that 

 part of the Eussian Empire, and as the skins were to be shipped to San Francisco, a 

 foreign port, clearance paper had to be obtained in Petropaulski, while at the same 

 time the insurance companies would only assume the risk from the sailing from the 

 latter port. At this place, therefore, Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co. maintained 

 quite an extensive establishment. Large warehouses and a wharf were built on the 

 spit in the outer harbor near the extreme end of the Mkolski peninsula, while in the 

 town itself a large and commodious house for the accommodation of the resident agent 

 and his family was erected. 



This position as resident general agent in Petropaulski was held to the expiration 

 of the term of Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co. by Mr. Joseph Lugebil, who 

 extended the company's hospitality in a manner pleasantly remembered by all who 

 had the good fortune to visit Petropaulski during that period. 



Under the lease the company was to keep a general store for the sale of articles 

 of food, clothing, etc., to the natives on each of the Commander Islands. The 

 merchandise was imported free of duty, but the company was only allowed to charge 

 San Francisco wholesale prices plus a certain iixed percentage as compensation for 

 freighting and storing the goods. The company decided about the kind and quantity 

 of goods to be brought, while the administrator appointed by the Government saw to 

 it that the prices charged were not in excess of the contract and that the quality of 

 the goods was satisfactory. 



The original lease stipulated a price of 2 silver rubles ($1.33) per skin accepted 

 by the company, but in a subsequent supplementary contract of March 9, 1871, the 

 tax, from 1877 on, was reduced to 1.75 rubles ($1.17) for the first 30,000 skins. The 

 natives received for their work 1 ruble ^66| cents) per skin for the first 30,000 and 

 one-half ruble (33J cents) for each skin over 30,000. The company had to pay a 

 yearly rental of 6,000 rubles and to contribute a considerable amount toward the 

 support of the natives.^ 



There being no serviceable buildings left by the old company, Hutchinson, Kohl, 

 Philippeus & Co. had to build a number of houses on both islands to accommodate 

 their goods and their men. Salt houses were erected on all the rookeries, and near 

 each a small frame hut for occupancy by the company's "sealer" durjng the killing 

 season. In the main village on Bering Island several large stores and warehouses, a 

 cow stable, boathouse, bath house, besides two dwelling houses, were built, as well as 

 similar though somewhat smaller structures in the main village on Copper Island. 

 These are all frame houses, built of California or Puget Sound lumber by an American 

 head carpenter with the assistance of native workmen. 



Although under no legal obhgation to do so, the company gradually built and 



1 The text of the contract, with supplement, is printed in Sbornik Glavn. Off. Dokum. Upravl. 

 Vost. Sibir., iii, li, Append., pp. 1-8. Also in Savitch, Otohet, etc., App, No. 5. 



