SEALS KILLED ON COMMANDER ISLANDS. 



129 



necessary data. The following table, however, furnishes this information for the years 

 1891 to 1897: 



.JW seals killed on the Commander Islands, 1891-1897, 



Even in this table the figures represent only accepted skins, except those of the 

 last three years. 



Shipment of sMns from the Commander Islands {exclusive of Boiien Islafid), iy periods. 



1746 to 1760, 15 years (period of plenty of sea-ottera, foxes, and sea-cows), 



annual average about 1,333 total about.. 20,000 



1761 to 1786, 16 years (other fur-bearing animals becoming scarce and sea-cow 



exterminated), annual average about 6,250 total about . . 100, 000 



1787 to 1798, 12 years (from discovery of Pribylof Islands to Eussian-American 



Company), same annual average total in round flgures about.. 50,000 



1799 to 1826, 28 years (from Russian- American Company to establishment of 



Atkba district), annual average about 476; total in round figures about- 15, 000 

 1827 to 1841, 15 years (to expiration of Eussian-American Company's second 



term), yearly average about 10,000 or total about . . 150, 000 



1842 to 1861, 20 years (Eussian-American Company's third term), yearly 



average 1,559 total about.. 31,181 



1862 to 1867, 6 years (hold-over of Eussian-American Company), yearly 



average 4,250 total about-. 25,500 



1868 to 1870, 3 years (interregnum), yearly average 20,166 total about. . 60, 500 



1871 to 1891, 20 years (lease of Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co.), yearly 



average36,791 total.. 785,828 



1891 to 1896, 6 years (lease of Russian Seal Skin Company to date), yearly 



average 24,976 total.. 149,857 



Skins seized with in territorial waters, 1891 and 1892 2, 568 



Grand total about.. 1,340,434 



As previously stated, some of these flgures do not pretend to be more than guesses. 

 Most of them are explained in the foregoing pages, but the flgures for the years from 

 1787 to 1841 need some explanatory remarks as to how these guesses were made. 



From 1787 to 1798, inclusive, 12 years, I have assumed the annual average to have 

 equaled that of the foregoing 26 years, giving 46,152, or, in round flgures, 50,000. 

 16183— PT 4 9 



