! 
FUR SEALS OF ALASKA. 61 
The same fleet worked on the herd while it traveled up the northwest coast into 
Bering Sea between February 1 to July 10, 1903. 
Skins. 
The northwest coast catch was about .........-.---- 2-2-0 ee ee ee eee ee eee 7, 000 
The Bering Sea catch was about.....-----.----------------- eee eee ee eee ee 20, 000 
TotalcatcHelO03 sisi sac acs oe snieammalgced se eamanaimaasaemieenceeseme as 27, 000 
Items of expense and profit for the Canadian pelagic hunters’ season of 1902, now entirely 
combined and controlled by a trust in Victoria, V. I. 
(1) The Victorian fur-sealing schooner usually registers between 60 and 70 tons; 
its cost of construction is about $5,000—some cost as much as $7,500, and others as 
little as $3,500. This cost covers sails, rigging, and everything needful for the 
season’s cruise except stores, ammunition, and salt. 
(2) The stores, consisting of dried salmon, salt codfish, bacon, flour, beans, coffee, 
etc., for a fur-sealing cruise of six months on this vessel will cost about $1,000, and 
they are sufficient for a crew of one captain or master, one mate, one cook, two or 
three white seamen and hunters, and 20 to 24 Indian hunters, which is the usual crew 
now shipped to each vessel engaged. Sometimes a supercargo goes along. 
(3) The pay of the captain is from $60 to $75 per month, with a ‘‘lay’’ or com- 
mission on the catch, skin by skin; the mate and cook the same per month, buta 
smaller ‘‘lay;’? the white seamen or hunters are paid $40 per month and $2 for each 
skin they bring in. 
(4) The Indian hunters receive $1.50 to $2.50 for each skin they bring in. When 
the weather is unusually ‘‘nasty’’ and the ‘‘seal signs’’ good, this bonus per skin is 
raised to $3, with a ration of grog to every hunter. 
(5) During the season of 1902, 23 of these Victorian schooners were in the North 
Pacific and Bering Sea busily engaged, some of them flying the Japanese flag; this 
under American or Canadian officers. This arrangement and masquerade enables 
the fleet to hunt throughout the entire season from February 1 to October 15 annually, 
and as what little good is in the Bering Sea rules and regulations of the Paris 
award. 
(6) During the season of 1902 this fleet of 23 sealing schooners secured 22,812 
skins, which were sold December 17, 1902, in London as ‘‘ N. W. coast’’ or Alaskan fur- 
seal skins, at an average price of nearly $20 per skin, being an advance of 35 per cent 
over the high prices of December 17, 1901, for the pelagic ‘‘N. W. coast’’ skins of 
that season. 
With the above items of cost and amount of catch in view, the following recapitu- 
lation will show the profits of the season’s work in 1902 for the pelagic hunter: 
RECAPITULATION. 
Profits of the pelagic hunter......-..--. 2-2-0. - 2-2-2 ee ee eee eee ee eee $263, 970 
CR. 
Pelagic catch, season of 1902, of Pribilof fur-seal skins in North Pacific 
and Bearing Sea was) sx. acccecemidao scene neh obepenetnceae nae caagdeet 22, 812 
Number of vessels actually engaged in taking this catch wag -_-.---...--- 23 
22,812 skins sold December 17 in London, at an average price of $19.50 
CdGiee ci tee aed la sd clare RCE eis s setisisielee lad ct Acakigh miisaset ele sacinhees 3445, 034 
Dr. 
Cost of outfitting 23 vessels, at $1,000 each -_---..-..-------------------- $23, 000 
Salaries, master, mate, cook, and white seamen, per vessel, at $1,380 each 
for a 6-months cruise (13 ST te etna ig ie tars vite peieianes Shee Secunia ae eae 17, 940 
Cost of 22,812 skins at an average of $2 perskin paid to the Indian hunters. 45, 624 
Freight, casks, packing, Victoria to London-.._-.-----.-----------...... 3, 000 
Insurance, Victoria to London .......-..-------------- 2-2-2 2 eee eee ee eee 5, 000 
Brokerage, London sales, and expenses attendant ...-...------.--------- 15, 000 
Interest, at 10 per cent, on $115,000, capital invested in fleet of 23 vessels-- ‘1, 500 
Total cost of the season’s work of 1902 in securing 22,812 skins is.... 121, 064 
Or thus declares a profit of $323,970 for the pelagic hunter’s work in 1902. 
F s—04——5 
