INVESTIGATION OF THE PUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 693 



his history of the company, says that between 1801 and 1804 the old company had 

 accumulated 800,000, many of which were spoiled, cut, and thrown into the sea, 

 and all that. But my father has said that no skins were ever wasted in this way. 

 He had repeatedly heard the full story of the work done by the employees prior to 

 his arrival on the island in 1804; the most that they could take with the men they 

 had was not to exceed 40,000 parchment skins on St. Paul; four such seasons would 

 only show 160,000 skins, even if they were all allowed to lay in the serais at Kodiak. 

 That is a mistake — a big one — and I do not understand where he gets the facts; he 

 does not print them. In all the time of their occupation (about 14 years), with 400 

 workmen between them against the 45 or 50 which the company retained, even then 

 the employees never could get more than 120,000 to 150,000 skins made up in any 

 one season, and they never left anything behind them. 



"There were usually 25,000 to 30,000 skins holding over on the islands in the serais 

 there and perhaps as many more in the serais at Kodiak or Sitka. It was not possible 

 to have any more in stock at any one time on account of the bulk of such a number 

 of bales for safe stowage, to guard against injury. But 800,000 skins accumulated at 

 Sitka or Kodiak! Why, it would take six or eight big warehouses. No; its an error — ■ 

 a great one — and it is a strange one to get in such a book, but Techmainov was only 

 hired man. He wrote the book for the company's use to help them to renew their 

 charter at St. Petersburg; it is full of mistakes." 



13. 



"Oh. yes; I know that Yeniaminov has first said this, but see he also says that 

 'up to 1817 I have no knowledge to rely upon' " (showing the page in the Zapieskie). 

 I myself think that this statemnt, qualified as it is here by Veniaminov, must have 

 been one of those legends of the wanton waste and excessive slaughter which had 

 been more or less impressed by repetition as the truth, and so used by the bishop. 

 Techmainov unquestionably took it from the Zapieskie, for he never found any such 

 evidence in the company's lists or books. 



"Baron Yikolai Resanov. the Emperor Paul's great friend, and ambassador to Japan. 

 He married Shelikov's daughter in 1793, and always took a deep interest in the busi- 

 ness of the company after that, naturally. Shelikov died in 1796. Resanov died 

 young, on his way back overland from the colony at Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in August, 

 1806. He was the man who got the charter for the Russian American Co. from the 

 Government; nobody else could have done it." 



"Lieut. Yassilie Yahnovsky, imperial navy; a young man about 28 or 30 years old. 

 When in the colony, the directors and Hagemeister and Moorayviev thought very 

 highly of him. He acted as governor from 1818 until 1820 by appointment of Hage- 

 meister, pending the action of the directors, who sent Capt. Michael Nicolai Mooray- 

 viev, of the imperial navy, over in 1820 to be chief manager. This man was very 

 intelligent and in his desire to save the seals and other business of the company he 

 often disobeyed the directors' instructions. For that reason the directors removed 

 him in 1828, and sent Capt. Chestyahkov out to take the place." 



"Father Ioann Veniaminov, " a priest here at Oonalashka," just as lam now, "from 

 1814 until 1839, when he was made the bishop of all Russian America, including the 

 Ochostk and Kamchatka districts. In 1842 he was called by the Holy Synod to the 

 head of our church, where he now is. He was born in 1792 near Kief, and so you 

 observe that he is an old man now. He was beloved by everyone — the natives, the 

 company men, and the high officers all revered him. He was a large, fine-looking 

 man, with a smooth, sweet voice like the low notes of an organ. He was the wisest 

 and the best man in all these colonies, and he stood between the seals and the com- 

 pany so firmly that the zapooskai of 1835-1845 was made. It never would have been 

 made or continued but for him. I have his picture here, which he sent to my father 

 from Sitka. See, and these our letters." 



{Note, September 2, 1874.) 



U. S. Revenue Marine Cutter "Reliance," 



Oonalashka Harbor. 



" I have passed all of this day with Father Innokenti Shaishnikov, who was courtesy 

 and willingness personified in his desire to aid me in getting full information as to the 

 past condition of the fur-seal herd on the Pribilof Islands. With his permission and 

 m his presence, at his house, I have made the inclosed longhand notes of his answers 

 to my questions. 



" I want to record here the fact that the package or bundle of letters which he refers 

 to are written in Russian script, and very clearly and legibly, so that, indifferent as 



