694 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUB-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



my ability is to read written Russian, I had no difficulty in perusing them, but to go 

 all through them and select -only that which touches on the fur-seal business would 

 certainly take two or three weeks of my time, and I have only one day from date to 

 spend in this place. There must be at least 100 of these letters; some of them are 

 14 and 15 pages of neatly and closely written script. Shaishnikov's letters, as far 

 as I looked into them, are devoted, first, in chief to the church business and the per- 

 sonal details of the natives' association with it; second, to the sealing work, coming 

 and going of the vessels, losses of cargoes, spoiling of skins (in parchment); and, third, 

 least though most important, he gives in some of these letters accounts of the seal life 

 and its ebb and flow. 



"These letters prior to 1825 inspired Bishop Veniaminov to spend one whole summer 

 on St. Pauls Island as the guest of Shaishnikov, and undoubtedly caused the bishop 

 to use his great office in helping stop all killing by the Russian Co. in 1835 for a period 

 of nearly or quite 10 years upon Shaishnikov's urgent recommendation sent down 

 from St. Paul in November, 1834. 



"Henry W. Elliott." 



"Zapooska, 1835" — (Shaishnikov's letter.) 



[Addressed to "His Excellency Gov. Wrangell." (Baron Ferdinand P. Wrangell.) "Novo Arkengelsk" 

 (R. A.), (or "Sitka"). (Chief manager R. A. Co.).] 



"Island op St. Paul, November 2, 1834." 



(Announces the arrival of the Ycalena with the supplies on the 20th October and 

 acknowledges receipt of the same in detail.) 



"I am very sorry to say that with all possible exertion I have been able to secure 

 only 12,000 skins, as against the 32,000 required of me. The people have been dili- 

 gent and faithful, and they have taken everyone as it landed this season, with the 

 exception of 8,000 "molodets,' - which I have spared for seed on the breeding grounds. 

 I have made this saving because I know by actual counting that only 7,000 cows and 

 bulls are now left alive on the ' laasbuschie ' ; such is the unhappy condition of this 

 business at the end of this season. In view of this great extremity of the seals, I 

 most humbly and obediently advise that your excellency prohibit the killing of 

 seals on this island next season, because i assure you that it is not safe to kill any more 

 young male seals for several seasons to come; and also, another good reason for this 

 rest from killing is that even if you do order the work, I can not get more than 5,000 

 or perhaps 7.000 small seals in 1835, and getting them will, I am sure, result in com- 

 plete ruin and destruction of the rookeries; nothing will be left to propagate the species. 



"The people are in great distress of mind over the disappearance of the seals, which 

 they say is due to the excessive killing, and in which opinion I am agreed. But this 

 order must prevail next season, no matter whether your excellency orders us to kill 

 seals or not — we must have the same supplies of food and clothing; but it is better 

 yet that most of the people go to Unalaska, where they can get plenty of fish and 

 engage in the chase of the sea otter while resting the seals from slaughter, because 

 with a zapooska we do not need many workmen in this settlement, for there are only 

 a few walrus and sea lions left, and they afford but little work." 



(He then recites the requisition of supplies which will be needed for 1835, to come 

 up in the spring of 1S35. chiefly cloth, tea, sugar, pickles, flour, hard bread, and "salt 

 butter. ' ' a package of red paint for the church, and " 2 accadems, ' ' " 120 gallons vodka, ' ' 

 "10 poods tobacco" (no salt meat or anything of the sort asked for, but "20 poods 

 'eukali' " — dried salmon).) 



Kazean Shaishnikov." 



Note. — This letter is a copy in Shaishnikov's manuscript that I have seen to-day 

 and made these extracts. H. W. E. 



Unalaska, September ?, 1S74. 



In conclusion I desire to give additional evidence of the deliberate 

 attempt made by Mr. Clark to deceive Senators and Members of the 

 Sixty-third Congress in this vital question of the truth in the premises 

 as to how the Kussians killed seals between 1 804-1 S34, when they 

 ruined the herd by land slaughter. 



