FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF THE COMMANDER ISLANDS 
329 
Schooners were hovering around the islands and were sighted from time to 
time by the natives when the fog lifted long enough to afford a clear view of the 
ocean, but as to their catches nothing definite is known. It was onl,y when the 
crews attempted raiding the seals on shore and were discovered in the act by the 
rookery guards that tangible facts became available. Thus in 1921 North Rookery, 
on Bering Island, was raided. The schooner escaped, but five Japanese sealers 
were caught on shore, and were afterwards taken off by a Japanese transport 
and presumably taken to Japan and given a trial according to the treaty. 
In 1922 no less than four schooners were observed hanging around the rookeries. 
On July 11a Japanese schooner anchored off the seal rookery on Copper Island 
and sent a boat ashore with five armed men who started killing seals. The native 
rookery guards, who had been watching the performance from behind the rocks, 
suddenly descended on the beach and seized the boat, at the same time firing at 
the landing party, who ran away. The natives also shot at the schooner, which 
was compelled to weigh anchor and disappear, leaving the captain and the owner, as 
well as the senior machinist, behind. The}^, with two sailors, surrendered to the 
guards the next day and were taken to the main village of the island, where they 
were locked up by the fisheries agent. 
Less than two weeks after this affair another schooner anchored off the 
rookery near the southeastern end of the island less than 300 feet from shore and 
was caught, together with the captain, the owmer, and the entire crew, 14 men 
altogether. On board the schooner were found 96 fresh sealskins and 5 live blue 
foxes, which it was stated had been caught on Bering Island Avhere the schooner's 
men liad also been ashore. 
It is not even necessary to give credence to the assertion that the natives had 
on occasion accepted whisky from the I'aiders in I'eturn for permission to kill seals 
in order to imderstand that with the lawlessness and the loosening of all obligations 
which followed the revolution, as set forth above, the slow but sure increase of the 
seal herd up to 1917 met with a decided check, so great in fact that orders were given 
in 1921 immediately to stop all official killing of seals on land. A report at that time 
represented the exact number of seals on the Bering Island rookery as being 4,339, 
including the newborn. On Copper Island the day of inspection was very warm 
and besides it was verj^ late in the season after the harems had broken up, hence 
only an approximate estimate could be made, the total number of seals there being 
estim.ated at 6,000. As the total for both islands consequently fell far below the 
18,000 stipulated in the treaty prohibiting further killing seemed justified. 
The writer was assured the Bering Island census of 1921 had been made 
"head by head," and that it was not a mere estimate. It was taken on August 16, 
1921, and the detailed figures follow: 
Old bulls 48 
Young bulls 60 
Half bulls _■ 56 
Bachelors 418 
Cows 2, 221 
Black pups 1, 438 
Yearlings 98 
Total 4, 339 
