The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-09-06
Our Q0lio.
THE FUR SEAL.

a correspondent Of the Pittsburg Dis.
patch writing from St. Paul Island, Behr-
ing Sea, gives the following information in
regard to the habits of the Fur Seal
The seal fisheries of the Prybilov Islands
in Behring Sea. of which there are but
two, control the markets of the world in
the commodity, which they produce in
greatest abundance. OF the two islands
in the group on which the fur seal is taken,
ST. Paul furnishes 10000 skins this year,
which is more than one-half Of all that
are sent to market annually.
The fur sealskins Of the world are mainly
taken as follows st. Paul's, 10000; st.
Georges, 10000 (making 100, 900 from
these two islands, oil that our Government
authorizes the lessees to take;) from Cop
per and BehriDg Islands, on the Asiatic
sid3 Of Behring Sea, 5000; mouth of La
Platte river, Brazil, about 5000; Crozette
Islands, Indian Ocean, 1900; from Shet-
land and Falkland Islands, of Cape Horn,
5000, and few hundreds from Robbins
Island, in the 0chotsk Sea- In all less
than $50 900 seal skins are taken annual
ly, probably, including the estray taken
along the coast from California to Alaska.
Although only about 5000 are said to be
taken annually on the Shetlauds and Paulk.
lands, not less than 10000 so called "Shct
land fur seal.skins" are sold every year.
The possibility Of such an ineohorent state
of trade is one Of the peculiarities Of com
mercc, caused by the fact that the Shet.
land fur seals are almost Of the best quail
ity to be found in the world, and they
command a higher price than those Of
Arctic origin. The very, very best, how
ever, are said to be taken on the Crozette
Islands, which produce only about 1900
annually.
Robbins Island, in tho Oehotsk, was
once a rich fur field, but the seals have
been almost exterminated or driven away.
The first seals discovered on Robbins Is
land were found by cruiser named Allen,
from New London, Connecticut, about
twenty years ago, Allen was an old
whaler, who had lived ashore for mum
Der of years, but 10 1858 he set out in a
new ship for cruise after oil. Touching
at Robbins Island he found fur seals there
iu such number as to enable him to make
up very valuable cargo Of their skins.
He loaded and hurried down to Honolulu
for salt to preserve them and finally got
his prize safely to market. The profits Of
that voyage paid for his new ship and en-
abled the old captain to retire once more
and live happily ever afterward, but within
two years the seals were nearly cxtermina-
ted in that locality,
When we purchased Alaska we obtain
ed, along with an immense amount ol
worthless territory, two islands in Behring
Sea which are mine wealth, inexhaus
tible and incalculablc in value so long a:
properly managed. The larger Of these
two islands, st. Paul 5, is situated in north
latitude BIS and west longitude l70.1
and is about II miles long by 8 wide be
tween extreme points St. Georges, {
little west of south from ST. Paufs, is 81
miles distant. From these two island
loo 900 fur snalskins, and no mara, una,
be taken annually. OF that number St
Georges furnishes 10000 and st. Paul
| 10000. As the latter is the most exten
sive and valuable fur seal "rookery" 10 tn,
known world some account of what occur
here may be acceptable to the ladies if Il
no other readers, for every lady is sup
posed to have sealskin saeque, or is sus
pected of a determination to have one, and
of course, she should know somethin;
about the history ofthe garment she wears
This knowledge, however, must be limite,
at best, for the habits and the comings ant
goings of the fur seal are so enveloped il
mystery that great deal about thei
movements is merely conjectural.
The prybilov Islands are named in homo
Of Russian trader who discovered then
hundred years ago, when sealskin sacque
were not so much in vogue as they ar
now. There were many trading compan
les of Russians among the Aleutian Is
lands in those days, and it was while hun
ting for new fields for his employers tha
Prybiloy discovered St. Georges, $50 o
1870 miles north Of the nearest point Of tn
Aleutian Archipelago. st. Paul's was dis
covered during the following year, Whel
first found, the islands, which were Q
comparatively recent volcanic formation
had no inhabitants, Aleuts being brough
in for the work Of sealing. For numbe
of years (prybilov's discovery soon becom
ing known to the other traders) there wa
great competition and an indiseriminat
slaughter of seals, which threatened thei
extinction, but later the Russian Govern
ment leased all Alaska to one fur company
and then steps were taken to prevent th
extermination Of the valuable animal.
They we're protected so as to yield Gel
tain revenue till Alaska was transferred 1
the United States, when, during the 10
terreguum between the departure Of tht
Russians and installation of our Govern
ment in actual possession and authority,
general onslaught was made by every crui
ser and trader under the American flag i
these waters, so that determination Of III
fur seals in this region seemed imminent
Finally the islands were leased to one com
pany, to the exclusion Of all others, bu
with limitations as TO the number Of skin.
not exceeding loo, 900, to be taken annu
ally Under this arrangement It is claim
cd, and probably with justice, that III
number Of fur seals is steadily increasing
The arrangements between the Cover
ment and the company in possession is sue
that the 100000 sealskins, when taker
add 100000 to the National Treasur,
which enables the stockholders to disir
butte million dollars or more in dividend
The $500, 900 which the Government 4,
riyes from the Seal Islands would pay N
interest on the purchase money Of sevo
millions and half for Alaska were it nc
for the expenses incurred 10 looking ou
for the Territory at ono point and anothC
Of its vast area. But the ladies who AZ
waiting to hear about their sealskin sacque
do not, It is assumed, desire to be annoye
here by questions Of cost aud discussion
on profit and loss. ias fsrast, y.
The matured male fur seal when h
draws up out Of the ocean, after six Z
eight months cruise 10 waters TO us NJ
known, IS magnificent animal. Bold
bad and beautiful, he takes position /
May among tho basaltic rocks that al
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