The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-07-29
ALASKA FUR TRADE.
LEASE OF THE SEAL ISLANDS BY THE
COMMERCp COMPANY.
How the Price o. the sealssA ss--~que Is
Affected, and How the t~oraAs
GUS Star litter of Seals is $50
P-evented.
New York Times l

new YORK Times
"There is no question that the Alaska
Commercial company, by its lease of the
seal islands of that country, enjoys one of
the most valuable franchises that could
possibly be secured, " said an extensive
importer of sealskins in this city, land it
is to be regretted that the government
granted the privilege it did for so Insight
ticant return. At the same time, no
matter what may be said on that score,
the monopoly thus vouchsafed has been a
wise thing, inasmuch as 1t prevents the
general warfare on the seals of these
Islands which has caused the virtual eX-
tinction of the fur seal from every other
fishery in the world. Under the provis-
ions of the companys lease of the Alaska
islands only limited number of seals
may be killed annually-10O,O 900 believe
and the natural increase of the animals
is many times that. For these skins the
government receives but So each, while
they will net the company about
"The Pribyloff group of islands, over
which the Alaska company has supreme
control, are 800 miles from Sitka, and are
simply small rocky protrusions from the
sea. The only life one sees there is in the
al-killing season, which begins early in
June and continues all summer, the skin
being in its best condition during these
shores of these district islands furnish the
finest quality of seal fur now to be OBJ
tanned. The Antarctic islands of Georgia
and DesOlation formerly contained still
finer clad SEAL its value being twice that
of the Alaska seal, but as they were free
hunting grounds the animals long since
became so scare that it did not pay to send
vessels to their haunts after them. The
last time that Seal-hunting party was
sent to those remote waters less than 100
were taken, while the time is still within
the memory Of seal hunters who are not
yet old when a catch of 2, 900, 900 year
on these islands was not an uncommon
thing.
1t is not a pleasant sight, the slaugh
tering of seals, nor is there anything in it
requiring heroism or the exercise of skill,
or that will awaken the lively emotions of
a sportsman. The sealing vessels begin to
gather at the islands early in June and it
is fact that in the heavy fogs of that lat
itude in summer the sailors depend on
the hoarse cries of the seals that are gath
cred on the rocky shores to guide them to
the bunting grounds. From the time
the seals begin to congregate at the breed
ing places until August there is constant
and often deadly warfare waged against
the pugnacious heads of sleek skinned
harems, and the bellowings of these jeal-
Gus seals may be heard far out to sea
above the roar of the surf. Not less than
5000, 900 seals congregate on these iso-
lated rocks, and the chorus of voices it is
possible for them to raise may be i'm
agined To see the seals literally packed
on these islands is sight never to be for
gotten. The whole surface of the rocks
seems to be wriggling, writhing, con-
torting mass
"A 3-yearold seal has the choicest fur.
Nothing younger than a 2-year- old nor
older than a 4-year-old is killed. The
hunters start out before dawn, while the
seals are asleep along the shores. TAX
ing positions between them and the sea
they cut off their escape. Then the sur
prised animals are driven inland. as
drovers might drive f1ocks of sheep.
They are p ,rmitted to take their own
time, and when they reach the killing
round the hunters go around and knock
each one, or the ones that are market
able, on the head with a heavy club.
The skins are removed from the carcases
at once and taken to the sailing houses,
where they are covered with salt and
piled up. They remain in cure for three
or four weeks, when they are counted by
the government agent and taken to San
Francisco, where the United States col
lector recounts them and collects the tax.
At San Francisco they are packed in
tight bands and sent direct to London for
the dressing which no one in this eOun-
try has vet learned to give them.