The times., 1897-12-05

The governor OF Alaska has transmitted
10 the Secretary Of the Interior a report
Oh the Seal Islands. Much information
of general interest concerning sealing is
given. The history of sealing goes
back 10 1880. In 1900 the rookeries of
Tie Georgian Islands produced $4,000
fur seals. From 1906 to 1923 the Georgian
Islands produced 100000 seals, ana the
Island Of DesoIation was equally pro-
ductive. over one million seals were taken
from the Island Of Masaruera and shipped
TO China in 1889.
Ia 1920 ana 1921 over 100000 fur
seals were taken at the South Shetland
Islands, and Capt. Wedden states that
at the END OF the second year the species
had become almost eXteraiinated. In
addition to the number killed for iurs he
estimates that not less than 100000 tewly
born young died in consequence OF the
destruction of their mothers. In 1880
the supply OF fur seals in the South Seas
had 80 greatly decreased that vessels
engaged in this enterprise generally made
losing voyages, from the fact that those
places which were the resort of seals
had been abandoned by them. At Anti
pudes Island, off the coast OF Now South
Wales, 100000 skins were oJtalned in
the years lsI4lSl5.
When the cession of Alaska was made
and the aiue OF fur seals was brought TO
mind, people who had seriously engaged in
that business revisited these southern To-
calitics. after lapse Of nearly fifty years,
and no seals were found ca the Island OF
DeSo:aIiou, ur on any of the Islands in
that part OF the world. The Island If
South : hetl and, the Island Of South
Georgia and the Island OF Diegos, off Cape
Horn, were found to yield more CT less
seal In this period OF fifty years in these
localities seal lie had recuperated 10 such
an extent that there We're taken from
them in SIX years, from S7Uto 1876, per
haps 100000 skins. Now the trade in
those localities is entirely exhausted and
il would be utterly impossible ~ cen
tury to restore those Islands or bring
them back TO point where they would
yield a reasonable return for the in
vestment Of capital in hunting skins. I his
much for tie history Of fur seal in the
south seas.
The fur seal rookeries OF Alaska are 10
Gated on The Pribylof group OF islands,
about moo miles due west OF Sitka, con
gisting OF the Islands Of st. Paul, which
has al area of thirty-three square miles,
and st. George, which has an area OF
twenty seven square miles. These islands
We're discovered in 1855 10y Pribylov. a
Russian subject, and in 1893 the right
20 take fur seal was granted to the Russian
American Company by the Emperor OF
Russia. These islands during summer are
enveioned in dense fogs through which
the sun rarely makes its way, and in y in
ter by fields OF ice. driven down from the
Arctic by northern gales. They Lave no
sheltered harbors, but slight indentaiions
In the shore lines afford q lee FOR YES
sells, ana a tolerable landing place for
boats in certain winds. TIE shores are
bold and rocky, with strips OF sand beach
and slopes covered with broken rocks at
intervals between the cliffs. The in
terror is broken and hilly; neither tee
nor shrub grows upon them, but they are
covered with grass, moss aud wild flowers.
For nearly one hundred years fur seals
have been kn, wn to visit them annuaHy 9
in great nun hers for the purpose OF bring
seals occupy the islands from the breaking
away OF the ice in the spring until it
surrounds them again In early winter
that is, from about the middle OF May
to December. The only existing rookerles
are those in Alaska, another in the Russian
part Of Behrng Sea and third on Lobas
Island, at the mouth Of the Rio Platte,
IN South America.
III. =
these animals on the Alaska rookeries
placed it at about 100000, and there
appears to have been no reduction OF this
nunberfrom1 s. to 1886, not Withstand ne
an average of 100000 seaIs had been
taken annually by the lessees Of the island :
during this period Of fifteen years.
But since 1856 a marked diminution
Of the number Of seals had taken place.
Its estimated that less than halGa million
ofthese seals have appeared on the islands
of st. Paul and St George during The
summer of 1897.
A large number of British and American
vessels, mGnned by expert Indian seal
hunters, have frequented Behring Sea and
destroyed hundreds OF thousands Of rur
seals, shooting them fn the water and secur-
ing as many OF the carcasses for their sk rs
as they were able to take on board. The
testimony OF the Government agents shows
that Of the number Of seals killed in the
water, rot more than one in seven, on on
average, is secured. for the reason that a
wounded seal viii sink in the sea. Added
10 this is the fact that the shooting of the
female seal with young causes the death
OF both. The report concludes as fol
lows:
1T is obvious that il this destructive
maraudng is allowed to continue, It il
be but few years until the seal rookeries
OF Alaska Will be entirely deserted and the
business of ur-seahng viii have passed
into history The North American Com
mercial Company, ,lessees Of the seal islands
OF Alaska, nave complied with the condi
tions Of the lease, and the nations Rave
NO cause for complaint"
Astor TO Have a Bank
Tie Comptroller of the Currency vester
day granted permission to John Jacob
Astor, Henry b. Ely, George r. Baker
Charles a. Pea body, jr., anu Fisher Baker
10 organize the Astor National Bank il
New York CITY, with 100000 capital
stock. The institution viii have it's offices
in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Examination of Pay Corps Candidates
Candidates for admission to the pay CORPS
Of the Navy VIII hereafter be examined oy
q boa I'd recently nrOvided for nv the Navy