Mr. Uhl to Mr.
Bayard.
Department
of State,
Washington
,
November 24,
1893
.
Sir: Referring to the Department’s reply of the
21st of this month to your dispatch of the 11th instant, relative to the
Bering Sea seal question, I enclose for your information a copy of a letter
from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury, furnishing the information
requested by you regarding the number of seals taken on the Pribilof
Islands.
I am, etc.,
Edwin F. Uhl, Acting
Secretary.
[Page 134]
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Curtis to Mr.
Gresham.
Treasury Department,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington D.
C.
,
November 22,
1893
.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your communication of the 21st instant, wherein request is
made for certain information regarding the number of seals taken on the
Pribilof Islands, and in reply to inclose herewith a statement showing
the number of seals killed on the islands of St. Paul and St. George,
for all purposes;, from 1870 to 1892, both inclusive. Seals have not
been taken by the lessees elsewhere than on the islands of St. Paul and
St. George, and no other companies than the North American Commercial
Company and its predecessor, as lessees of the islands (the Alaska
Commercial Company), have been granted licenses or leases by the United
States for sealing on the islands or elsewhere.
With reference to the number of seals taken in 1891 and to note 2 on the
inclosed statement, I refer you for full information on the subject to
the report of Special Agent W. H. Williams, dated October 10, 1891, a
printed copy of which is herewith inclosed.
Respectfully, yours,
W. E. Curtis, Acting Secretary.
Number of fur seals Trilled on islands of St. Paul
and St. George, Alaska, for all purposes from 1870 to 1892, both
inclusive.
| Year. |
Killed on St. Paul |
Killed on St. George |
Total killed on both islands. |
| 1870 |
15,314 |
8,459 |
23,773 |
| 1871 |
81,803 |
21,157 |
102,960 |
| 1872 |
81,819 |
27,000 |
108,819 |
| 1873 |
81,987 |
27,190 |
109,177 |
| 1874 |
98,139 |
12,446 |
110,585 |
| 1875 |
94,960 |
11,500 |
106,460 |
| 1876 |
83,157 |
11,500 |
94,657 |
| 1877 |
67,810 |
16,500 |
84,310 |
| 1878 |
88,519 |
20,804 |
109,323 |
| 1879 |
80,321 |
22,190 |
110,511 |
| 1880 |
84,779 |
20,939 |
105,718 |
| 1881 |
83,774 |
21,289 |
105,063 |
| 1882 |
79,834 |
19,978 |
99,812 |
| 1883 |
63,295 |
16,214 |
79,509 |
| 1884 |
88,861 |
16,573 |
105,434 |
| 1885 |
88,880 |
16,144 |
105,024 |
| 1886 |
88,085 |
16,436 |
104,521 |
| 1887 |
89,092 |
16,668 |
105,760 |
| 1888 |
86,270 |
17,034 |
103,304 |
| 1889 |
87,392 |
15,225 |
102,617 |
| 1890 |
|
|
21,000 |
| 1891 |
|
|
13,482 |
| 1892 |
|
|
7,549 |
| Total |
1,622,091 |
355,246 |
2,019,368 |
Note 1.—The above statement for 1870 to 1889,
both inclusive, includes all seals killed from all causes, either
intentional or accidental, incident to the taking of sealskins on the
two islands. The statement for 1890, 1891, and 1892, represents only
those skins taken and which were received by the company as part of
their quota. The stagy or defective skins are not included in 1890,
1891, and 1892.
Note 2.—The total for 1891 is made up as
follows: 7,215 skins taken prior to signing of modus Vivendi and
issuance of President’s proclamation. The remainder, 6,267, were taken
after signing of modus as part of the 7.500 allowed them under the
agreement.
