Pribilof Island Logbook, St. George Island
5/8/1883 - 6/16/1883
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Logbook contains information concerning sealing activities on the Pribilof Islands, the weather, activities of the Alaska Native (Aleut) population, and deliveries of supplies by U.S. government vessels.
Transcript
3211783
May 8 The weather being pleasant, the Government representative took a walk to the East rookery, finding three bull seals having hauled up on the East and one on the Little East rookery.—The natives of both sexes were engaged yesterday and to-day in repairing bidaruhs. Therm: 38, 40&36o above. A prohibitive order, forbidding the discharge of firearms, was issued to-day.
“ 9 A trip to Starry Ateel rookery was made and the presense of a dozen bull seals discovered. Weather changeable. Therm: 34, 41 and 36 above zero
“ 10 This being a cold and unpleasant day. The natives went out in a boat to fishing, returned about noon with no success whatever. The women being engaged in sewing boat covering.—Therm: 28, 32 and 27o above.
“ 11 A very quiet day and nothing transpired of any interest. Therm: 30, 34 and 31o above zero.
“ 12 A cold and unpleasant day; snowing. Thermometer: 35, 39 and 30o above.
“ 13 The snow, which fell yesterday and last night, disappeared almost entirely to-day by thawing. Disagreeable and fogy all day. Therm: 36, 42 and 39. The wife of Foka Shane gave birth to a female child to-day.
“ 14 The Government representative constituting himself into a Sanitary Commission, visited all the natives houses accompanied by the Chief examining the interior parts of the building in regard to their cleanliness and found them to his agreeable surprise well scoured and cleansed in every particular, only here and there little traces of blubber smell.—The weather being mild, but drizzling of rain and snow towards evening. Therm: 36, 42, and 3[8?]o above.
“ 15 Took a walk to Zapadnic for the purpose of finding out the condition of the rookery and the arrival of seals. Thermometer: 32, 35, and 31o above zero. Th fox skins taken last winter, were boxed to-day amounting to 1494, of which 64 were white and 1430 blue skins.
“ 16 Weather raw and snow-squalls at intervals. Ther: 30, 33 and 31o above.
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322
1883
May17 Returned to-day from Zapadnic. There is consideralble life visible on the rookery there, counting over fifty housuchiek and a great number of old bulls. The new born baby of the wife of Foka Shane died this morning and was buried in the afternoon, aged 4 days.—The Government house received a coat of paint on the outside.—The weather was somewhat more pleasant at noon, but, towards evening cold, with snaosqualls at intervals. No surf to-day visible.—Thermometer: 31, 34, and 33oabove zero.
“ 18 To-day the painting of the Government house was finished. Weather fair with snowsqualls in the afternoon. Therm: 35, 42 and 34o above
“ 19 A most disagreeable day, raining without intermission.—The infant child of Foka Shane was buried to-day.—Therm: 36, 38 and 37o above
“ 20 Since yesterday we had continuous rain. The wind changed somewhat from southeast to east. Thermometer: 36, 37 and 35o above zero.
“ 21 An order was issued to-day to the Chief, commanding the natives to remove all rubish and offals about and around their premises. A visit to Starry Ateel rookery and North rookeries disclosed the fact that on the first named but a small number of seals hauled up and on the last named rookery, they appear to be more numerous, but very few young seals have arrived yet.—Therm: 36, 40 and 36o above.
“ 22 This being a beautiful day with sunshine. Therm: 37, 39 and 37o above.
“ 23 Another fine day with sunshine. Some of the natives were out in a boat fishing all day, with but very little success. Eustru and Sowestian were permitted to go on the southside to shoot sea-lions, but the weather being to fine and the sea calm, which is not very favorable for that purpose, they only succeeded in killing three, the skins of which are intented to cover a bidarah with. This day would have afforded excellent good landing. Thermometer: 38, 36 and 42o above zero.
“ 24 A fogy day. Good landing. Thermometer: 36, 40 and 31o above zero.
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1883
May 25 A rainy day with southwesterly wind. Thermometer: 36, 38 and 34o above zero.
“ 26 A drive of seals of forty, for natives food, was made to-day, the skins of which were all accepted by the A. C. Co.—The weather being cools and unpleasant. Fog all day and snow in the evening. Therm: 33,38 and 33o above.
“ 27 From early morning til 4 o’clock in the afternoon a snowstorm prevailed. A light northwesterly wind. Heavy surf in the forenoon, but in the afternoon became calm and quiet.—Thermometer: 35, 38 and 37o above zero.
“ 28 The weather being pleasant and the sea calm, the natives went out in a boat fishing, with success. Therm: 34, 37 and 34o above.
“ 29 This being a rainy day with S.E. wind. Thermometer: 39, 41 and 39o above.
“ 30 To-day the weather was rough and unpleasant; Fog in the morning and rain in the afternoon. The wind being light from the south east, the landing would have been good. Therm: 40, 44 and 38o above.
“ 31 A. C. Co.’s steamer St Paul arrived at 6 a.m. from Sanfrancisco 9th [inst?]:
Passenger list, Messrs Leon Sloss and J Armstrongof A. C. Co. Capt. J. H. Moulton and Geo Wardman Tracy agents, Mesdames Moulton, Armstrong and Healy, latter wife of Capt Healy, U. S. R. M. and Master Healy; also Dr Noyes, Mr Gray and Mr Atwood for A C Co. Messrs Moulton, Sloss, Armstrong Gray and Master Healey came ashore on a visit. Mr Wardman came to remain. Capt Kimmel Tre’y agt went aboard to go to St Paul. Also a number of natives from Oumalaska arrived for temporary labor during killing season on St George & St Paul.
At 1.30 p.m. steamer got under weigh for St Paul island, wind N.E. Rain and snow in alternating squalls . Therm 36 to 38. Mean for month 36
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324
June 1883
1st Visited near and north rookeries; found plenty of old bulls but few holuschek
2nd Examined the east rookeries today. Holuscheck scarce as yet,
3rd Sunday.
4th A drive from north rookery, for food yielded 78 skins—none rejected. Natives who went on the drive report two females among the seals on north rookery.
Streamer St Paul returned from St Paul island to finish discharging cargo. Arrived: Capt Louis Kimmel, U.S. Treasy agt, who had gone on a visit to St Paul and Mr Thos. F. Morgan, agent of A. C. Co., who has wintered on St Paul and returned here to resume his old station;
Anchor was dropped at 6.50 P.M. and discharge of cargo commenced immediately as bidarras were alongside to receive freight .
At 11.30 P.M. steamer weighed anchor for Onalaska
5th Went to East rookery.
Nearly the enrire native population are suffering coughs and colds.
6th Found two pups upon East Rookery. About 200 holuschek.
7th Starvi Ateel was visited, but not many holuschek seen—perhaps 100.
8th Capt Kimmel went in a bidarra around to the sea lion rookery at S. E. cliffs for some sea lion skins which had been deposited there. A party of natives who went fishing went with rather moderate success.
At Starvi Ateel and North rookeries.
10th Sunday and a sunny day
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325
June 1883
11th Under direction of A. C. Co’s agent the sealing season was opened today by a drive from Starvi Ateel, yielding about sixty skins which will be counted in with those from East, which are to be driven early tomorrow morning.
The Chief was today instructed to send Joan Kulikoloff to watch at Zapadnee.
A delegation consisting of Andronik Resanzoff Chief, Sebastian Merculiff, Peter Resanzoff, Usten Swetzoff, Eof Philamonoff Bores Galinin, Foka Shane, Platon Vickaloff and Kiprian Merculiff called today. They announced the desire of the people to have the priest’s son, who arrived [per?] Str St Paul from Onalaska 31st ult, admitted to a sealer’s privelege and [dividend?]. They were told that they might give him what they pleased out of their own shares but that not being a native he could not be admitted to a sealer’s priveleges. They then requested that their desire to be represented to the Secretary at Washington but were informed that the matter could be reported to Mr H. A. Glidden at St Paul, special agent in charge of seal fisheries.
12th The result of the drives from Starvi Ateel yesterday and from East this morning was 135 skins accepted; of which 8 were, owing to cuts, counted second class, and 1 rejected for under size—Total 136.
13th At East rookery. Cows coming in more numerously than last week but holuschukie still scarce. Not enough for a drive.
14th Found enough holuschukie at Starvi Ateel to justify a drive for tomorrow.
15th Drives from Starvi Ateel and East resulted in 287 accepted skins of which 8 were second class (cut)
16th To East rookery, Holuschukie too scarce for a drive.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
National Archives Identifier: 297032
Full Citation: Pribilof Island Logbook, St. George Island; 5/8/1883 - 6/16/1883 ; Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Record Group 22. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/5-pribilof-island-logbook-st-george-island, May 4, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.