United States to the amount of $50,000, face value to be held as a guarantee for the annual payment of said $60,000 rental, the interest thereon when due to be collected and paid to The North American Commercial Company, provided the said company is not in default of payment of any part of the said $60,000 rental.

That it will furnish to the native inhabitants of said islands of St. George and St. Paul annually such quantity or number of dried salmon, and such quantity of salt and such number of salt barrels for preserving their necessary supply of meat as the Secretary of the Treasury shall from time to time determine.

That it will also furnish to the said inhabitants 80 tons of coal annually and a sufficient number of comfortable dwellings in which said native inhabitants may reside, and will keep said dwellings in proper repair; and will also provide and keep in repair such suitable schoolhouses as may be necessary, and will establish and maintain during eight months of each year proper schools for the education of the children on said islands, the same to be taught by competent teachers, who shall be paid by the Company a fair compensation, all to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treasury; and will also provide and maintain a suitable house for religious worship; and will also provide a competent physician or physicians and necessary and proper medicines and medical supplies; and will also provide the necessaries of life for the widows and orphans and aged and infirm inhabitants of said islands who are unable to provide for themselves; all of which foregoing agreements will be done and performed by the said Company free of all costs and charges to said native inhabitants of said islands or to the United States.

The annual rental, together with all other payments to the United States provided for in this lease, shall be made and paid on or before the first day of April of each and every year during the existence of this lease, beginning with the 1st day of April, 1891.

The said Company further agrees to employ the native inhabitants of said islands to perform such labor upon the islands as they are fitted to perform, and to pay therefor a fair and just compensation, such as may be fixed by the Secretary of the Treasury; and also agrees to contribute, as far as in its power, all reasonable efforts to secure the comfort, health, education, and promote the morals and civilization of said native inhabitants.

The said Company also agrees faithfully to obey and abide by all rules and regulations that the Secretary of the Treasury has heretofore or may hereafter establish or make in pursuance of law concerning the taking of seals on said islands, and concerning the comfort, morals, and other interests of said inhabitants, and all matters pertaining to said islands and the taking of seals within the possessions of the United States. It also agrees to obey and abide by any restrictions or limitations upon the right to kill seals, that the Secretary of the Treasury shall judge necessary under the law, for the preservation of the seal fisheries of the United States; and it agrees that it will not kill, or permit to be killed, so far as it can prevent, in any year, a greater number of seals than is authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury.

The said Company further agrees that it will not permit any of its agents to keep, sell, give, or dispose of any distilled spirits or spirituous liquors or opium on either of said islands, or the waters adjacent thereto, to any of the native inhabitants of said islands, such person not being a physician and furnishing the same for use as a medicine.

It is understood and agreed that the number of fur-seals to be taken

and killed for their skins upon said islands by the North American Commercial Company during the year ending May 1, 1891, shall not exceed 60,000.

The Secretary of the Treasury reserves the right to terminate this lease and all rights of the North American Commercial Company under the same at any time, on full and satisfactory proof that the said company has violated any of the provisions and agreements of this lease, or in any of the laws of the United States, or any Treasury regulation respecting the taking of fur-seals, or concerning the islands of St. George and St. Paul, or the inhabitants thereof.

In witness whereof, the parties hereto have set their hands and seals the day and year above written.

[North American

Commercial Company.

Incorporated

December, 1889.]

Attest:

WILLIAM WINDOM,

Secretary of the Treasury.

NORTH AMERICAN COMMERCIAL COMPANY, By I. LIEBES,

President of the North American Commercial Company.

H. B. PARSONS,

Assistant Secretary.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Treasury Department, July 30, 1892.

Pursuant to section 882 of the Revised Statutes, I hereby certify that the annexed table is a correct statement of the vessels seized in Bering Sea by officers of the United States pursuant to instructions of this Department.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Treasury Department to be affixed, on the day and year first above written.

[SEAL.]

CHARLES FOSTER, Secretary of the Treasury.

Table of vessels seized by revenue steamers of the United States in Ber

ing Sea.

In the year 1876, the schooner San Diego, an American vessel, was seized for illegal sealing near Otter Island, by the Treasury agents in charge of the Pribilof Islands.

In the year 1884, the schooner Adele, a vessel sailing under the German flag, was seized for illegal sealing near St. Paul Island, by the United States Revenue Marine.

1886.

VESSELS SEIZED BY REVENUE STEAMER CORWIN, CAPT. C. A. ABBEY, COMMAND.

VESSELS SEIZED BY REVENUE STEAMER BEAR, CAPT. M. A. HEALY, COMMANDING.

VESSELS SEIZED BY REVENUE STEAMER RUSH, CAPT. L. G. SHEPARD, COM

VESSELS SEIZED BY THE UNITED STATES REVENUE STEAMER RICHARD RUSH, CAPT, L. G. SHEPARD, COMMANDING.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
Washington, D. C., July 15, 1892.

The honorable the SECRETARY OF STATE:

SIR: In reply to your request therefor I have the honor to state that the records of this Department afford the following information in relation to the service of the Revenue Cutters in Alaskan waters since that Territory was ceded to the United States.

Early in June, 1867, before the formal transfer of the Territory was made by the Russian Government to the United States, the revenue steamer Lincoln was ordered to Alaska and sailed in July. She was in immediate command of Capt. J. W. White, while Capt. W. A. Howard, also of the Revenue-Cutter Service, had general charge of the expedition.

His instructions contemplated the securing of information which would aid in the proper protection of the revenues and the interests of the Government when the Territory became a part of the United States. The records fail to show the date on which the Lincoln returned to San Francisco, but it was prior to November 1st of that year. March 20, 1868, Capt. J. W. White, then in command of the revenue steamer Wayanda, was ordered with his command on a cruise to Alaska "for the protection of those interests especially confided to your care as an officer of the Revenue-Marine Service by the laws of the United States and the regulations of this Department." The Wayanda sailed from San Francisco April 18, 1868.

During the season this vessel visited the islands of St. Paul and St. George for the purpose of preventing the killing of fur-bearing animals and returned to San Francisco November 6, 1868.

Early in 1869 Lieuts. Robert Henderson and W. B. Barnes, of the Revenue-Cutter Service, were ordered to the Pribilof Islands to prevent illicit traffic and the violation of the revenue laws with particular reference to the act of July 27, 1868, section 6, forbidding the killing of fur-seals.

On the same date, February 6, 1869, Capt. J. A. Henriques was ordered with the Wayanda into Alaskan waters from San Francisco. This order was modified on the 23d of February so as to place him in command of the Lincoln instead of the Wayanda. His orders were substantially the same as those to Captain White of the previous year, and the cruise covered the same ground.

During this season the revenue cutter Reliance, under command of Capt. James M. Selden, was stationed at Sitka.

Under date of March 31, 1870, Capt. James M. Selden was directed to cruise with the Reliance from Sitka to Unalaska, the seal islands, Norton and Kotzebue sounds.

On the 18th of April following the collector of customs at Sitka was instructed to direct Captain Selden to be particular to note vessels in the vicinity of the seal islands, and "those seized, giving names, dates, and flag and specifications of seizure."

May 25 of the same year the commanding officer of the revenue steamer Lincoln, Capt. Ċ. M. Scammon, was ordered with his command on a cruise to the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, and the islands of St. George and St. Paul, with instructions to "protect the interests of the Government in those waters."

During the years 1871 and 1872 the Revenue Cutter Reliance, under the command of Capt. J. A. Webster, jr., was stationed at Sitka, and

during each season cruised as far to the westward as Unalaska and vicinity.

In 1873 and 1874 the same cutter was under the command of Capt. J. G. Baker, and during the summer seasons her station was Sitka. From this port she made voyages to the westward to Unalaska and vicinity, visiting the islands of St. Matthews, St. Lawrence, Univak, and St. Michaels.

On the 5th of May, 1875, Capt. C. M. Scammon, commanding the Revenue Cutter Wolcott, was ordered north to report to the collector of -customs at Sitka, and that officer directed the vessel "to cruise in the waters adjacent to and within the Prince of Wales Archipelago."

During the year 1876 Alaska was not visited by any of the vessels of the Revenue-Cutter Service.

Vessels of the service were dispatched to Alaska each season from 1877 to 1887, inclusive, under orders "to enforce the provisions of law and protect the interests of the Government on the seal islands, at the sea-otter hunting grounds, and in Alaska generally. The commanding officer was clothed with full power to enforce the law as contained in section 1956 of the Revised Statutes prohibiting the killing of seal and other fur-bearing animals in the waters of Alaska; he was directed to seize all vessels and arrest and turn over to the proper authorities all persons found violating said law. Similar orders were issued for 1889 and 1890.

The following is an exhibit of the names of the vessels, the commanding officers, and dates of order and return to San Francisco or Port Townsend from 1877 up to 1892, inclusive: