Pribilof Island Logbook, St. George Island
9/6/1886 - 9/30/1886
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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
492September 1886
Sept 6th Sent Alexis Oustigoff & Arkenty Nederazoff as watchmen to Zapadnie to relieve Sakar Oustigoff and Lazar Rezanzoff. The latter report four seals killed for food. Made drive of seals for native food from North rookery killed 76 all stagy. School commenced today with Alexandra Lugobil as teacher 23 scholars
7th Two more scholars today which makes 25 11 boys & 14 girls and is the whole number of school age
11th Steamer sighted at 7½ A.M. which proved to be Riverman Steamer Bear from Arctic sea came to anchor at 11 A.M. They had on board Lieut. Storey & party that wintered on Putman river. Also 25 miners from Yukon. Many of the officers came on shore after dinner & returned to their vessel at 5 P.M.
12th Steamer Bear left in night for Ounalaska Sighted a Barque at Northward supposed to be a whaler
13th Sent Platon Vicaloff & Nicoli Malavansky as watchmen to Zapadnie to relieve Alexis Oustigoff and Arkenty Nederazoff the latter spent all quiet and four seals killed for food
16th Matthew Turner arrived at 6 A.M. bringing mail and supplies from San Francisco Left for St. Paul at 630 A.M. having completed her work here
493
September 1886
17th Light west wind Schooner Turner seen at Northward on her way back from St. Paul Island to Ounalaska Russian school closed today
20th Church Holiday Sent Cornelis Gorokoff and Saml Vicaloff to relieve Platon Vicaloff and Nicoli Malavansky the latter report killing four seals for food
Sept. 23rd Very light west wind Two whaling Barques in sight all day to the Northward. As Mr. Kirk & Hall were out walking to the Eastward of the village this morning they found on the beach the heads & intestines of nine seal pups also four skins of which they brought in three all fresh evidently killed last night. I called the chief asked him if he had any knowledge of the people killing pups He expressed surprise and answered that he had not He told me that he could find out who killed them but soon returned to me saying no one would acknowledge killing them but they said if [underline] any [end underline] were guilty [underline] all [end underline] were. I then called all the people to question each one nearly all answered me in the usual Aleut way by saying they did not know some few answered promptly No I told them I should report the matter to Special Agent Tingle on his return next spring for further action
24th At about 1 P.M. the Riverman Steamer Bear came to anchor in front of the village The water being rough stayed only a few minutes on board Capt. Healey reports that in his opinion all marauding vessels have left these waters
494
September 1886
25th The Riv Steamer Bear left about 9 P.M. yesterday
Natives made a small drive of Sea Lions Pups from Tonkie [?] They got ten which were divided so as to give all a little
27th Sent Simenon Philomanoff and Nicoli Malavansky as watchmen to Zapadnie to relieve Cornelis Gorokoff and Saml Vicaloff the latter report three seals killed for food
29th Natives are making a drive of Sea Lions they spotted about 175 large & small but will not kill until tomorrow
30th It becomes my duty to record a little unpleasantry today At 8 A.M. I was informed that the natives were ready to kill the Sea Lions driven yesterday On going to the killing ground I ordered the chief to kill all that were don Old males females & pups They objected to killing [underline] all [end underline] the females and left only after quite a [underline] Pow-wow [end underline] among themselves obeyed When they commenced to skin them I directed that they leave the blubber on the skin or otherwise they would not be bought by the A.C.Co. Agent & would be wasted Many of the natives refused to obey. Eustin Swetzoff proposed to fight the officer I regretted that it did not seem best to accommodate him. 32 of the skins were refused by the Co. Agent and left on the ground. The natives were sustained in
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defying my authority by their chief Peter Rezanzoff recently affronted by the Asst. Agent Ryan
Consequently after the work of the day was completed I called the people together and informed them that I should remove Peter Rezanzoff and appoint Andronic Rezanzoff in his place They told me they would not recognize my chief disputing my right to remove or appoint I informed them that all business that I had to transact with them [underline] must [end underline] be done through my chief
This is not the first time that they have refused to obey the Government officer and the trouble has quite as often been adjusted by the yielding of the officer as by the submission of the people and no adequate punishment has been inflicted in any case until they think they can defy the officer with impunity Total number of Sea Lions killed today 173. Large 72. Pups 101
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
National Archives Identifier: 297035
Full Citation: Pribilof Island Logbook, St. George Island; 9/6/1886 - 9/30/1886; Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Record Group 22. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/8-pribilof-island-logbook-st-george-island, April 25, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.