52 THE DEPONENTS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE. 



In 1880 I entered the service of the lessees of the Pribilof Islands as 

 resident physician at the seal islands, and have resided here continu- 

 ously ever since, excepting an occasional visit to my home, for a few 

 months in winter, once or twice since 1880. 



From June, 1880, to August, 1883, I was on St. George Island, and 

 from 1883 to 1884 I was on St. Paul Island. I then returned to St. 

 George, where I have resided ever since, excepting the vacation afore- 

 said. 



I have given much time to the study of the Alaskan fur-seal and its 

 peculiar habits, and I have watched with care and solicitude the in- 

 crease and the decline in numbers of the animals on the hauling grounds 

 and rookeries, and also the methods followed by the lessees in taking 

 the skins — the driving and killing of the young males of from two to 

 five years old, and the salting, curing, bundling, and shipping of the 

 skins. I have likewise carefully observed and noted the coming of the 

 seals in the spring, the hauling out at different times of the various 

 ages and sexes, their disposition on the hauling grounds and rookeries, 

 the formation of the u harem " or family, the birth of the pups, the mi- 

 grations of the mother seals to feed, the breaking up of the harems, the 

 scattering of the cows, and the general intermingling of the sexes in 

 September, and finally the departure of the herd from the islands in 

 November or later. 



I have read most of all that has been written within the past quarter 

 century on the fur-seal question ; and I have listened to and taken part 

 in many of the controversies indulged in by my associates and friends — 

 men who have spent many years in the fur-seal industry and whose 

 practical experience with all its details gives weight and value to their 

 assertions. It was I who, at the request of the United States Treasury 

 agent in charge of the islands, measured all the rookeries and hauling 

 grounds on St. George Island in 1887, 1 and I have kept the record of 

 the climatic changes on St. George since the United States Govern- 

 ment discontinued the meteorological station at the Pribilof Islands. 



In addition to my services as physician, I have occasionally taught 

 the school on St. George, and I have kept the books and accounts for 

 many years for the lessees on the same island. I am thoroughly con- 

 versant with the orders issued by the general and local agents of the 

 lessees to the native chiefs in regard to everything appertaining to the 

 business of taking the annual " catch" and the care of the seals. I 

 have been intimately acquainted with the Treasury agents who have 

 had charge of the islands since 1880, and I acted as assistant agent 

 myself during the temporary absence of the assistant special agent. 

 I am quite familiar with the general and special orders and instruc- 

 tions issued from the Treasury Department from time to time to the 

 special agents for the government of the natives and care of the 

 rookeries and seal herd. And I know those laws, rules, and regula- 

 tions have been faithfully adhered to and fully enforced, published 

 reports of transient visitors to the contrary notwithstanding. 



Ntkla-ah, being duly sworn, deposes and says : I was born at Howkan. 



Am very old ; about 00 years old. I have been a 

 NtkJa-ah, p. 288. hunter all my life. Have hunted fur-seal every 



season since 1 was old enough, in a canoe. 



•The measurements were made very imperfectly, and I never claimed anything 

 but an approximate measurement. It was my opinion that the numbers were exag- 

 gerated, and I so stated at the time. — L. A. N. 



