RAIDS ON ROOKERIES NOT THE CAUSE. 297 



sure of the islands to surf, the unfavorable climatic conditions, as well 

 as the presence of the natives and white men, will always prevent raids 

 upon the islands from ever being frequent or effective. 



During my stay upon St. George Island several attempts were made 

 by poachers to get on shore and steal the seal, but 



they succeeded, as far as I am aware, only on Harry N. Clark, p. 160. 

 three occasions, and in all those three I do not 

 think they killed more than 1,200 or 1,500 seals, including pups. If any 



others had effected a landing we should have known it, for the rooker- 

 ies were constantly watched aud the natives are very keen in this mat- 

 ter. 



We tried to make a raid on St. George, but the Peter Duffy, p. 421. 

 Corwin was after us and we kept out of its way. 



During the time I was on St. George Island there never was a raid 

 on the rookeries to my knowledge, and I never 

 heard of any such raid ever having taken place, Sam L Falconer > P- w - 



I have known of one or two schooners operating in Bering Sea as 

 early as 1877 or 1878, aud they were on the rook- 

 eries occasionally durfng the past ten years; but Jno. Fratis,p. 108. 

 they can not damage the seal herd much by raid- 

 ing the rookeries, because they can not take many, even were they per- 

 mitted to land, which they are not by any means. 



Raids on the rookeries by marauders did not, while I was on the 

 island, amount to anything, and certainly seal life 

 there was not affected to any extent by such in- H. A. Glidden, p. ill. 

 cursions. I only knew of one raid upon St. Paul 



Island while I was there. It was by a Japanese vessel, and they killed 

 about 100 seals, the carcasses of which we found on board when we 

 captured the vessel. 



We sailed about January from Victoria, British Columbia, and sailed 

 along the coast until the latter part of June and 

 wenfc into Bering Sea, aud sealed as near to St. Jos. G> -ymes, p. 434. 

 George Island as we could, and caught about 300 



or 400 seals in the sea. Our intention was to make a raid, but were 

 driven away by a revenue cutter. We left the sea about the latter part 

 of July. 



Max. Heilbronner, having been duly sworn, deposes and says: I am 

 secretary of the Alaska Commercial Agency, and 

 as such have in my custody all record books of the Max Heilbronner, p. 29. 

 company ; and among them the daily records or 



''log book" kept by the agents of the company on St. George Island 

 from 1873 to 1889, inclusive, and on St. Paul Island from 1870 to 1889, 

 inclusive. In these books every occurrence was carefully noted from 

 day to day by the agent in charge at the time. They have been ex- 

 amined under my supervision and show only the following raids on St. 

 George Island during the time covered by them, to wit: 



October 23, 1891 [1881]. — The carcasses of fifteen dead pup seals aud 

 a cargo hook were found on a rookery. It was supposed that the crew 



