172 SLAL LIFK ON THE PRIHILOF ISLANDS. 



CMTKD STATKS COAST AND CRODF/HC SIKVKY. 



^Iciintcr M<-.[ rtlitir. December 9. 1^9.2. 

 Hon. JOHN \V. FOSTKK, 



Nrr/'f iiii'Uuf Stutt . ]\'((s)l hit/toil. />. ('. 



SIR: I have 1 lie honor to for\\ ard the a i'idax it desired, and will forward 

 the duplicate 1 o-morrow. 



\\~e anchored otf Sechat village at .'>..'>0 p. in. April L'O. Our native 

 chief came alongside and was requested to come on board in the morn- 

 ing and bring wit li him some of tin 1 chief men of t he village, lie had 

 planned to go hunting wild geese, which were living at the time: so I 

 promised him s -> or > s -~> for his loss of time and to accompany us to other 

 villages. \Ye took their testimony in the morning of the L'lst. and ran 

 to another village. anchoring at 10.45 a. in., took testimony and left at 

 l.L'O. Anchored oiV I'cliielet at 1*. 10 and left at i.-!.\ Anchored off 

 Taylor Island at 7.'_'0 p. m. and lei't for Port Townsend at 10 p. in. 



Two to three dollars were given to each head chief and one dollar 

 eacli to the others for their loss of time and witness tee after testimony 

 was given. All that was requested of them was to answer the questions 

 truthfully. The white storekeeper was on hoard but a few minutes, and 

 was invited to take a glass of beer or liquor. The priest dined on board, 

 and. I believe, took a drink and some claret wine. \Ve were 1 not long 

 enough in any one place to intoxicate anyone if we had been foolish 

 enough to do so. 1 sincerely believe they would give the same 

 testimony to an Knglish party at any time. 



There were four commissioned officers of the Navy present during the 

 testimony, and as many of the witnesses could speak and understand 

 Knglish. all were satisfied of their truthfulness. 

 Very respect full y. 



W. T. KAY. 

 Lieutenant, r/d/rd States \<iri/, ('<>iii/((iliit<j. 



STATK 01- CALIFORNIA: 



\\ . P. Rav, bein^; duly sworn, deposes and says: I am an oflicer in 

 the Tinted States Navy, holding the <TJide of lieutenant. Tnder 

 instructions from Washington I went from Port Townsend to Barclay 

 Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. April 11). 1SOU, in the 

 steamer M<-A I't/ttT. of the Cnited States Coast Survey. I returned to 

 Port Townsend three days later. The object of my visit to Barclay 

 Sound was to procure information in the form of affidavits as to the 

 habits of the fur seals, to be used in the pending arbitration with (ireat 

 Britain. 1 visited the various points in that vicinity inhabited by the 

 Indians, and took the testimony, of a number of these people and of 

 the priest, of the village. For greater convenience I took the testimony 

 aboard the steamer, and I agreed to pay, and did pay, each witness a 

 reasonable sum for attendance, which sum did not exceed the usual fee 

 allowed a witness in a court of justice. The total amount disbursed 

 by me in obtaining the testimony of these witnesses was s."f>, which 

 amount was distributed amoii.u' 1~ men. It was made up partly of the 

 amount paid to each individual witness on account of his attendance 

 on board mv vessel, partlv of sums paid out to men who undertook to 

 ascertain the whereabouts of certain of the witnesses and secure their 

 attendance as above. Kach witness received a plu# of tobacco. No 

 other gratuity of any sort was dispensed. 



