FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 195 



and followed so closely on St. George, seems to have destroyed a great 

 many pups over here on tbe Garbotcli sea margin. There are 17 dead 

 pups lying half buried in the sands of Zoltoi riglit before and under my 

 eyes. 



In closing these copies of my field notes on the hauling grounds the 

 following is pertinent. During the killing season several of the elder 

 men, natives <5n St. Paul, expressed a desire to talk with me about the 

 condition of affairs. I asked them to wait until the work of the season 

 was over, then to come up to the Government house when 1 returned 

 from St. George, where what they had to say could be heard by all of 

 the Treasury officers as well as myself. The notes below of this inter- 

 view were made by Mr. Murray. I copy them literally : 



Village of St. Paul, August 6, 1890. 



In tbe presence of and hearing of Henry W. Elliott, Charles J. Goff, Joseph Mur- 

 ray, and S. R. Nettleton, United States Treasury agents, the following natives (old 

 men) were called into the Government house by Professor Elliott and examined by 

 Messrs. Elliott, Gofi', Murray, and Nettleton, Treasury agents (Simeon Meloviedov, 

 interpreter) : Kerick Artamouov, Kerick Booterin, Vasilie Sedoolie, Marked Vollkov, 

 Eupheem Korchootin, Fedosay Sedick. 



Mr. Murray took the following notes of tht; <'onversation : 



Q. Do you remember Professor Elliott being on this island (St. Paul) in 1872? — 

 A. Yes ; we rememlier him well. 



Q. Do you remember,that thousands of holluschickie were then hauling at South- 

 west Point? — A. Yes; we do remember. 



Q. Were there thousands and thousands lying there undisturbed — that there were 

 no drives made from that point? — A. There were no drives made from there for 

 many years, notably — 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1875 — and yet there were thousands and 

 thousands there and at Zapadnie and Middle Hill, from which we made no drives. 



Q. Do you remember the small rookery and the hauliug grounds on Professor 

 Elliott's map just west of Zapadnie, and called b^^ him "Knrsoolah?" — A. Yes; we 

 remember it distinctly — there was a small rookery there and a large hauling ground. 



Q. Are there any seals hauling there to-daj^, or have you seen any seals at South- 

 west Point? — A. No ; there is nothing there to-day but growing grass — where it used 

 to be covered with seals from point to point. 



Q. Do you remember the hauliug grounds west of Middle Hill, in English Bay 

 and Zapadnie, in 1872, 1873, and 1874? — A. Yes; it used to be covered with seals in 

 those years; we drove them from English Bay — from half-way over only — and even 

 then we would often leave half of the seals behind, and were often obliged to 

 divide tlie drives into four or five divisions because the seals were so uumerous. 



(The above answer was given by Kerick Booterin, who at that time was chief.) 



Q. Do you remember the hauling grounds of Polavina, and is it true that in Mr. 

 Elliott's time there were thousands upon thousands of yonug male seals hauled upon 

 those grounds undisturbed by any driving from beginning to end of the seasons of 

 1872, 1873, and 1874, inclusive? — A. Yes; there were lots of seals there, thousands 

 upon thousands, undisturbed. 



Q. Do you remember the hauling grounds of Stony Point and the beach around 

 it? — A. Yes, we know the place well, and there were seals scattered there all along it. 



Q. Are thei-e any seals there to-day? — A. No; they are all gone. 



Q. Do you remember the hauling grounds betw^een Webster's house and Pola- 

 vina? — A. Yes; and there used to be lots of seals there, especiallv at a point called 

 "Dalnoi." 



Q. Are there any seals there to-day? — A. No; there are none there. Wo drove 

 there this year, but could not get more than 100 seals. 



C\ Do you remember old man Webster in 1872 to 1874 at Northeast Point and where 

 he got his seals in those days? — A. Yes; we do remember. Artamonov was then 

 second chief aud worked with Webster six weeks. 



Q. (To Artamonov.) Is it true that W^ebster got all his seals from that strip of sand 

 beach on the north shore, Avest of Cross Hill ? — A. Yes ; there w^ere always a sufficient 

 number. 



Q. Did Webster drive from or near a rookery then at Northeast Point? — A. No; 

 he never allowed the men to go near a rookery. 



Q. Where do they drive from at Northeast Point to-day? — A. They drive from all 

 around the point. 



Q. Do they go among the cows to get out the holluschickie? — A. No ; they go right 

 above the cows and drive from the very edges. 



