196 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



Q. Was any man now present at a drive at Northeast Point this year? — A. Yes, 

 three of us. 



Q. At what date were yon there? — A. At the beginning of the season and during 

 the third week. 



Q. Were any of you at Northeast Point since the "podding" or " spreading'' out 

 of the cows and pups orcnrred? — A. No. 



Q. (To Kerick Eooteriu and to Artanionov. ) Were yon born at Northeast Point and 

 "what are your ages? — A. Yes; and Artamonov is now B5 and Booteriu is 61. 



Q. (To same two men.) Do you remember whether there were more or less seals 

 before 1872 than then (1872-1874) or afterwards? — A. In 18(38 the hauling grounds and 

 rookeries were at their very fullest — the entire ground from the lake upward being 

 covered with seals. 



Q. When did you first notice the shrinking or scarcity of seals, and when did you 

 first talk about it among yourselves? — A. In 1877 we first began to notice that the 

 holluschickie were getting fewer, and have continued from that year to grow less 

 and less. 



Q. At what time did you talk among yourselves as to when the time would come 

 when there would be an end to the seal Inisiness? — A. (By George Booterin.) I began 

 to see in 1877 that this trouble was ahead, but whenever I or my people spoke about 

 it we were told by the company men (''Americans ") (sic) that it Avas not of our busi- 

 ness and we must not talk about it. Whenever we talked about the seals tlie company 

 men threatened to send us aw.ay from the island. 



Q. (By jNIr. (Joff to Booterin.) Was that the reason you Avould not talk to me last 

 year? — A. I hardly remember now why I did not like to talk about the seals. 



Q. What do you men think of the effect on seal life of the driving of the senls? — 

 A. When the old Russian Company drove, and the drivers came in hert^, they never 

 killed anything over a 3-year-old; all over that were either never disturbed or else 

 spared, and if the same thing had been practiced ever since there would be no scarcity 

 of seals to-day. 



Q. How many 3-year-olds do you think you can get next year? — A. If they were 

 to drive all the seals on this island next year they would get nothing, and would only 

 disturb and injure the rookeries. 



(By Kerick Booterin.) Whenever any killing is allowed, if they never kill any 

 over 3 years old, and kill only 3 years old and Tinder, I believe there would be no 

 injury done. 



Q. Do any of you remember the zapooska of 1834? — A. Yes; Booteriu and Arta- 

 monov remember it well. 



Q. How many seals were killed after the first year of that order, and how were 

 they killed? — A. The first year we killed only 100 holluschickie, and we increased 

 the number every year afterwards. 



Q. What do you think of another zapooska for to-day? — A. (By Kerick Booterin.) 

 When the Russians ordered their zapooska, little by little afterwards, everything 

 grew better, and if the same thing is rejjcated to-day, everything will grow better, 

 and if it is not done, no seals will come here. We observed that the men sent here 

 by the Government since old Captain liryant, till we saw you men and talk now with 

 you, took no interest in the seals, but whenever busy, were engaged in shooting our 

 hogs; in fact, they very seldom visited the rookeries. 



Q. Did you men ever talk or attempt to talk about seal life to any of the Govern- 

 ment officers before Mr. Gott's time? — A. Yes, on several occasions, and they 

 answered — and they answered we did not know anything about it. 



Q. Have you any (juestions you would like to ask the Government? — A. Yes; Me 

 want to know what is to be done about the seals. 



Mr. Elliott. AYe propose to immediately inform the Secretary of the Treasury of 

 the exact condition of att'airs, and we know that he will take care of the seals and 

 the peojde too. He is the only man who can talk, but he sent us here to get the 

 facts and he will act upon that information. None of us in Washington knew of the 

 true condition of afi^'airs up here. Until Mr. Goff wrote down last year to the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury, not a word has ever gone from here since 1870, which even 

 hinted at any danger to the seals. 



Kerick Booterin. We think had it not been for Mr. Gofl:' the seals would all be 

 gone. W^e are not now afraid of being hungry, although we can not take seals. 



Mr. Elliott. We want you natiA'es to understand that the Government cares more 

 for the preservation of the seals than for any money that may be received in the 

 form of a tax. 



The interview closed at this point. 



The foregoing statements are made only by those natives who in 

 1872-1874. irerc old cuoKf/h then, to really observe and thinlc ; these men 

 are the only snrvivors of that age wheii I was on the ishmd in 1872. 

 When the above interview was in progress Kerick Booterin during the 

 ■whole time held a small notebook in his hand, open, and not seeing 



