206 



FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



there is some falling off, it is certain, hoTvever, this vast number of animals, so val- 

 uable to the Government, are [sic] still on the increase. The condition of all the 

 rookeries could not be better, and the seals undisturbed when ashore, seem to take 

 great comfort out of their season of rest after a long winter's voyage at sea. 



Geo. R. Tinglk, Treasury Agent. 

 (Senate Ex. Doc. No. 31, Fiftieth Congress, first session.) 



[The bogus official report of 1888.] 



Offick of Spf.cial Agext of the Treasury Department, 



St. Paul Island, Alaska, July 31, 18SS. 

 Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith a rei^ort of the operations of the far- 

 seal islands of Alaska for the year ending July 31, 1888. 



The ireeding rookeries were later filling this year than for several years past. I 

 may say that fully three-fourths of the cows and bulls were ten days later hauling 

 out than usual, which at the time gave the impression there would be a shortage this 

 season of killable seals, as well as breeders. 



I am happy to be able to report that although late landing, the l)reeding rookeries 

 are filled out to the lines of measurement heretofore made, and some of them much 

 beyond those lines, showing conclusively that seal life is not being depleted, but ia 

 fully up to the estimates given in my report of 1887. 



^ -h # * # ■* * 



Geo. R. Tingle, Treasury Agent. 

 (Senate Ex. Doc. No. 90, Fiftieth Congress, second session.) 



June 15, 18S7 



[Treasury agent's journal, St. George Island (pp. 12, 13). J 

 -The following was received on the 13th : 



"Measurement of rookeries iy Dr. Xoyes, acting assistant Treasury agent, St, George 

 Island, January 4, March 1, and April 22, 18S7. ' 



Rookery. 



East 



Zapadnie 



Little East . . 

 Slarry Artecl 

 Near North.. 



Total . . 



Sea mar- 

 gin. 



Width. 



2,200 



2,100 



600 



900 



3,500 



9,300 



200 

 160 

 125 

 575 

 300 



Square feet. 



Seals. 



440, 000 

 330, 000 

 75, 000 

 517, 000 

 , 050, 000 



220, 000 

 168, 000 

 37, 500 

 258, 750 

 525, 000 



2,418,500 1,209,250 



"The measurement of the above rookeries by H. W. Elliott July 12-15, 1873, gives 

 as the total of males, females, and young seals on the breeding rookeries, 163,420, 

 while the company killed 2.5,000 seals on St. George, or one-fourth of the catch. 



"The same officer gives the number of breeding seals on St. Paul Island July 10 to 

 18, at 3,030,2.50, or twenty times the number on St. George, and yet only three times 

 the number of seals were taken on St. Paul. It is evident that Mr. Elliott's meas- 

 urements of St. George rookeries were not correct, or the company could not have 

 taken 25,000 from so small a showing. 



' With reference to this official entry in the St. George journal, the following note from my jour- 

 nal should he transcribed in simple justice to Dr. Noyes : 



Tu^LAGE OF St. George, July 25, 1800. 



Dr. L. A. Noyes, -who made [the measurements of the rookeries of St. George Island in 1887, long 

 before a breeding seal had made its appearance upon them, and who sent tlicm over to St. Paul to George 

 K. Tingle, who in turn under date of June 10, 1.S87, orders them sj)read upon the record as "absolutely 

 correct" (neitlier man had ever seen, up to that hour, the rookeries when covered wit li breeding seals as 

 specified in these measurements aforesaid), this day personally entered a disclaimer to me as to any 

 responsibility for these estimates of the numbers of seals on the St. George rookeries, which Tingle 

 declares "absolutely correct." He said tome that he did not know anything about surveying; that lie 

 made those measurements of space in length and depth at Mr. Tingle's request, and sent them over 

 ■without maTiing any estimates of the number of seals that might be within the lines of his measure- 

 ments. That estimate of 1,209,2.50 seals on the St. George rookeries in 1887 was made wholly outside 

 of his knowledge or suggestion. 



