RELATING TO PRIBI1.0F ISLANDS. 6 



Deposition of Charles Bryant j s2)ccial Trcasuri/ aijcnt <>n F rib ilof Islands. 



HABITS. 



District of Colitimbia, 



City of Washington, ss : 



Charles Bryant, beiuji duly sworn, deposes and says: I am a resi- 

 dent of Mattapoisett, IMyinouth County, State of Massachusetts, and 

 am 72 years of age. In September, 1808, I was appointed a special 

 Treasury agent to go to Pribilof Islands for tlie pur- 

 pose of investigating and reporting as to the habits of Experience. 

 the fur seal, the condition of the islands, and the most advantageous 

 plan to be adopted for the government and management of the same. 

 Pursuant to such appointment, I proceeded to the Pacific coast, and in 

 March, 1869, I landed on St. Paul Island, remaining there until Sep- 

 tember of the same year. I then returned to Washing- 

 ton and laid my report before the Treasury Department. ^.^ ''' '"^p"''^ *° '^^'^^^' 

 I again went back to the islands in July, 1870, and re- 

 mained there until the fall of 1871. Then, in April, 1872, 1 again arrived 

 at the islands, this time in the capacity of a special agent of the Treas- 

 ury Department in charge of the seal islands. I was upon the islands 

 as such agent from that time and during the sealing season from 1872 

 to 1877, inclusive, and passed three winters there, viz, those of 1872, 

 1874, and 1876. Since the year 1877 I have not visited the seal islands. 

 I have examined the breeding areas of 1870, indicated 

 by H. H. Mclntyre on charts^A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, arfas'lf^lncfea^e 

 of St. Paul Island, and they are to the best of my knowl- f^"^^l ^J ^; ^- ^'^^ 

 edge and belief correct. I have also examined the areas " '^^^ "" "^ ^^^ **■ 

 of increase shown by him upon the same charts as applicable to the breed- 

 ing rookeries in 1882, and tliey Avere proportionately correct in 1877, 

 the last year of my stay upon the islands, the increase up to that time 

 having been about one-half of that shown by him. The above state- 

 ment is true, also, to the best of my knowledge and be- 

 lief, of the breeding areas of 1870 and the increase of ai^aT'l^^'^i^ea" e 

 1882, indicated by Thomas F. Morgan upon charts H, |i\"r!°j'^n^cj'""^^^^^^ 

 I, J, and K, of St. George. *"^"""' 



Charles Bryant. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this IStli day of A])ril, 1892. 



[L. s.] Chas. L. Hughes, 



Rotary Public in and for the District of Columbia. 



Deposition of Charles Bryant, special Treasury agent on Pribilof Islands. 

 habits and rookeries in 1869-'77. 



District of Columbia, 



City of Washington, ss: 

 Charles Bryant, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am a resident 

 of Mattapoisett, Plymouth County, State of Massachusetts, and am 

 72 years of age. From 1840 to 1858 I was engaged in whaling in 

 the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. The latter portion of the 

 tinTe I was captain of a whaling vessel. I then retired ^,^ cri.nre 

 to a farm located in the town of Faivhaven, in Bristol '^pcninre 

 County, State aforesaid. In September, 1868, I Avas appointed a spe- 



