8 TESTIMONY 



shores covered witli broken rocks, but in 1877 the areas liad increased 

 to sucli an extent that a considerable percentage of the breeding seals 

 extended ont onto the sand beaches, which before they had carefully 

 avoided, for reasons I have heretofore stated. 



The pups on the rookeries were fat and healthy, and while I was ou 



the islands no epidemic disease ever appeared among them, nor did the 



natives have stories of an epidemic ever destroying them. A dead 



pup was rarely seen, the dead being a small fraction 



Dead pups arar.ty. ^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ lUimber of pupS. I do not 



think while I was there I saw in any one season tifty dead pups on the 

 rookeries, and the majority of dead pups w^ere along the shore, having 

 been killed by the surf. 



During the entire time I was upon the islands the most stringent regu- 

 lations were always enforced in relation to disturbing the rookeries in 

 any way. The use of firearms during the season the 

 foiliiiMe^onTsianTs^ ^^'^^^^ wcrc upou tlic islauds was forbidden, and this was 

 enforced by taking possession of the guns of the natives 

 or by removing the locks and retaining them until tlie close of the sea- 

 son; also all dogs were, in 1869 or 1870, destroyed on the islands, and 

 no others were allowed to be brought here. 



The driving and killing of the bachelor seals was always carried on 

 in the most careful manner, and during my stay upon the islands there 

 was practically no injury caused to seal life by over- 

 _^i)nvmg and till- (jpiyjjjg^ r^yy([ after 1873, when horses and mules were 

 introduced by the lessees to transport the skins, the 

 seals were not driven as far, killing grounds being established near the 

 hauling grounds and the loss by overdriving Avas reduced to the frac- 

 Redrivin ^^^^ ^^ ^ ^^^ ceiit. Kcdriving of the growing males 



ec riving. from tlic various hauling grounds was made at inter- 



vals of several days, and did not cause them any injury, and I am 

 thoroughly satished that there was not a single instance in which the 

 virility of a male seal was destroyed or impaired by redriving. 



In all cases, at suitable intervals and before driving to the killing 

 grounds, the herd was halted and the males of 5 years old or older were 

 alloAved to escape. Females were never driven, except in a few cases 

 where a barren one had hauled up with the bachelors, but I do not 

 think in ten thousand females there is one barren. 



The general methods employed under American rule were far su- 

 perior to those of the Russians, as will be readily un- 

 improved manage- \ , t n j.i /? n • /-• i 

 ment under Aineri- dcrstood tiom the toUoWlllg lactS. 



cau control. Wliou I first visitcd the seal islands in 1868 the natives 



were living in semi subterranean houses built of turf and such pieces of 

 driftwoodand whalebonesasthey wereableto secureon 

 Condition of natives the bcach. Their food had been prior to that time in- 

 Coinpauy."' ^''"'"'""' Sufficient in variety, and was com])rised of seal meat 

 and a few other articles, furnished in meager quantity 

 by the Russian Fur Company. They had no fuel, and depended for heat 

 upon the crowding together in their turf houses, sleeping in the dried 

 grasses secured upon the islands. Forced to live under these condi- 

 tions they could not of course make j^rogress towards civilization. 

 There Avere no facilities for transi)orting the skins. They were carried 

 on the backs of the natives, entailing great labor and hardship, and by 

 reason of these tedious methods the taking of the annual catch was 

 extended over a number of mouths, being a continual source of moles- 

 tation to the haulins' seals. 



