32 TESTIMONY 



Deposition of William 8. Hereford, physicicm on Pribilof Islands. 

 -labits of seals — kookekies and pelagic sealing. 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss : 



William S. Heiefoid, haviiiji- been duly s^\oni, deposes and says: I 



am 39 years of age, and am a physician. I hold the 



Experience. degree of B. S., Santa Clara Colkge, S. J., year 1874, 



also a regular gradnate of the medical dex)arlinent of the University 



of Pennsylvania, year 1877; am aiegular practitioner of medicine and 



surgery. 



I entered the service of the Alaska Commercial Company August, 

 1880, for the purpose of being one of the resident physicians on the 

 seal islands, and was continuously in their em]»loy until May, 1890, at 

 which time I went into the employ of the North American Commercial 

 Company in the same capacity until the latter i)art of August, 1891, 

 having left by resignation. I was in the service of the Alaska Com- 

 mercial Company almost ten years and with the North American Com- 

 mercial Company about lifteen months^ and had a total connection with 

 the seal islands a little over ten years. Seal and seal life being the only 

 and all absorbing topic of conversation, business, food, etc., equally 

 with the natives as ourselves, one naturally becomes almost as familiar 

 with the fur-seals and their habits, as a farmer Avould with those of the 

 cattle and horses on his farm, or a hunter of the animals by Avhom he is 

 surrounded in the woods, and bj^the killing of which he gains a liveli- 

 hood, both as a means of sustenance and article of commerce. 



In ray capacity of physician and surgeon to the sealing companies, 

 i. e., the Alaska Commercial Company and the North American Com- 

 mercial Company, I was stationed the first year, i e., 1880 and 1881, at 

 St. George Island, and in 1881 and 1882 at Unalaska, at which time my 

 duties required me to sail from Unalaska to Attn, Belkofskie, Atka, 

 Unga, etc. I have been from Kadiak to Attn and have visited the 

 way places between those points. I have also in the same capacity 

 made three trips to St. Michaels, Norton Sound, one of which trips on 

 account of the ice carried me over on to the Eussian coast and as far 

 north as the Bering Straits. I have also visited St. Matthews Island, 

 though never having landed, passed by St. Lawrence Island, etc. 

 After 1882 I was at St. Paul Island, with the exception of my vacations 

 in San Francisco, Cal., until 1890 and 1891, when I was again placed 

 on St. George Island. My knowledge is from personal observation and 

 experience, as well as from conversation with the natives, having be- 

 come more or less intimately acquainted with the language spoken by 

 the natives of the islands. 



The loss of life of pup seals on the rookeries up to about 1884 or 1885 

 T f , was comparatively slight and was generally attributed 



Loss of pups u]) to i j.i ^ xi ^i ^ i- 4. 1 



1884 or 18S5 compaia- to the death 01 the mother seal irom natural causes or 

 tiveiy slight. from their natural enemies in the water, or, as some- 



times happened, sudden storms with heavy surfs rolling in from certain 

 directions on to the breeding rookei iCvS, but never at any time would 

 a sufficient number of pups be killed to make it the subject of special 

 comment, either among the natives or the employes of the company. 

 Coincident with the increase of hunting seals in the sea, there was 



an increase in the death rate of pup seals on the rook- 

 rate of^pups?^ '^'^^^^ eries; also a i)erceptible diminution of female seals. As 



hunting increased, it bccamo self-evident, even to the 



