50 TESTIMONY 



resumed at a later date, and finished shortly befiiro the seals mij^^rated, 

 thus keeping them in a state of unrest and commotion nearly the whole 

 summer. But the custom did not differ in this respect from that pur- 

 sued by the Russians. In 1872, and every year thereafter, an American 



"boss" was placed at the head of every gang of natives, 

 imin-ovea methods. ^^^^, ^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^.^j^ houscs wcre improved^ supplies of salt 

 for "kenching" skins increased, and the seal catch was pushed to com- 

 pletion before the end of July. Additional salt houses were erected in 

 this and the two following years contiguous to the respective rookeries, 

 in order to avoid long "drives" and facilitate tlie work of the men. In 

 1873 a horse and team of mules were taken to the island in furtherance 

 of the same object, and these were added to from year to year, and sup- 

 plemented by several boats and a steam launch, so that long before the 

 expiration of the lease, the labor put upon both seals and men was very 

 greatly reduced. Under better management, the quality of the catch 

 sent to market constantly improved. The skins averaged larger and 

 more uniform in size than had been formerly secured. 



During the whole period of seventeen years from 1868 to 1885, no 

 11 uotaof skins clifficnlty was experienced in obtaining the full quota 

 obtaineTfrom 1868 to of 100,000 wcll sclected, marketable skins. I know 

 ^^^•^- this to be a fact during all these years, up to and in- 



cluding 1882, from personal observation and experience continued from 

 day to day, in actively managing the business, and am assured by the 

 daily record kept by my assistants, and by their reports to me from 

 time to time, that they were equally successful in seasonably obtaining 

 a desirable catch from 1883 to 1885, inclusive, while I was away from 

 the islands. The work was not completed as early in the seasons from 

 1880 to 1885 as it had formerly been. This was chiefly due to the greater 

 care exercised in selecting animals to be killed. In order that the 

 selection should be made from as large a number as possible, and to sat- 

 isfy the requirements of the Treasury agents in charge, who demanded 



that all the rookeries be worked in regular rotation, 

 fromttiToikeriS!"^ we commenced in 1879 or 1880 to "drive" with greater 



frequency from the more distant and less accessible 

 grounds. These distant animals were not, however, driven to the vil- 

 lage killing grounds, as has been represented, but were slaughtered as 

 near the rookeries as seemed prudent with regard to the welfare of the 

 breeding seals, and the skins were transported in wagons or boats to 

 the salt houses. With this exception, there was no change in the man- 

 ner of conducting the business from 1870 to 1889. 

 ■ In 1880 I again assumed personal direction of the work upon the 

 islands, and continued in charge up to and including 1889. And now, 

 Difficult in 1889 to ^^^^ ^^^ ^^'^* ^""^ ^^ ^^ experience, there was difliculty 

 secure*^^"the' proper iu sccuiing such skius as wc wautcd. The trouble was 

 ^'^™®" not particularly marked in 1880, but increased from 



year to year to an alarming extent, until in 1889, in order to secure the 

 full quota and at the same time turn back to the rookeries such breed- 

 ing bulls as they seemed to absolutely need, we were forced to take 

 fully 50 per cent of animals under size, which ought to have been al- 

 lowed one ortwo years more growth. Coiu'erning this matter I reported 

 to the Alaska Commercial Company under date of July 16, 1889, as 



follows: "The contrast between the present condition 

 on^tiTe^subjeJ't!^^""^''" of scal life, and that of the first decade of the lease is 



so marked that the most inexpert can not fail to notice 

 it. Just when the change commenced I am unable, from ])ersonal ob- 

 servation, to say, for as you will remember I was in ill health and una- 



