54 TESTIMONY 



dire alternatives ii])oii tlic ])olaj>i(; seal liniiters, who have ruthlessly 

 destroyed tlie licrd in wiiicli every native had a^ certain vested ri^ht, 

 in the exercise ol' wliicli he deserved the protection ol" the Government 

 into whose care he has come. 



H. II. McIntyre. 



Subscribed and sworn to before nie this 12th day of May, 181)2. 

 [SEAL.J Clement IIennett, 



Js'otary ruhllc. 



DepoHltion of IT. TT. MeTntyre^ special Trea,wri/ afjoit and sujmrhitendent 

 for (he lessees of the Pribilof Islands. 



management. 



State of Vermont, 



Oranye County^ ss: 



n. H. Melntyre, of Kandolph, in said county, having been duly sworn, 

 dei)oses aiul says: 1 am a native of Vermont, 4S vcars 

 Expeneuco. ^^j^j_ j, ^^ ^j^^ years^l8()8 and 1S(>1) 1 was si)ecJal United 



States Treasury agent assigned to duty in Alaska, under particular 

 instructions to visit and rei)ort ui)on the seal fisheries of Alaska, and 

 from 1870 to 1880, inclusive, 1 was sui)erintendent of the sealeries ibr 

 tlu', lessees of the I'ribilof Islands. In these capacities I first visited 

 the seal islands in the summer of 18()!>, and every year therea Iter until 

 and including 1880, e\cei)tthe years 188;;, 1884, and issr). In 1871 and 

 1872 I stayed there continuously for about sixteen months, and in each 

 of the other years from two to four months, through the sealing 

 season. I also visited London twice during my superintemlency in 

 connection Avith the sealing industry, and was at all times actively at 

 work in the interests of my emi)loyers. JMy duties as such special 

 Treasury agent and superint(Mident denumded and received my atten- 

 tion to ev(!ry detail of seal life and its reflations to (commerce. In the 

 discharge of these duties 1 was constantly aided by able, intelligent 

 assistants and native seal hunters, whose daily observations and reports 

 were from time to time conununicated to me. 



The work of seal killing is done by the Aleutian inhabitants of the 

 seal islands under the imnu'diate supervision of the 

 '""■ superintendent for the lessees and his assistants. The 



natives are directe<l by theii' (diiefs, who are either chosen by them- 

 selves or appointed by the Ti'casury agcMit in charges. M"'he force of 

 natives is divided into gangs of 20 to .'50 men, each gang being led by 

 an assistant sup<'rintendent and native chief, and coni]>rises the i»roi)er 

 luimber of "clubbers,'" "ripi>ers," and ''skinners." 



J)riri)ig. 



In describing tlu^ habits of the seals it has ali'eady been ])ointed out 

 , . . , , that tlu^ "baclu'lois," or killable seals, haul out ui)ou 

 the land separate and a])art from the l)reeding rook- 

 eries, and it follows that they may be herde<l together and driven in 

 from the beaches to tlu^ killing grouiids without in the least disturbing 

 the breeding seals. During the killing season, beginning the 1st of 



