80 TESTIMONY 



from 1883 to 1884 1 was on St. Paul Island. I then returned to St. George, 

 where; I have resided ever since, excepting the vacations aforesaid. 



I have given much time to the study of the Alaslcan fur-seal and its 

 peculiar habits, and I have watclied witli care and solicitude the 

 increase and the decline in numbers of tlie animal on the hauling" 

 grounds and rookeries, and also the methods followed by the lessees 

 in taking the skins — the driving aiKl killing of the young males of from 

 two to live years old, and the salting, curing, bundling, and shipping 

 of the skins. I have likewise carefully observed and noted the coming 

 of the seals in the spring, the hauling out at difterent times of the 

 various ages and sexes, their disposition on the hauling grounds and 

 rookeries, the formation of the ^' harem" or family, the birth of the 

 pups, the migrations of the mother seals to feed, the breaking up of the 

 harems, the scattering of the cows, and the general intermingling of 

 the sexes in September, and finally the departure of the herd from the 

 islands in I^fovember or later. 



I have read most of all that has been written within the past quarter 

 century on the fur-seal question; and I have listened to and taken part 

 in many of the controversies indulged in by my associates and friends 

 — men who have spent many years in the fur-seal industry and Avhose 

 practical experience witl; all its details gives weight and value to their 

 assertions. It was I who, at the request of the United States Treasury 

 agent in charge of the islands, measured all the rookeries and hauling 

 grounds on St. George Island in 1887,^ and I have kept the record of 

 the climatic changes on St. George since the United States Govern- 

 ment discontinued the meteorological station at the Pribilof Islands. 



In addition to my services as i)hysician, I have occasionally taught 

 the school on St. George, and I have kept the books and accounts for 

 many years for the lessees on the same island. I am thoroughly con- 

 versant with the orders issued by the general and local agents of 

 the lessees to the native chiefs in regard to eveiything appertaining to 

 the business of taking the annual " catch" and the care of the seals. 

 I have been intimately acquainted with the Treasury agents who have 

 had charge of the islands since 1880, and I acted as assistant agent 

 myself during the temporary absence of the assistant special agent. 

 I am quite familiar with the general and special orders and instruc- 

 tions issued from the Treasury Department from time to time to the 

 special agents for the government of the natives and the care of the 

 rookeries and seal herd. And I know those laws, rules, and regula- 

 tions have been faithfully adhered to and fully enforced, published 

 reports of transient visitors to the contrary notwithstanding. 



The seal islands of St. Paul and St. George, geographically known 

 as the Pribilof Islands, are situated in Bering Sea at 

 PriMonsiandl ^^"^ a^^^^t 170° west from Greenwich and 56° north lati- 

 tude; and they are nearly 200 miles from the nearest 

 land. 



The climatic conditions in their inmiediate vicinity are so peculiar 



ciiinat ^^^^ their formation and situation are so unique that it 



is not hard to belie\ e they were selected for a home 

 and resting place by the Alaskan fur-seal because of their adaptabil- 

 ity to that purpose, and to that only. The thermometer rarely goes 

 higher than 60° or lower than zero ; the average for a number of years 

 being 35°. 



In winter the islands are sometimes surrounded by broken ice, vrhich 



1 The measitrements were made very imperfectly, and I never claimed any thins t>"t 

 an approximate measurement. It waa my opinion that the numbers were exagger- 

 ated, and I so stated at the time. — L. A. N. 



