84 TESTIMONY 



an attempt to account for the cause of tliis sudden change, and the 

 folloAving are some of them: 1st, ''A deartli of bulls upon the breed- 

 ing rookeries;" 2d, "Impotency of bulls, caused by overdriving while 

 they were young bachelors; " and 3d, "An epidemic among the seals." 



The "dearth of bulls theory" has been thoroughly and impartially 



^ investigated Avithout discovering a cow of 3 years old 



or over on the rookeries without a puj) by her side at 



the proi)er time, and I am convinced that the virgin fenmles coming 



on to the rookeries for the first time are the only ones to be found there 



without pups. 



The investigation established the additional fact that hundreds of 

 vigorous bulls were lying idle on the rookeries without cows, and many 

 others had to content themselves with only one or two. 



The theory of "impoteiicy of the bull through overdriving" while 



^ ynung was also found to be untrue, and it was shown 



^o impotent bulls. ^^^.^^ j^^.^^^^, j ^-.^ .^ j^ j^^^^^. ^^^..^^^^ ^^^ ^_^^^ islauds had beeu 



abolished, and instead of driving seals from 6 to 12 miles, as was done 

 in Russian times, none were driven to exceed 2^ miles. 



It is also a well-known fact that none but the i^hysically strong and 

 aggressive bulls can hold a position on the rookeries; and that a weak 

 or an impotent animal has no desire to go there. 



The epidemic theory was urged very strongly in 181)1, when the 

 rookeries were found covered with dead pups ; but a 

 seSs/'^^^^''^ ^™°°^ careful and technical examination was made on several 

 of the dead bodies without discovering a trace of 

 organic disease; Avhile starvation was so apparent that those who 

 examined them decided that it was the true cause of their death. Had 

 sickness or disease attacked the seal lierd, it is only reasonable to suj)- 

 pose a few grown seals would be found dead where so many young ones 

 had died so suddenly; but the most diligent search has failed to find a 

 grown seal dead upon the islands from unknown causes. 



From the discovery of the islands until the present time the flesh of 

 the fur-seal has been the daily meat ration of the natives and of the 

 white people, and yet it is a tact that a tainted or diseased carcass has 

 never been known. 



In my opinion the solution of the problem is plain. It is the sliot- 



Peiagic sealing the gHii and rifle of the pcIagic hunter which are so 

 only cause of (i..(-reas(>. destructivc to the COW scals as they go backwards and 

 forwards to the fishing banks to supply the waste caused by giving 

 nourishment to tiieir young. 



At this time they are destroyed by thousands, and their young of 

 but a lew weeks old must necessarily die of starvation, for nature has 

 lirovided no other means of subsistence for them at this time of life. 



Unless the pelagic hunter is prevented from taking seals in Bering 

 „ , ,. Sea and in the JSTorth Pacific, the Alaskan fur seal will 



Protection necessary. . v. n • i i 



soon cease to be of commercial value. 



L. A. NoYES, M. D. 

 Subscribed and sworn to before me, an oflicer empowered to admin- 

 ister oaths under section 1970, Ilevised Statutes of the United States, 

 this 11th day of June, 1802, at St. George Island, Alaska. 



W3r. H. Williams, 

 Treasury Agent in charge of IScal IsUDids. 



