RELATING TO ST. PAUL ISLAND. 113 



extent the seal life on the Pribilof Islauds. Even in tliis diminislied 

 state of the rookeries in 1889 I carefully observed that iu the uiajoiity 

 of cases the four and five year old males were allowed to droj) out of a 

 "drive" before the bachelors had been driven any distance ironi the 

 hauling grounds. These seals were let go for the sole jiurpose of sup- 

 plying sufficient future breeders. 



A few seals are injured by redriving (often conflicted with overdriving 

 and sometimes so called), but the number so injured is 

 incon sider able an d could h ave no appreciabl e effect upon (^j.m',''^^^ '"^ '"■ °^^'"" 

 seal life through destroying the virility of the male, '"'"'^' 

 The decrease, caused by pelagic sealing, compelled whatever injurious 

 redriving has taken place on the islands, as it was often necessary to 

 drive every two or three days from the same hauling grounds, which 

 caused many seals let go in a former "drive" to be driven over again 

 before tlioruughly rested. If a "drive" -was made only once a week 

 from a ceitain hauling ground, as had been the case before pelagic sealing 

 grew to such enormous proportions and depleted the rookeries, there 

 would be no damage at all resulting from redriving. 



In my opinion, pelagic sealing is the cause of redriving on the islands, 

 the depletion of the rookeries, and promises to soon make the Alaska 

 fur-i-eal herd a thing of the past. If continued as it is to-day, even 

 if killing on the islands M^as absolutely forbidden, the herd will in a 

 few years be exterminated. I am, therefore, of the 

 opinion that pelagic sealing should be absolutely pro- ^JioiiibitiounBces- 

 hibited both in Bering Sea and the Xorth Pacific Ocean. " ' ' 

 If this is done and a few years are allowed the seal herd to recover 

 from the enormous slaughter of the past seven years, the Pribilof Islands 

 will produce their 100,000 skins as heretofore for an indefinite period. 



I hereby append to and make a part of this affidavit a table, marked 

 A, giving the number 01 seals killed each day on the 

 Islandof St. Paul during the years 1889 and 1890 up ™/}^1, "^'" ''^" 

 to the 20th day of July. 



- I also append to and make a part of this affidavit a table, marked B, 

 showing the killing of seals on the island of St. Paul up to July 20, for 

 for the years 1870 to 1890, inclusive, compiled from the records kept at 

 the Government House on St. Paul Island. 



I also append to and make a part of this affidavit a table, marked C, 

 showing the daily temperature and state of the weather for the months 

 of June and July during the years 1889 and 1890, compiled from obser- 

 vations taken by Dr. C. A. Lutz, on St. Paul Island. 



Charles A. Goff. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me, a notary public in and for the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, this 13th day of April, 1 892. 



Sevellon a. Brown, 



Notary Public. 

 27iC VOL II 8 



