150 TESTIMONY 



is to exercise the greatest care in driving, so that tlio 

 Care of seals. auinials may not be injured or abused iu any manner. 



As ttie rcguhitions require the lessees to pay for every skin taken 

 from seals killed by the orders of their local agents, and 

 iiifvei'r ""* o^er ■ ,^g ^|jg skin of an overheated seal is valueless, it is only 

 reasonable to suppose that they would be the last men 

 living to encourage or allow their employes to overdrive or in any man- 

 ner injure the seals. I know that the orders given to 

 Positive oidirs of me, as local agent, were always (►f the most positive 

 company to protect ^^^^ emphatic kind on this point, and they were always 

 obeyed to the letter. Instead of overdriving or neg- 

 lecting the seals the lessees have endeavored to do everything in their 

 power to shorten the distances between the hauling and killing grounds, 

 or between the hauling grounds and the salt house. 



Before the Alaska Coiianercial Company leased the seal islands in 

 1.S70, it was a common practice to drive seals from North East Point to 

 the Village on St. Paul Island, a distance of 12 miles, and from Zapad- 

 nie to the Village on St. George Island, a distance of G miles, across a 

 very rough and rugged country. 



Prom Halfway point and from Zapadnie on St. Paul 

 Management. Island, soals wcre driven, respectively, 5 and C miles. 



When the Alaska Commercial Company took control of the islands 

 the drive from North East i^oint was prohibited, and a salt house and 

 other necessary buildings erected within 2 miles of the killing ground, 

 and all tlie skins taken there were salted and stored and shipped fr>)m 

 North East Point. In 1879 a killing ground was made, and a salt house 

 built at Halfway Point, within 2 miles of the hauling grounds, and all 

 skins taken at the Point are salted there. At Zapadnie, the same year, 

 a killing ground was made within a mile of the hauling ground, and the 

 skins taken ihere are taken to the Vil'age salt house in boats, or, when 

 the weather is unfavorable, by team and wagon. 



Since 1878 there has not been a driv^e made on St. 

 Driving. p.^^^^ Island to exceed 2 miles. At Zapadnie, St. 



George, a salt house was built about 1875, and the (J mile drive pro- 

 hibited, and a trail made at great expense across the Island, over which 

 the skins are taken on pack saddles to the Village. Since 1874 no seals 

 have been driven on St. George Island to exceed 2^ miles. 



Although the seals are comparativelj^ tame after be- 

 strict rules. -j^^. ^^^ ^j^^ j.^^^^^ ^.^^, ^ ^^^^.^ ^.^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ scared 



so easily as is commonly supposed, the rules and regulations of the 

 Treasury Department are very strict on the question of absolute pro- 

 tection to the seals on the Islands, and the Treasury Agents have always 

 most rigidly enforced them. 



It is unlawful to lire a gun on the islands from the time the first seal 

 appears in the spring until the last one leaves at the 

 Kg shooting allowed. ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ scasou ; and in order to properly enforce this 

 law, the firearms are taken from the natives and locked up in the Gov- 

 ernment house, in care of the Treasury Agents. 



No person is allowed to go near a rookery unless by special order of 

 the Treasury Agent; and, when driving from the haul- 

 tuHj^ed ''"''^ ^°^ '^'''' "^S grounds' the natives are forbidden to smoke or make 

 any unusual noise, or to do anything that might dis- 

 turb or frighten the seals. All driving is done when the weather is 

 j^^.^^.^^ cool and moist, and when the condition of the weather 



demands it, the drives are made in the cool of the night ; 

 and in no case are seals driven at a higher rate of speed than about 



