28 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



By the Chateman : 



Q. Have you any knowledge of the Commercial Company ever usiftg 

 or attempting to use any improper influences on the Government agents 

 there to influence their reports ? — A. They never had a chance to look 

 at mine ; they never saw them. It was never suggested to me what I 

 should report on. They never asked me anything about it. 



Q. You have no knowledge of any improper influence having been 

 offered by the company or any agent of the company"? — A. Not at all. 

 By the way, reports from the islands are made by the chief agent. 



Q. Do you know of any violations of the contract between the com- 

 pany and the Government ? — A. I know of no violations except to do 

 more than they were required to do. They are always very willing to 

 do anything, as I said before, either for the natives, the Government, or 

 other people, that is reasonable. 



Q. As agent of the Government there, were you charged with the 

 duty of looking after violations of the laws of the United States in Ber- 

 ing Sea by vessels and others ? — A. Yes. 



Q. Was there much trouble in that respect? — A. Yes, sir; a good 

 deal sometimes. 



Q. By foreign vessels, by hunters of our country as well as foreign- 

 ers ? — A. Yes, sir. There have been a number captured there. 



Q. What is the quest of those hunters ? Do they hunt in the open 

 seas, or do they attempt to hunt on these seal islands? — A. They come 

 to seal islands in the night, on moonlight nights. We took a vessel 

 loaded with seals while they were on the islands. We got into the ves- 

 sel and took possession of it, while they were on the island killing seals. 



Q. Does the Government keep a couple of revenue vessels there? — 

 A. They did not while I was there. They landed one officer on a little 

 island 6 miles from St. Paul to watch. 1 understand now they keep a 

 revenue cutter there most of the summer. In every report I made I 

 recommended that they should keep a revenue cutter there. 



Q. I was just about asking you if it was not necessary that some ves- 

 sel should be kept there. — A. I think a vessel should be kept there 

 through the entire season. 



Q. Do you go up there in the winter ? — A. No, sir ; you want to go 

 away from there by the 1st of November. 



Q. ISpeaking of the season, you mean the sealing season ? — A. I mean 

 the sealing season. Up to the last of October they should have a ves- 

 sel there. The seal skins get stagy, so that they are not good, but they 

 hunt them just the same. When the hunters go to catch they take 

 anything they can get, good, bad, and indifferent. 



Q. What time does the company take their catch ? — A. From the 

 1st of June until the 10th of August, generally about thirty-five work- 

 ing days. If it rains any of the time or it is too hot, it is delayed off, 

 but it is generally about thirty days. They take the catch as soon as 

 they can. 



Q. Are they enabled to take their catch without disturbing the rook- 

 eries seriously ? — A. Yes, sir ; they do not disturb the rookeries at all. 



Q. They do not disturb the seals on what is called the breeding 

 grounds ? — A. No, sir. 



Q. They just drive the bachelor seals off by themselves ? — A. Yes, 

 sir. 



Q. And r,o female seals are ever destroyed by the company at all ? — 

 A. No, sir. 



Q. There is no reason, then, why the number should ever diminish ? — 

 A. I should think not. 



