42 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



observations there iu the course of the performance of your official duties, 

 and I will ask you such questions as are pertinent from time to time? — 

 A. Well, I hardly know where to commence. 



Q. Just state the general condition you found the islands and seal 

 rookeries in, and the substance of your observations during the admin- 

 istration of your duties there. — A. 1 lauded on St. George Island first, 

 I think, on about the 25th of May, 1881, remained there a short time — 

 a few hours — and then proceeded to St. Paul Island, and without any 

 positive instructions from the Treasury Department, except in a general 

 way. I suppose it might be well enough forme to state that when I re- 

 ceived my appointment as Treasury agent I was then clerk of the Illinois 

 house of representatives. It came to me wholly unexpected ; and inas- 

 much as the vessel left, as it was stated by telegram, on the 1st day 

 of May, and that was the 19th of April when I received the telegram 

 that I had been appointed, I did not know where the seal islands were 

 at that time; neither did I know what my duties would be. All that I 

 knew was that I should proceed at once to San Francisco to take the 

 vessel. I made inquiry as to the whereabouts of the islands, but I could 

 not get much satisfaction anywhere. At any rate, I resigned and went 

 home, remaining there one day, and left, within forty-eight hours after 

 receiving the telegram, for San Francisco. I reached there in time to 

 take the steamer on the 5th of May, but still somewhat in the dark as to 

 what my duties were. But, at any rate, I arrived, as I stated, on the seal 

 islands, I think, about the 25th of May. When I got there I found that 

 Mr. H. G. Otis was in charge at St. Paul. The understanding was that 

 I was to go to St. Paul Island — that was my understanding — and re- 

 main there with whoever was iu charge. 



Q. Your position, then, was that of an assistant? — A. I was an as- 

 sistant agent, but I was not aware of it until I got there. I discovered 

 that I was to be the assistant agent after I came in contact with Mr. 

 Otis. Mr. James here is probably aware of that. A report which I 

 made will explain perhaps the reasons why the associations with Mr. 

 Otis were not altogether agreeable to me, and I received written in- 

 structions from him, after having been there about a week in the dis- 

 charge of cargo, etc., to proceed to St. George, which I did with a great 

 deal of satisfaction and pleasure. And that was my station during the 

 summer. What information I can give the committee will be in regard 

 to St. George, although I returned to St. Paul afterwards, and practi- 

 cally the same condition of things existed on St. George that existed in 

 St. Paul, so far as my observation went. Now, do you desire that I 

 should go into detail as to the seal business, killing, and everything per- 

 taining thereto. 



Q. Yes, sir, put in a general account. Now, this range of the inves- 

 tigation takes in, for instance, the condition iu which you found the 

 rookeries, and also the condition in which you found the native popula- 

 tion on St. George Island. — A. That will necessitate my going back to 

 my first landing on St. Paul. 



When I landed on St. Paul Island I found that the people were in a 

 very deplorable condition — made so by the frequent and constant use 

 of what is known as quass, a beverage which they brew when they are 

 not molested by the special agent of the Treasury! I found that at least 

 one-third of these people were in a condition which made it impossible 

 for them to do what was expected of them by the company; in other 

 words, there are so many men on the island, and their services are ab- 

 solutely necessary to carry on ail the business and do the seal work ; 

 but one-third of them were incapacitated for the reason I have stated. 



