44 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



except some of them had bad colds, the result of bad weather; but in 

 all other respects they were in condition to go to work. The work com- 

 mences about the 10th of June. Do you desire me to go into the 

 details ? 



Q. I would like to have an account of how that is done, how the skins 

 are counted, the Government's interests protected, etc. I want to know 

 how they are taken, the general process, and how the natives are paid. — 

 A. About the first thing I did after arriving at St. George was in con- 

 junction with Mr. Wardman, who was my associate on the island as spe- 

 cial agent of the Treasury. We visited the various rookeries on the 

 island and examined them carefully, and compared them with previous 

 records as to their condition. We also visited the sea-lion rookeries 

 and made an inspection of them also. That was previous to the com- 

 mencement of the killing. So far as our observation went and from 

 what we knew from information obtained frpm those who had been there 

 a number of years, the rookeries were at that time about as full as they 

 ever were. 1 think on the 10th of June was about the time the first 

 drive was made. The natives are called at an early hour in the morn- 

 ing by their chief and they proceed to the rookeries, going down to the 

 sea-shore and driving back from the shore the killable seals, which are 

 males from three to four years of age. 



Q. Do these herd by themselves, entirely away from the breeding 

 rookeries? — A. Yes, sir; the breeding rookeries contain old bulls five 

 years old and upwards, and the cows and bulls on the harems or rook- 

 eries are entirely separate and distinct from the killable seals. 



Q. These are not disturbed ? — A. Not at all. The Government agent, 

 if he does his duty, does not permit them to be disturbed by any one. 

 It is part of his duty to look after the rookeries and see that they are 

 not disturbed. The killable seals haul up by themselves. Generally 

 there is a space of from 100 to 200 yards between the young male seals 

 and the breeding rookeries. 



Q. These young seals are what are called bachelor seals ? — A. Yes, 

 sir ; bachelor seals. And these droves of bachelor seals are driven back 

 from the sea-shore in bunches of from 100 to 500 and each man takes his 

 bunch and drives it back until the entire drive is made, which perhaps 

 may extend over a space of half a mile or even a mile, and alter the 

 various bunches are driven back from the sea-shore they are driven to 

 the killing grounds near the village; that is, they are so driven on St. 

 George, and it is about the same condition of things on St. Paul. And 

 then the natives go to their breakfasts in the morning, leaving one or 

 two to watch over the herds of seals, which number from 2,000 to 5,000. 

 After breakfast, generally about half-past 7 or 8, the company's men, 

 consisting at that time of Mr. Morgan, now present, and Mr. Kedpath 

 and the natives, together with the two Government agents, Mr. Ward- 

 man and myself, proceeded to the killing ground. I might say I took 

 a club myself and did my share of the killing all through the season, 

 for the reason that that was the only exercise we had and I desired 

 to be on the killing ground all the time ; and I did that for those 

 reasons, so that there was no time from the beginning of the season 

 until the close of the season but what I was on the ground, not only 

 participating in the killing, but looking after the seals and the killing 

 of them and the protection of the skins as to the cutting, etc. After 

 we arrived on the killing ground we would drive u]) bunches of 40 or 

 50 from the drove and surround them and with clubs knock down the 

 most valuable as to size and quality, and then we would permit the 



