FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 53 



people in regard to schools. Tliey go to au English school from the time 

 they are old enough until the.y become of age, and yet they will not 

 talk English if they can help it. They cling on to the old Eussian dia- 

 lect and Aleutian. 1 think, though, all understand pretty much all 

 that is spoken to them. 



Q. Do you think that prejudice is attributable to the influence of the 

 Greek Church ? — A. Yes, sir, I think so, and that the older ones feel 

 that if they should dispense with their native tongue that the Greek 

 Church would suffer by it ; and for that reason I believe that is the 

 cause of their peculiarity in this respect. 



Q. By whom are the schools maintained? — A. Well, they are main- 

 tained by the Alaska Commercial Company. 



Q. Here are photographs of takiug the seals, etc. ; are these cor- 

 rect? — A. Yes, sir; it is very natural. 



By Mr. Jeffries : 



Q. 1 want to call your attention to the policy which you have just 

 discussed, and ask you if the opiuion you expressed as to the pres- 

 ent policy of the Government is not the opiuion of all persons who 

 have been on the ground and had a knowledge of the subject, so far as 

 you know. I mean with regard to the policy of leasing to a company. — 

 A. The opiuion of all I have ever talked with, and all that know the 

 Vondition of things on the seal islands, is in accord with my judgment. 

 It is not my own ideas altogether, but it is my observation and that of 

 everybody I have ever talked with who has been on the islamls. 

 And I will say further in that connection that I believe if any fair- 

 minded, candid, unprejudiced man will go to the islands and examine 

 into the condition of things and remaiu there during the killing season, 

 he will come to the same conclusion. I do not think he could come to 

 any other. 



Q. Now, there has been a good deal of seal killed in the waters of 

 Bering Sea by unauthorized persons. I want to ask your judgment as 

 to the effect of that upon the seal business if it is kept up — what it will be 

 upon the rookeries. — A. That is something about which I think the 

 Government ought to be more stringent, even, than they have been. I 

 think that the Government ought to take it that Bering Sea is an in- 

 land sea, and so ought to have absolute control, regardless of any 

 treaties or fishery laws, over Bering waters from a line drawn west 

 of Attoo through the center of the Bering Sea. These waters are just 

 as much in the territory of the United States as aTiy part of their lands. 

 They are inland waters running out to Attoo. There are only a very few 

 vessels that go through the i)eninsula in all that 800 miles distance, and 

 it is to all intents and purposes an inland sea and should be so regarded; 

 and I think the Government ought to take that position. And after we 

 take that position I believe there ought to be more stringent laws en- 

 acted which will make it a penitentiary offense for any man to go into 

 these waters and kill these seals, going and coming from the islands for 

 this reason. 



These predatory vessels are generally there in the spring of the year 

 when the cows are going to the seal islands to breed. They have their 

 young very soon after they arrive, sometimes on the very day they ar- 

 rive, and the most of the seals that are killed by these maraudiug'ves- 

 sels are cows with young. 1 do not think there is anybody that can 

 give a very accurate statement as to the number that are killed, but 

 I think that probably from 5,000 to 8,000 will be an estimate, so far 

 as I can ascertain. And 1 think that 5,000 to 8,000 means the death of 



