FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 59 



iu tlieir feeding grounds in the Pacific, if possible, in order to preserve 

 their full value and the perpetuity of seal life ? Do you think they ought 

 to be protected everywhere as well as on the rookeries'? — A. Yes, sir; 

 1 think they ought to be protected not alone on the rookeries, but on 

 tlie waters of the Bering Sea. I do not think it is necessary to go out- 

 siile of tue Bering Sea, because there is no considerable number of 

 them. 



Q. Are they so dispersed in the Pacific that they would not be liable 

 to destruc-ion! — A. Yes, sir ; they are scattered very much, and no 

 hunters do much lumting in the Pacific, as I understand. Another 

 reason whj- they should be protected in all the waters of the Bering 

 Sea is this: A large number of seals that are on the islands of course 

 eat a great many fish every twenty-four hours, and thefish have become 

 well aware of the fact that there are a good many seal on the seal islands, 

 and they stay out a longer distance from the islands and they do not 

 come near th^'. shore. It becomes necessary for the seal themselves, the 

 cows, to go a good distance into the sea iu order to obtain food, and it 

 is there where most of the damage is done by these vessels. They catch 

 them while they are out. 



Q. So on the rookeries they go out daily for food f — A. The cows go 

 out every day for food. The bulls do not go; they stay on the island 

 all summer, '^he cows go 10 and 15 miles and even further—! do not 

 know the average of it — and they are going and coming all the morn- 

 ing and evening. The sea is black with them around about the islands. 

 If there is a little fog and they get out half a mile from shore, we can 

 not see a vessel — 1()() yards even. The vessels themselves lay around 

 the islands there where they pick up a good many seal, land there is 

 where the killing of cows occurs when they go ashore. I think this 

 is it would be to take 25,000 more seal on the islands than 



are now taken. I think there is some damage done in the killing and 

 shooting of the cows, and leaving so many young without their mothers. 



Q. Is it your oi)inion that a larger numljer of seals may be taken 

 annually without detriment to the rookeries f— A. No, sir; 1 would not 

 recommend that. The time may come, but I think that one year with 

 another they are taking all they ought to take, for this reason: 



I believe that the capacity of the bull seal is limited, the same as any 

 other animal, and I have very frequently counted from thirty to thirty- 

 five, and even, at one time, forty-two cows with one bull. I think if 

 there were more bulls there would be less cows to one bull, and in that 

 way the increase would be greater than now. While the number of seal 

 in the aggregate is not apparently diminished, and in fact there is un- 

 doubtedly an increase, yet if you take any greater number of seal than 

 is taken now, this ratio of cows to one bull woukl be greater, and for 

 that reason there would be a less number of young seals, undoubtedly. 

 I look upon the breeding of the seal as something like the breeding of 

 any other animal, and that the same care and restriction and judgment 

 should be exercised iu this breeding. 



TESTIMONY OF T. F. MORGAN. 



At the request of the attorney of the Alaska Commercial Company, 

 Mr. T. F. Morgan was sworn and examined. 



By Mr. Jeffries : 

 Q. What is your full name ? — A. Thomas F. Morgan. 

 Q. What is your residence ? — A. Groton, Conn. 



