68 FUR-SEAL FISHEEIES OF ALASKA. 



Q. This is more general tbaii it, is in tlie other mouths ? — A. Oh, uo j 

 we have more suu after September, and late in the fall we have more 

 clear days. 



Q. What time does the sun set there 1 — A. At half past 7 or 8 in the 

 evening in June. 



Q. Have you any sunlight there when it is night at 2 o'clock? — A. I 

 killed seal up to half past 11, and I went to work again at half past 2. 

 It was not sun-up, but it would be daylight. The sun would rise about 

 3 o'clock. 



Q. Did I ask you whether the condition of the natives at Oonalaska 

 had been improved ? — A. I think they have. 



Q. You have already made a statement in regard to the company 

 building houses ? — A. Yes, sir; they built quite a number of houses. 



Q. I did want to ask you this, which was referred to awhile ago. In 

 the range of the Aleutian Islands, the sea otter is the priuci]3al object 

 of pursuit f — A. The sea-otter and the fox. 



Q. This is open to the world ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Are they becoming exterminated ?— A. In my judgment they are. 

 There are a great many white hunters. An Indian will hunt until he 

 gets enough for his immediate wants ; then he will lay by until he spends 

 the proceeds of his hunt ; but a white man hunts week days and Sun- 

 days. 



Q. A goodly number of white men have gone there and married native 

 women for the purpose of getting advantage of the law.— A. Yes, sir; 

 there was a regulation of the Dei)artmentthat no person should engage 

 in hunting sea-otters except natives, and white hunters came there ; and 

 another regulation was that if any white man married a native woman 

 he should have the privilege of hunting, and so a good many unj)riuci- 

 pled men have married them. 



Q. How long would you think it would be before the sea otter business 

 would be exterminated, if continued ? — A. I am not a judge of that. 

 There are people who dwell with them who <;ould give you better infor- 

 mation. At Attoo, when this country was ceded to the United States, 

 it was a good station for hunting the sea-otter, but at the present time 

 the people are very ])oor. 



By the Chairman : 



Q. As the result of your extended observation of the seal islands and 

 study of the subject, what do you think of the existing policy of the 

 Government, and also whether you think this is best for the preserva- 

 tion of seal life, and the best economical policy of the Government, and 

 also whether you think it is the best policj' to continue for the good of 

 the natives on the island? — A. I think it is the only way to perpetuate 

 seal life. I think the interests of the Government, the ])eo])le, and 

 whatever corporation should hold the lease are identical. If the Gov- 

 ernment wants to preserve the fishery, the only way to preserve it in 

 my judgment is to lease it to some responsible corporation under about 

 the same conditions of the i)resent lease. I think that is the only way 

 the business can be carried on successtully — isforit tohave one head, one 

 recognized method of doing business, as it has now under the existing 

 conditions. Tlie people are provided with a livelihood, and the fishery 

 is handled in such a way that there are no more seals taken than can 

 reasonably be used from year to year. 



Q. Were the rookeries in the last years of your visit as full as at the 

 beginiiing ? — A. There is a large increase in the number of animals 

 since 1868, when I first went there. There is a large increase since 1874, 



