72 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



a seal hanledont there. There was araokery kuown as the Southwest 

 Bay ; another, Zoltoi ; Middle Hill had a few there, and now there is 

 not a si)ace unoccupied. Now, Zapodnie has extended to the west all 

 of a mile, and now Zoltoi, Middle Hill, and Zapodnie are virtually one 

 rookery ; they have come together. On the northeast point, in 1868, the 

 breeding- rookery was the northeast point extending around, a haul- 

 ing rookery which is always just at the edge of the breeding rookery, 

 on the westward and that occupied not more than half a mile ; then 

 there was a long, sandy beach of 2^ miles that seals did not haul up 

 on. At the present time the breeding rookery has extended so as to 

 cover the old hauling ground and the hauling ground has extended to 

 the sand to the westward, a distance of 2^ miles. On the hill, which is 

 another rookery, were large vacant spots, where no seal hauled, and 

 these spots have closed up. It is the same condition of affairs on St. 

 George. 



Q. Then the result of your observations is that there has been an in- 

 crease ill numbers ? — A. Yes, sir; there was a question in the minds of 

 some people there whether the seals were increasing or not, for at parts 

 of the island where, in 1868 and 186!) and 1870, there were a thousand 

 seals, m 1876 and 1877 they could not get a seal over there. The reason 

 for tliat was that wlien the breeders were on the right of the beach and 

 the left and whenever a yOung male came along the old bulls would drive 

 him out and he would cruise around, and you could see it was like a 

 road between the two, and there he would haul out separate, and of 

 course that kept narrowing the space until it was shut out entirely. 

 These bachelors had to haul off at some other place. In 1870, 1871, 

 and 1872 they had a number of such places where they hauled out, 

 and in 1877 they were closed out, but there were new places open- 

 ing up all the time. Occasionally the hauling grounds changed, and 

 there seemed to be no reason particularly for it. All these places could 

 be accounted for why they changed. It seems that a seal, as with other 

 animals have old males and females, and when the females get in heat 

 the old males drive the young off. It is just the same as with cattle. 



T. r. Morgan, recalled and examined. 

 By Mr. Jeffries : 



Q. You stated something in reference to the moneyed value of the 

 seal islands. I think you said if you were guarantied protection, you 

 would be willing to take it at what the Government paid for Alaska. 

 I want to ask you whether there are not some other considerations be- 

 sides protection. For instance, is it not possible that the seals might 

 abandon the rookeries, as they have done once, I think, in Alaska, and as 

 I think they have done elsewhere? In the next place whether you 

 would not want some assurances that the price of seal skins would be 

 maintained. What do you think of that? — A. May be in making my 

 estimate, I did not take in the question of demand; I was only taking 

 in the question of supply. I had never figured on what I was going to 

 do with ray skins; but every year this has been the source of supplying 

 100,000 seal skins, and I believe they have always been sold. 



Q. Do you know what the prices of seal skins were when they com- 

 menced doing business ! — A. I do not, sir ; not outstanding. 



Q. You never heard ? — A. No sir. 



Q. Do you know or do you not know the first year's business was 

 done at a loss, and that seal skins were worth less than $5, and that it 

 cost $6 or $7 to lay the skins down in the market. — A. I do not know 

 about this. 



