116 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



on the Lobos Islands, at the mouth of the river Platte, has been held under proper 

 and systematic control, and the trade has consequently been preserved, but the effect 

 of judicious restrictions has been still more marked on the Pribylov Islands, leased 

 by the United States Government to the Alaska Commercial Company, which has its 

 headquarters at San Francisco. 



Mr. Henry Lee, our informant, in sending us the inclosed i)apers, adds the follow- 

 ing remarks : 



" I think I must have obtained my information from 'Weddell's Voyage towards 

 the South Pole.' You will find there most important accounts of the enormous num- 

 ber of fur seals on the islands of the Antarctic. I know he said that not less than 

 1,200,000 skins had been brought from South Georgia and an equal quantity from 

 Desolation Island." 



See also the Encyclopedia Britaunica. 



STATEMENT OF DR. H. H. McINTYRE. 

 (Called by the Alaska Commercial Company.) 



Washington, D. C, Septemher 17, 18S8. 



Dr. H. H. McIntyre, called and examined. 

 By Mr. Jeffries : 



Q. Please state your name and occupation. — A. H. H. McIntyre. I 

 am superintendent of the seal jBsheries of Alaska for the lessees. 



Q. How lonj? have you been in the employ of the Alaska Commer- 

 cial Company ? — A. Since June, 1870. 



Q. How many seasons have you spent on the seal islands'? — A. I 

 have been on the seal islands everv year since 1870, with the exception 

 of three— 1883, 1884, and 1885— when I was absent. 



Q. What do you say as to the probable number of seals on the Pri- 

 bylov group, St. Paul and St. George's Islands ?— A. I think the num- 

 ber has been very largely overestimated in the reports of naturalists 

 who have observed the habits of the animals at the seal islands. They 

 have made their mistake in supposing that all the ground which shows 

 signs of having been occupied by seals is covered by them simulta- 

 neously, when the fact is that the bachelor seals may be found to- day 

 upon a certain rookery, and at another time upon another place. The 

 result is, the same animals, in many instances, have been counted two 

 or three times. I think the estimates are fully one-third or perhaps 

 one-half too high. 



Q. What is your impression or what is your knowledge as to whether 

 the number is being maintained of late or not? — A. If you will allow 

 me to go back for an explanation to the commencement of the business 

 on the islands, I will say, that during the first few years, from 1870 to 

 about 188"i, there was a constantly increasing number, before the be- 

 ginning of the annual marauding, and the increase was then apparent 

 each year. The boundaries of the rookeries were being constantly ex- 

 tended, the lanes through the rookeries, where the bachelor seals haul 

 up, were gradually closing up by the encroachments of the breeding 

 rookeries, and were, in many cases, completely closed before 1882. 

 There was no question at that time as to the increase; but since 1882 

 the lanes through the rookeries have again opened, and grown wider 

 from year to year. During the last two years the bachelor seals pass 

 through these lanes as they did not formerly, and particularly during 

 the last season the decrease in the number of seals has been very 

 marked. 



