118 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



were they ? — A. Nearly all were killed in tlie water. In a few instances 

 they went upon the Pribylov Islands and killed upon the land. 



Q. What proportion of the seals shot in the water are recovered and 

 the skins taken to market? — A. I think not more than one-fifth of those 

 shot are recovered. Many are badly wounded and escape. We find 

 every year, imbedded in blubber of animals killed upon the islands, 

 large quantities of bullets, shot, and buckshot. Last year my men 

 brought to me as much as a double handful of lead found by them im- 

 bedded in this way. 



Q. What effect does it have upon the value of a seal skin to have it 

 full of holes ? — A. If it is Uadly riddled it is nearly worthless. 



Q. Can tliose holes be discovered before the skins are shipped to Eng- 

 land? — A. Probably not. 



Q. Why? — A. Because they are covered with blubber, and, being 

 small, they are only developed when the skin is dressetl. 



Q. Before it is put upon the market is it discovered ?— A. Noj it is 

 discovered only after the blubber is taken off". 



Q. Then the effect would be that the company is taxed $3.17^ for a 

 skin that is riddled and worthless? — A. Yes, sir; that is so. 



Q. Do they kill female seals in the water? — A. A majority of the 

 skins taken by the marauders, in fact 80 or 90 per cent, of them, are fe- 

 males. 



Q. Are those females usually with pup ? — A. During the early part 

 of the season they are. 



Q. So the shooting of one means the killing of two seals? — A. Yes; 

 and all the animals taken in Bering Sea by marauders of course reduces 

 the number annually coming to the islands ro this extent, and we have 

 so many less from which to make our selection of desirable skins for 

 market. 



Q. I want to know what the regulation has been, or how the company 

 manages in regard to taking the kind of skins demanded by the foreign 

 market ? — A. We always receive instructions from London as to what 

 the market demands. There is very little variation from year to year. 

 At first, and until 1873, the agents of the company were not fully in- 

 formed as to what the market required, and the skins sent forward were 

 too small, but from 1873 to 1882, we were able to get exactly the sizes 

 required, and very little fault was found by the London people. We 

 had then, and at all times until the marauding was actively engaged 

 in, a large surplus of animals from which to make our selection. After 

 1883 the sizes decreased, and have constantly decreased ever since. Last 

 year they sent an urgent appeal to take larger skins, as the sizes were 

 running down ; but we were unable to respond, and during the present 

 season the catch averages still smaller in size, as we were obliged to 

 turn back for rookery service many bulls of desirable size for killing, 

 and had very few surplus of any marketable size from which to select. 



Q. If the company were unable to take the kind of skins the market 

 requires, would it be good policy to take smaller skins to fill up the 

 quota ? — A. I do not think it would. 



Q. W^hat would the company do in a case of that kind? — A. It 

 would, of course, be obliged to take a smaller number. 



Q. The Government would lose the tax, and the company would 

 lose the profits ? — A. Yes; if we send skins to market that are of so 

 little value as not to meet taxes and expenses, of course there would 

 be a loss. The company can not afford to do that. 



Q. So that if you took 60,000 instead of 100,000 skins, the Government 

 would lose the tax on the difference, and the company would lose the 



