FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 127 



Mr. Williams. The natives pay nothiug for fuel. 



The Witness. The coinpaDy take these articles up there outside of 

 the regular line of goods. 



Q. You say they pay nothing for fuel ? — A. They pay for fuel iu ex- 

 cess of 40 tons of coal, which is given to them gratuitously. The widows 

 and orphans receive such an amount as they need ; but their fuel is 

 cheaper from the seal blubber, which they obtain themselves. 



Q. For that they do not have to pay 1 — A. No, sir. 



Q. Are they required to pay anything for seal meat"? — A. Nothing 

 what»^.ver. The company is now erecting meat houses in connection with 

 ice-houses for the storage of meat, so that we can keep seal mea't through 

 the season when we are not killing seals, and thus enable the natives 

 to have Iresh meat through the entire year. 



Q. That is solely for the benefit of the natives ? — A. Yes, sir ; solely 

 for the benefit of the natives. 



Q. They pay nothing for tuition ? — A. No, sir. 



Q, What about medical serviced — A. The company's physicians upon 

 the islands treat them gratuitously, and a drug store is kept well stocked 

 for their free use. For this service they pay nothing. 



By the Chairman : 



Q. Referring to the 40 tons of fuel, is that for one island or both ? — 

 A. That provision of the lease has escaped my mind. How is that, Mr. 

 Tingle [turning to Mr. Tingle] ? 



Mr. Tingle. Forty tons go to St. Paul and 20 tons to St. George. 



The Witness. I had forgotten about this because by the terms of the 

 lease we were obliged to furnish wood, but were allowed to substitute 

 coal for the wood by the Department. It is GO tons for the two islands. 



Q. Do they preserve seal meat for winter? — A. Yes, sir; during the 

 season when it is fresh. At some times they purchase considerable 

 amounts of canned meats, hams, etc., but that quantity will be reduced 

 when the meat-house is in operation, as they can preserve an abundance 

 of seal meat. They have been allowed for several years to kill a certain 

 number of pup seals for meat during the winter months. I think that 

 privilege should be taken away from them. I do not think it is neces- 

 sary, and it takes that much from seal life. 



Q. Is the seal a fish or an animal ? — A. It is an animal, a mamma- 

 lian, and nurses its young like other mammals. It is a misnomer to 

 speak of the seal fish^ies. They are in no sense fisheries. 



Q. Do you consider the seal rookeries and the herd of seal of suf- 

 ficient permanent value to justify <he Government in making rftgula 

 tions for their preservation indefinitely "? — A. I think they are. The 

 Government may derive annually from the seal fisheries a revenue of 

 half a million of dollars, and the expenses should not exceed $50,000 per 

 annum under any circumstances. 



Q. The Treasury Department divides the expenses of the Govern- 

 ment under these two heads: Salaries and expenses of agents in pro- 

 tecting the seal fisheries in Alaska from 187G to 1887, $120,385.81; for 

 the proitection of the sea-otter hunting-grounds and the seal fisheries oii 

 Alaska, $103,808.02 — which means the cost of vessels, revenue-cutters, 

 and naval vessels cruising ^in those waters — for ten years. Would you 

 consider that the expense properly attaching to the Pribylov Islands 

 necessarily includes the two sums or only one? — A. 1 think it would be 

 necessary to keep the present force upon the islands, and to keep one 

 revenue-cutter in Bering's Sea for the preservation of the seal fish- 

 eries. 



