FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 135 



Now, as all of these fnrs (excepting the $255,000 paid to the GovernmeTit nnder its 

 lease) are obtained from the natives in excliange for goods, or for money that ulti- 

 mately isretnrnod to the company in exchange for goods, upon which a profit of from 

 50 to 200 per cent, is realized, it is easy to understand the interest of the Alaska com- 

 pany in its efforts to maintain its primeval domains undisturbed. 



I "had intended at the outset including other matters in this letter, but as even 

 this may not be relevant to the subject-matter of the investigation, I will await 

 your pleasure. 



Very respectfully, 



Chester Seeber, 

 Formerly Commissioner for Alaska at OonalasJca. 



Address : General post-office, San Francisco, Gal. 



STATEMENT OF PROF. H. W. ELLIOTT. 



Prof. H. W. Elliott, sworn ami examined. 

 By the Chairman : 



Q. Without asking you any particular questions, will you state the 

 general condition of the seal rookeries of Alaska in Bering Sea"? — A. 

 The fur seals of commerce and science {Callorhimis ursinus) are found 

 in Bering Sea on four islands, which are used by them as breeding 

 grounds, where, at certain seasons of the year, they go and "haul up" 

 on their chosen breeding strips of land and rocks. A great amount, 

 the largest part, of this seal life is found on our side of the boundary 

 line in our part of Bering Sea, on what is known as St. Paul and St. 

 George Islands of the Pribylov group. The breeding animals within 

 our jurisdiction are found exclusively on those two islands. The 

 other two islands belong to the Commander group, which lie about 750 

 miles to the westward of ours, and are wholly owned and controlled 

 by Russia. They are known as Bering and Copper Islands. Then 

 there is a tiny islet in the Ochotsk Sea, known as Bobbin's Reef, on 

 which these fur seals " haul up," but they do not breed there. There- 

 fore, upon these four islands just mentioned the entire seal life of the 

 North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea is found annually massed in re- 

 production. The condition of these rookeries at the time of my exam- 

 ination of them in 1873 and 1874 and 1876 was excellent. The seals 

 were there in vast numbers, massed in regular order, subject to no dis- 

 turbance, and, so far as I could see, no evidence of any plague or dis- 

 temper among the swarming millions. I have received no evidence, 

 and I have heard no testimony since, that contradicts this statement. 

 They are still in the same good physical condition that they were in 

 then. 



Q. Please stale in that connection in what capacity you visited those 

 islands. — A. I first visited those islands in April, 1872, by the joint ac- 

 tion of Prof. Spencer F. Baird, then assistant secretary of the Smithson- 

 ian Institution, and Secretary Boutwell, Treasury Department. The 

 Secretary allowed me to go up as an assistant Treasury agent, with the 

 distinct understanding that I was to be allowed time to engage in these 

 investigations, and when through, to return without leave of absence. 

 When I got up there I had an idea that I should be able to come back 

 the same year, but I found things so different from what I had under- 

 stood, that I made another visit in 1874, and still another in 1870, to 

 satisfy myself of the truth of my statements, and the accuracy of my hy- 

 potheses ; I went out to them in 1874, under authority of a special act 

 of Congress; and again in 187G, on my own responsibility. 



