FUK-SEAIi FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 143 



grand total on both islands in 1874 of 3,193,420, breeding seals and 

 young. 



Q. That does not include the bachelors ? — A. No ; it i? impossible to 

 fix them on any such basis, because they roam off at will and are with- 

 out restraint. To-day you can look at their hauliug grounds and it is 

 fairly covered, while to-morrow there will only be a few scattered bands 

 around on the same area. It is impossible to form a concise estimate of 

 their number, and it can only be made on general principles. I put it 

 down in round numbers at 1,500,000 non-breeding seals, counting year- 

 lings. When the females arrive at the age of two years, they then 

 appear on the breeding grounds; they are impregnated and bear their 

 pups the following year. This makes a grand sum total of seal life on 

 the Pribylov Islands of over 4,700,000. I have presented in my mon- 

 ograph of the seal islands a full explanation of every step taken in this 

 calculation, and it is not necessary to repeat it here. 



By the Chairman : 



Q. Do you know anything as to the method of driving and count- 

 ing ? — A. The natives are paid 40 cents for the labor of taking each 

 skin. The natives are naturally not disposed to skin any more seals 

 than they are paid for. They are indolent by nature, and not disposed 

 to do any extra work. They keep among themselves a tally of their 

 work every day. It is kept by their overseers. The company's agen* 

 is equally solicitous every day to see that no skins go into* the salt- 

 houses without a careful count. The natives make a count among them- 

 selves when they are brought to the salt-houses, and the company's 

 agent handles them one by one, and makes a still more careful count. 

 They then go into the salt-houses. They are cured and bundled, two 

 in a bundle uniformly. When the company's vessel arriv^es, and they 

 leave the salt-houses and are put aboard, another count is made by the 

 company's agent, as he wants to know how many skins are put aboard. 

 Then the company's captain, who is equally responsible, makes a count. 

 The Treasury agent stands by and oversees this count. There are five 

 counts made by three perfectly independent parties, and by the natives. 

 They then go down to San Francisco, where they are counted again. 

 That San Francisco count is the basis upon which the tax is paid, I 

 believe. That was the exact method in my time, and it strikes me as an 

 excellent one. 



Mr. Tingle. That was the manner of counting, by order of Secretary 

 Sherman, up to 1 885, when I was appointed. The Secretary of the Treas- 

 ury found that it was not in accordance with law, and by an order of the 

 Secretary the count at the islands by the Treasury agent must be taken 

 as the lawful one. 



Mr. Jeffries. Mr. Tingle is the agent appointed by the Treasury 

 Department. 



By Mr. Jeffries : 



Q. This manner of counting was upon the principle that the company 

 ought to pay tax upon the number of skins shipped ? 



Mr. Tingle. Yes, sir; on the number of skins shipped. 



The Witness. Well, I do not see that by this omission of the San 

 Francisco count that it prevents a perfect count. The natives are inter- 

 ested in having an exactcount. Thecompanj's island agent is interested, 

 because he has to pay the natives. The company's steam-ship captain is 

 equally interested in making an honest count, because he has to deliver 



