164 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



seals killed in the sea tbau ever before by marauders. I estimated tbat 

 they secured 30,000 skins in 1887, and in order to secure that number 

 of skins they would have had to kill half a million seals, while this 

 company in taking- 100,000 on shore destroyed only 31 seals. Those 

 were killed by accident. Some times a young seal, or one not intended 

 to be killed, pops up his head and ge:s a blow unintentionally. 



Q. The waste of seal life was only 53 in 1887 f — A. Yes, sir; in secur- 

 ing 100,000 skins, while these marauders did not kill last year less than 

 500,000. The logs of marauding schooners have fallen into my hands, 

 and they have convinced me that they do not secure more than one 

 seal out of every ten that they mortally wound and kill, for the reason 

 that the seals sink very quickly in the water. Allowing one out of ten, 

 there would be 300,0li0 that "they would kill in getting 30,000 skins. 

 Two hundred thousand of those kille<l would be females having 200,000 

 pups on shore. Those pups would die by reason of the death of their 

 mothers, which, added to the 300,0(»0, makes half a million destroyed. 

 I am inclined to think, because the seals show they are not increasing, 

 or rather that tbey are at a stand-still, that more than 300,000 are killed 

 by marauders. 



Q. You are of the opinion then, that the marauders are killing more 

 seals than the Alaska Commercial (Joni])any "i? — A. At least l^ve or six 

 times as many as the Alaska Commercial Company- aie killing. 



Q. What will be the effect if more stringent measures are not taken to 

 l^rotect the seals bj^the Government"? — A. If more stringent measures 

 are not taken, it is only a question of time when these seals will be 

 driven ultimately to seek some other home wlicre they will not be mo- 

 lested. They will not continue to be harassed ; and if this marauding 

 is continued, they will, in my opinion, either be gradually exterminated 

 or will leave the islands permaneutl}' and land at some other place. 

 They may goon the Eussian side. 



Q. Will marauding increase if the Government does not take steps 

 to i)revent it f — A. I think so. 



Q. Is it practicable to prevent it "? — A. Yes, sir. If we did not allow 

 these cheeky, persistent, insolent, British Columbia seamen to go there, 

 and defy the United States and its authorities, it would very soon be 

 stopped. When our revenue cutters seize the British schooners, the cap- 

 tains are very insolent and defiant andclaim that they have a strong Gov- 

 ernment at their backs. I am now referring jiarticularly to Captain 

 Warner, o( the Do'qyh in. He said in 1887, when captured, " We have 

 got a strong government at our backs and we will fight you on this 

 question." " Very well," says ca])tain Shei)herd, " I have got a strong 

 Government at m>' back and 1 am going to do my duty, My Government 

 sends me to protect these seal rookeries. I am charged by this admin- 

 istration to enforce the law, and I will seize all marauders." 



When I took charge of the islands they were practically without pro- 

 tection. The Government had one cutter to cruise in Bering Sea and 

 the Arctic Ocean. She merely called at the fur seal islands, took a 

 look at us, cruised around us and then went on uj) to the Arctic, re- 

 mained there all summer and came down in the fall, calling at the seal 

 islands, took another look at us, and then left for San Francisco. In 

 my first report I made an appeal to the Secretary of the Treasury for 

 an additional cutter, showing the interest the Government had in pro- 

 tecting this seal business, and the next spring they sent a cutter up for 

 duty in Bering Sea. The remained around the islands and made seiz- 

 ures. A cutter was also sent to the Arctic; a large number of captures 

 were made in 1880 and 1887, The two seiisous' captures have paralyzed 



