170 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



Certainly ; they preferred to hurry up and get their number of skins 

 Avithin the time allowed by law. 



Q. I suppose it would be necessary, in order to complete the business 

 in the limited time, for the company to be allowed in the future to take 

 such a number of additional laborers there as they desired"? — A. Yes, 

 sir; and in doing so, I think they ought to be placed upon an equality 

 with the island natives. The imported labor gets a small pittance, 

 while the island native gets the bulk. 

 ■ Q. I listened carefully to what you have said witli regard to preserv- 

 ing the seal and the course the Government ought to take. Do you 

 know what instructions have been given to the revenue-cutters in re- 

 gard to the preservation of those seals? — A. The instructions this year 

 were the same as last year. 



Q. What were they? — A. That thelaw should be vigorously enforced. 

 The law is contained in section 1956 of the Revised Statutes.' The Sec- 

 retary told me the same orders would be issued this year that were 

 issued last year. 



Q. I do not recollect what that order was; can you tell me? — A. The 

 order referred to the section of the hiw, and directed its enforcement. 



Q. That is, taking of any schooners that may be found there? — A. 

 Certainly. 



Q. On what ground are schooners taken ? — A. Any caught sealing in 

 Bering Sea are liable to seizure under the law, 1 suppose. Such has 

 been the Departments view and practice. 



Q. No matter what flag they carry ?— A. The lines are defined in the 

 law. If they are caught anywhere within those lines, they are liable to 

 seizure, no matter what flag they sail under. 



Q. That appbes to any ship, does it ?— A. It applies to ships of any 

 nationality. I have seen no evidence that this administration luis 

 changed that order. 1 have no knowledge that it has been changed. I 

 have never seen any modification of it whatever. 



By Mr. Jeffries : 



Q. Who was Secretary of the Treasury when you were appointed to 

 your present position? — A. Daniel Manning. 



Q. You were speaking a while ago in regard to the amount of seal 

 life destroyed by marauders, and that a captain had given the number 

 of seals destroyed. Have you seen any of the log-books of those ves- 

 sels ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Will you state what you remember with regard to the number of 

 seals lost or captured by those vessels? — A. I remember reading the 

 log-book of the Angel Dolly, which I captured. There was an entry in 

 that log-book that read as follows: "Issued today to my boats three 

 hundred rounds of ammunition. At night they came in with the am- 

 munition all expended, and one seal skin." 



Q. They had shot three hundred rounds of ammunition ? — A. Yes, 

 sir. Another entry I saw was: " Seven seals shot from the deck, but 

 only secured one." All lost but one. Another entry: "It is very 

 discouraging to issue a large quantity of ammunition to your boats, 

 and have so few seals returned." An entry was made in another place 

 where he gave it as his opinion that he did not secure one seal skin out 

 of every fifty seals wounded and killed. 



Q. Have you seen seal skins upon the island that had b^'en shot? — 

 A. Very often. We gather hauclfuls of shot every season. 



Q. Does that injure the market value of the skins? — A. Undoubtedly. 

 Apy hole is an injury to the skin. 



