FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 189 



Q. Does the company authorize such things as that? — A. No, sir; 

 I do not think those gentlemen in San Francisco would be guilty of such 

 a thing. 



Q. Those are merely the acts of the agents?— A. Those are the acts 

 of the employes out there in the winter time. I am willing to defend 

 the Alaska Commercial Company, and I would light for them as quick 

 as I would condemn this very system. I believe that they are gentle- 

 men as far as I know. They do not approve of this business ; 1 am 

 persuaded so. 



Q. You mean then that this is simply the moral conduct of these em- 

 ployes? — A. Yes, sir; the company's employes. That is a point I want 

 distinctly understood. 



Q. Ilow are th(' natives employed? What are they employed to do 

 by the company ? — A. To kill seal. 

 "Q. To take the skins? — A. Yes, and salt them. 

 Q. What are they paid for that ?— A. I have forgotten, but the first 

 payment is about $8,500. 



Q, How much per skin ?— A. I understand it was 40 cents a skin. It 

 is placed in shares and the men get it by shares. 

 Q. Is that paid in money *? — A. Yes, sir. 



By Mr. Macdonald : 

 Q. When did you know of your own knowledge of the comjiany hav- 

 ing been notified of the conduct of their employ(5s on the island? I 

 mean when was notice first given to the company ? — A. I do not know. 

 I wrote Dr. Mclntyre a letter, and I have copies of these letters I wrote 

 to him. If you like it, I will road them. 



Q. When was it? — A. As far as my recollection goes, it was the 3d 

 of June, 1888. That is as far as my administration went. 



Q. Is that the company's first knowledge, and was that notice the 

 first one given by anyone that you know of? — A. If rumor is to be 

 believed, no. It seems that every Government officer who wintered at 

 St. George's Island, I think, with the exception of one, had had a bitter 

 experience. 



Q. My question is, when did the company, to your knowledge, first 

 have notice of this misconduct on the part of their employes ? — A. J 

 have no knowledge in respect to that. 



Q. The first notice, to your knowledge, you sent on June 3? — A. As 

 far as 1 am concerned. 



Q. How long did you remain on that island ? — A. I landed there May 

 30, 1887, and left there August 9, 1888. 



Q. How soon could yen get notice to the company ; was the general 

 manager there? — A. As soon as he came back. 

 Q. When did he leturn ?— A. June 3. 



Q. That is the time you gave the notice? — A. Yes, sir; June 3, 1888. 

 Q. Was anything done after his return and receipt of your notice in 

 the way of an attempt to reform those abuses you complained of? — A. 

 No ; nothing. 



Q. You never saw anything up to the time you left on his part to cor- 

 rect them ? — A. No, I did not. 



Q. What was done by him or anybody else after he received your 

 notice? — A. I know nothing that he did. 



Q. Nothing was done by any member of the company at the time you 

 left ?— A. Nothing at all. 

 By the Chairman : 

 Q. Have you any knowledge of any trespassing upon the herd of 

 seal— any unlawful killing of the seal ?— A. No, sir. 



