FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 229 



admiiiistratiou ? — A. I could draw no inference from it except that 

 tbere was nothing wrong. His complaint was that I would not let a 

 man go down to Oonalaska. The natives were in the habit of making 

 applications to go to Oonalaska to see their friends or spend the winter, 

 and every time the steamer went down there would be a certain number 

 to go. The agents of the company generally agreed upon a number to 

 go, and when I got this particular application 1 refused it because the 

 applicant was too late. 



Q. If such a state of facts existed on St. George Island as Mr. Kim- 

 mel in the interview is made to say existed, would it or not have been 

 his duty to have reported those facts to you as his superior oliicer? — 

 A. I certainly think it would. 



Q. Did he make any such report? — A. He did not. I went to St. 

 George once a year, and he never made auy such complaint to me. 



Q. How many Government employes were there on eacn island ? — A. 

 Two, except during the winter, when one on each island came down. 



Q. Exclusive of the Government agents, what was the entire num- 

 ber of white males on the island ? — A. Five white males. 



The committee adjourned to meet on January 7, 1889. 



Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 



January 7, 1889. 



TESTIMONY OF CAPT. L, G. SHEPARD. 



Capt. L. G. Shepard sworn and examined. 



The Chairman. The subject under investigation by this committee 

 is the contract and lease made by the United States Government with 

 the Alaska Commercial Company for the purpose of taking fur seals in 

 Alaska, and the extent to which this has been enforced or complied with, 

 etc., I>y that company at any time. 



Q. State what position you occupy ? — A. I am captain of the United 

 States revenue-cutter Richard Rush, and made two cruises to Alaska in 

 the summers of 1887 and 1888. 



Q. Will you state to the committee the result of your observations 

 in the discharge of your duties. 1 suppose you were instructed to look 

 after the violations of law in reference to prohibiting the killing of tur 

 seals on those islands. State your observations in regard to that. — A. 

 That was the purpose of our cruise. I hardly know what particular 

 line you wish to pursue. 



Q. You might as well give simply a brief statement of your cruise 

 and whether you observed any violations of the laws in reference to the 

 taking of fur seals by unauthorized })ersons and the extent to which it 

 was carried, etc. — A. During the summer of 1887 we sailed from San 

 Francisco (June 4) on a cruise for about four months, and two and one- 

 half months were spent in Bering Sea, and during that time I seized 

 twelve vessels which were found taking fur seal in Bering Sea. These 

 vessels were afterwards taken to Sitka and condemned in court. Nine 

 were condemned and three failed to report at Sitka. Their skins and 

 arms were confiscated, but the three vessels, one British and two Ameri- 

 can, did not come within the jurisdiction of the court. 



Q. In what localities did you find those vessels when you seized 

 them ? — A. In distances varying from 20 miles north of Oonalaska Isl- 

 and, to about GO miles southeast of St. George Island, a distance of 



