F UK-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 243 



By Mr. Maodonald : 



Q. I uuderstand you to say that you spent considerable time in other 

 parts of Ahxska, on other islands, and on the mainland. Have you 

 been up to Sitka ? — A. Yes, sir ; I visited all the inhabited islands and 

 the Aleutian group. 



Q. Have you paid any particular attention, so as to be able to form 

 any judgment of thegeneral condition of the natives on theother islands 

 of Alaska as well as on the mainland '? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. How does the condition of the natives on the seal islands compare 

 with those in other parts of Alaska 1 — A. It is much better than in other 

 parts. 



Q. Did I uuderstand you to say they are better contented 1 — A. Yes, 

 sir; so far as 1 know. I only staid there during the working season 



Q. You do not speak their language ? — A. No, sir. 



Q. Were you there long enough to become acquainted with the agents 

 and employes of the Alaska Coramerc:al Company on those islands as 

 well as the Government agents "? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. State what is your opinion as to the class of men the company has 

 there. J n the first place, are their habits good and are they temperate ?— 

 A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Did you see any evidence of intemperance among them ? — A. No, 

 sir. 1 judge from the fact that the men have beeu there a good many 

 years they are held in esteem by the company. 



Q. Have you seen these articles in the newspapers with reference to 

 the loose morals of the natives ? — A. I have seen some of the state- 

 ments. 



Q. State whether you have seen anything to justify any such criti- 

 cisms as that ? — A. No, sir ; I have seen nothing to justify such criti- 

 cism. 



By Mr. Dunn : 



Q. Do you know anything about the rai)iug of native women by 

 white men ?— A. There was a good deal of talk there by one or two 

 people. Mr. Gavitt, I was told, said something of that kind. 



Q. Did you observe from other sources anything to support those 

 rumors?— A. Every one I talked to said there was no truth in them. 



Q. Did you bear any complaints from the natives of the islands 

 against the Government agents or the a^^ents of the company ? — A. No, 

 sir; I had no opportunities of knowing. 



Q. Did you make the personnl acquaintance of Mr. Webster, an agent 

 of the Alaska Commercial Company, there? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. What kind of a man did you conclude he was? — A. I thought he 

 was a very nice gentleman. 



Q. Was he an habitual drunkard or a man of bad and dissolute hab- 

 its? — A. No, sir. 



Q. What was his general rei)utatiou there ? — A. Very good. They 

 were all very fond of him. 



Q. His general reputation there is fair?— A. I think so. 

 By Mr. Macdonald: 



Q. What was Mr. Gavitt's reputation ?— A. There was more or less 

 haul feeling there. 



Q. 1 mean his oflicial administration ; as to his manner of performing 

 his official duties?— A. I was hardly long enough on St. George to say 

 as to that. They were all in Jiot water, 

 9984~— 17 



