FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 251 



Q. Bid it in any case exceed 100,000 a year ?— x\. No ; occasionally 

 there would be a mistake of a dozen skins, but tiiat would be the fault 

 of the Government agent who counted them. 



Q. .What kind of seal were killed and how were they killed 1?— A. 

 From two to six years old, and they are killed with clubs. 



Q. Are they males or females'? — A. All males. 



Q. Where were they taken from f — A. They were taken from the dif- 

 ferent rookeries on the two islands, 15,000 on !St. George, and the re- 

 mainder on St. Paul. 



Q. Were the breeding rookeries disturbed while these were being 

 killed?— A. The kill.ible seals hauled out by themselves. They do nor 

 haul on the rookeries because they aie not allowed to by the large; male 

 seals, so they have to haul in some other ])lace. Never any cows haul 

 out with them. Sometimes there might be a few large seals who might 

 be driven from the breeding rookeries by the stronger bulls. 



Q. Are these driven u]f to the killing ground"^— A. They are driven 

 to the killing ground. The salting house is near to the ship])ing ])oint. 

 These seals aVe driven by the luitives from the hauling grounds to 

 the killing grounds without disturbing the breeding rookeries. The 

 driving is all done by natives, as a white man can not get near a rook- 

 ery without disturbing the seal, as they are so sensitive to the scent. 

 The natives can go there, as their clothes and everything is saturated 

 with the odor of the seal so they can get close where a white man can 

 not go. 



Q. Is that driving and killing observed and inspected by the Govern- 

 ment agent ? — A. Yes, sir ; the superintendent of the company is on St. 

 Paul. That is his place. 



Q. Is there any considerable destruction of seal life in the process of 

 taking, driving, and killing in excess of the number taken for skins "? — 

 A. Yes, sir; there are a few. 



Q. What are they •? Is it necessarily so and unavoidable ? — A. Yes, 

 sir; it is unavoidable. 



Q. Is it considerable'? — A. No, sir; it is not. It is very little com- 

 pared with the number of seal killed. 



Q. 1 think one superintendent testified here that the destruction of 

 seal in excess of the nund)er intentionally killed for their skins was 

 about 52 in one season. — A. Well, it is more than that. 



Q. It would exceed that"? — A. Yes, sir; perhaps 150, but it dei)ends 

 a great deal on the weather. In driving the seal there may be a large 

 drive and the sun may come out, and they can not stand the heat al- 

 though the thermometer may not g;o above CO, so they will take to the 

 water and it is impossible to hold them froni the water. All the natives 

 on the island could not i)revent them from going into the water if the 

 sun came out. That is where the great loss is in the killing. 



Q. You think the unintentional destruction would be 150 in a year ? — 

 A. Yes, 1 think so. 



Q. That is a very small jiercentage. Is great care taken to avoid un- 

 necessary killing of them"?— A. Yes, sir; the agents of the comi)any 

 are there and have the killing in charge. The killing is done by the 

 natives, and the agents have charge necessarily. 



Q. How do they count the skins '! — A. They are hauled to the salt- 

 house. This killing ground is somewhat a little distant from the salt- 

 house. There they aie counted and tally is kept by the Government 

 officer. He keeps'^the tally of the count. That is the lirst time they 

 are counted. They are then salted, and after being salted they are 

 taken and bundled, two skins in a bundle. After they have, gone 



