260 FUK-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



you tbiuk, iu regard to the people of those two islands !— A. I do not 

 think so. 



Q. You say yon heard nothing '? — A. I never heard of anything of 

 the kind. 



Q. Were there any rapes or wholesale debauchery of the native women 

 there ? — A. No, sir. 



Q. Were the natives contented and satished with the condition they 

 were in? — A. Apparently they were. 



Q. Was there any appearance of oppression or wrong or injustice 

 inflicted by the agents of the Alaska Commercial Company there ? — A. 

 No, sir ; I never heard of anything of the kind. 



Q. Did you get acquainted witli Mr. Webster there, the agent of the 

 company? — A. Yes, sir; I knew Mr. Webster. 



Q. Did you learn anything of his reputation for peace and morality 

 in the neighborhood ! — A. His reputation is good. 1 know Mr. Webster 

 quite well and I never heard anything to the contrar3^ 



Q. Was he a sober man or a drunkard"? — A. He was a sober man. 



Q. Was he a man of violent and bad temi)er, or good deportments — 

 A. He was not of bad temper; to the contrary. 



Q. Was he a peaceful citizen ! — A. Very. 



Q. From your observations during your official residence there, is it 

 your opinion that the lease of the seal islands and their adnjiuistration 

 by the Government under tlie present polic.y exercises a deleterious in- 

 fluence to public interests in Alaska geueralij^f — A, I think not; I 

 know to the contrary. 



Q. Do you know anything in their operations there which leads you 

 to conclude that their influence is unfavorable to immigration and the 

 settlement of the country"? — A. I know nothing of that kind. 



Q. Do you know of any act of the company or its agents which would 

 tend to prevent and discourage other people from engaging in trade 

 and commerce in that Territory ? — A. I do not, and I never heard of 

 any. 



Q. I will be glad if you will state to the committee in a general way 

 the result of your observation as relating to the administration of that 

 interest there and the interests of the company in the Territory ''. — A. 

 In the Territory in general or simply in regard to those islands ? 



Q. Their general intiuence and conduct? — A. I think the influence 

 is good. I have traveled considerably over the Aleutian Islands ; in 

 fact everywhere except at Attoo and Athka. I have always found ihe 

 company exerted a very good influence amongst all the natives. 



Q. Do they treat them humanely and kindly? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Is it your opinion that the seal islands could be better and more 

 profitably administered under any other policy than that now operated 

 by the Government? — A. I do not believe it could, sir. 



Q. Can the seal life or the herd of seals be preserved without a rigid 

 governmental protection over it ? — A. No, sir. 



Q. That is absolutely essential to the preservation of the seal life ? — 

 A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Do you think it is necessary to protect them in the waters of the 

 Bering Sea and the North Pacific as well as upon the rookeries? — A. I 

 think they need more protection there than at the rookeries. 



Q. Could you make any suggestion of a better method of enforcing 

 that protection than is now ado])ted by the Government? — A. Noth- 

 ing, except an increase of force. I think it is necessary to do that, and I 

 think you might make Oonalaska a port of entry, and require every 

 ship going into Bering Sea to enter there, except the whaling ships. Last 



