286 FUE-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



skins and doing outside work for the company is not over ninety work- 

 ing days out of three hundred and sixty five. 1 think that ninety days 

 would give the average, and they get an average of $500 to a family in 

 cash annually besides gratuities. 



Q. As to the moral condition ol the natives on those islands, to what 

 extent, if any, does prostitution exist there, and who is engaged in it? 

 Is it the habit of the company's agents there or other white persons 

 there ro debauch and demoralize the females ?— A. If there is any pros- 

 titution going on there, I do not know it. I never had but one case 

 brought to my attention ofQcially, and that was a case of Metrophan 

 Shutygean, who complained to me that a native oy the name of Popoff 

 was sleeping with his wife, and he wanted that bu§iness stopped if it 

 could be done, and that it was inconvenient for him to get up early in 

 the morning ; get his own breakfast before going to work on the seal- 

 field. 



Q. Who was Popoff ?— A. He was one of the natives of the island. 

 He at that time did not have any wife. 



Q. He was not one of the company's agents f — A. No, sir; they were 

 both natives. I said, "Metrophan, what do you want me to do?" He 

 said, "I want you to stop him and to bring him up for trial." All these 

 little offenses are brought before the Government agent. We had a 

 trial, and Martin Popoff' was summoned, tind Metrophan and Olita, his 

 wife, with the necessary witnesses, etc. He testified he had gone to 

 Popoff's house at 3 o'clock in the morning and saw his wife in bed with 

 Martin Popoff. Olita admitted the fact, but claimed that she was to 

 blame and not Martin, as she had gone to him, and that she did not 

 think Martin ought to be punished. But still, after hearing the evi- 

 dence, I fined him $10 in the interest of morality. They all promised 

 to behave themselves after that and be decent people. As far as I 

 hnow, Olita has behaved herself and stayed at home with Metrophan. 

 Martin Popoff" has since died. That had a very good effect on the com- 

 munity. It was the first and only instance where parties had been 

 hauled up for that, and being on the complaint of a husband, I took 

 the opportunity to talk to the natives about it, and deliver them a lec- 

 ture. There were quite a number of persons present on whom it had 

 quite a beneficial effect. There is less immorality on the seal islands 

 than any community of semi-civilized people I ever saw, I think. With- 

 out doubt the natives are immoral to some extent, or at least they are 

 said to be among themselves. 



Q. Is it your opinion that the white men there to any extent were 

 responsible for that immorality f — A. No, sir; I think the natives upon 

 both islands are improved by association Avith them, since we have 

 owned and carried on affairs there ; my own observation is that they are 

 gradually improving in morals and gradually adopting our customs 

 and habits and becoming reconciled to their citizenship of the United 

 States. It was very hard for them to break off their old association 

 and connections with Russia. 



Q. Did you observe the company's agents there extended special 

 privileges to any particular females, the native females, in considera- 

 tion of immoralities of any kind? — A. No^ sir; there is no truth at all 

 in that. I do not think there is any consideration of that kind extended 

 by any of the company's employes to any female upon the islands. 



Q. It has been stated that Mary Oustagoff was a notorious prostitute 

 and was known to be such, and was permitted around the company 

 house and received favors that others could not get ? — A. I think I can 

 tell about that. She is dead now, poor old woman. She was a prosti- 



