400 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



vessel and with two others went about 600 miles np the Koskokvim River in one of 

 our small boats to Kolmakofski, to prospect for cinnabar there. We found it in small 

 bodies but not sufficient to encourage us to remain. We returned to Good News Bay, 

 within 30 miles of which we lost our small boat. We remained at Good News Bay 

 waiting for the return of the schooner. 



As we afterwards learned, the schoouer was lost on Golovin Bay, and after waiting 

 for her until October, we worked our way back part of the way till met by Mr. Si- 

 pary, the Alaska Commercial Company's trader, who had come down about 200 miles 

 to meet us and help us back to Kolmakofski, where he had a station. We arrived the 

 28th of January, 1882. We traveled mostly by sleds, drawn by the Eskimo dogs. We 

 remained there till about the latter part of June, 1882, not being able to get away 

 sooner on account of ice. Mr. Sipary brought us down to Koskokvim Bay to a vessel 

 of the Western Fur and Trading Company by means of which we reached St. Mich- 

 aels. There I met Mr. Neuman, agent of the Alaska Commercial Company, and ap- 

 plied for passage to San Francisco on one of its steamers. Mr. Neuman treated us 

 very kiudly and supplied all^Our wants whilst there, and gave us passage on the steamer 

 Dora to San Francisco, touching at St. Paul, St. George, and Oonalaska. We were 

 destitute of means, having lost our vessel and all of our supplies, and except with the 

 aid of the Alaska Commercial Company's agents, would have been without help. We 

 obtained supplies from them and all that was necessary. We received anything we 

 asked for. On the way back we stopped at St. Paul and St. George Islands in the 

 sealing season and went ashore to see the driving and killing of the seals. 



We stopped at Oonalaska about a week, and observed everything there. Also pros- 

 pected there for mineral ; found some indications, but nothing sufficient to justify 

 any locations. 



Everywhere I visited then and aftewards, the relations between the native popu- 

 lation and the agents of the Alaska Commercial Company were of a very friendly 

 character. The natives were treated better than any of the laboring classes elsewhere 

 to my knowledge ; they seemed to be satisfied with the prices paid them for labor and 

 furs and charges for supplies furnished them. I saw nothing of any defaced or muti- 

 lated coin, and heard of none whilst I was in the country. I learned, on St. Paul and 

 also at Oonalaska, of the free schools at each place, carried on by the Alaska Com- 

 mercial Company, and everything seemed kept in good condition. I saw no oppres- 

 sion or hard treatment of the natives and heard of none. The natives seem well 

 clothed and provided for, and had a contented appearance. 



In 1886 I again visited Alaska. Went from San Francisco in a fishing schooner of 

 a San Francisco company to Oouga ; remained there and in the neighborhood and 

 aloug the Aleutian chain and main-land about four months. I was prospecting for 

 mineral. I found some veins on the main-land of gold, silver, copper, and galena, but 

 located none auy where except at Oonga, a mine now owned by the Sitka Mining and 

 Commercial Company, an incorporated company, the stock of which is owned at San 

 Francisco. During most of the time I was traveling on the vessels of the Alaska 

 Commercial Company. Without the facilities offered by it I could not have done 

 anything. I found that I could purchase so reasonably from the company's stores that 

 I did not take any supplies from San Francisco. They sold to me everything at San 

 Francisco wholesale prices, with 25 per cent, added. I understood that was their 

 general rule. 



I saw nothing to indicate any disposition on the part of the company to prevent 

 the going in of immigrants. On the contrary, they appeared to treat all with hos- 

 pitality, offered the means of transportation to all points at which their vessels visited. 

 I returned in the fall of 1886 to San Francisco by the Alaska Commercial Company's 

 steamer. In March, 1887, 1 went again on the same steamer of the company's to Oonga 

 and went all along the Aleutian chain and on the main-land prospectirg; and the 

 general facts before stated as to the Alaska Commercial Company are true of my last 

 visit there. Through the facilities itoff"ered I was enabled to pursue my business, and 

 I made several other locations and discoveries, both on the maiu-land and islands. 

 Some of these I consider promising, two of them now being developed. 



G. C. King. 



San Francisco, Decemher 13, 1887. 



No. 14. 



STATEMENT OF CAPT. GEORGE F. BAULDKY. 



I reside at San Francisco, and have so resided for ten years last past. My occupa- 

 tion is that of commanding a vessel belonging to the Pacific Coast Steam-ship Com- 

 pany (Goodall, Perkins & Co. ). I have been in that service for the last five years, en- 



