50 FUR SEALS OF ALASKA. 
Mr. Crarx. Did not the House pass a resolution once to kill off all 
the seals? 
Mr. Exxiott. I believe they did, except enough to save the species. 
The Cuairman. That was your original idea, was it not? 
Mr. Exuiotr. Yes; but I planned to save enough for the preserva- 
tion of the species. I think if we had done that in 1895 we would have 
saved ourselves a good deal of mortification and shame up there; and 
I think it would have been an act of great mercy to those animals if it 
had been done. - 
Mr. Crarx. How many years will a seal cow breed? 
Mr. Extiorr. A female will breed, in my opinion, from the second 
year up to the ninth or tenth year. No man knows exactly. 
Mr. Crarx. Is her hide any good after death? 
Mr. Extiorr. As long asshe lives the female hide is good. Itis like 
a 2-year-old male, almost weight for weight, and the same quality and 
of the same value. It is as fine a skin as the 2-year-old male skin, and 
it is almost impossible to distinguish them apart as individuals if they 
are ‘scraped up” on to the killing grounds. They look, act, and are 
outwardly precisely alike when side by side, 2-year-old males and adult 
females. 
The Cuatrman. Is there anything further you desire to say? 
Mr. Exxiorr. No, sir. : 
The Cuatrman. Mr. Hitchcock wants a moment or two. - 
Mr. Extiorr. I would like to ask him one question further in the 
presence of the committee. He stated that the total pelagic catch this 
year was 12,000. 
Mr. Hrrcwcock. Practically that, by the Canadian fleet. 
Mr. Exuiorr. Then how do you reconcile the fact that the Lamp- 
sons sale was 13,000, the Hudson Bay 7,000, and the Lampsons held 
over 7,000 for the market sales, making a total of 27,000, as shown by 
these figures I have here? 
Mr. Hircucocn. Are all those ‘‘northwest” skins? 
Mr. Exxiorr. Yes; here they are [exhibiting a statement]; you can 
look at them. I do not doubt. the sincerity of your statement; but how 
do you reconcile this? 
You see here 13,406 ‘‘northwest” skins in this Lampson sale cata- 
logue of December 17, 1903. 
r. Hircncock. As I stated, my returns were procured through 
the consul at Victoria, showing the catch of the Canadian fleet. Those 
figures gave a total of something over 12,000 skins. Now, I have no 
doubt that the difference can be accounted for by the sealing under 
other flags, and particularly under the Japanese flag. 
Mr. Exxrorr. But, Mr. Hitchcock, the Hudson Bay Company sold 
7,000 odd on the same day (December 17, 1903). ; 
Mr. Hrroncock., Where is the record of it? 
Mr. Exxrorr. In the Fur Trade Review. I have not that here. 
Not only that, but 7,000 of the Lampson’s Company was held over to 
the March sales. 
Mr. Hrreucocx. I should like to see the records proving the source 
of those skins. 
Mr. Extiorr. Itisin the Fur Trade Review. [New York, January 1, 
1904.] Now, gentlemen, you see how easy it is for an honest young 
man to be imposed upon by these fellows up in Victoria. It just’shows™ 
the trouble where a perfectly honest Government official comes before 
