¥UR SEALS OF ALASKA. g 
50,000 female seals on the seal islands of Alaska,” etc. Are there that 
many female seals? 
Mr. Extiorr. There are 50,000 there to-day, yes; that is what there 
are there to-day; that is right. But they will not last much longer 
when the male life drops away from them. 
Mr. Mercaur. Then follows: “‘ Whereas the killing of thousands of 
mother seals at sea every year,” ete. 
Mr. Exurotrr. Yes, sir. 1 want to tell you right there, Mr. Metcalf, 
it is impossible for us to tell the exact proportion of female seals these 
butchers get in the water. We can only get it ina general way. You 
can depend upon one thing and that is the great bulk taken off the 
rookeries are nursing mothers, because we see the young pups starv- 
ing there. Some of our agents have seen the milk and blood com- 
mingled on the decks of the sealers’ vessels. There is no question but 
what the great bulk of their catch is nursing mother females while 
‘hunting in Bering Sea during August and September, annually. 
Mr. Wittiams. I would like for you to give the stenographer a 
brief account of your connection personally with this. 
Mr. Extiorr. Jam glad you asked me to do that. That is frequently 
asked. 
Mr. Wits, of Mississippi. How you were officially employed. 
Mr. Exiotrr. In 1872 I was asked by Joseph Henry and Spencer F. 
Baird, the Director and the Assistant Director of the Smithsonian Insti- 
tution, to make a biological study of the islands, and [ did so. : 
In 1874 I was again sent to those islands under a special act of Con- 
gress, with a revenne-marine cutter put under my service. 
Mr. Wittiams. Were you in the Navy then? 
Mr. Exxrorr. No; I was the artist of the Smithsonian Institution 
and the private secretary of Joseph Henry when I went up there. In 
1890 I was asked by Mr. Windom to go up again under authority of a 
special act of Congress which was drafted in this committee and passed 
. by Congress for the express purpose of sending me up there; I made 
that report to Secretary Windom, which is here and which was sup- 
pressed in 1891 by the one who succeeded Mr. Windom as an accident 
of death. He did so because I insisted that land killing’ at that time 
depleted the herd as much as sea killing. Then our own incompetent 
agents went over to Paris with that untruth in their mouths, and there 
got beaten out of it, as they ought to have been. I would not allow 
myself to step down one peg from this truth; not for anybody—not 
for Mr. Blaine, or even for the President himself; they could not com- 
pel me todoit; sol parted company with them there, January 19, 1891. 
Mr. Tawney. Are you in any way connected with this subject now? 
Mr. Extiott. Not officially. I have only that interest which any 
naan would have who knew it as I know it. I don’t want to see a life 
wiped out as I have seen it, the most wonderful 
Mr. Wiiiams, of Mississippi. You were selected by the Smithson- 
ian Institution to make a special biological study of this question, and 
you made it? 
Mr. Exxiorr. J was selected by the Smithsonian Institution to make 
a special biological study of the question, yes; and I made it. I was 
the first artist that ever Jived among those islands. I made the first 
study and surveys of this work that were ever made by a trained 
observer. And this work of mine has stood—not a line added to it or 
