INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 119 



We want to hear your answers to several questions which we will 

 ask you to make this evening, and we intend to have those answers 

 given to the committee just as you shall give them to us. 



(The following questions were asked of the natives at this public 

 meeting in regard to the past condition of the seal herds, and the 

 following replies were given by the natives, through the interpreter, 

 George Kochergin.) 



Q. Do you remember the visit to this island of Prof. Elliott in 

 1890 %—. A~ Yes; they do in 1890. 



Q. Do you remember the meeting held then in the Treasury agent's 

 house here, winch he called for the natives ? — A. Karp Buterin remem- 

 bers it. Fedosay Sedick also remembers it. A number of others say 

 they remember the meeting, but were not present. Sedick is the only 

 man who was present at that time. 



Q. Do you remember what the older natives told him then, about 

 the past condition of the fur-seal herd ? — A. Karp Buterin says they 

 had not been called at that time to the agent's house and can not 

 remember what the old men said to Prof. Elliott, because they were 

 not there. 1 



Q. Has anybody ever disputed then assertion as to that condition 

 since then, on this island, that you can name ? — A. Unable to answer, 

 since they were not present. 



Q. When did you last drive seals from "Zapadnie"? — A. Long 

 ago, in the days of the old Alaska Commercial Co.; not since then. 



Q. When did yon last drive seals from "English Bay"? — A. The 

 last drive was made in the days of the North American Commencal 

 Co., but do not know the year, but quite a long time ago. 



Q. When did you last drive seals from "Zoltoi Bluffs" ? — A. Over 

 10 years ago. 



Q. When did you last drive seals from "Polavina" ? — A. During 

 the time of the North American Commercial Co.; over 10 years ago. 



Q. When did you last drive seals from "Dalnoi"? — A. About 20 

 years ago. 



Q. When did you last drive seals from "West of Cross Hill" ? — 

 A. Eighteen or nineteen years ago. 



Q. When the orders were given to you in 1900, to take "all of the 

 small seals that could be found," what did the natives say to the 

 Government agents ? — A. They do not remember. 



Q. Have the natives ever been called upon to express their views 

 of the condition of this fur-seal herd since Prof. Elliot's call to them, 

 in August, 1890? — A. Once, in 1906, when Mr. Sims was up here, 

 when the natives asked for a meeting. They told him that the seals 

 were getting small, and also talked to him about the sealing schooners. 

 They say Mr. Sims told them he was on the rookery, looking at the 

 seals, and Sims told them the seals were afraid of him, and just as 

 soon as they saw him all the seals went into the water, and he told the 

 boys to look out for the seals, to take care of the seals. They say 

 Mr. Sims asked them what the seals were afraid for and went right 

 in the water. They replied that by painting the rocks on the rook- 

 eries and counting them and chasing them about, they had gotten 

 afraid. 



1 The notes of; this 1890 meeting are published in H. Doc. No. 175, 54th Cong., 1st sess., pp 195-197. 



