502 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUE-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Elliott. Mr. Gallagher has put it down 38. 



The Chairman. What was your count ? 



Mr. Clark. Eighteen. 



The Chairman. And it is 38 in the report ? 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. Do you find any other differences or are you through 

 with the question of counting ? 



Mr. Clark. I would like to mention one other conspicuous instance, 

 speaking of an underestimate. On the top of Hutchinson Hill — I 

 have shown you a photograph of a big crowd of seals there. As we 

 stood there on top of the hill Mr. Elliott said, "There are 6,500 cows 

 in that bunch." I told him we had counted 7,500 pups there the 

 year before and that there were plainly more cows, but that was 

 waived aside, and we did not agree on it. About three weeks later 

 when I counted the pups there we found exactly 11,371. Now that 

 is underestimating. On the other hand, two hours later, when we 

 were finishing Polovina rookery, Mr. Elliott said there were 8,005 

 cows on it, and when I counted Polovina rookery three weeks later 

 there was just 5,000 pups, so you can take your choice of estimates. 



Mr. McGuire. How many did he say there were? 



Mr. Clark. Eight thousand and five. 



The Chairman. In the meantime those animals change, do they 

 not ? They go from place to place, do they not ? 



Mr. Clark. No; they do not. 



The Chairman. They are not always on the same spot, are they? 



Mr. Clark. The animals of every rookery belong on that rookery. 

 They do not go to other rookeries. 



The Chairman. But whatever may have been there when you 

 got there, if he was there two weeks before, the same seals may not 

 have been there. 



Mr. Clark. The point is I got all of them by waiting until the pups 

 were all born and then counting all the pups. I did not care about 

 the cows, because they would come and go. 



The Chairman. I simply want to find out about that, because I 

 think we are really getting into inconsequentials as to differences of 

 opinion, and it will take a lot of time and be a matter of much expense. 



Mr. McGuire. What I was after is this: Here is a scientific, you 

 might say, witness who is skilful in his method of handling the seal 

 and has probably been there more than any other person and has 

 had a great deal of experience, and I want to find out the points of 

 difference between Mr. Elliott and this witness in detail. Of course, 

 it is going to take a lot of time; but the witness is here, and I think it 

 is the duty of the committee to find out what he knows. 



The Chairman. It was only on that account that I suggested it, 

 because I think there is substantial agreement as to the whole number 

 of seals up there. 



Mr. McGuire. Oh, no; there is a difference of about 80,000. 



Mr. Elliott. What does that amount to ? 



Mr. Clark? I do not like to have it stated that it is a difference of 

 opinion. What I meant to say was that his is not an accurate account 

 of those pup seals. 



Mr. Elliott. His own official assistants deny his count and say it 

 is impossible. 



