528 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



village were turned back into the sea, 10 per cent of these were 2-year-olds, balance 

 yearlings. (C. J. Goff.) 



Do you think that is a correct statement ? 



Mr. Clark. I have no 'means of knowing whether -it is correct or 

 not. I was not there in 1890. 



The Chairman. Do these seals come earlier and later in various 

 seasons in different years ? 



Mr. Clark. We did not find it so. 



The Chairman (reading) : 



Tuesday, June 24, 1890. — (p. 231.) N. A. C. Co. made a drive from Reef and Tol- 

 stoi, and killed 426 seals; about 65 per cent of this drive was turned back into the sea; 

 about all of these were yearlings. (C. J. Goff.) 



Mr. Clark. Mr. Rothermel, you should bring up this man and let 

 him show how he kaew they were yearlings. I say no one could 

 swear to a yearling until he saw the branded animal. I could not. 

 I want to say this with reference to the animals we saw in 1896 and 

 1897: That we carried out the ideas of the people on the island who 

 looked upon the very smallest seals they saw as yearlings, and that 

 is what we meant in the reports in those early days. 



Mr. Patton. What was the weight at which a seal was considered 

 a yearling at that time; 6 pounds? 



Mr. Clark. No; they were not allowed to take seals under 6 pounds 

 in 1896, and, of course, that protected also the 2-year-olds. 



Mr. Patton. Those were the ones that were turned back? 



Mr. Clark. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Patton. Under 6 pounds? 



Mr. Clark. Yes, sir. 



The Chairman. The mere purpose of that question of mine was to 

 show that the witness must be mistaken when he says that these 

 yearlings did not come until August. 



Mr. Patton. Is that not merely a difference of opinion between 

 two experts ? 



The Chairman. But these are the official records of the island. 



Mr. Patton. Well, that is only the official record of the expert 

 who was there. 



Mr. Clark. Have I not shown you that the official record is in 

 error and contradicts the testimony of five or six men who w r ere en- 

 gaged in an experiment ? The Official Journal says : 



"It is now conceded that yearling females do not haul out on the 

 rookeries, but among the hofiuschikie." 



Dr. Jordan's own record states: "It may safely be inferred that no 

 virgin females are among the bachelors on the Reef." That is what 

 he says. 



The Chairman. But Mr. Goff was a sworn officer of the Govern- 

 ment, was he not ? 



Mr. Clark. I do not know anything about it more than that Mr. 

 Goff was the Government agent on the islands. 



The Chairman. Now, I want to ask the witness a few more ques- 

 tins, Mr. McGuire, before you proceed. 



Mr. McGuire. All right. 



The Chairman. Did I understand you to say on Saturday that 

 you and some assistant up there branded 6,000 young seals one year ? 



