616 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



not be ascertained how far the skin should be stretched out to measure 

 it. After being salted, however, it assumes a stable size, but the size 

 of the salted skin depends entirely upon how much or how far it was 

 stretched out by the native who laid it in the kench and salted it. 



In putting all skins in salt, it is endeavored to stretch each one of 

 them in order that it may be as long as possible when sold ; but there 

 is and can be no uniform method used of stretching them, unless the 

 present practice of skinning and salting a seal skin should be entirely 

 changed. The native handling the skin to be salted spreads it out in 

 the kench and holds it in that position until several shovelsfull of 

 salt are thrown upon it, when he catches hold of the head and tail 

 ends, and gives them a smart pull and stretches the skin, depending 

 upon the weight of the salt already on it to hold it in this stretched 

 condition. As he has to release this hold in order to spread the salt 

 with his hands, and as the operation is done hurriedly and by many 

 men, it follows that some skins would be stretched more than others, 

 and some not stretched at all. So that when the salted skins are 

 taken out of the kench, the result is that nearly all show a shrinkage 

 from the size which they had upon the animal, but this shrinkage, as 

 determined by these experiments, is so irregular and depends upon so 

 many contingencies as to make any test of age by means of measure- 

 ments of salted skins wholly unreliable. 



I shall ask permission to put in the record here — but shall not read 

 it, unless the committee desires me to do so — a statement of the vari- 

 ous measurements of these skins made at the time stated, so that the 

 committee may examine the same if it wishes. 



Mr. Stephens. You desire to make that a part of your evidence? 



Mr. Lembkey. I desire to make it a part of my statement; yes. 



The Chairman. It may be printed in the hearing at this point. 



(The measurement table referred to is as follows:) 



Measurements of seals and of green and salt sealskins taken on St. Paul Island in July, 



1912. 



6 

 •3 



j 



Inima 





Green skin. 



Salt 



skin. 



6 



A 



nimal. 





Green skin. 



Salt skin. 



d 



■4-3 



■S 





4a 



d 



& 



d 



d 



d 





d 



43 



d 



4 



d 





g 5 

 ffi 





S 



if. 

 U 



m 



h3 





be 



a 



CD 



-^ 

 2 

 % 



3. 



u 



m 



0° 

 3 





M 



CO 



SO 



a 



CD 





bp 



a 



CD 



+3 



s 





In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 





In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 



In. 



26 



41 



33 



4 



29J 



20J 



331 



22 



49 



45} 



29 



6} 



32} 



22} 



37} 



22} 



27 



37 



29 



41 



27J 



201 



341 



99i 



— l 



50 



45 



28 



61 



34} 



21} 



401 



25 



28 



45 



28 



3f 



321 



24', 



381 



232 



51 



451 



271 



5 



34} 



21} 



36" 



23} 



29 



40 



31} 



4 



33" 



22^ 



39 



221 



52 



47 



28' 



•i : ; 



31} 



24} 



38} 



24} 



30 



45} 



26 



i\ 



28 



231 



35 



23| 



53 



42 



2vl 



4 



311 



23} 



35} 



23} 



31 



431 





41 



34 



242 



38J 



26} 



54 



45 



31 



42 



:- 



202 



37} 



22} 



32 





28 



42 



311 



221 



36" 



23 



55 



45 



261 



32 



342 



20 



35} 



23} 



33 



46" 



29 



5 



32 



222 



351 



25 



56 



421 



26} 



4} 



281 



23} 



36| 



25} 



34 



41* 





a 



291 



23 



34" 



24 



57 



461 



30" 



51 



312 



232 



35J 



20} 



35 



4H 



28 



5 



32 



221 



351 



21} 



58 



41" 



281 



31 



31} 



22 



41} 



21} 



36 



3S1 



27 



4! 



29J 



191 



3ii 



221 



59 



461 



29" 



4 



35" 



23} 



38 



26} 



37 



421 



27 



•1* 



33{ 



22| 



361 



231 



60 



41} 



271 



32 



30} 



231 



382 



22} 



38 



421 



- 



4? 



341 



■»a 



40 



24} 



61 



43 



30' 



3} 



32" 



19" 



372 



22} 



39 



411 



29 



5 



28 



211 



34 



23 



62 



46 



30 



32 



30} 



232 



37 



241 



40 





28 



5} 



321 



211 



37 



22} ' 



63 



47 



30} 



41 



29 



23} 



35} 



22f 



41 



441 



30 



44 



352 



221 



43 



23 



64 



49 



30 



31 



28 



23 



43 



27 



-12 



45' 



291 



■- 



32 



2° 



35} 



242 



65 



44 



30 



41 



33} 



24} 



39 



24} 



43 



43 



301 



51 



291 



231 



341 



271 



66 



48 



28} 



51 



34 



23 



341 



24 



44 



43 



24j 



4 



321 



211 



361" 



22" 



67 



45 



31 



31 



312 



23} 



38} 



24} 



45 



47 



27 



4 



35" 



.. 



39 



26 



68 



44} 



28 



32 



29} 



23; 



342 



232 



40 



43 



23} 



41 



34 



211 



41 



231 



69 



45} 



28} 



5} 



29} 



211 



36J 



21} 



47 



39* 



- 



3f 



?SJ 



192 



341 



22" 



70 



43 



28} 



31 



311 



22 



351 



23} 



48 



40} 



291 



3i 



331 



201 



392 



23} 



71 



45} 



28} 



4} 



351 



24 



36' 



25} 



