INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 763 



Mr. McGuire. But at that time you designated those natural 

 monuments in a temporary way by flags ? 



Mr. Elliott. Not a "temporary way" at all; it was a " temporary 

 way" for getting the location of those natural monuments during 

 the hour of surrey b} r cross bearings on the given point, as to dis- 

 tances from a given point of departure in turn upon which the whole 

 survey is based; therefore, they are permanently located on the 

 map, as being so far from, and so bearing, from that base. 



The Chairman. This was done for the purpose of making that 

 map? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir; getting the exact dimensions of the shore 

 line and superficial area of the ground covered by the breeding seals. 



Mr. McGuire. There is absolutely nothing to indicate the monu- 

 ments there now ? 



Mr. Elliott. Why should there be ? 



Mr, McGuire. I am asking you whether there is ? 



Mr. Elliott. No ; but the natural monuments are there. 



Mr. McGuire. That is what I wanted to bring out. 



Mr. Elliott. Everything is there as I left it; just as I left it in 

 1872; everything. 



The Chairman. Is a copy of that map on the island ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; I left copies when I was there in 1872 and 

 1874, and again in 1890, and the} r were published in 1896 by order 

 of the House. (See H. Doc. 175, 54th Cong., 1st sess.) 



The Chairman. And copies are on the islands ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir; they were all up there. They all had 

 these documents. And any living man could go over our surveys 

 of last summer and pick up our fines. I was pretty well trained in 

 topography. I had three summers' work and experience with the 

 United States Geological Survey, and helped one of the best to- 

 pographers in the world with his field work m 1869, 1870, 1871. 



Mr. McGuire. Did jou ever at any time make any count of pups ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; I tried to make a "count" of pups in 1872; 

 and it was a dismal failure. 



Mr. McGuire. That was the count you referred to in your direct 

 testimony ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; very briefly. The details of it would fill a 

 book. 



Mr. McGuire. When all the agents of the Government report 

 counts in 1901, 1912, and 1913, and report them all successful, you 

 are still not convinced that pup counting is possible ? 



Mr. Elliott. The agents do not report them all successful; they 

 report them as failures. I have made copies of their reports and 

 have made citations from their reports to the committee. 



Mr. McGuire. What are those statements and who are the agents 

 that made them ? 



Mr. Elliott. Here they are. I thought it was of no use to bring 

 in my experience, but I would bring in the records of the official 

 associates of Mr. Geo. A. Clark and Mr. Lembkey. On page 138, 

 Exhibit G, hearing No. 1, 1914, to wit: 



Copies of official entries in the journal of the United States Treasury agents' office^ 

 St. George Island, showing the impossibility and the futility of getting an accurate 

 count of all the live pups on a fur-seal rookery. 



