INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 765 



Mr. AIcGutre. What date is that? 



Air. Elliott. 1895. 



Air. AIcGutre . What time in 1895 ? 



Air. Elliott. I have read the whole detail of it. 



Mr. AIcGutre. I do not think you gave the date. 



Mr. Elliott. "Monday, November 11, 1895," and the other date 

 was "September 29, 1895." 



Mr. McGuire. Now, Mr. Elliott, the facts are, are they not, that 

 there are seasons of the year when the pups are very young, when there 

 are large numbers of them that are very young ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. And that counting would be impracticable, but late 

 in the season the pups become strong ? 



Mr. Elliott. How late in the season do you mean ? 



Mr. McGuire. I mean before they leave the islands. 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; but they are counted before they are strong. 

 They are counted when they are less than 2 months old; some when 

 only 10 days old. Some of them are counted when they are 1 day old, 

 and some are being born while they are counting! (i. e., between August 

 1-8, annually). 



Air. McGuire. Some few, perhaps; but Mr. Clark waited until the 

 pups were strong. Now, then 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). I deny that. 



Mr. McGuire. After the pups have become strong and able to 

 travel — and I b eh eve you testified they were very active ? 



Air. Elliott. When they are a year old. You mixed me up. You 

 did not follow me. 



Mr. McGuire. "When the pups are a year old? 



Mr. Elliott. When they come back as yearlings they are then the 

 most active, lithe, and sinewy of the animals. 



Air. McGuire. I may be mistaken in my observation that you 

 stated the pups before they left the islands were very strong and 

 active and could go anywhere ? 



Mr. Elliott. I never made any such statement. 



Air. McGuire. I may be wrong. 



Air. Elliott. They are logy in November before they leave, heavy, 

 and clumsy. They are mostly fat — balls of fat, clumsy, and logy 

 then. 



Air. McGuire. Now, then, with respect to these meetings that you 

 had with the natives for the purpose of taking their testimony. 



Air. Elliott. Yes. 



Air. AIcGutre. Who was with you when you took their testimony? 



Air. Elliott. Air. Gallagher. He was the only white man. 



Air. AlcGurRE. What authority did he have? 



Air. Elliott. He was my assistant, by order of this committee. 



Air. AlcGurRE. Did he have any authority except what you gave 

 him on the islands ? 



Air. Elliott. He had authority from the chairman of this com- 

 mittee. I never gave him any. 



The Chairman. The resolution appears in the record. 



Air. Elliott. I did not even know him until I met him in Seattle. 



Air. AIcGutre. He was a stenographer ? 



Air. Elliott. Yes, sir. 



