766 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. McGuire. And took notes as you gave them to him? 



Mr. Elliott. That was the important and great value of his serv- 

 ices. 



Mr. McGuire. That was the extent of his services ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; and as a witness to other things, and he as- 

 sisted me in counting and census estimates. I had great regard for 

 him, because I found him an extremely careful man. 



Mr. McGuire. Now, then, who was your interpreter when you had 

 those meetings with the natives ? 



Mr. Elliott. His name was George Kochergin. He had been 

 educated in San Francisco, and he spoke English fairly well. 



Mr. McGuire. He was not an expert in the English language? 



Mr. Elliott. Oh, no; none of them are. I would not trust one of 

 them in the English language. 



Mr. McGuire. He was the best you could get under the circum- 

 stances ? 



Mr. Elliott. He was the best they have on the islands. 



Mr. McGuire. I say, he was the best you could get ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; I believe he could understand what we wanted 

 him to ask; at least, we took great pains with him. 



Mr. McGuire. You say there were none on the islands whom you 

 would trust so far as English is concerned ? 



Mr. Elliott. If I were to go out on the street corner and talk 

 with them about the time of day, and such things, I guess they, per- 

 haps, could understand, that is, some of them; but I would not 

 trust a man there, as a native, in any sustained conversation, or in 

 any direct questioning. 



Mr. McGuire. Wore you not able to secure some person who was 

 proficient in the English language and proficient in the native lan- 

 guage to assist you in taking that evidence? 



Mr. Elliott. There is no such white man on the islands. 



Mr. McGuire. You state that as a fact? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes. I have got a better understanding of the 

 native language than any white man who was on the islands that 

 summer, and I would not trust myself. 



Mr. McGuire. You would not trust yourself in their language? 



Mr. Elliott. No, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. As long as you were there? 



Mr. Elliott. No, sir. The Aleut language is the only one you can 

 trust them in; and I do not know anything about it. Their language 

 is the Aleut language. 



Mr. McGuire. Do you make the statement now, for this record, 

 that you have a better understanding of the English language and 

 their language than anyone to be found on the islands? 



Mr. Elliott. I do. 



The Chairman. You mean a better understanding of the English 

 language than of the Aluet language? 



Mr. Elliott. I am not speaking of the Aleut language at all, but 

 of their patois. Because of my communication with them, and be- 

 cause I can speak the Russian language and their patois, I could get 

 closer to them than any man on the islands. 



Mr. McGuire. You do not mean you could understand the English 

 language better than the other people? 



