CONTENTdm
Counter-case presented on the part of the government of Her Britannic Majesty to the tribunal of arbitration constituted under Article I of the treaty concluded at Washington on the 29th February 1892, between Her Britannic Majesty and the United States of America [with appendices]
British Columbia Historical Books Collection
Behring Sea arbitration
Great Britain
[between 1892 and 1899?]
"The counter-case, without appendices, was also published in French." -- Lowther, B. J., & Laing, M. (1968). A bibliography of British Columbia: Laying the foundations, 1849-1899. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, p. 116.
v, 266 pages : tables (some folded) ; 33 cm
application/pdf
THE LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA BEHRING SEA ARBITRATION A-PPENDIX TO '«► COUNTER-CASE OP HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, VOL. II. TABLE OF CONTENTS. List of Deponents Synopsis of Evidence relating to certain subjects contained in the Affidavits and Statements annexed ... ... ... ... ■•• ••• Page iii 1-42 Affidavits and Declarations:— (I.) Testimony relating to pelagic sealing ... ... ••• »•• 4o-loy (II.) Testimony of Indians engaged in pelagic sealing and in independent seal- hunting ... ... ... ... ... ... (III.) Testimony on various points relating to seals and sealing ... « (IV.) Logs of sealing vessels ... ... ... ... ... (V.) Analysis of affidavits as to value of schooners ... ».. (VI.) Evidence as to value of sealing schooners ... ... ... (VII.) Declarations by members of the fur trade ... ... ... 140-166 167-188 189-214 215-219 220-230 230-253 Table showing Quantities of Fur-Seal Skins of all descriptions offered annually for public sale, and known private sales in London, from the year 1827 to the year 1869 inclusive 254 Abstract of Catalogues of Alaskan Seal Public Sales, showing number of different sizes sold annually in London, and the percentage of small and large sizes ... ... ... 255-256 Abstract of Catalogues of North-west Coast Seal Public Sales, showing number of different sizes sold annually in London, and showing percentage of skins which could not possibly, by reason of their size, be skins of bearing females Letters from Messrs. Lampson 261-264 Memorandum of Mr. G. Gleadowe, of the British Treasury Department, on the general Condition and Character of the Canadian Sealing Fleet ... ... ... ... 265-266 L118] BEHRING SEA ARBITRATION. Appendix to Counter-Case of Her Majesty's Government. Vol. II. List of Deponents. Name. Page. Name. Page. Adams, Frank W... 94 Clahouto .. 144 _Ah-nah-yook .. .. .. 161 Claphighup .. 154 Al«;ar, Henry S. 115 Ciark, John 223 Allhausen, Augustus 249 Clatcliu 153 Annetz-a-cheet .. .; 156 Clat-ka-koi 150 Annetz-a-cheet, Louis 157 Clat-misk 153 Aptel, Sigmund 246 Clawaunack .. .. .. 142 At-clappa 160 ] Click-ia-hou-to 151 Ateiu 160 Coburn, John .. .. „. 106 Coles, John 184 .Baker, Wentworth E. .. .. 74, 208 1 Collins. George 226 Barker, George B. .. 173, 179 i Conners, William J 29 Beckingham, Joseph J. 115 | Copp, W. A. - .. 211 Beckwith, S. L. 183 Cowie, William •19 Belodo, John A. 173 Cox, J. G, .. .. 189.195.196 Belyea, Arthur L. .. 176 205, 227 Bendt, William 186 j Creamer, Horatio 244 Bertram, Albert J. 93 1 Crew, James W. luo Bevington, Herbert S. .. ., 249 1 Crocker,, Frederick.. .. ,. 129, 172 Billard, Abraham .. 56 Cullen, Melville F... 86 Billy 165 Cutlen, M. F. 191 Bissett, Alfred R. .. 60, 200 Bjerne, August J. .. .. .. 193 ; Dearden, Alfred 181 Blomquist, Charles 111 i De Witt, William 62 Bonde, Neils .. 94 Dillon, C. F. 47 Borras, Harry 247 ! Dishow, George 57 Boulter, George .. .. 238 j Dixon, Richard 248 Bnlgg, W.T 56 ; Douglas .. .. .. 165 Brown, Jos. 49, 101 Douglas, Abel ... 52, 192 Brown, Henry- 171 Brown, William .. .. 118 I Earle, Thomas .. 202 Brown, George H... ... 225 1 Edwards, William .. .. 43 Brown, Thomas H... 81 1 Edwards, Maurice .. .. .. 44 Browne, Henry S. .. ... .. 83 Ehenehessut -155 Buchho'z, Otto • 58 Enocto .. .. .. 162 Buckman, S. W. .. 112 Eustace, E. .. 181 Burns, Charles 0. .. 103 Eysoldt, Oswald 243 Campbell, Frank .. 49 Fanning, J. S. 55, 171 Campbell, A. S. 48 Farley, William A. 86 Campbell, Charles 77, 187 Felsenstein, Ludwig .. .. 251 Cantillion, Edward 117 Fewings, William .. 78 Carlson, Adolphe .. .. .. 128 Figuera, John 125 •Carlson, Peter 135 Findley, Robert S... P 97 Carthcut, James 138 Foiger, A. C. 88, 90, 9L Cedar-kanim .. .. . ■ 159 Ford, James .. .. 133 Charlie .. 149, 165 Francis, Charles .. .. .. 104 Chileta .. 145 1 Fraser, Alfred 174 Christian, John .. .. 86 Fred 163 Christian, Wallace M. 45 French, George F. .. 44, 66 Clahapisum . • 143 Friedeberg, Henry .. .. 243 ^K «3 IV Name. Page. Name. Gardner and Thornley Garner, Thomas .. Gaudin, James .. Gerow, G. C. Goudie, William G. Grant, William Grebcrt, Emile Gus .. i. .. Haake, John H. .. Hackett, Charles > .. Haendler, Adolphe.. Hall, Joseph Hall, Richard Halsey, William Hammel, Peter .. Hammond, Johnny.. Hanaisum Harris, Charles J. .. 1 larrold, Thomas .. ■ Harry .. .. Hartiwen, Charles .. Hat-la-cuntl Hayuks, Charlie .. Heater, George Heay, Walter Hermann, William .. Hertz, Emile High-ei t-lick-sheel.. Hit-hitte .. Hodgson, Norman .. Hope, Robert Ilovton, R. J. .. Hughes, William 0. Imihap Ince, Thomas BT. Jack Jackson, General .. Jacobson, Victor .. Jamieson, J. 11. Jay, Tom Simpson*.. Jimmy .. .. Joe " .. Jolibis, Peter Jones, Hiram B. .. Joseph Jungmann, M. Felix Kacli-kach-ah Kasado .. Kawannass Keelthlah.. Keefe, Michael Keshuqua.. Kickiana .. .. Kraft, John Ladd, Charles D. .. Laing, Andrew D. .. Laing, David Lansdell, Francis A. Lavender, R. O. Le Blanc, E. C. Le Blanc, Charles .. Lee, George A. .. Lewis, Daniel A. .. Locke, Colin .. Lorenz, Ernest .. Lund, Harry J. .. Luljjens, Charles .. McDonald, George.. McGarva, Andrew.. McGrath, Luke 188 98 111 110,171 63 112 242 165 64 202, 223 242 78 168, 222 239 187 155 143 50 229 149 122,132 157 146,147 93, 203 87 118 241 121 140 134 184 McGrath, Matthew McKiel, Andrew McKiel, Robert McLean, Laughlin. McBae, James Magnesen, Theodor Margotieh, John Marshall, G. P. Marshall, Wesley . Maihasan, Thorwal Mathison, Andrew . Matthews, John Meyers, Henry Miner, G. E. Miner, E. P. j Mockler, C. E. | Moreau, Frank Morris, John Morrison. Neil Moxon, Henry Mucklomick . Munsie, William . Nahwyak Narwassan, Jim Nickerson, Alonzo . j (JLeary, William . O'Lcary, Thomas . Oquaghu.. 0'Q.uinn, Isaac Page. • • 88 m w 109 • • 76, 191 63 48, 101 • • 74, 168 154 • - 213 m t 251 # m 107 m m 68 m m 109 252 m * 97 m m 113 . . 126 « • 135 17o m t 82 m # 232, 234 •• 163 199 154 140 206 59 # # 46 • •> 147 • • 75 185 Paxton, Henry ... 100 Penny, John Lam' Peter bert 156 Peters, Charles # « 235 Peterson, P. E. Petit, William •• 142. 155 Pickney, Micajah , . 178 Poland, Henry . » 83, 224 Poland, Richard 1 lenry Poland, Sidney a * 237 Politzer, Joseph . # 142 165 Quat-loose . . 45 Qui-an-ah # , 116 Qiristo, Charlie . . 154 242 Ramlose, Emil Reppen, August 148 Revillon, Stanisas m m 141 Revillon, L6on 163 Rice, George ,. 163 Ridderbjelke, Adolph 105 Roberts, George m ^ 153 Roland. W. F. 151 Poland, A. W. 182; Ryan, Matthew • • 174 Sant-o .. 165, 169, 177 Scarf, Oscar , 9 79 Scott, George m m 236 Scott, Milton 54 S?c-ah-sum # m 45 Shaffer, W. O. 51 Sheenah- .. 1 m 213 Shewish .. m # 136 Shields, James B 71 Shields, William ^ 73, 167 Shooksa .. .. 131 Shoosmith, John .. 121 Short, W7. A. B m Shoultwick 77, 169 Sieward, II. F. m m 95 Sinclair, Abner 46,102 Siteman, James- , # 92 224 163 91, 172- 131 160 250 230 236 238 163 161 164 72 80 231 230, 231 246 182 53 107 108 54 165 67 119 123 164 J. 24 163 149 65 ;69- T63 248 182 flj*2 47 4'3 103 !S3tgU*"P Name. Page. Name. Page. Slater, Benjamin F. 240 TJhlman, A. B. .. 252 Smith, William H... 232 Upson, Warren F. .. 127 Smith, Herman R... 61 t Soyuk .. .. .. .. 142 Vyse, Howard 248" Stamp, W. C. 245 Starrat, Ralph 48 Wahka .. .. .. . a ■154 Steavenson, John .. 220 Wake-a-nen-nisk 158 Strong, Frederick W. 68 Warren, James D... 99 Sugden, C. A. 253 Warrington, F. R. .. 96 Suithatchest .. .. .. 163 Watt, Walter 144 Sutherland, AC... 185 Weber, Friedrich A. G. 241 Weech-tin 164 Taylor, No. 1 165 Weighla, John 163 Taylor, No. 2 165 Wells, George 107 Thau, Julius R. 25 "i Wester, George 120,174,178- Thiers, Lee J. 126 Westerlund, Olaf 210 Thompson 142 Wheeler, Roscoe 138 Todd, James W. 85 Whiteley, William H. 204 Tommie 165 Williams, C. A. 70 Too-tooch .. .. 142 Williams, John .. .. .. 84 Too-tush 154 Worth, John 124, 174 Townsend, John ., ' .. .. 50 Wotherspoou, David 247 Tsawassup .. .. .. 154 Turpel, William .. .. .. 228 Yacootiish .. .. 163 Tychson, August 180 1 * [118] «±i-» *&m ( 1 ) Synopsis of Evidence relating to certain Subjects contained in the Affidavits and Statements annexed. I. Table showing experience in pelagic sealing of those giving evidence on this subject. II. Table showing actual numbers of seals taken by pelagic sealers compared with those lost by sinking, and resulting loss per cent. III. Statements respecting number of seals lost by sinking before recovery when killed at sea. TV. Statements respecting the number of seals which may escape capture after being wounded by hunters at sea. V. Statements respecting the composition of the catch made by various pelagic sealers, in relation to the proportionate number of males and females, &c. VI. Statements relating to the taking of female seals in milk. VII. Statements particularly bearing on the intermingling of fur-seals in all parts of the North Pacific. VIII. Statements showing the occurrence of fur-seals to the south of the Aleutian Islands during the summer months. IX. Statements relating to the abundance or otherwise of fur-seals at sea in late years. X. Statements relating to coition of fur-seals at sea. XI. Statements respecting the resort of far-seals to new breeding-places from time to time. XII. Statements of sealers' relating to comparison between seals obtained on the American and Asiatic sides of the North Pacific. XTIT. Statements of sealers respecting the possibility of distinguishing the sex of seals by appearance of skins. XIV. References to distribution of seals of different sexes and ages at sea. XV. Statements relating to raids made upon the Pribyloff Islands. XVI. Reference of affidavits relating to the absence of sealing-vessels from Behring Sea in 1892. [1181 B 2 ■Table showing Experience in Pelagic Sealing of those giving Evidence (Indians not included). Name. Number of Years' Experience. Algar, Henry S. Baker, Wentworth Beckingham, Joseph J Bertram, Albert J. Billard, Abraham Bissett, Alfred R. Blomquist, Charles Bonde, Neils Bragg, William T. Brown, Joseph Brown, William Brown, Thomas H. Brown, Joseph Browne, Henry S. Buchholz, Otto Buckman, S. W. Burns, Charles O. Campbell, Frank Campbell, A. S. Campbell, Charles Cantillion, Edward Carlson, Adolphe F. Carlson, Peter Carthcut, James Christian, John Christian, Wallace M Coburn, John Conners, William Cowie, William Crew, James W. Crocker, Fred. Cullen, Melville F. De Witt, William Dillon, C. F. Dishow, George Douglas, Abel Edwards, William Edwards, Maurice Fanning, J. S. Farley, William A. Fewings,- William Figuera, John Findley, Robert S. Folger, A. C. Ford, James Francis, Charles French, George F. Garner, Thomas Gaudin, James Gerow, G. C. Goudie, William G. Haake, John H. Hall, Joseph Hammel, Peter Harris, Charles J. Hartiwen, Charles Heater, George Heay, Walter Hermann, William Hodgson, Norman Hughes, William O. Jacobsen, Victor Jolibis, Peter 'Jones, Hiram B. Keefe, Michael Kraft, John.. Laing, Andrew D. Laing, David Lavender, R. O. Le Blanc, E. C. Le Blanc, Charles 6 2 3 1 4 8 6 14 5 3 2 4 10 4 9 2 1 5 6 2 7 12 2 4 8 6 8 2 2 4 3 6 4 4 18 2 4 3 3 1 5 2 2 4 16 11 3 6 8 12 9 Capacity in which Experience gained. Master .. 4 years master and hunter; 1 year master Boat-steerer and boat-puller 4 years hunter .. Hunter ,. .. •. • • Master and hunter .. • • Boat-steerer Seaman and boat-steerer .. .. Hunter Ditto .. Hunter and trader ] year boat-steerer; 4 years hunter .. 5 years boat-steerer; 1 year hunter .. Boat-puller Master Ditto .. 1 year boat-steerer; 1 year hunter 3 years boat-puller and boat-steerer; 2 years hunter Hunter .. .. .. Master and hunter Hunter .. .. .. .. Ditto .. 2 years boat-steerer; 2 years hunter .. Master and owner.. ; Hunter .. .. Ditto Ditto .. Ditto 1 year boat-steerer; 1 year hunter Hunter .. .. . < .. Ditto Master .. Hunter Master and hunter .. Hunter .. .. .. .. 3 years hunter; 5 years master and hunter Hunter .. .. Ditto Hunter .. .. .. Ditto .. Ditto .. Hunter and boat-steerer ,. 1 year boat-steerer; 3 years hunter Sea-otter or seal hunting; 10 years seal huntin Hunter .. .. .. 1 year boat-puller; 3 years hunter Hunter .. .. ,. Hunter Master .. .. .. Hunter .. .. .. Ditto .. 2 years boat-puller; 3 years hunter Hunter .. Ditto .. As master each year .. Hunter and master 1 year seaman; 2 years master 5 years boat-steerer; 1 year hunter Hunter .. .. .. Ditto .. Master ,. Master and hunter Hunter ., ,. .. 2 years hunter; 3 years master and hunter 2 years mate; 4 years master 3 years hunter ,, .. Mate, master, and hunter .. First engaged in sealing in 1867 1 year hunter; 4 years master Master .. 2 years boat-steerer; 2 years mate; 1 year hunter Page of Appendix. 115 74 115 93 56 60 111 94 56 101 118 181 49 83 58 112 103 49 48 77 117 128 135 138 86 45 108 129 49 133 129 86 62 47 43 44 55 86 78 125 97 88, 90, 91 133 104 44, 66 98 111 110 63 64 73 137 50 122 93 87 118 134 100 83 45 116 105 183 168 79 54 45 50 "mmmsemWMm Lewis, Dan. A. Lo ;ke, Coiin Lorenz, Ernest Lund, Harry J. Lutjens, Charles McDonald, George McGarva, Andrew McGrath, Luke McGrath, Matthew McKiel, Andrew McKiel, Robert McLean, Laughlin McRae, James Magnesen, 'J heodor Mathasan, Thorwal Mathison, Andrew Matthews, John Miner, G. E. Miner, Edward P. Mockler, C. E. Moreau, Frank Morris, John Morrison, Neil O'Leary, William O'Leary, Thomas O'Quimi, Isaac Paxton, Henry Peters, Charles Peterson, P. E. Petit, William Pickney, Micajah Ramlose, Emil Reppen, August Roberts, George Roland, W. F. Roland, A. W. Ryan, Matthew Scarf, Oscar Scott, George Scott, Milton Shafter, William O. Shields, James Shields, William Sie-ward, H. F. Sinclair, Abner Siteman, James Smith, Herman R. Starrat, Ralph Strong, Fred. W. Todd, James W- Thiers, Lee J. Townsend, John Ups Warren F. Warren, James D. Warrington, F. R. Wells, George Wester, George Williams, C. A. Williams, John Worth, John C 5 2 1 2 6 7 2 4 2 7 2 6 12 3 6 5 5 7 2 2 13 / 2 7 9 4 3 3 10 G 15 3 8 6 7 5 1 5 12 3 4 6 2 3 13 20 6 3 7 5 1 4 1 year mate ; 5 years master 3 years hunter .. .. .. 1 year hunter; 1 year boat-steerer .. Hunter ,. .. Mate Master; hunts a little as well Master and hunter ., Hunter Master Boat-steerer Hunter .. .. .. ., Ditto Ditto Hunter and master Ditto .. Hunter Mate and master 1 year boat-steerer ; 4 years hunter .. -Master and hunter Ditto .. Hunter In sealing business 13 years.. Mate. .. Hunter Master and hunter 1 year mate ; 1 year master 1 year boat-puller; 1 year boat-steerer; 5 years hunter Mate and master; hunted as well .. 2 years steward; 2 years hunter .. Hunter .. .. ! Ditto .. Boat-steerer and hunter Hunter .. .'. .. .. Ditto Ditto Ditto .. .. .. -.. Ditto .. Ditto .. Master and hunter Hunter .. . • .. First mate .. •. Seaman, mate, hunter, and master Hunter .. .. Ditto .. Master and hunter 3. Hunter .. .. • • . • 1 year mate and hunter; 2 years hunter Hunter .. Master 5 years boat-steerer; 1 year hunter Hunter .. .. .. Master and hunter Hunter Mate .. Hunter .. .. 77 95 4G, 102 88 109 76 03 48, 101 74 169 03 109 96 113 126- 135 172 82 59 46- 75 92 91 131 4a 100 72 80 53- 107 108 54 67 119 - 123 124 65^ 69 47" 43 105 61 48 68 85 127 50- 127 98 96- 106- 120- 70 85- 124 The men whose names are included in the above Table may be further classified as to the number of years' experience they have had, as follows :— 16 of 6 years' experience. 9 of 7 „ ,, 9 of 1 year's experience. 26 of 2 years' „ 17 of 3 „ 14 of 4 „ 19 of 5 „ 6 of 8 ,, ,, 3 of 9 „ „ 15 of 10 or more years' experience. <# # ( 4 ) II.—Actual Numbers ofi Seals taken by Pelagic Sealers compared with those lost by Sinking, and resulting Loss per Cent. las IN the majority of instances, hunters swear that careful count was kept of the seals lost by sinking. Where two numbers are given as representing the number of seals lost by sinking, the larger has always been used in determining the percentage lost, and in setting down the percentage itself the figure after the decimal point has always been made large, not small—thus, 4-33 would be written 4"4. No choice was made of men when the affidavits were taken, and no affidavits in which actual figures were given have been omitted in preparing this Table. White Hunters. Name. Vessel. Skins obtained. Seals lost. Loss per cent. Approximate Loss per cent. Year. Remarks. John Townsend .. Maggie Mac Between 60 and 70 •• 1890 Shipped as mate. Ditto Viva .. .. 270 10 3-7 1891 Hunter. Ditto Mary Taylor 172 3 1-7 1892 Ditto. Charles le Blanc Annie E. Paint 200 4 2-0 1892 First year as hunter. Abel Douglas Triumph More than 160 0 1888 Master. Ditto Ditto 460 11 2-4 1889 Ditto Ditto 300 8 2-7 1890 Ditto Arietas .. 147 4 2-7 1892 Master. George Roberts .. Teresa .. 232 7 3-0 • 1891 First year as hunter. Ditto Annie E. Paint 222 5 - 'o 1892 Four other hunters on "Annie E. Paint" lost about same proportion. Matthew Ryan Ditto 319 12 or 15 4-7 * ' 1891 Boat-steerer. Figures given are of seals killed by hunter. Ditto Ditto 249 7 2-4 1892 Hunter. Thorwal Mathason .. Oscar and Hattie .. 243 5 2-0 * ' 1891 Boat-steerer. Figures given are of seals killed by hunter. Ditto Dora Sieward 142 3 2-0 o • 1892 J. S. Fanning Lillie L. 227 About 20 8-8 1889 First year as hunter. Ditto AllieJ.Algar 1890 Not out long. No count kept. Ditto Henry Dennis 167 7 4-2 1891 Ditto Ditto 385 14 3-6 1892 Abraham Billard Beatrice 120 7 5 -8 1891 Master; hunted also. Ditto Maud S. 264 6 2-3 1892 Hunter. W. T. Bragg Annie C. Moore .. 485 10 2-0 1891 Ditto. Ditto Agnes Macdonald.. 173 4 2 '3 1892 George Dishow Favourite ,. 300 3 1-0 1887 Ditto. Ditto Penelope 300 5 1-7 1888 Ditto Ditto .. 461 5 1-0 1389 Ditto Walter L. Rich .. 364 5 1-1 1890 Ditto Umbrina 223 6 2-7 1891 Ditto Ditto 303 10 o "oL 1892 Otto Buchholz Sea Lion 48 2 4-0 1892 Master, but hunted as Ralph Starrat Oscar and Hattie .. 111 4 3-6 1892 well. Hunter. William O'Leary ., Geneva 34 1) , , 1892 Master. William Cowie ,. Oscar and Hattie .. 106 3 3-0 1892 Hunter. Frank Campbell Ditto 65 1 1-5 1892 Ditto. Joseph Brown Ditto 91 1 11 1892 Ditto. William Dewitt Penelope 217 Between 15 and 20 8-0 1S90 Ditto. Ditto Viva .. 290 I 3-1 1891 Ditto Sea Lion ., forward .. ., 420 7 1 -7 1892 Carried 8,340 231 *Z0mi Name. Vessel. Skins obtained. Seals lost. Loss Approximate Loss Year. Remark s. per cent. per cent. Brought forward .. sSs§y. 8,340 231 William C. Goudie j Mollie Adams Edward Webster .. | 193 '■' 3-6 1888 Hunter. Ditto Mollie Adams 250 3 1-2 1889 Ditto Carlotta G. Cox .. 387 5 1 '3 1891 Ditto Ditto 442 2 0-5 ,. 1892 J. H. Haake Walter L.Rich .. 151 7 4-6 ,, 1890 Ditto. Ditto Ocean Belle 275 12 4-7 ,. 1S91 Ditto Walter A. Earle .. 352 14 3-9 1892 James Shields E. B. Marvin 133 0 ,, 1891 Ditto. Ditto Ditto .. |. 308 3 1-0 ,, 1892 George French Hamilton Lewis .. 320 12 3-8 1890 Ditto. Ditto City of San Diego . 280 5 1-8 ,-. 1891 Ditto Ditto 142 3 2-1 ,, 1892 Oscar Scarf Pathfinder 348 10 2-9 ,, 1887 Ditto. Ditto Ditto .. 683 6 0-9 1'888 Ditto Viva 597 15 2-5 1889 Ditto Ditto 443 6 1 -4 1890 Ditto Carmolite 517 7 1-4 1891 Ditto Agnes Macdonald .. 200 2 1-0 1892 Started late. !'\ W. Strong Mollie Adams About 300 0 1888 Hunter. Ditto Edw. E. Webster .. 307 0 ,. 1889 Ditto Thistle .. 59 1 1 -7 1891 Ditto MaudS- 264 1 0-4 ,. 1892 Andrew Mathison Triumph .. 151 6 4-0 ., 1890 Hunter. Ditto May Belle 371 17 4-6 1891 Ditto Sea Lion .. 341 9 3-1 1892 Wm. Shields E. B. Marvin 641 32 5-0 , . 1889 Hunter. Ditto Ditto 475 21 4-4 .. 1890 Ditto Ditto 181 4 2-2 1891 Vessel warned. Ditto Ditto 408 19 1-7 1892 C. A. Williams Penelope 38 0 •• •• 1888 Hunted a short time only. Ditto Walter P. Rich .. 248 10 4-0 1889 Ditto Penelope 282 7 2 5 ., 1890 Ditto Viva 382 13 3-4 1891 Ditto Agnes McDonald .. 150 5 33 1892 Started very late. Colin Locke -l Libbie Annie C. Moore .. "1 n J °7 5 7-4 •• 1892 j Sailing master. No experience as hunter. Emil Ramlose May Belle 246 12 4-9 .. 1891 Ditto Walter A. Earle .. 415 7 1-7 1892 Wentworth E. Baker.. Viva .. 75 8 10-1 1880") Ditto Ditto 67 Not more • than 5 7'5 .1889 | Master every year -r hunted from stern Ditto Ditto .. 86 Not more than 4 4-8 •• 1890 [ i boat Did not hunt at all in 1892. Ditto Ditto 55 1 1-8 1891J Isaac O'Quin Maud S. 235 10 4-2 1891 Hunter. Ditto r Sea Lion Mary Taylor 347 1 4 1-1 1892 118871 1 ■ Hciitrico. Master; but hunted a Robert McKiel < E. B. Marvin 52 1 • 2-0 •• 11892 J little each year. L Maud S. J Edward P. Miner Penelope .. About 400 4 or 5 1-2 .. 1887 Master and hunter. Ditto Lillie L. •• * • • • About same per cent, as 1887 1888 Figures not given. Ditto Ditto •• •• About same per cent, as 1888 1889 Figures not given. Ditto Ailie J. Algar 350 4 or 5 1 -4 ,. 1890 Master and hunter. Ditto Henry Dennis 159 7 or 8 5-0 • • 1892 Hunted very little, and" lost more than ever before. Joseph Hall.. Maggie Mac 96 2 • 2-0 1 1891 Returned to Victoria in July. Ditto C. H. Tupper 225 !>i?f 0-5 1892 David Laing Ditto W. P. Sayward . .. 26 0 1891 J Mate both years; but Ditto 42 0 .. .. 1892 \ hunted in stern boat. T,hos. H. Brown Mary Ellen 370 7 or 8 2-2 • .-' 1889 Hunter. Ditto Maggie Mac 388 12 3 0 1890 Ditto Maud S. 331 10 3-0 .. 1891 Ditto Ditto 348 7 2-0 1892 Neil Morrison Penelope 119 6 5-0 1891 Hunter. Ditto W. P. Sayward .. 202 10 5-0 .. 1892 Victor Jacobsen Minnie (?) .. 308 6 or 7 2-3 .. 1890 Master and hunter. Ditto Mary Ellen More than 30 1 3-3 1892 r i Rustler .. .. Lily L. .. 1 2™° 1 r Never more ] f Six years a master; Jas. W. Todd -{ City of San Diego.. j 50 ! 1 oanh r M " than 2. r 1 i hunted a little every Penelope Enterprise .. Mascotte .. ! CdCll H Sometimes none. J I year. 1 I William A. Farley I year J 29 0 1 . •• Mate; but hunted a little. John Christian Ocean Belle 303 10 3-3 .. 1891 Hunter. Ditto Mascotte 144 1 0-7 .. 1892 Matthew McGrath .. Geneva .. 174 3 1-7 .. 1892 Hunter. Walter Heay W. P. Sayward 168 15 8-9 .. 1892 All the seals lost were forward .. .. "travellers" on Asiatic Carried 24,814 861 side. [H8] 6 Name. Vessel. Skins obtained. Seals lost. Loss per cent. Approximate • Loss per cent. Year. Remarks. Brought Jos. J. Beckenham forward .. .. W. P. Sayward .. 24,814 46 861 0 •• •• 1892 Boat-puller two years. Not one seal in 100 is lost. Edward Cantillion Allie J. Algar About 400 12 3-0 .. 1889 Hunter. Ditto Ditto Viva Thistle .. 450 80 5 to 8 3 or 4 1-8 • • 1890 1891 Sealed but a short time. Ditto William Ainsworth. 223 5 2-2 .. 1892 Albert C. Folger Annie C. Moore .. About 400 Not 5 1-3 1891 George Heater Rosie Olsen .. 25 2 8-0 1891 Ditto Ainoko .. • • 28 0 A. J. Bertram Annie C. Moore .. 352 21 6-0 • ■ 1889 Ditto Penelope .. 192 15 7-0 1890 J 892 Ditto Ditto 331 12 3"6 Andrew McGarva Bessie Ratler .. 181 2 1-1 1890 Ditto • • . • C. H. Tupper W. P. Sayward 115 1 0r9 .. 1891 Ditto 194 11 5-6 1892 Boat-steerer. Poor in 1892. Robt. S. Findley Thomas Garner Maude S. 243 10 4-1 #, 1892 C. H. Tupper .. 216 20 9-2 - 1890 Includes badly wounded seals. Ditto Louis Olsen .. 127 2 1-5 .. 1891 Ditto C. H. Tupper .. Vancouver Belle .. 344 3 0-8 1892 John Kraft .. 28 0 £§ 1891 Ordered out of Behring Sea. Ditto Ditto .. 219 4 or 5 2*3 1892 G.E.Miner Henry Dennis .. 200 1 0*5 1891 Ditto Ditto 384 10 2-6 C. 0. Burns Viva .. 399 4 1-0 • ■ 1891 Boat-steerer. Figures given are of hunter with whom he was. Ditto Carmolite •. 244 5 2-0 1892 Hunted himself. James McRae Viva 214 15 7-0 1891 Catch of hunter he was with. Hunted himself. Ditto Oscar and Hattie .. 66 . 2 3-0 1892 i Joseph Brown Carmolite .. 300 9 3-0 1891 Boat-steerer. Ditto City of San Diego.. 76 5 6-6 1887 Ditto. Ditto Triumph .. 15 0 1889 Ditto. Ditto ,. Oscar and Hattie .. 90 1 i'-i 1892 Hunted himself. W. Herman.. 52 3 5-8 Ditto C. H. White 20 0 1892 Charles Hartiwen Louis Olsen .. 182 2 1-1 1892 Milton Scott Viva 390 13 3-3 1891 Ditto Henry Dennis 398 3 0-8 1891 Charles Francis Walter L. Rich .. 226 6 2-6 1£90 Ditto Br enda 127 10 8-0 1892 John Coburn lidward E. Webster 150 0 . , 1888 Ditto E, B. Marvin 350 0 1889 Ditto Annie C. Moore .. 260 1 0-4 1890 Ditto Pioneer .. 404 0 1891 Ditto Carmolite 250 1 ()'-4 1892 John Figuera Sophie Sutherland . 95 - D 5-1 1891 C. E. Mockler Mattie Dyer 80 3 4-0 1892 Master. Lee J. Thiers , Ditto 236 7 2 5 1892 George Wells Annie C. Moore .. 234 0 • • 1890 Ditto Pioneer .. .. 422 0 1891 Ditto Carmolite •. 308 2 0-7 1892 W. 0. Shafter Henry Dennis .. 151 B 2-0 1891 William Conners Louis Olsen .. 266 7 2-6 1892 P. E. Peterson Lily L. .. 79 3 3-8 ,, 1892 H. G. Lund.. City of San Diego.. 152 7 4-6 ,, 1891 James Ford.. Emma and Louisa.. 133 3 2-3 ,, 1891 Ditto Lily L. .. 124 5 4-0. #, 1892 William F. Roland Carlotta C. Cox .. 505 19 3-8 1892 A. W. Roland Ocean Belle 122 2 1-6 1890 Ditto Carlotta C. Cox .. 404 8 2-0 , # 1891 Ditto Ditto 364 3 0-8 ■ 1892 John Matthews Umbrina .. 188 6 3-0 I 1891 Ditto Brenda .. .. 197 4 2-0 1892 Peter Carlson , C. H. Tupper .. 260 t; 2-3 1891 Daniel A. Lewis . . I 386 6 1-6 C. F. Dillon Minnie .. 4. 47 0 1892 Master. Abner Sinclair Ocean Belle 86 1 1 -2 1892 W. Edwards Ditto 142 4 2-8 1892 M. Edwards Ditto 152 2 1-3 ■ 1892 Wallace R. Christian Ditto 73 1 1-4 ,, 1892 Peter Jolibis , City of San Diego.. 129 4 3-1 1892 Thomas O'Leary . Ocean Belle ,. 240 10 4 -2 1891 Ditto Ditto 139 5 3-6 1892 Master. Luke McGrath Ditto 193 2 1-0 1891 Ditto . Dora Sieward .. 18 0 1892 Charles Blomquist 149 3 2-0 •• 1891 Total from above Table' .. .. 39,879 1,221 3-1 Total from previous Table in Report of British Commissioners, p. 107 9,337 381 Aggregate Statement derived from both Tables ., . '49,216 1,602 3 '2 III.—Statements respecting Number of Seals lost by Sinking before Recovery when killed at Sea. Charles Le Blanc, who has been sealing five seasons as boat-steerer, mate, and hunter, and who has been out with twenty-five different hunters, does not remember any of them losing more than 4 or 5 in 100. " It is always the excuse of a poor hunter that the seals he shot sank, but, as a boat-steerer, I know better." Captain R. 0. Lavender,' four years master of sealing-schooners, and one year before this a hunter, that he might learn something of the business, says : " I have hunted every year myself, and have lost not more than 1 out of 20. I explained to the people on the 'Corwin' [in 1892] that the reason some hunters were reported to lose more seals than others -was that a hunter was paid according to the number of skins he got, and that killing seals was like killing birds or other animals—the poor hunter excused his lack of skill by saying that he killed the animal, and that it had sunk. The boat- puller knows better than that." James McRae says : " It is very seldom a seal will sink before it can be got at." Captain William O'Leary, from talking with his hunters, would say that from 1 to 5 per cent, of the seals killed are lost by sinking. William Cowie, one year a boat-steerer, and one year a hunter, says that " seals nearly always float long enough to'allow one to reach them; the gaff had to be used only twice to keep seals from sinking [in taking 106]." Frank Campbell, with five years' experience as boat-puller, boat-steerer, and hunter, says : " Seals will float, on an average, from five to ten minutes—sometimes much longer, and sometimes a shorter time." Joseph Brown, who has been sealing six years, states that " seals float various lengths of time. I have often killed one when two are together, and then followed and killed the other before picking up the first." Captain Laughlin McLean, master of the sealing-schooner " Favourite" for seven. years, thinks that his men lose about a-half of 1 per cent, of the seals they shoot at. He one day gave his hunters 95 cartridges, and they brought in 85 seals, having, of course, missed some altogether. James Shields, six years a hunter, thinks he lost between 5 and 10 per cent, of the seals he killed the first year, and less than 5 per cent, the next two seasons. In 1891 and 1892, for which years he gives actual number taken and lost, his loss was less than 1 per cent. George F. French, whose average loss in three years was about 2\ per cent., thinks that about the average loss of average hunters. Most of the seals he lost were " travellers," and about 70 per cent, of those he got were sleepers. C A. Williams, who has been a hunter five years, and in 1892 lost 3*3 per cent, of the seals he killed (see Table), states that a good hunter ought not to lose more than he did, and that he had often heard hunters say they had killed a seal that sank when he had seen the shot strike beyond it, and the seal dive. Captain Tlieodor Magnesen, four years navigator and master of sealing-vessels, told a United States' Agent on the " Corwin," when questioned by him, that between 4 and 5 per cent, of the seals killed were lost by sinking. . Captain Wentworth F. Baker, four years master of the " Viva," and one year of the" C. H, Tupper," killed in 1891 fifty-five seals, and lost one. He says: " Talking with my men, I find this is about the percentage lost, but this year fewer were lost. It is a common excuse of a hunter who has bad luck during the day to say that seals sank." Captain Robert McKiel, six years master of sealing-schooners, says that few seals are lost by sinking, certainly not more than 5 per cent.; for 1,700 seals his hunters got in 1892, about 40 (2 to 3. per cent.) were lost, according to their count. Captain Victor Jacobsen, eleven years master of vessels engaged in the sealing business, states that he never has lost many seals by sinking, and that no good hunter does, " for we can always tell whether a seal will sink or not, if shot in a certain place."' \ ' Qaptdin James W. Todd, master of sealing-vessels since 1886, states that his experience with hunters has invariably been that good average hunters lose by sinking very few seals, not more than 4 in 100. " Poor hunters often attribute their poor catch to the seals sinking after being shot, but I know that it is much oftener the. case that they mi s>s tbe seal shot at." ; Joseph J. Beekingham, two years a boat-steerer, thinks there is not 1 seal in 100 killed lost by sinking. Camtain Hiram B Jones five years in the sealing business, three as master; hunts a good deal himself lut nfv™kef t any account of the number lost by sinking, but says that it would not be more than 3 out of 100. Henry S. Browne, with five years' experience as a hunter, says: " Very few seals are lost by the hunter killing them and not securing them." Captain Melville F. Cullen states that in 1891 the hunters on the sealing-schooner " Carmolite," of which he was master, took 2,400 seals, and he never heard the hunters speak ot losing many. John Townsend, three years' experience, says : " I never lost a sleeping seal that I had killed, and it is very seldom that a seal will sink." Captain Abel Douglas, eight years' experience, says : " Out of all the seals I have killed I remember of only one shot sleeping and sinking, and nearly all the seals we get are sleeping seals. William T. Bragg, eight years' experience, says that sleeping seals seldom sink when shot, and that two-thirds of the seals secured are "sleepers." J. H. Haake, five years' experience as boat-steerer and hunter, states that a sleeping seal never sinks if shot in the head, and that he has frequently seen them float five minutes. Andrew Mathison, seven years' experience, says : " More than three-quarters of the seals I have got were ' sleepers.' I never lost many sleepers by sinking, my losses were from ' travellers.''' Thomas H. Brown, four years' experience as a hunter, says there is no chance of a seal sinking before it is got if only one is shot, but sometimes when two are together, and both are shot, one may sink while the other is gone after; most of the seals he lost were lost in that way. Captain Albert C Folger, eighteen years' experience as sea-otter and seal hunter, says: " I never have lost many seals, because if I cannot get close enough to be sure of them I don't shoot at all." Neils Bonde, one year a boat-steerer, states : " I was part of the season with a good hunter, and part with a poor hunter. The good hunter got nearly all the seals he fired at; I am sure he did not sink more than three while I was with him. The poor hunter missed about half of those he fired at; he wounded a few, which escaped ; he sunk a few." George Heater states that his hunters lost very few seals—none to his knowledge—either when speared or shot. Thomas Garner, who in 1892 took 344 seals and lost 3, says : " I don't think that any good hunter ought to lose more than that." Frank G. Warrington got this year 103 seals, and thinks he lost 10 or 12, but did not keep any count of them. G. C Gerow, five years' experience as hunter, says: " During the last two years I have kept a strict account of the seals shot by me, and would be willing to say, under oath, that I did not lose 1 in 18. Often when I would get thirty or more seals in one day none would be lost, but at other times I would lose quite a large percentage, but in the whole season not more than 1 in 18 would be lost. Of these 1 am not sure that they were killed, but about that percentage is struck and lost." Captain James Gaudin, master of steam-ship " Quadra," was, in 1887, master of the sealing-schooner "Ada." His hunters took 1,900 seals, and from their reports he knows that less than 5 per cent, of the seals killed were lost. " Ten or twelve were shot from the schooner, to get which a boat had to be lowered ; none were lost, so they must have floated two or three minutes at least." Captain S. W. Buckman, now a pilot at Victoria, was, in 1889, captain of the sealing-schooner I Ariel." _ He says: 11 do not think that more than 1 out of 10 or 15 seals killed is lost at the very outside. While I was out a good many seals were shot from the schooner, and they were nearly always got, although it takes some minutes to lower a boat. I have very seldom seen them sink Hunters will sometimes shoot three or four seals before picking them up." Robert Hope was a boat-steerer in 1891, and says that during the entire season but one seal was lost by the boat lie was m. Captain William Petit has been sealing for seven years, generally with Indian hunters. " They lose practically no seals, whetsSr they use a gun or spear. . . . Every year seals are shot from the schooner, and they are almost always got. There is time to unlash and lower a canoe before they SU1K. J 9 ■Captain C. F. Dillon has been sealing every year since 1885, and says: "I have been out with hunters who used spears, and those who used guns. No seals are lost when speared, and from the whole of my experience I would estimate that not mbre than 5 per cent, of the seals that are shot and killed are lost." Captain F. C. Le Blanc says that on the way up the coast in 1892, " about a dozen seals were shot from the schooner; to get these a boat had always to be lowered; only one was lost." ■ Captain Thomas O'Leary says: " A good many seals each season are shot from the schooner, but they are never shot at unless they are pretty sure of getting them." Captain Henry F. Sieward, five years' master of sealing-vessels, says that he makes it a rule never to permit a seal to be shot at from the schooner unless certain that it would be got, " so that none shot in that way are ever lost. It takes three or four minutes to lower a boat, but the seals float long enough to allow us to get them." Captain Micajah Pickney says: | From what I heard from the hunters they lose very few seals by sinking. . . . Now and then I heard one of the white hunters say he had lost a seal, but how I don't know." Captain W. 0. Hughes says that the loss of seal was always talked over by his hunters, and that he was sure to hear of it. Now and then a hunter reported having lost a seal, but the total loss was very small. William Hermann, seven seasons a seal-hunter with gun and rifle, says that he does not lose more than 5 seals in 100 he gets. Captain George Scott states that, in putting the loss at 5 per cent., he gives the advantage to the loss. George Wester, six years' experience, estimates the number of killed and wounded seals that are lost at 3 per cent. He has made a special study of the number lost. Captain Charles Lutjens states that in his opinion 5 per cent, will cover the loss of seals after being shot by a good hunter. Cliarles Hartiwen has always hunted with a shot-gun and a rifle, and states that he would not lose 5 seals in 100 he would kill or mortally wound. Captain J. E. Worth says that he has never kept any count of his losses made in shooting, but from 10 to 15 per cent, would certainly cover those that would sink after death, and what would get away mortally wounded. Captain C. F. Mockler says that he would place the outside loss for a good hunter at 5 per cent. W. F. Upson says that 10 per cent, will fully cover a careful hunter's loss. Frederick Crocker thinks a hunter might on an average lose 5 to 10 per cent, of the seals shot. William Conners thinks that putting it at the outside 5 per cent, is the utmost loss for a good hunter. James W. Crew places the probable loss of seals by sinking at 5 per cent. Frank Moreau, five years' experience: " The loss from sinking through being killed or mortally wounded would not be greater than 8 per cent, which would cover the whole loss. The coast loss is smaller than the Behring Sea loss, because, as a rule, those on the coast are fatter and more buoyant, and a pregnant female will not sink as easily as another seal." Peter Hammel says that he uses a gun almost always, but occasionally a rifle, and loses by sinking very few seals, not more than 1 in 25. James Carthrat says: " I never was out in a boat with a seal-hunter, but have seen hunters killing near the vessel, and know that hunters do not lose many by sinking, and a really good hunter loses very few, not 5 in 100. I have seen my head hunter, William Thomas, on one occasion in 1885, bring in seventeen pelts with seventeen shots." Peter Carlson says: " A good hunter ought not to lose from sinking 5 out of 100. I know that sealers often say that seals have sunk, when in fact they have missed them." [118] D I : 10 tiapisim.—"Never lose a seal with the spear if it fastens, but lose many with the gun. A good hunter will lose only a few. I am not a good shot with a gun." Walter Watt.—"W\tn a spear I lose none^that I fasten to I am only a middling shot with a gun, and would lose 1 or 2 in 10 [shot at]." Chileta.—Was a short time on a schooner in 1892, and got thirty-nine seals, fifteen with a gun, the rest with a spear; none were lost. " I never fire when they are far off, and after shooting them use my spear as a gaff." Charles Hayuks says: " When we shoot seals we never lose them. . . . . The reason we get the seals for sure is that a canoe is easier handled, and we are quicker than the white men. Oquaghu.—Never loses a seal he hits when using the spear. He says he is a good shot with a gun, a,nd seldom shoots unless he knows he is sure of "the seal. He does not believe he would lose more than 2 seals in 10 he would fire at. Kaeh-kach-ah says that he is not a good shot, and would rather use a spear than a gun. He lost a good many seals when he first began using a gun, but does not now lose many. Never loses any he hits with a spear. Charlie and Harry say that their experience has been the same as Kach-Kach-ah's. Shewish.—Uses both gun and spear. Of 46 shot this year 4 were lost, " the canoe was so full of skins that we could not paddle up quickly enough, and they sank." Clat-ka-koi never loses a seal he hits with a spear. He told United States' Agents that a good hunter would lose only 2 out of 10 or 12 [shot at]; a medium hunter might lose two or three. Kickiana heard what was said by Clat-ka-koi, and says that it is true. Click-la-hou-to says he is a pretty good shot with a gun, and would not lose more than 2 out of 10, and not that many if he hit them. does. Keshuqua and Clatchu, having heard what Click-la-hou-to said, testify that they believe as he Cedar-kanim never loses a seal when his spear has become fastened. 1$ Atelu uses both the gun and the spear, and if two seals are together spears one and shoots the other. He is just as certain with the gun as with the spear, and would not lose more than 1 in 10 fired at. Ah-nah-yook, having heard what Atelu said, states that he thinks as Atelu does. Qui-an-ah never shoots nor throws a spear when the seal is more than 5 or 6 fathoms off. He would not lose 1 in 10 [shot or thrown at] with either spear or gun. Enocto says that he is not a very good shot, and prefers the spear to the gun. He hardly ever loses a seal when using the spear, and when using the gun is careful with it, and generally gets the seal. He does not remember to have lost a seal he hit. Quat-loose or "Sam," Fred, Suithatchest, Peter, Sliooksa or "Joe," Kcelthlah, John Wriglha, Yacoostlish or I George" Mucklemick, Kawanmess, and Sheeuah say: " We are all seal-hunters, and use both the spear and the gun, and would just as soon use the one as the other, and are just as sure of getting the seal with one as the other, and scarcely lose any, and no good hunter need lose many. All our tribe use the gun, both young and old, and like it." Higli-eil-lick-sheel states that he uses both gun and spear, and that he and all his tribe like them equally well. "A good hunter with a gun need not lose more seals than with a spear," He shoots and throws a spear when the seal is 3 or 4 fathoms from him. Charlie Quisto uses a spear only, and seldom misses with it. See-ah-sum and Weeh-tiu have had the same experience as Quisto. Joseph says j " We do not lose any s^als that we shoot. If very close, we use the spear; if not the gun. We get more this way, for if two are sleeping we shoot one and spear the other." \ Johnny Hammond and Jack, having heard what Joseph said, state that what he says has be their own experience. en 11 IV.—Statements respecting the Number ofi Seals which may escape Capture after being wounded by Hunters at Sea. John Townsend, three years' experience as hunter, says: " There are very few seals shot at and badly enough wounded to die that are not secured." Captain Abel Douglas, eight years' experience—three as hunter, five as master and hunter—states that a seal that is badly wounded is almost certain to be got. George Roberts, with four years' experience, says : " Wounded seals, as far as my experience goes, are either captured, or live if they escape." Matthew Ryan, ten years' experience, states : " We lose very few by wounding them and having them die—none worth speaking of." William T. Bragg, eight years' experience, says: " The chances of getting a seal that is badly wounded are good." Captain Otto Buchholz, three years' experience as master mariner, hunted a little in 1892, and took forty-eight seals; he wounded four that escaped, but does not think that any of them would afterwards die. Captain William O'Leary, seven years' experience as master mariner and hunter, says : " I do not believe that many seals' are badly wounded and die afterwards, and are so lost, for when a seal is- wounded and lives a little while afterwards it will always float when it does die." William Cowie, one year's experience as hunter, took, in 1892, 106 seals, and wounded 10 or 15 that got away; " of these very few would die." Joseph Brown, one year's experience as hunter, wounded in 1892 twenty or twenty-five seals that got away, and thinks that not half-a-dozen would die. William De Witt, four years' experience as hunter, says: " Very few seals are wounded. Those badly wounded I always get, while those so lightly wounded that they escape do not afterwards die." Captain Langhlin McLean, seven years master of a sealing-schooner, states that " there are v^ry few seals indeed that are wounded badly enough to die afterwards. A seal is sometimes stunned and will sink, and when gaffed and brought on board they come to and are all right, and I do not doubt that some that are reported lost come to and live." John H. Haake, five years' experience—two years a boat-puller, three years a hunter—says he considers himself a fair average seal-hunter, and is sure that he does not strike many seals that are wounded and afterwards die; "in fact, there are very few such instances." James Shields, six years' experience as hunter, says: "In calm weather we are almost certain to get a wounded seal, but when the weather is rough and the seal goes to windward, one is sometimes lost, when the boat cannot be pulled against the wind and sea, but very few are lost in this way When a seal sinks there is a streak of blood in the water that shows it. This year [1892] I got 308 seals, and there were not more than .two or three that were wounded that would die afterwards of wounds. I have noticed that a wounded seal is like a deer and some other animals, it gets better after being shot, and often when you think one is to be surely got, it revives and goes away. If a seal is badly wounded I consider it as good as got, for it either gets worse or better; if the former, we are sure of it; if the latter, he will get away and get well." Oscar Scarf, six years a hunter, says : 11 generally get the seals I wound, and if a seal is wounded lightly he gets away; if badly wounded I always get it. Very few, if any, wounded seals that escape afterwards die." Frederick W. Strong, four years' experience, says : " I do not think many seals I wounded escaped and afterwards died. I remember only one or two instances of wounding a seal and it escaping, and these were slightly wounded." [Has taken 930 seals.] Andrew Mathison, seven years' experience as a hunter, says: " Very few wounded seals die. If badly wounded I always get them; if lightly wounded they escape and easily get well." William Shields, who has gained his livelihood for the past seven years as a seal-hunter, says: " If a seal is wounded I chase him, of course, for as long a time as possible, and I am sure that the number of .seals that are badly enougli wounded to die is very small indeed. I know that if they are not badly enough wounded to be got they will very likely live." ¥ 1 12 Charles A. Williams, five years a hunter, thinks that very few wounded seals are lost. " You can always tell by the blood in the water whether you have really wounded a seal." Colin Locke, a hunter in 1892, says : " Very few seals are badly wounded that afterwards die and are lost If a seal is badly struck it will certainly be secured." Emit Ramlose, seven years' experience—five as hunter—says that "very few escape badly wounded, as when wounded we chase them hard, and, if they are at all badly hurt, are sure of getting them. Isaac O'Quinn, two years a hunter, got 160 seals in 1891, and did not lose any by sinking ; in 1892 he took 210 seals and wounded 2 that escaped him. Captain Robert McKiel, who has been master of sealing-vessels since 1887, says "there are some seals badly wounded that die afterwards, but the number is very small; if they are that badly wounded the hunters are sure to get them." Edward Pratt Miner, mariy years a hunter and sailing-master, says: "A good hu ds very few seals he does not get. I told Captain Lavender [a United States' Agent] that Ed. wounds very few seals he does not get. I told Capt more than 1 seal in 100 that were crippled by a good hunter and not got would die afterwards. " A good hunter not Joseph Hall,two years' experience, got, in 1891,96 seals, and in 1892,147 seals, and says: "I wounded some seals—got most of them, and those that escaped were not wounded badly." August Reppen, engaged in the sealing business for the past nine years, says: " When & seal is wounded the chances are ten to one that it is secured by the hunters. If a seal is wounded it is chased until it is secured. I have chased a seal for hak-an-hour, after I had wounded it, before I secured it." I Neil Morrison, one year a boat-steerer, and four a hunter, says: "When I wound a seal badly I always, in fair weather, get it; if slightly wounded it will escape, and no doubt get well." Captain Victor Jacobsen, eleven years' master of sealing-vessels, and hunting every year, says: " Very few seals are so badly wounded that we don't get them, and they then die afterwards, for if we don't get them they are not likely to be badly enough wounded to die. A hunter feels worse about losing a seal he has killed than if he misses fifty." John Christian, two years' experience, thinks a few seals might be badly wounded and escape, and that a few of them might die. Matthew McGrath took 124 skins in 1892, and states' that he did not wound more than five or six seals badly enough to cause their deaths afterwards, and is not sure that any so wounded would die. Walter Heay, in taking this year 168 seals, did not wound more than five, " some of which may have died." Edward Cantillion, four years' experience as hunter, says: " When a seal is wounded I always chase it until there is no hope of getting it, and I do not think there are many wounded that get away and die afterwards." Charles 0. Burns says that in 1892 he got nearly all the seals he' wounded—about ten. " Those that got away were slightly wounded, and got off to windward." James McRae says that in 1892 he wounded twelve or fifteen seals that escaped, some of which might have died of their wounds. Ui it | ii Luke McGrath says that he wounded not more than ten seals that escaped when takin« 191. They were not badly wounded, and he believes all lived. ° Joseph Brown, five years a boat-steerer, says: "The hunters I was with lost very few wounded seals." Charles Francis says that in 1890 he wounded a few seals, but got most of them afterwards bv chasing them. § John Figuerd thinks he wounded six or seven in 1891, butthey got. away altogether. William F Roland says that he wounds a few seals that escape, but always gets those that are badly wounded, and that there was-little danger of those that escaped dying of their3 wounds. A. W.Roland says that very few seals that are badly wounded escape; they are followed up a second shot kills them. Those that escape are wounded very little, and soon get well. and IS John Matthews states that in 1892 he wounded a few seals, but got most of them. Niels Bonde was one year boat-steerer, for a good hunter part of the time, and part of the time fo a poor hunter. " The poor hunter missed about half of those he fired at; he wounded a few." Andrew McGarva, five years' experience, says: "Not more than 1 in 50 seals are wounded so that they will die afterwards. It is easy to tell when a seal is wounded by the blood, and it and the bubbles show where it went down." Robert S. Findley says: " There are very few seals that are wounded badly and not got, for when I-see-that-a seal is-wounded I follow it, if possible, until it tires out." Thomas Garner states that very few seals that escape are badly enough wounded to die. John Kraft says that when seals are badly wounded, severely enough to die afterwards, they generally get them—nearly always. Frank G. Warrington- states that there are very few seals that are badly wounded and escape, for when a seal is wounded it is followed, and soon caught if it is badly wounded. G. C Gerow, five years' experience. There are not many wounded seals get away and die, " for if a seal is not badly'wounded it will get away and live. If badly wounded it will be certainly got.". Robert Hope believes that if a seal is not badly enough wounded to be caught there is no danger of it dying afterwards. " If a seal is badly wounded we are surer of getting it than if it is killed at once." Abner Sinclair thinks that in taking 86 seals he wounded 8 or 9 that got away—-"not more than that. I don't think any of them were badly enough wounded to die." William Edwards says t " If a seal is wounded, but not badly enough for us to get it, I don't thibk it will die." George F. French, three years' experience, says: " I do not think many are wounded and afterwards die. If a seal is badly wounded we are almost certain to get it. It is easy to tell when a seal has been wounded by the blood in the water; a few drops will colour it for a long distance around." Wallace M. Christian, one year's experience, says of 1892: " I don't think I wounded more than three or four that I did not get; one or two of these might have been badly enough wounded to die." Peter Jolibis, three years' experience as hunter, says: " Very few wounded seals escape and die. for if at all badly wounded we are sure to get them. When a seal is shot we always chase it, and if it is bleeding it soon tires out, and is easily got." 'Thomas O'Leary, ten years' experience, took 240 seals in 1891, and wounded not more than 15 that wot awav. He killed 139 before 18th June in 1892; not more than 7 were wounded and got away. Luke McGrUw says of 1892 •:" Seals were very wild this year, and I shot at them at long range. I think I wounded ten, but I don't think that any of these would die." CaptanM Henry F. Steward, five years' experience as master of sealing-vessels, says: "The percentage of seals that are wounded and escape is very small." Peter Carlson, four years' experience, says : " An old hunter will usually get the seal he shoots at, partie ulaffy if he Only! wounds him. Daniel A. Lewis, four years' experience, says : " If a man has a light boat he ought never to lose a seal, for if a seal'is cripplecPaiid can keep away from me he will live A mortally wounded seal does not often get away." [118] E 14 1(1 ii hi i 1 Jin ilft!> tit Y.-—Statements respecting the Composition of the Catch m,ade by various Pelagic Sealers in relation to (he proportionate Number of Males and Females, fyc John Townsend, three years a seal-hunter, secured on the coast and in Behring Sea about as many female seals as male seals. Charles Le Blanc, five years experience, states that "this year [1892] I got more females than males on the coast, and on the Asiatic side about equal numbers of each. More than half the females I got on the coast were with young. On the Asiatic side from one-quarter to one-half the females I got were in milk. I got a good many barren cows both on the coast and on the Asiatic side.' Captain Abel Douglas, eight years' experience, states that when he first began sealing more females' were taken than males, but that now more males are got. | The last two years we have taken a great many young males from 2 to 4 years old." Captain Douglas has sealed four seasons in Behring Sea, and last year (1891) found the seals about equally divided there, but before that he thinks there- were more females than males. He has seen a great many barren females. George Roberts, four years a seal-hunter, took more males than females on the coast in 1892. Three seals out of five were males, " about one-half the females I got were in pup, the other half barren cows and young females. I have always found it harder to get female seals than males, especially cows carrying pups. They are very watchful, and seem to be always on the alert." Matthew Ryan, ten years' experience, took about as many females as males in 1892; on the Asiatic side more males than females. Of 500 seals taken there, not over 100 were females. " In Behring Sea—American side—last year [1891] we got, I think, more males than females—certainly not more females than males." Captain R. 0. Lavender, five years' experience, got on the coast in 1892 over one-third of his catch in females, less .than half of which were barren cows ; he found it the same other years. He further says: " I have been three seasons in Behring Sea When oh the sealing-grounds nearest the islands I got mostly females, but further out they were mostly males." Thorwal Mathason, boat-steerer in 1891, thinks that three out of five of the seals taken are females. J. S. Fanning killed, while 50 miles ofi' Mount St. Elias in 1892,158 seals, of which not more than 8 were females, and the other hunters on same schooner had the same experience. Abraham Billard, two years' experience, states that about one-half his coast catch were females, and that about one-fourth of these were in pup. George Dishow, six years' experience as hunter, states that, in 1892, he took more males than ever before; more than half his catch were males. " All the hunters on the ' Umbrina' got more males than females. In previous years I got a little over half of my catch in females, but very little over and the other hunters on the vessels I was on about the same proportion." He has sealed three years in Behring Sea, and thinks his catch there was about half females. " Cows in young are very uneasy and hard to get." Otto Buchholz, three years' experience, states that, on the American coast, he got more females than males. " Cows with young in them are very hard to get at. They are generally on the watch and make away as soon as the boat comes near." Ralph Starrat, a hunter with three years' experience, thinks there are more females than males among the seals. Captain William O'Leary, seven years' experience, states that both his coast and Behrin" Sea catches have always been composed of about equal numbeis of males and lemaies. Irank Campbell, in 1892, got more females than males ; among them were twenty to twenty-five barren females [total catch, sixty-five]. Joseph Brown, in 1892, got more females than males. Captain Alfred R. Bissett, three years' experience, states that, in 1891, 80 per cent were vounrr males. In 1892 his catch was about half females on the coast. His hunters got 568'seals on « T!V™ Th r%$ Sohe SP °$ Lhe PUPS M BE takeu frora the cows killed, and had about 30. of them. Of the 568 seals I am sure there were not more than 70 or 80 cows in bud sows in pup. 15 Herman R. Smith, twelve years' experience, says that "on the Vancouver coast, in the early part of the season, about one-half of the seals got are females, about one-half of which are with pup. As the seasoii grows, fewer females are got, and of those got a smaller proportion are in pup." William De Witt, a hunter for the last four years, states that a little more than one-half of those taken on the coast were females. On the coast over half the females were in pup. William G. Goudie, five years' experience as seal-hunter, says: "This year the majority of the seals we got on the coast were bulls. Out of 2,040 seals caught'on the coast, about l,5u0 were bulls from 2 to 4 years old." About half the females I got on the coast were in pup, the other halt barren cows and young females. On the Russian side adittle more than half were females—none in pup—a very few in milk. Has hunted four years in Behring Sea, and thinks that, taking all the years together, about one-half the seals taken were females^ He further says: "Cows with young are hardest to get at, especially in May and June. They are then Milder, and more on the watch." Captain Laughlin McLean, seven years' experience, says: " Outside Behring Sea my experience has been that there are more males than females taken—very manv more. In Behring Sea we find more females than on the coast, but not nearly so many females as males." John H. Haake says that the total catch of the schooner " Walter A. Earle," on which he was a hunter in 1892, was 1,325 seals, of which the greater portion were males. James Shields, for six years a seal-hunter, says: "I never kept count of the proportion of males and females taken, but of the larger seals there are more females than males, I think; of the smaller seals there are more males than females ; this is on the coast. A good deal depends on where you are in Behring Sea in connection with the sex of the seal; my own experience is I have taken more males than females. Cows with young are wilder than others." George F. French, three years' experience, says: " Of the seals I got on the coast the males and females were about equal in number; the further north I got, the larger proportion of males 1 got. Of the females, about 25 per,cent, would be with young—the remainder barren cows and young females." Oscar Scarf says: "I have hunted five years in Behring Sea, and got the sexes in about equal numbers, and it has been the same on the coast. Every year I got barren cows. Pregnant seals are much more watchful and alert than other seals." Frederick IF. Strong has sealed four years, and thinks that about two-thirds of his coast catch were females, about half of which were with pup. Andrew Mathison, seven years' experience, states that more than half the seals he got on the coast each year were females. Most of these were young females and banen cows. About one-quarter of the females would be with pup. " Cow seals with pup are very uneasy, easily disturbed, and hard to get, and this is more so as the season gets later. The females are then travelling nearly all the time." William Shiels has earned his livelihood for the past seven years as a seal-hunter. He has hunted in Behring Sea five years. He thinks that both on the coast and in Behring Sea he has killed a few more females than males, but in 1892 about two-thirds of his catch were males, and this was the experience of all the hunters on the " E. B. Marvin." C A. Williams, five years' experience as hunter, found the sexes in 1892 about equally divided, but in 1891 and 1889 his catch was nearly all bulls. On the Asiatic side he found the seals about equally divided as regards sex. Cows in pup are wilder than the others. Colin Locke, hunter, says : " Our coast catch was about equally divided as to sex, and the catch on the other [Asiatic] side was also about equally divided. I killed more bulls than cows on the coast, and I got a few more cows on the other side than I did bulls." Emit Ramlose, seven years' experience, says that before 1892 he killed more females than males, but in 1892 he took more males, in proportion, than ever before. Captain Ernest Lorenz, three years' experience, was in Behring Sea in 1890 and 1891. In one day in 1890 (11th August) his hunters got 130 seals, of which about 100 were males—small bulls. This was in north latitude 55° 6', and west longitude 169° 1'. In 1891 he thinks he took more females than males, but did not keep count. Captain Theodor Magnesen, four years' experience as master and navigator, thinks that in Behring Sea more females than unties are got, but that on the Bussian side the sexes were about equal in number. On the coast took more males than females. '" The last three years I had over 1,00(1 skins for my coast catch each year, and two-thirds of them were males. . . . Females are getting wilder and harder to get—besides, they keep travelling." * <16 ! l! ! i < 'aptain Wentworth E Baker, five years master of ^mM^^^^M g^ jg this year and last year, I got about 25 per cent, of cows. I used to get more than this, but the Capt catch cows are wilder now." Isaac O'Quinn, two years' experience,.says that-of 76 -seals taken on the. coast in 1891^nt* mare ii 25 were females, and of 210 seals taken 'island side, in 1891 and 1892, his catch and that of the other hunters with him wa™stf b£"s' "ot )re than 6 in 100 were females " Pregnant cows are generally harder to get than other, seals. th - Isaac aOuinn two vears' experienQe,,aays tuat-oi /o-seais ua^eu.uiL v^.^v — _.-_--- ^e^S^UtofV^^n^ 1892 not more than 4J ^^^^^J --r hunters with him was mostly duiis, not. e generally harder to They are more restless, and don't sleep, as well as the bulls. Captain Robert E. McKiel say he gets more females than males every year, but.that_ in 1893 there rere more bulls in proportion to. the females than in other years. "We get more bulls vuth the ows Se further north le go. Last year and this year I found more males m proportion to the emales on the Russian side than I had found on the American side of the I acifac. wer c fern Captain Edward P. Miner thinks that about-40 percent, of the seals taken on the coast, and about about 60 per cent, of those.taken in Behring. Sea, are females. Captain Charles Campbell, master of the sealing-schooner " Umbrina " in 1891-92, states that the principal- part of his catelLwas young males; there were more of them than of females. Captain George Macdonahl, six years' experience, five as sailing master, says that as a rule more females than;males;ar.&[Gaught on the .coast, but that in Behring-Sea about-equal numbers of each sex are taken. ...WilliamFewingsf six years' experience, thinks that about the same-numbers of males and females are taken. Damd Laing, of -many years' experience, thinks that on the-coast mane-females than males are taken, but that in Behring Sea, both sides, there are more males than females taken. ThomasH. Brown, seal-hunting five yeai's, has always taken along the coast more males.than females, and has found the sexes about equal in Behring Sea. " Females are much harder to get than males." lohn Morris, five years' experience as mate and master, says : " There is no getting out of the fact that there are more males taken than females." Neil Morrison, five years' experience, says : " In 1886 my catch was about two-thirds bulls ; no cows in pup, some in milk, and some barren cows. In 1891 about half his catch on the coast (119) were females, and of these not over 30 were in pup. In 1892, of 202 seals taken, about 65, or one-third, were femiles.. They were about half in pup and half barren and young females. Ou the Asiatic side in 1891 and 1892 about half his catch were females. Henry S. Brovw, five years' experience in North Pacific, states : "We secured many more males than females this year [1892], and there have been more males than females this year, but there were more in proportion this year than any other." Captain. Victor Jacobsen's experience has been that about three out of five seals taken on the coast and in Behring Sea are females. Captain James W. Toddi-master of seali-ng-sehooneBS- every year but one since 1886, remembers no year in which he took more females than males on the coast. " Most of the females would be in pup, a number barren, the balance being young females." In Behring Sea he got rather more than half females." John Christian, two years' experience as hunter, got on the American coast about equal numbers of males and females, and rather more females than males on the Asiatic side. | Cows with young are more on the watch than others, and much harder to get; in fact, all females are harder to get than males." Matthew McGratli, one year's experience as hunter, thinks that more than half the seals he took, both on the American coast and on the Asiatic side, were females. Walter Heay, six years' experience as boat-steerer and hunter, says: " My catch this year was over two-thirds young bull*, about 25 to 30 barren cows [total catch 168], the rest with young. The hunters I was with in former years got about that number of barren cows. They generally travel with young bulls. . . . Pregnant females are not so easy to get as other seals, they don't sleep good ; seem always awake and watching." Joseph Beckinghanij two years a boat-steerer, states that from the seals he has seen] he would say that there are about as many females taken as males, but not more. maw***. Captain Hiram B. Jones, five years' experience, thinks that both on the coast and in Behring Sea the vessels he has been on took more females than males, but he never paid much attention to the matter. - " I have noticed that pregnant seals are very wild, and much more on the alert than male seals, and the later in the season it is the wilder they are." Captain Edward Cantillion, four years' experience, says: "Until this year my coast catch contained more females than males, but this year there were a great many more males than females. In Behring Sea my catch always contained more females than males." Charles Peters found more females than males in both 1891 and 1892. Henry Paxton, thirteen years' experience, says: "Last year [1891] in Behring Sea my hunters got 330 seals. Most of these were young bulls. This year on the coast they got 139, and there were only about 20 females in the lot." George Heater, master mariner, says: " In 1891 the ' Rosie Olsen' got about 300 seals on the coast. A large majority of these were young bulls. This year the 'Ainoko' got 750 seals on the coast, about one-third cows; most of the old cows were in pup, but some were barren. ... In 1890 I Was in Behring Sea a full season on the ' Sapphire;' the greater part of her catch in the Sea that year was males." Alfred J. Bertram, six years' experience, says that both on the coast and in Behring Sea he has found the seals about equally divided as to sex. Albert McGarva, five years' experience, says : " This year [1892] I took a great many more males than females ; the year before they were in about equal numbers, and the year before that I took more females than males. The males are more easily got than females." Robert Findlay, four years' experience, states that " in former years we got on the coast more females than males, I think, but this year there were most males. One day this year we got over 100 seals, nearly all of them being males." John Kraft, eight years' experience, thinks about half the seals taken by him are females. Cows with young in them are more on the look-out than others. Frank G. Warrington, six years' experience, says that his experience has been that more females than males are killed both on the coast and in Behring Sea. 67. E. Miner, six years' experience, says that, as a rule, he kills more females than males, but that in 1892 but 10 per cent, of his catch were females. J. D. Warren says that a little over half his coast catch were females. Of the females, not over half were in pup, and in Some years less than half. The remainder of the females were young seals and barren cows. In Behring Sea the proportion of females was about the same. Charles Otis Burns was a boat-steerer in 1891, and says the boat he was in took about half females, certainly not more ; about two-thirds of the cows were in pup on the coast, and there were a number of barren cows and young ones. In 1892 he was a hunter, and nearly the whole of his Upper coast catch were bulls ; about one-half the females were with .pup. A good many barren cows were also got. Micajah Pickney says that in 1891 less than half the catch of the vessel he was on were females, and that in 1892 there weie very few females among 152 seals taken on the coast—not one-fourth. In 1892 he sealed in Behring Sea, and took 420 seals between 80 and 150 miles from Pribyloff Islands. All the seals, except about sixty, were skinned on board. " About one-fourth were females; none of these were with young or in niilk. They had had their pups, and the milk had dried up. ... I saw them come on board, counted them, and have a clear memory of the fact that there were no females in pup and none in milk- Nearly the whole catch were bulls, principally 'middlings' and small bulls." Iff' W. O. Hughes states that in 1891 half his coast catch were females, of which one-haTf were in pup. In Behring Sea about half his catch were females, of which about one-third showed nli&. Not more than 10 per cent, of his coast catch in 1892 were females, and less than half of them were ftipiip. James McRae says that about half the seals he got on the coast in 1892 were females, of which four or five were cows in pup. Joseph Brown says that not more than one-half the seals he got on the coast in 1892 were females. During the three seasons he sealed- in Behring Sea his catch was composed of about half males afeff half females. " Early in the season, about the 1st to 15th July, we got a few cows n pup, and after that some in milk, but as the season grew later very few of these were got." Barren cows were got every year. [118] P II in III i St I 1: 18 James Siteman says that in 1888 and 1889 on the coast about half the seals his vessel took were females, inostlv in pup ; in 1890 the catch of the vessel he was on was nearly all males the females being mostly young and barren cows. In 1892 the catch of his vessel was about three-filths males, and nearly all the rest were barren cows. ... In Behring Sea each season about half the catch were females; probably two-thirds of these breeding cows showing milk, sometimes only a trace nearly dried up, others with a good supply. William Hermann says that, as a rule, there are more females than males in his catches Captain George Scott states that the catches of the vessels he has been on had, between San Francisco and Behring Sea, been about half males and half females; about two-thirds the cows pregnant. In Behring Sea his catches have been about half males and half females._ In Behring Sea the'cows taken are for the most part in milk, but he has killed many in which the milk was just about dried. George Wester states that about 60 per cent, of his catches along the coast would be females, and in Behring Sea about half. From 20 to 25 per cent, of the females taken were barren. Captain Charles Lutjens states that about four-fifths of his catches, both on the coa^t and in Behring Sea, have been females. Charles Hartiwen thinks that about 60 per cent, of his catch, both on the coast and in Behring Sea, are females. About two-thirds the cows on the coast are carrying young, and about the same proportion in Behring Sea are in milk, he thinks. Has killed cows in Behring Sea early in July, and found the milk dry and yellow. Milton Scott for the last two years has taken more males than females along the coast, and in Behring Sea about half and half as regards sexes; of 300 cows taken along the coast in 1892, not more than 100 were pregnant. Captain J E. Worth says: " Along the coast, in 1890, 70 per cent, were females, and the next year about the same. This year, however, they were divided about half and half. In Behring Sea the majority taken were bulls When going north to the islands there seems to be more males among the seals the further north we go." Charles Francis says that his catches, both on the coast and in Behring Sea, contain about half females. Ul-t Captain Michael Kecfe says that of 190 seals taken on the coast in 1892 nearly all were young bulls; "very few cows, and none with pup." In 1889 and 1890 by far the larger percentage of the catch were males. He never has got more females than males. On the coast about 20 in 100 females are in pup. He was in Behring Sea in 1890, and two-fifths of his catch were females ; none in pup; none with a supply of milk, but a good many showing milk dried up In 1891 nearly half his eatch in Behring Sea were cows, most of them showing dried milk in their breasts. P ii John Coburn says that this year [1892] his catch was nearly all bulls. "None of the females I got were with pup." In previous years less than half his catch were females. In Behring Sea the bigger half of his catch were females. Early in the season "some of the females would be in milk, but later on the milk would be dried up." John Figuera states that on the coast his catch was pretty well divided as to males and females. He was in Behring Sea in 1887 and 1891, but never got any cows there. Captain C. E. Mockler thinks that as a rule more cows than bulls are got. About two-thirds of the cows taken on the coast were pregnant. Lee J. TJiiers statv-' that in the first of the season he has taken along the coast more females than males, but that later on along the Southern Alaskan coast he gets more bulls than cows. George Wells says that in 1890 moreth^ialf his coast catch were bulls; about half the females were with pup. In Behring Sea in 1890 and 1891 about two-thirds the seals he got were females, a few in milk. In 1891 his coast catch were about half females, of which about half were with pup. In 1892 four-fifths of his coast catch were bulls, and of the females not more than half were in pup. William O'Lear Shajter has found that both on the coast and in Behring Sea more females than malesfire taken. Captain Adolphe F. Carlson says that along the coas,t more females are got than males and that they are mostly carrying young. Frederick Crocker thinks that along this coast more females than males are got. In Behrincr t. half and naif ° to about half and half. bea 1 = mvmssmm William Conners thinks that more than half the seals taken along the coast are females. P. E. Peterson says that along the coast his experience is that' about half the seals taken are females and half males. H. J Lund says that about 65 per cent, of his catch on the coast are females. James Ford, two years' experience, states that on the coast he has taken more males than females; fully half the cows taken were neither carrying pups nor in milk. James W. Crew thinks he gets more females than males, and.would place the number of females at 60 to 70 per cent. Most of the cows he has taken on the coast were carrying pup, but he has taken a great many barren cows. In Behring Sea he thinks the greater part of the cows got are m milk. William F. Roland says that about one-third of his catch on the coast are females, but that in 1892 he got less females than in either of the two previous years. His catch in 1892 was mostly young bulls. Tn Behring Sea in 1890 and 1891 his catch was about half females, of which " more than half were in milk in varying quantities, from a good supply to a few drops in cows about dried up." Arthur W. Roland says that both on the coast and in Behring Sea in 1891 about half his catch was females, and about half the females were in pup. After the 1st August in Behring Sea the cows were all dried up. In 1892 his catch on the coast was about one-third females. John Matthews is of the opinion that on the coast about half his catch were females. Not more than one in five seals taken were females with pup. In Behring Sea at least five out of six seals taken were males, a few cows in milk, some of them nearly all dried up. Andrew McKcil says that in 1891 about three out of five of the seals taken on the coast were females, and that after the 1st August milch cows began to disappear in Behring Sea. G: C. Geroto, five years' experience as hunter, says that about two-thirds of his catch on the coast and in Behring Sea were females. " In a good season's catch there would be about 100 to 150 barren females." II Captain James Gaudin sealed in Behring Sea in 1887 between the 20th July and 25th August. He says that the seals taken by him were chiefly females, " but nearly all were, dry as if they had had their pups, but were through suckling them." Charles Blomquist was boat-steerer in 1891 in one of the boats of the "Sea Lion," and skinned nearly all the seals taken by the hunter he was with, and saw the others.. There were about 14 or 15 females among the 149 seals taken. * Robert Hope was a boat-steerer on the " Mascotte " in 1891, and thinks that more females than males were caught, but-no record was kept. Captain William Petit says : " I have not got more than 130 females out of about 660 seals I have taken this year. Among the females taken this year were a good many barren females. The last. day's catch was four barren females and four males." [Declaration made 16th June]. "Among the orey pups we take I have never found a female. I have been examining them for five or six years, and have never found a female." Captain C. F. Dillon says: " This year I have taken more females than males; about three-fifths of my catch were females There were a great many barren cows among the seals I took this year." Abner Sinclair declares that he has been sealing one year, and that about half the seals he got Were males, " a few more than half perhaps." He noticed two barren cows among the eighty-six seals he got, William Edwards, two years' experience, took in 1892 about as many males as females; among the 138 seals he got there were few barren females. II Maurice Edwards, two years' experience, says that about half his catch in 1892 were females and half males. George F. French, three years' experience, says: " Out of the 143 seals taken by me this year between 30 and 40 were barren; not more than 60 of the seals taken by me were females; more than half were barren cows. I have been examining all the seals taken by me this year. I think the percentage of cows to bulls and barren cows to those in pup was about the same during the past two years as it was this year." I'M '■'■'(n H i \\w' ly k . I 1 i 7 S 5n .' II' i m w ' ^iXvn mal . 20 Peter Jolibis, three years' experience, says: " Of my catch this year [1892] there are many more males than females. .... I have not killed more than thirty females. I don't notice any difference in the proportion of males to females along the coast, but we get more females in Behring bea tnan outside, I think." Captain Ihornas O'Leary, master mariner and hunter, thinks there were more females than males in his catch both in 1891 and 1892. Luke MeOraw, two years' experience, says that in 1891 more than half his catch were females ; in that year he noticed a good many barren cows among those taken. Frank Morean, six years' experience, thinks there may be 80 per cent, of the seals taken on ast females, and of the females perhaps 75 per cent, carry pups, and in Behring Sea about the se coast percentage of cows are in mill ry pups, the ime P. Carlson found on the coast going north mostly young bulls, but as he got towards Cape Cook he found more cows. " Our catch was half cows- -half on the coast as regards male and female. Peter Hammel thinks he gets more females than males, " perhaps 20 per cent. more. I havenX found a big lot of difference in the numbers." James Carthrat, sealed from 1883 to 1887, says: "In my recollection I got more females than males along the coast; about 60 per cent., I think, would be about the average run of females, and it would run about the same in Behring Sea. Hit-hittc, commonly called " Peter," states that off' San Juan they have always got more females than males, and that they are always in pup. Kas-ado, commonly called " Tom," states that off San Juan they have always got more females than males, and that they are mostly in pup. In a take of ten about six would be females, and of that six three would be cows with pup, and the other three young females, and of the males two would be 1 year old and the other two 2 years old. Old bulls are never got off the coast, but cows that are not with pup sometimes are. A great number of grey pups are got some seasons ; they are nearly all males, and the brown pups are about half males and half females. This year we only got a few grey pups In Behring Sea we always get more young bulls than cows. About half the cows we get would be in milk, the other half being females and cows without pups in them. [Five years' sealing in Behring Sea.] Schoultwick, commonly called " Jinks," states that around the village of Ohiat, Vancouver Island, he gets more females than males, but further north more males than females. Does not keep a record of males and females taken, but thinks more females are got there than males, and lots of them are old ones without pups; sometimes would take ten seals, and find no females with pup, and sometimes would take ten, of which four would be in pup ; last year [1891] got a great many grey pups, and all grey pups are males. Clawaunack, So-y-uk, Thompson, Jack, Too-tootch, and Jimmy agrees with all said by Schoultwick. Clahapisum, commonly called "Eared Coon," of the village of Ohiat, says : <: Along this coast and in this Sound [Barclay] more females than males are taken ; in a catch of ten I think about six would be females, and about four would be carrying young; the males are mostly young bulls. Farther north we get more bulls than here. We natives keep no record of these things." HanaisUm and Clahouto heard what was said by Clahapisum, and says that it is a true statement. Walter Watt, of the village of Alberni, states that around the coast [of Vancouver Island] about half the catch, perhaps a little more, are females. " In a take of ten, six would likely be females; of these six, three would be cows with pups in them, and the rest barren cows and pups. There are very few old bulls got on the coast; the males are mostly young bulls of 1 and 2 years old. Get quite a few barren cows. ... A good number of pups are got: these are always males ; not so many were got this year as last." Chileta, commonly called " Jack," says: " Along the coast and in the Sound we get about as many females as males. Never see large bulls till we get up as far as Queen Charlotte Island." Has got plenty of cows carrying no pup and having no milk. Fully half the females caught on this coast have pups in them." Oquaghu, or " Charlie," of the village of Numukainis, says: " Five and six years ago we used to get more male seals than females, now we get as many females as we do males. Do not get many grey pups now. Fully half the cows we get have pups in them, the rest are young females or old cows without pups. Do not get many old bulls on the coast, but we get more of them the farther north we go. We do not get many old cows without pups in them." 21 , Kach-kaeh-ah, or "Peter," of the village of Sechart, states that five or six years ago he took more 'males than females, but that now about the same number of each is taken. Shewish, of the village of Sechart, says : " Generally, hunting along the coast, we get of males and females about the same, but this year I got more males than females." Most of the males were about 3 years old. " About half the cows would have pups in them, and the others would be young cows." Clat-ka-koi, or " Billy," of the village of Sechart, states that in a day he would sometimes get six males, and sometimes six females. " Small seals are mostly young bulls, and sometimes in a day we would get nothing else. I have seen as many as twenty-five taken in a day. Some years we get a good many grey pups, and other years they are scarce ; this year there were very few." Kickiana, who. heard all that was said by Clat-ka-koi, thinks as he does about the seals. Click-la-hou-to, or " Joe," of the village of Alberni, says : " Hunting from the shore I would get about four males out of seven killed, and of the three females two would have pups in them. . . . Along the coast have sometimes got large cows not having pups and not in milk." ... In Behring Sea he thinks he has killed more males than females, and of the females killed there were many that were, not in pup, and were without milk. Keshuoua and Clatcher, who were present when Click-la-hou-to gave his evidence, agree with him in all he said. Clat-misk, residing at the village of Opechessit, says: " Along the coast and in the Sound I have always got more males than females. . . . The pups are mostly bulls. I got quite a few pups this year. I did not get any old cows this year that did not have pups in them, but have seen plenty. . . . The grey pups are always bulls. ... I have been twice in Behring Sea, and I got more males than females, and they were all half-grown or large. bulls, and all the cows I got had milk in them, but no pups." Wahka, or " Billy,". Nahwyak, or "Tom," Claphightup, Tsawassup, or "Joe," of the village of Alberni, say that what Clat-misk said about seals along the coast is what they think about them too, and Too-tooch, who has been in Behring Sea, agrees with what Clat-misk says of seals there. ml- Ehenchesut, commonly called " Dick," of the village of Alberni, states that along the coast about tbe same number of males and females are got; of the females a half would have pups in them, and the rest would be young cows; have got a few old ones without having pups in them. Annetz-a-cheet, or " Jack," of the village of Okoolah, says: " On this coast and in the Sound sometimes we get more females than males, but this year I got more males than females." Louis Annetz-a-cheet, " Louis," having heard the evidence of his brother read over to him in his own language, says that it is his experience as well. Hat-la-cuntl, or | Charlie," of the village of Ucluelet, got about the same number of males as females altogether, but as he went north he thinks he got more males than on the coast. He did not get any grey pups this year [1892]—| they were very scarce, and I only got four last year." He was in Behring Sea in 1887, and thinks he got more cows than bulls, but is not sure. Five or six years aeo he got more males than he does now. Cedar-kanim, or " Peter," of the village of Ucluelet, says that he gets as many males as females along the coast and in Barclay Sound. Only the very old cows have pups in them. At-clappa, or " John," corroborates what was said by Cedar-Kanim. Atelu, of Clayoquot Sound, thinks that he gets more cows' than bulls in the season's catch. Off , the coast he gets more cows, but as he goes further north more bulls. " Many of the cows along the coast are carrying pups, but I haveoften killed old white-whiskered cows that have no pups nor milk. I have not got many grey pups this year." Ah-nah-yook heard what Atelu said, and it is what he thinks also. Qui-an-ah, or " Punch," of the village of Ahousat, states that along the coast he gets more cows than bulls, but that as he goes north towards Behring Sea, and in Behring Sea, he gets more bulls than cows. " Along the coast I have got a good many cows with pup, and have also got old cows not carrying a pup. Grey pups are nearly always males." Enocto, of the village of Ahousat, cannot say whether he gets more cows or bulls. " We get quite a few old cows not carrying pups and not having milk." High-eit-lick-sheel, of the village of Ahousat, says that some years he gets more bulls, and some years more cows. In 1892 he got a good many pups. He has sometimes seen old cows that were not carrying pups and that were without milk. [118] Q- mmlmmmlmmmmmm mm* l HI I: m tJH' fflftl 22 CftarZte Gwwrfo, of the village of San Juan, says that, taking it altogether, he gets about half cows and half bulls—young and old. Almost all the large cows he gets have pups in them, but some have not. See-ah-sum and Weeh-tin, having heard what Charlie Quisto said, say that they think and believe as he does. Joseph, Chief of the Clayoquot Indians, says that more male than female seals are always got. Jack, and Johnnie Hammond, who were present when Joseph was examined, think as he does. Sant-e, an Indian hunter of about fifteen years' experience, from Barclay Sound, Vancouver Island, says, referring to the seals taken off Barclay Sound: "More males than females are taken, if grey pups are counted; more females if the young ones are not counted. All the females are not with young; some of them are barren." On this same vessel with Sant-e were several other Indian hunters, whose catch of males and females was— Sant-e, 66, nearly all males; Charlie, more males than females ; Gus, 95 seals, not many females; Douglas, 73 seals, only one female ; Joe, 41 seals, not many females; Taylor, 88 seals, more males than females; Tommie, 59 seals, more males than females ; All saw barren females among those taken, but no count was kept of them. YI.—Statements relating to the taking of Female Seals in Milk. J. D. Warren says: " Up to the latter part of July I got a few seals [in Behring Sea] showing signs of milk when skinning them. I do not think these females had ever been on the islands, but had lost their pups at sea. I never saw a female killed in the sea having much milk in them." Micajah Pickney, master of the " Henrietta," seized in. Behring Sea in 1892, states that of 420 seals taken by him about one-fourth were females who had had their pups, and the milk had dried up. This was between the 3rd August and the 4th September. W. 0. Hughes, when in Behring Sea in 1891, got after the 1st August hardly any cows that showed signs of milk. He believes they had pupped on the islands, and that the milk had dried up. Joseph Brown states that after the 15th July a few cows in milk were got in Behring Sea, but. as the season grew later very few of these were got. " In the sea we cannot tell whether a cow is barren or not." James Siteman found in Behring Sea that about two-thirds of the females taken were breeding females showing milk—sometimes only a trace, nearly dried up—others with a good supply. Captain George Scott has taken in Behring Sea many females in which the milk had "just about •dried up." Michael Keefe states that his vessel, the " Beatrice," got 900 skins in Behring Sea in 1890, between tbe 20th July and the 24th August. Two-fifths of these were females, " none with a supply of milk, but a good many showing milk dried up." In 1891 his vessel got 500 seals in Behring Sea, of which nearly half were cows. " Most of the cows showed dried milk in their breasts." _ John Cobum says that in Behring Sea | in the early part of the season some of the females would be in milk, but later on the milk would be dried up." George Wells was in Behring Sea in 1890 and 1891; about two-thirds his catch were females, of which a few were 'in milk, but the most were dried up. "After July all the cows are dry of milk. It is only in the first three or four weeks in July that cows in milk in any noticeable quantity are got." 23 William F. Roland states that of the females taken by him in Behring Sea, " more than half were in milk of varying quantities, from a good supply to a few drops in cows about dried up. It is only in the early part of the season in Behring Sea we get cows in milk, and before the end of the season they are about all dried up." Arthur W. Roland says that in the first part of the season of 1891 he got a number of cows in milk, .but that after the 1st August the cows were nearly all dried up. John Matthews took in Behring Sea, in 1891, a very few cows in milk; some of them nearly dry. Andrew McKeil says: " Up to the 1st August [in Behring Sea] the hunters get cows with milk in them, but after that date the milch cows began to disappear, and very soon none are got in milk. By the 20th August the milk in the cows had all dried up." . James Gaudin states that females taken between the 20th July and the 25th August in Behring Sea were nearly all dry, as if they were through suckling their pups. E. Lorenz.—" Last year [1891] I got female seals in milk off Queen Charlotte Islands in July. "That makes me think there is a rookery there. This year I saw old bulls (" wigs") off Coronation Island, and there may be a rookery there." W. Shields.—" Three seasons ago I caught seals off Kodiak Island with milk in their breasts, but with no pups in their wombs. I thought at the time that there must be a rookery ashore somewhere, and spoke of it at the time. I took two one day that were this way; this was about last of June." Joseph Brown.—" When hunting off Kadiak, five years ago, I saw females in milk in May. They had dropped their pups somewhere—on Kadiak, I suppose." George Dishow.—" In Behring Sea I never got any cows with young. A few cows there would be in milk." Otto Buchholz.—" In 1890 I sealed in Behring Sea in July. I got a few female seals in milk. We sealed 35 to 50 miles from the Pribyloff Islands." G. C. Gerow.—" I.have found all along Queen Charlotte Islands females in milk who had dropped their pups. The most I ever saw was when on the " Triumph " four years ago; in June we got seventy -or more females in milk that had dropped their young." YII.—Statements particularly bearing on the Intermingling ofi Fur-seals in all Parts ofi the North Pacific. Charles Le Blanc.—The " Annie E. Paint" left the sealing-grounds off the Commander Islands about the 21st September [1892], and arrived at Victoria on the 15th October instant. "I saw seals every day of the voyage over. We sailed about 100 miles south of the nearest land on the Aleutian Islands." Captain Abel Douglas.—" I have gone into Behring Sea through the 172nd Pass and seen seals there, both inside and outside the pass. I believe these seals go to the Russian islands, and had -evidence of this last year, for we saw seals away to the westward of the 172nd Pass." 1 Jit George Roberts.—" The ' Annie E. Paint' left the Commander Islands grounds this year [1892] -about 21st September, and reached Victoria 15th October. I saw seals in the North Pacific all the way over every day. We were 100 miles from the Aleutian Islands at the nearest. We ran out of them about Queen Charlotte Islands." J. S. Fanning.—"Both last year [1891] and this year, when going to the Russian side, and while south of the Aleutian Islands, we killed seals when about half way over. Coming home this year we ;saw seals in the North Pacific. I killed one of them myself." 'iwf i 2.4- w A Billard.—" Last year the ' Beatrice' crossed Behring Sea from east to west, starting from about 35 miles north of St. Paul Island. I saw seals aU the way over to the Copper Island grounds, and got two seals on 27th July between the American and Russian sides of the Sea." W. T. Bragg.—" In the year 1887 I went over to Copper Island on the schooner ' Teresa,' and I saw seals in Behring Sea all the way across." G. Dishow—"This year the 'Umbrina' returned from the Commander Islands between lOtb September and 1st October. I saw seals in large numbers all the way over about 200 miles south ot the Aleutian Islands, to within 200 miles of Queen Charlotte Islands. The year before [1891J 1 saw seals along the same course a couple of weeks earlier, but not m so large a number. Captain A. R. Bisselt.—"! left the other [Asiatic] side 21st September last [1892], and arrived home 14th October instant. I sailed southerly to the 49th parallel, and thence easterly to Victoria. 1 saw seals nearly every day until we got within 500 or 600 miles of Vancouver Island We here entered very bad weather, and I did not notice the seals. There was scarcely a watch that did not report seeing seals. On two days I saw seals enough to justify lowering a boat, had the weather not been sa heavy. This was about the 173rd meridian west, on the 49th parallel. "From my experience and observation I believe that immense numbers of the seals that go up this coast never enter Behring Sea. I know that all through the summer and early fall that seals are scattered over the North Pacific north of Vancouver Island, and as far as the 165th meridian^ east. I have compared notes with other masters, sailing both earlier and later than myself, and I have found all reporting seals scattered over the ocean from one side to the other." Captain Herman R. Smith.—" On my return home [from Commander Islands, 1892] I sailed south from Attu Island to between the 49th and 50th parallel north latitude, then east, for home. I saw seals scattered all along the route home, and at the dates and places given here I saw more than usual, and entered the fact in my log. The entries are as follows :— " September 9.-49° 58' north, 176° 58' west. ll._50° 4' „ i68°32' „ 15._49^44' „ 156° 4' „ 21.—49° 44' „ 132° 56' „ I On all these days at these places I saw numbers of seals, though the weather was rough." Captain Iheodor Magnesen.—"As I came home [from Asiatic side, 1892] I saw quite a number of seals south of the Aleutian Islands in September. This was a little to the westward of the 172nd meridian, and from 20 to 50 miles from the islands." Ernest Lorenz.-—" On the way over [to Asiatic side] I saw seals from 80 to 100 miles south of the Aleutian Islands and about the 180th meridian; also off the 172nd Pass. I don't know whether were going to the Pribyloff or Commander Islands." Emit Ramlose.—"This year [1892] I went over to the Russian side, and on the way home our vessel went in to Adkah Island to water. Seals were seen between Kanaga Island and that island. We were about 10 miles from land then." C. A. Williams.-—"This year, on the way home [from Commander Islands], I saw seals in mid- ocean. I have seen them every year [five years] this way. I On the passage home from Petropaulsky, and when about 800 miles from Cape Flattery, I saw seals at sea Both years [1891-92], when going to the Copper Islands, I saw seals all the way across along the Aleutian Islands, and this year I saw seals in mid-ocean on the course home. I have seen them every year this way." W. Shields.—"This year [1892] I saw seals all the way across to the Commander Islands, not many, but always a few. We went south of the Aleutian Islands." A. Mathiscn.—"The ' Sea Lion' left the Copper Island grounds on the 13th September [1892]. I saw seals scattered all the way over, and quite a number off Cape Flattery." F. W. Strong.—"This year [1892] the 'Maud S.' left the Commander Island grounds on the ICtb September, took water at Amchitka Island, and sailed direct for Victoria. We saw scattered seals every day all the way over, mostly 2- and 3-year-old bulls, but some full-grown males and females." George F. French.—"Last year [1891], the ' City of San Diego' left the Copper Island grounds on or about the 28th August. I saw seals all the way over to Cape Flattery. We sailed from Attu Island in as straight a line as we could for Cape Flattery. The year before we left there on the 'Hamilton Lewis,' about the middle of August, I saw seals all the way over in mid-ocean. That year we made as direct as possible for San Francisco." George F. French.—" Last year. 1891, when the ' City of San Diego' was crossing Behring Sea from Ainutka Pass to Copper Island, we passed small bands and bunches of seals travelling rapidly north-easterly. This took place on three different days. The last lot we met were about 150 miles from the Copper Islands. . . I am fully satisfied they were crossing Behring Sea to the Pribyloff Islands. This was between the 5th and 12th July, 1891." W. G. Goudie.—" The ' Carlotta G. Cox' left the Commander Islands grounds on the 5th September this year, and sailed directly for Victoria. I saw seals now and then over the entire course." W. De Witt.—11 have been over to the Copper Island grounds twice, in 1891 and 1892. In 1891 the | Viva' crossed Behring Sea from about 20 miles north of Amutka Pass to the Copper Island grounds. T saw seals scattered all the way over. This year the j Sea Lion' went over outside the Aleutian Islands. * I saw seals in about the same way all the way over." Captain Charles Campbell.—" I went over to the Asiatic side of Behring Sea last year and this year, last year through Behring Sea, this year outside. Last year we saw seals on the way across whenever the weather was fine. There was no way of telling when we saw the last of the seals that frequent the Pribyloff Islands, and met the first of those that were going to the Commander Islands." [See log of " Umbrina " for 1892.] Thomas H. Brown.—" Last year and this year I hunted on the Asiatic side of Behring Sea in the summer. On the way across last year through ■ the Sea' we saw seals whenever it was fine, and got some, and this year we saw some seals south of the Aleutian Islands as we went across." mi Neil Morrison, hunter.—" I was taken prisoner this year by the Russian man-of-war' Zabiaka' while out hunting, and came home on the ' Rosie Olsen.' I saw seals all the way from Petropaulovski to within 500 miles of the American coast-line along the 49th parallel north. This was between the 23rd August and the 10th September. IH S. Browne.—I went to the Copper Island side this year on the ' W. P. Sayward,' and saw seals all tlie way across, and: also on the way home again. On the way home from Copper Island we sailed through great numbers of seals when about 700 miles from Petropaulski and about 300 miles south of the Aleutian Islands." John Williams.-.—"About the 25th June [1892] we left the vicinity of Kadiak Island for the Copper Island sealing-ground, at which we arrived on or about the 24th July. On the voyage over, when off the Rat Islands, about 90 miles south, I saw numbers of seals travelling towards those islands. To all appearance they were the same as the coast seals." Captain James W. Todd.—"In September last [on' Enterprise'], on my voyage home from the Asiatic side, I saw seals in mid-ocean 200 miles east-south-east of Attu Island. " When-ordered out [of Behring Sea] in 1891,1 was about 30 miles northward of Unimak Pass. I at once sailed across the sea westward to the Copper Island grounds, following a course along the 55th parallel north latitude. I saw seals all the way across to the Commander Islands. Some of the seals were sleeping, others travelling, some east, some west, most of them going east." Charles Peters.—" Last November [1891], in returning from the Copper Island side, I saw seals from there to 400 miles from Vancouver Island coast." Captain A. C Folger.—" I know of places in the North Pacific where seals are to be found in abundance, but whether these seals go to the Commander Islands or the Pribyloff Islands there is no way of telling. I remember when near an island called Midway Island, northward of the Sandwich Islands, seeing them in great numbers, such that had I been pelagic sealing I would have thought it worth while stopping to hunt them, but we were anxious to get to Yokohama. These seals are as likely to go to the Commander Islands as the Pribyloff Islands, and it seems to me very probable that the seals from the American islands and those from the Asiatic islands may mingle there. I mean that those that go farthest south on both sides very likely mix there. I have seen Eskimo wearing clothes made of fur-seal skins when north of Behring Straits when trading there, and I once saw a fur-seal lassoed when north of East Cape, and on the same cruize the captain in my presence shot a fur-seal from the deck of the vessel, a boat was lowered, and the seal was got. The mate also shot them. I don't know where these seals came from, but am sure they were fuis-seals. I have-known fur-seals for nearly twenty years." Andrew McGarva.—" On the way across [from Copper Island grounds in 1893], inabout latitude 50°, we saw seals every fine day. I don't know which islands they belonged to." Captain George McDonald.—"One year, in the month of August, on the 'Lily,' I got seals 200 miles south of the Shumagin Islands, and I have found seals as far west as the 172nd Pass: in the month of September." Captain Melville F. Cullem.—" I went to the Russian side this year; coming:back we saw- seafeflD the North Pacific 300 or 400 miles from the Aleutian Islands in September^' [118] H m Maurice Edwards.—" I went over to the Russian side of Behring Sea last year [1891], and I saw a few scattered seals all the way across." George F. French.—" I found a few seals all the way across from the Pribyloff Islands to Copper Island two years ago [1890], but not many, and on the way home we saw them here and there all the way from Attu Island to San Francisco. Last year [1891] I entered the Sea by the 172nd Pass, and again found a few seals all the way to Copper Island. Coming home we went to Victoria from Attu, and found a few seals all the way. I believe the seals go from one side of Behring Sea to the other, as some years when the seals are very abundant on the Alaskan side, and a large catch would be expected in Behring Sea [i.e., on American side], it would not be made, and it would be found that a great many seals would be taken on the Russian side, although there had not been more than usual on the coast there. I learned from a hunter on the ' Teresa' last year that a large band of seals had been met with 280 miles north-east of Copper Island, travelling towards Copper Island. This was in the early part of July." Charles Campbell.—" Last year [1891] we saw seals on the way across [to Asiatic waters] whenever the weather was fine; there was no way of telling when we saw the last of the seals that frequent the Pribyloff- Islands, and met the first of those that were going to the Commander Islands." Captain S. W. Buckman.—" In that year [1886] we passed through seals for two days and a part of a third, about 150 miles south of the Aleutian Islands. We moved at the rate of about 9-£ miles an hour. We saw the last of them about the 172nd meridian [this would be from longitude of Rat Islands to longitude of Atka]. The captain and mate of the ' Zambesi' have told me that in January last they saw the seals in about the same place, or a little to the west of where I saw them. When I saw them they were about as plentiful as sealers generally find them, but the officers of the ' Zambesi' report them as being much more abundant than that." William Edwards.—" Last year [1891] I went over to the Russian side of Behring Sea; we saw a few seals all the way across." Captain TJiomas O'Leary.—" I went across to the Russian side of the Behring Sea last year [1891]. We found a few seals nearly all the way across." Charles Otis Burns in 1891 and 1892, in going to the Asiatic side of the North Pacific, saw " scattering seals all the way over, and saw the same this year. The course both years was from 30 to 60 miles off the Aleutian Islands." W. 0. Hughes saw during the first week in July seals " between the 172nd Pass and the western islands of the Aleutian group from 30 to 60 miles off the south shore." George Wester says: " 1 n travelling from the American to the Asiatic side of Behring Sea from" the middle of June to the middle of July, I have seen seals all the way across on fine days In the month of September, coming from the Commander Islands to Cape Flattery on or about the 50th parallel, have seen more or less seals every day. ' I have seen seals, in all the passes in the Aleutian Islands that I have entered between Unimak and Attu Island." Captain Charles Lutjens, when returning from the Commander Islands to San Francisco in 1892, south of the Aleutian Islands, " noticed seals more or less every day." Captain Charles [Eartiwen, sixteen years' experience, has crossed from the American to the Asiatic coast about the latter part of June, and from the Asiatic to the American coast in September, I and have seen seals off and on almost every fine day on the passages I have crossed to. the Commander Islands, keeping south of the Aleutian group, and have noticed seals going norib through all the passes as far westward as Attu Island, and have seen stragglers from there to the Commander Islands." Milton Scott states that in 1891 and 1892 he crossed over to the Russian coast. " On each occasion in returning we saw seals more or less every day." Charles Francis went on the " Brenda" to the Asiatic coast along the Aleutian Islands about 50 miles south. He saw scattering seals all the way, especially about the 175th to 180th parallel. Michael Keefe went to the Asiatic coast in 1892, and saw scattered seals all the way across, especially off Amutka Pass and about the 180th parallel. W. 0. Shafter, in crossing from the American to the Asiatic coast in July, saw seals more or less every day. Captain C. E. Mockler, in crossing from Japan to Victoria in 1892, taking the "great circle" course, passed about 200 miles to the southward of the Aleutian Islands, and saw seals every day, some days only one or two, but some each day right along. tufmsvmma 27 Lee J. Thiers says in coming back from the Japan coast in 1892, late in dune and early in July, the " great circle " track for Victoria was followed, and in the passage across he saw seals every day. The vessel ran within 200 or 250 miles of the Aleutian group. Warren F. Upson, in crossing south of the Aleutian Islands to the Commander Islands in July 1892, noticed seals more or less in the passage He further says: " I have crossed from San Francisco to Yokohama many times, and have taken many different courses. In courses made from 35° to 45° north have seen seals off and on every day all the way across in January, February, and March." Captain Adolphe F. Carlson states that he crossed in the mail-steamer " Gallic " from Yokohama to San Francisco, making a course 45° north, and has seen seals more or less every day—this was in the month of January—and has returned the beginnhig of February at a course about 36° north, and again saw seals almost daily durihg the voyage. Frederick Crocker has made many sealing voyages to Russian and Japanese waters, and says: " In crossing from the American to the Russian side, I have noticed seals more or less every day during the passage; this would be about the month of August, and in coming from the Russian to the American side, south of the Aleutian Islands, about the month of September, have observed the same thing." William Connors says: | In 1883, crossing from the Japan Islands ro Victoria in October and November, I noticed seals every day during the voyage." H. J. Lund says : "On the way home this year [1892], during the month of July, on the "great circle " track, we saw seals every day ; some days as many as twenty." James W. Crew says: " In crossing from the Russian side to San Francisco, and following a course bringing us south of the Aleutian Islands, about the month of September, I have seen straggling seals all the way across until we reached 150° west longitude." Captain Andrew McKiel states that, in 1891, " the ' Maud S.,' after being warned, sailed across Behring Sea in nearly a direct line between the Pribjdoff Islands and the Commander Islands. I saw seals every day on the voyage over. This year the ' Sadie Turpel' went over to the Copper Island grounds, outside of and about 75 or 80 miles south of the Aleutian Islands. Saw seals every day on the voyage from Amutka Pass to Attu Island." Seven were at different times shot from the deck, and a boat lowered to get them. These seals were travelling towards Behring Sea in a westerly direction. On the return voyage seals were seen about 60 miles south of Attu. Frank Moreau.—" We left Copper Island about the 12th August [1892], and arrived in San Francisco about the 20th September, and kept to the south of the Aleutian Islands. I noticed seals more or less all the way across." Captain G. Scott.—" In crossing from the American to the Asiatic coast I have noticed seals every day more or less. ... I think that both the American and Russian seals are taken about the Equatorial Islands, and are there mingled together in. the winter months." VIII.—Statements showing the occurrence of Fur-seals to the South of the Aleutian Islands during the Summer Months. Captain Charles J. Harris.—"In August 1890 I saw seals about 300 miles from [south of] Kadiak, and in August 1891 I saw seals about 250 miles from Kadiak. " I have seen seals as far south as Queen Charlotte Islands in August." Captain R. O. Lavender.—" Coming home this year [from Kadiak] I saw four sleeping seals off Cape Flattery, 21st July; one was shot. It was a barren female in good health, for I carefully examined it." W. T. Bragg—" I went to the Russian side this year, and on the way home in September I saw seals in' the North Pacific about 500 miles from land. I have seen them in about the same place in previous^yeais.^^ _^^ ^ ^ sleeping seals in the water near the Scott Islands, that is, within 20 miles from" the said islands, and have heard other seal-hunters make statements that they had also seen seals there." m } pi' 2S Starrat. " I have seen n very few seals in the autumn in the ocean between the Aleutian islands and Vancouver Inland.-' James McRae.—" We saw three or four seals south of the Aleutian Islands last year in the early part of September, as. we returned from Copper Island." WilUam Cowie.—" On the way home last year [from Behring Sea] I saw a few seals in mid-ocean in September." Joseph Broion.—"In 1890 we killed a seal in mid-ocean when returning to Victoria in September on the 'E. B. Marvin,' and in November of the same year, when on the ' Triumph.' I saw four seals 300 or 400 miles off Queen Charlotte Islands." Ernest Lorenz.—" In 1890, on the way home [from Behring Sea], I saw seals at least 300 miles westward of Cape Cook, and got a few of them. This was about the middle of September. " I know from my own experience that seals remain off the coasts of Vancouver Island all the year round, as well as off Queen Charlotte Islands and Southern Alaska. Captain Ferry, of the ' W. P. Sayward,' in 1891, told me he got about 40 seals 400 miles westward of Queen Charlotte Islands in September 1891." Emit Ramlose.—" Other years I have seen seals—large seals—in July outside the 172nd Pass, and in August between Umniak Pass and the Sannak Islands." Colin Locke.—" On the way home [from Asiatic side] this season [1892] we saw seals about 210 miles south-east of the 172nd Pass. I do not know whether these seals came from the Commander or the Pribyloff Islands, but as I had heard from more than one person that there was a rookery on the Aleutian Islands, I thought they might have been from there." W. Shields.—" Different years when coming home from Behring Sea we have taken seals 500 miles or so from Flattery, and every year we see some. [Seven years' sealing.] Three different years I went into Behring Sea through the 172nd Pass, and each year saw outside the pass a great many seals." 0. Scarf.—" I have hunted five years in Behring Sea. . . . On the return from Behring Sea every year I have been there, I have seen seals in the North Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles from land. J. H. Haake.—" In September of this year, while we were proceeding homeward [from Copper Island grounds], and while in the North Pacific Ocean, we saw a few seals." W. De Witt.—" I have seen seals all over the North Pacific in the fall and early winter." George McDonald.—" One year in the month of August on the ' Lily/ I got seals 200 miles south of the Shumagin Islands, and I have found seals as far west as the 172nd Pass in the month of September when homeward bound." G. C Gerow.—" All the years before last year [1891] I found young seals in September all along between the pass by which we came out of Behring Sea and Cape Cook. These seals had not been at the breeding-islands. Last year it was too stormy, and no look-out was kept. Captain James Gaudin.—" About the 1st September seals were plentiful [in 1887] outside Akutan Pass." Captain William Petit.—" I have seen seals in the North Pacific Ocean between Unmiak Pass and Queen Charlotte Islands in September, and one year a good many. Last year [1891] I saw some in August. Captain C. F. Dillon.—"In 1888 I came south from Behring Sea about longitude 175° west, and caught seals there ; this was in the latter part of August. In 1886, late in August, we killed seals 30 or 40 miles south of 172nd Pass; between Unimak Pass and Saanak Islands, in 1887, I saw seals quite abundant in the latter part of July. In 1889 we got seals about Kadiak Island off and on all summer. In 1890, late in August, I killed a sleeping seal off the Shumagin Islands and saw others." William Roland says: " That every year on the return from Behring Sea or Copper Island ^rounds I have seen scattering seals in the North Pacific on our course about 400 or 500 miles from'Kadiak Island, along the 50th parallel north latitude." This would be between the middle of September and first of October. Arthur W. Roland, saw seals in 1892 about 5.00 miles south of the Aleutian Islands, along the 50th parallel north latitude. In 1891 he «aw some seals [when returning from Behring Sea] about half way between Unimak Pass and Cape Flattery. ill' 29 John Matthews states that on the % Brenda's " voyage home in 1891 from Copper Island grounds he saw seals about 300 miles south of Middleton Island. This was about the middle of September. He has also seen seals about 15 miles off Cape Flattery about the 21st September." Charles Hayuks.—"We see the first seals [at Barclay Sound] before Christmas, and continue taking them until June, but there are seals about all summer." IX.—Statements relating to the Abundance, or otherwise, of Fur-seals at:Sea in late years. Charles J. Harris.—" More than ever before." Cliarles Le Blanc.—" More this year than in any former year." George Roberts.—" More than in any previous year." Matthew Ryan.—" A good many more than last year." R. 0. Lavender.—"More seals this year." J. S. Fanning.—" I saw more seals this year than I ever did before." Abraham Billard.—| More seals this year than last." George Dishow.—" More seals this year than in any other." A. R. Bissett.—" More seals this year than ever before." Herman R. Smith.—" Many more than twelve years ago." William De Witt.—" More this year than ever before." William G. Goudie.—" Saw this year more seals than ever before." Laughlin McLean.—" Seals more plentiful than ever before." J. H. Haake.—| Never saw seals so plentiful." George F. French.—" More than in two previous years." Oscar Scarf.—" Many more this year than ever before." Frederick W. Strong.—" More this year than ever before." W. Shields.—" Saw more seals in 1892 than any year but 1889.' Emit Ramlose.—" More this year than ever before." E. P. Miner.—" More this year than ever before." Charles Campbell.—" More this year than last year." William Fewings.—Seals more numerous this year than before.' David Laing.—" More this year than ever before." August Reppen.—" More in 1892 than in any previous year." Thomas Brown.—" This year more than ever before. Henry S. Browne.—" More than in any previous year." James W. Todd.—" More seals than ever before." L118J i m m I'M 8@ Walter Heay.-^-" Mdie thafl ever before.' Henry Paxton.—" More than in any other season." George Heater.—" More this year than in either of the previous y'eafS. Albert J. Bertram.—" More than in any previous year." Andrew McGarva.—" More this year than formerly." Robert S. Findley.—" Never saw so many as this year." Thomas Garner.—" More this year than ever before." G. E. Miner.—" Have never seen seals so plentiful as they were this year." W. 0. Hughes.—" Nowhere, except in Behring Sea last year, have I seen so many seals as this year [1892] along the coast." Joseph Brown.—" I saw more seal's in 1891 than in any previous' year." Luke McGrath.—" I saw more seals this year on the part of the coast I was dfr than on the same coast last year." James Sitemdn.—" I saw more seals in 1891 than in any other year I have been out." C. 0. Burns.—" I saw more seals this year than last." John Coburn.—" There are just as many seals on the coast now as there was when I first went out; in fact, this year I saw more seals on the eofflst than ever- befo*&" George Wells.—" I saw more seals on the coast this1 year thaffi either of the previous two yeaf-S." Lee J. Thiers.—" From my own observation, and from wbset- othetf sealers tell me, there were more seals seen this year than ever before." W. Conners.—" I have seen more seals this year than in any year before since I have hunted Certainly their number is not growing less." P. E. Peterson.—" Seals were more plentiful, I think, this year than in 18-91; they are not." decreasing." James Ford.—"I saw more seals this year than I did'last." William F. Roland.—" I saw a great many more seals this year than ever before all along the coast." A. W. Roland.—" I saw more seals on the coast this year than in any other year I have been out." Andrew McKeil.—" I saw more seals on the coast this year than last.-" William Edwards.—" There seems td be more seals this- yeaT tihssti test." Thomas O'Leary.—" Seals are more plentiful this year' than last". Luke McGrath.—" I saw more seals this year than last." Peter Carlson.—" I do not think seals any less numerous this year than- when I first Went sealing, * as I have seen more seals this year than ever before." Dan A. Lewis.—" There are more seals now than when I first went hunting. I notice it wherever I go." Abel Douglas.—" The past two yeaf-s I have seen as many seals as I ever saw.'; W. T. Bragg.—" As plentiful this year as amy' previous year." James Shields.—" Saw this year as many seals as ever before." Andrew Maihison.—" No decrease in six years." C. A. Williams.—" Seails a® plentiful as evee saw them before." Colin Locke.—" A.s many this year as in previous years." E. Lorenz.—" Seals are not decreasing." Theockr Magnesen.-^-^ As- m^&y as other yeassi" W. E. Baker.—" Quite as many as ever before." RobertE. McKiel—"As many this year as ever before." George McDonald.—" Quite as, if not more, numerous than ever before." Joseph Hall.—" Just as many this year as last/ A. D. Laing.—" As many last year as ever before." John Mortis.—-" About in the same numbers." Victor Jacobsen.—" As many this year as last.' H. L. Algar.—| Not fewer now than six or eight years ago." F. G. Warrington.—" As plentiful, or more so, than ever before.-' J. D. Warren.—" No decrease in numbers of seals off the coast." William Hermann.—" I do not notice a material difference in the number met v/ith since the tim I began hunting until now." WiUidm Brown.—**"During my fourteen years' residence on those islands [Aleutian] and mainland of Alaska I have not noticed that the seals have diminished in numbers." George Scott.—" I do not see any difference in the number of seals now and when I began sealing." George Wester.—" Seals are just as plentiful now as they were the first year I went hunting,.... and I have seen as many, if not more, this year [1892] as in any previous year. Charles Lutjens.—" I cannot say that I notice any difference in the number of seals now and when I first began sealing." Charles Hartiwen.—" I believe the seals are just as numerous as ever." Milton Scott.—" I think that I saw last year more seals than I ever saw since I hunted first, do not think their number is diminishing.' J. S. Worth.—"I do not think there is any difference now in the number of seals I see than when I first began hunting.*' Michael Keefe.-^-" This year I saw just as many seals on the coast as in any of the first three years I was out sealing " • W. 0. Shafter.—".The seals seem to be as thick now as ever they have been." C. E. Modeler.—-" Seals are just as plentiful this year as in .any year in my experience, and I do not think they are decreasing.'' J. W. Crew.—" I saw as many seal's this year as I have ever seen, and I cannot notice that they are decreasing." H. F. Sieward.—" Seals are as plentiful this year as I have ever seen them.' C. F. Dillon.—" I don't think seals are getting any scarcer; at least at sea/ G. C. Gerow.—" They were as plentiful as ever last year [1891]." Frank Moreau.—" I do not notice that seals are decreasing." James Carthcut.—" Always sealed, along the coast and in Behring Sea, and notice no difference in the number of seals from the first to the last year."^ mmmmmmm 32 Hit-hitte. " There are just as many seals along the coast now as when I first began to hunt bu, they are found further off shore." Kasado.—Does not think seals are less plentiful, but they have been frightened away from the shore. Claliapisum.—" Theve are as many [seals as formerly., but they are more frightened and hard to kill.'' Hanaisum and Clahouto think the same as Clahapisum. Walter Watt.—" I believe that the seals are just as plentiful as years ago." Chileta.—" I think the seals are just as plentiful as they used to be." Charles Hayuks.—" This year I saw as many seals as I ever saw before. None of us Indians think the seals are any fewer." Oguaghu.—" Seals are just as plentiful as ever, but do not come in so close to shore now as before white men commenced hunting." Kach-kach-ah.—" Seals are as plentiful as ever." Charlie and Harry think as Kach-kach-ah does. Shewish.—" They are as thick as they used to be." Clat-ka-koi.—" The seals appear to be as plentiful now as formerly.' Kickiana agrees with what is said by Clat(-ka-koi. -Click-la-hou-to.—" I believe that seals are as plentiful now as they were when I first commenced to hunt." Keshuqua and Clatchu believe as Click-la-hou-to does. Clat-misk got more seals this year than last. Wahka, Nahwyak, Claphighup, Tsawassup, and Tootush had the same experience as Clatmisk. Ehencliesut.—" Just as many seals as ever." Imihap thinks as Ehenchesut does. Annetz-a-chctt.—" The seals appeared to me [in 1892] as plentiful as when I last hunted five years ago." Louis Annetz-a-chett agrees with Annetz-a-Chett. Hat-la-cuntl sees no difference in the number of seals now and when he first went out sealing. Cedar-kanim, up to the time he gave up hunting three years ago, had noticed no difference in the number of seals." Ax-clappa has not hunted for three years, and thinks as Cedar-Kanim does. Qui-an-ah.—"The seals seem to be as plentiful now as when I first went sealing." Enocto.—I think the seals are just as thick now as some years ago." Quat-loose, Fred, Suit-hatchest, Peter, Kawannass, Shooha, Keelthldh, John Werghlah, Tacoottish, Mucklemick, and Sheeuah think as Enocto does. High-eit-lick-sheel.—" I do not think they [the seals] are fewer than they were seven or eight years ago." Charlie Quisto.—" The seals come to this c6ast just as many as ever." See-ah-sum and Wech-tin believe as Charlie Quisto does. Schoultwick.—"Along the coast and in the Sound [Barclay] seals were not as plentiful in 1892 as 1891." Accounts for this by white hunters having come early and scared the seals away m aa»T«. Clawaunack, So-y-uk, Thompson, Jack, Too-iootch, and Jimmy think as Schoultwick do Atelu does not think there are as many seals'now near the shore as in 1886, but thinks there are just as many skins [taken]. Ah-nah-yook agrees with Atelu. James McRae.—"Fewer seals this year than last." (" Oscar and Hattie") William O'Leary.—"This year not so many as last year. Last year more than any year but 1890." William Cowie.—" Fewer seals than last year." (" Oscar and Hattie.") Frank Campbell.—" Seals scarcer this year than last." (" Oscar and Hattie") (Note.—The " Oscar and Hattie " did not leave Victoria until late in the season.) Adolphe F. Carlson—" I think seals are decreasing, for I hear so from those on the Island of Shumagin and other islands in that vicinity, and I don't think I see so many myself." i X.—Statements relating to Coition of Fur-seals at Sea. diaries J. Harris.-—Has seen seals pairing in Behring Sea. Cliarles Le Blanc.—Has seen seals pairing in water, and describes manner of effecting copulation. Has seen both male and female killed at such times. Abel Douglas.—Has often killed both male and female while they were.copulating, and describes manner in which it is effected. George Roberts saw seals pairing in the water on Fairweather grounds in 1892. J. S. Fanning has seen seals attempting to have connection in the water. Abraham Billard has shot both seals while they were pairing in the water. William O'Leary has seen seals pairing in the water. A. S. Campbell has seen seals copulating in the water, and once killed the female. It was a cow with milk in her breasts. He describes manner of effecting copulation. F. Campbell saw seals pairing off Mount St. Elias in June 1891. Joseph Brown has seen seals pairing in the water, and once killed the male and the female; the female was a young one that had never had a pup. William De Witt once killed both the male and the female when they were pairing in the water. William G. Goudie twice saw seals pairing in Behring Sea. J. H. Haake has seen seals pairing in the water, and has killed both male and female. George F. French twice shot both the male and the female when they were pairing in the water. Oscar Scarf has often seen seals having connection in the water, and has killed both male and female while they were in the act. Frederick W. Strong once saw seals pairing in the water, and shot both of them. William Shields has seen seals attempting to pair in the water, and has shot both male and female often. Describes actions of the seals at such times. [118] K 111 34 Charles A. Williams has often seen seals as he thought pairing in kelp, and has killed both. Emil Rarnlom Jias seen seals pairing in the water, and describes their actions. Theodor Magnesen has seen seals pairing in the water, and has heard his hunters say that this will be seen whenever there is a large body of seals with the sexes mixed. George McDonald once saw two seals shot while they were pairing in the water, and describes the manner in which copulation is effected. August Reppen desciibes manner in which seals copulate in the water. Thomas H. Brown has seen seals pappg in the water, and has watched them for as long as five minutes at such times. Walter Heay has watched seals for upwards of five minutes while they were pairing in the water, and describes manner in which copulation is effected. Hiram B. Jones has shot both seals while they were pairing in the water in Behring Sea. Edward Cantillion has seen seals pairing in the water. A. C Folger has seen seals attempting to pair in the water hundreds of times, and says that the m lies are a class larger than those that are killed on the Seal Islands. Andrevj McGarva has shot both male and female seals as they were attempting to pair in the water. Robert F. Findley has seen seals pairing in the water, and shot both male and female at such times. Thomas Garner on two occasions in Behring Sea shot both male and female while they were pairing in the water, and describes at length the manner in which copulation was effected. John Kraft has seen seals pairing in the water. Frank G. Warrington describes manner in which copulation is effected by seals in the water. G. E. Miner has seen seals attempting to pair in the water. Captain G. Scott has seen seals pairing in the water, and at such times has' been able to kill both by killing the cow first. George Wester has seen seals pairing in the water, and at tho§e times has been able to kill both the male and the female. William Conners has seen seals pairing in the water, and by Trilling the female first has been able to get both. William Petit has seen seals pairing in Behring Sea, and describes manner in which copulation is effected. C. F. Dillon has seen seals pairing in the water in Behring Sea. XI.—Evidence respecting the Resort of Fur-seals to new Breeding-places from time to time. Captain E. P. Miner.—" The next year, 1882,1 sailed from Yokohama in the schooner ' Otome' otter-hunting to the Kurile Islands. The year before that Captain Snow had found a new rookery on Shed-noi Island, and in 1882 we went there and camped ashore; there were eight schooners of us. I do not remember exactly how many seals we got then, but know that there were 1,000 in the first drive. A rookery had been found on Moo-shir Rocks the year before, and we worked both rookeries tl summer. ... In 1883 I went in the schooner ' Otsego,' of Yokohama, sea-otter and seal hunting, I lat mt 35 we wanted particularly to find a rookery in the Japan Sea. I was mate and navigator. We were looking for the Waywoda Rocks, on which seals had been reported to haul out, but these rooks, I believe, do not exist. We found seals, however, on the Bittern Rocks, 14 miles off north-west coast of Nipon Island. ... [In 1881] we landed on two small islands to the northward of KaragipsM, and though we found no fur-seals, we found a great many skeletons and skulls ashore there; t'--e sk.tjHs were all broken up as if they had been clubbed. . . .* In 1884 we went from Karaginski Island tp Yokohama, getting a few seals on the Moo-shir Rocks. ... In 1885 I went out as master of "the ' Penelope,' and discovered a new rookery on Raikoke Island, one of the Kurile group. We got about 3,500 skins there. ... In 1886 I was again master of the ' Penelope,' and visited Raikoke Island, Moo-shir Rocks, and Shed-noi, but got only about 500 seals." i Captain A. C. Folger.—"Besides the rookeries on the Commander Isla&dj and Robbeu Reel, $ know of hauling-out places—not rookeries. One place was a little island called Raikoke, right in the middle of the Kurile group. Vessels went there every year sea-otter and seaJion hunting, but no seals had ever been seen there; but in 1886 [1885], when on the ' Penelope,' Captain ^iner, We wejje, surprised to find thousands of seals hauled out there. I had been at this place for the three previous seasons ; there must have been 12,000 or 15,000 seals—among them 700 or 800 pups. We took 4,000 skins, and had not salt to cure more. . . . Captain Snow, in 1879 I think it was, found seals on Moo-shir Rocks. I and all the other hunters had been there the year before and other years, but never saw seals. ... I know from the experience I have had that it is a common thing for seals on that side to haul out on new grounds, and every schooner always made a point of stopping at every barren rock to have a look for seals." William Hermann states that two years ago (1890) he was in the Okhotsk Sea, and his schooner got 283 seals on the Island of St. Iona, and, altogether, 700 seals were got there that year by three schooners, and last year he was there and got 551 in the schooner " Arctic " These were got hauled up on the rocks, and were first discovered by Captain Pine, of the "Arctic," in 1889. Eight years ago Captain Petersen, of the schooner " Diana," of Yokohama, was there, and there were no seals there S- L. BeckuMh says; " I remember there was a seal rookery on Ketoy Island, one of the Kurile group ; that was about 1873 or 1874. I have been there since, and they are all destroyed." Warren F. Upson.—§ Commenced killing fur-seals as a business about thirteen years ago. . . . Was otter-hunting, principally among the Kurile group, up to the time I commenced seal-hunting, and was as familiar with all the islands of the group as I am with the streets of this city, from Cape Nogshof to Kamchatka, and know that there were no rookeries at that time on those islands. I know Raikoke, Moo-shir, and Shed-noi Rocks, and to my knowledge there were no rookeries on them during my otter- huntino- days, but I have learned since that Captain Miner has taken a large number of seals on some of those rocks." Adolphc F. Carlson.—" I hunted otter along the Kurile Islands from 1872 till 1883, and know that up to 1879 there were no rookeries on Raikoke Island or Moo-shir Rocks, and seals up to that time never hauled up on either of these islands to breed, but I learn they were found there in 1880 or 1881." Frederic^- (.'rocker.—" I first hunted among rhe Kurile Islands in 1881, and found rookeries on the Shed-noi and Moo-shir Rocks and Raikoke Island, and we made good takes, but cannot say ftQW exactly how many ; that year 1 was in the ' Diana' sailing from Yokohama," XII. — Evidence 6f Sealers relating to Comparisons between Seals obtained on the American and Asiatic Sides of the North Pacific. Charles Le Blanc.—"I have never noticed or detected any difference in the seals on the two sides of-the North Pacific or Behring Sea. I believe them to be identical." ,f Abel Douglas.—" There is no difference that I can see in the seals that go to the two groups of islands, unless it is that the seals on the Russian side are a little darker in colour." ■* Abraham Billard.—11 do not know any difference between the seals on the two sides of the Pacific." Otto Buchholz.—" I don't know any difference between the seals on the Asiatic side and on the Ap3erw?an coasfcs. The former may be a trifle darker in colour at the same time of year, but I cannot tell one from another." 36 William O'Leary.—" I have been sealing two seasons on the Asiatic side of Behring Sea, and have not been able to detect any difference between the seals on that side and those on the American side. A. R. Bissett.—" I was over to the Copper Island grounds this year. My hunters got 421 seals there. rf he only difference between the seals over there and on this side that I can see is that the Copper Island seal is a little darker in colour. The seals there are not so fat as on this side." H. R. Smith.—"The seals off Copper Island seem a shade darker than on the eastern side, and are certainly not so fat." W. G. Goudic—" I know no difference between the seals on the two sides of the Ocean. I don't think there is any difference." George F. French.—"The only difference I hive noticed in seals on the two sides of the Pacific is that the Asiatic seals are a shade darker on the average, and taking the average of a catch, a little larger. I could not tell the skins of the two apart if I saw them together except by the darker colour. Some seals are darker than others on the American side." Frederick W. Strong.—" I cannot see any difference between the seals on the two coasts, except that they are not nearly so wild on the Asiatic side as on the American side." W. Shields.—" There is no difference between the seals on the Russian and the American side of Behring Sea unless it is that those on the Russian side are a little darker in colour." Colin Locke.—" The skins taken on the Asiatic side seemed to be of better quality, but there is not anv difference in the animals themselves." i a'1 ll m- Hi:! Emit Ramlose.—" I do not think there is any difference between the seals on this side of Behring Sea and on the other side, unless it is that on the Russian side the seals are lighter in colour." Ernest Loi'enz.—" I don't see any difference between seals on the American and Asiatic side, and don't think anybody can. They seem alike in all respects." Theodor Magnesen.—" I did not notice, and do not beliave that there is, any difference between- the seals, unless it is that they are darker in colour on the Russian side." W. E. Baker.—" The only difference between the seals on the two sides of Behring Sea that I have seen is that the seals are darker there [on the Asiatic side]." Robert McKeil.—" I have noticed no difference in the seals on the Asiatic and on the American side of Behring Sea, unless it is that the seals are darker on the other side. I certainly could not tell' them apart in the water." E. P.Miner.—"I have seen many ihousand skins from both the Asiatic and American sides of Behring Sea, and could never see any difference between them, and do not believe that any one could. I sealed on both sides this year, and do not believe that any one could separate my Copper Island skins from the American coast skins." Joseph Hall.—" I do not know of any difference between the seals on the two sides of the Pacific, except that the seals on the Asiatic side seem a shade darker on the breast, but some of the seals here are exactly like those on the Asiatic side. The seals on the two sides are exactly alike in shape, but those on the Asiatic side, especially bulls, do not seem so fat as the American." Neil Morrison.—" So far as my experience goes, I believe the fur on the seals of the Asiatic side to be slightly thicker and darker than that of the seals on this side, but in other respects the seals on the two sides are exactly the same." | John Williams.—" The only difference I noticed between the two lots of skins was that the Copper Island skins seemed to me a little lighter in colour, certainly not darker." John Christian.—" I. cannot detect any difference between seals on the American and Asiatic coasts." P Matthew McGrath.—■" I took seals on both sides of the Pacific Ocean this year, and saw many others, but I could not see, and do not believe there is, any difference between the animals frequentinc- the two places." Walter Heay.—" I don't see any difference between seals on Copper Island side and American side, except that they are a little darker on the breast and belly, and a little tamer." Joseph J. Beckingham.—"! was over on the Russian'side this year, but could not see any difference between the seals there and those on the American side." HTMifTOW. 37 IT. S. Algar.—"There is no difference, as far as I could ever see, between the seals on the Asiatic side of Behring Sea and on the American side as regards size, shape, general appearance, &c." Hiram B. Jones.—" There is no difference between the seals on the Japan coast and on the American coast. I took 1,817 skins on the Japan coast, and saw enough seals to be able to form a good idea as to whether the animals on both sides of the Pacific Ocean were the same, and I consider that they are the same." Edward Cantillion.—" I sealed on the Asiatic side this year, and could notice no particular difference between the skins found there and those found on the American side." Albert C. Folger-.—" I have killed thousands of seals on the Japan coast and on this side, and there is no difference between them ; none of the men I hunted with could tell them apart; I don't believe that auy man could tell them apart." Albert J. Bertram.—" The seals look larger there [on the Asiatic side], but otherwise I see no difference between them and the seals on this side." Andrew McGarva.—" The seals on the Copper Island side are a little darker in colour, I think, than those on the American side." Robert S. Findley.—" I think the seals on the Russian side are exactly the same kind of animal as on this side." G. E. Miner.—" I have sealed three.seasons on the Copper Island side of Behring Sea. I have tried to tell the difference between the seal on the American side and on the Russian side, but putting the. skins side by side I cannot see any difference." side." LaugJdin McLean.—" I can see no difference between the seals on this side and on the Russian J. D. Warren.—" This year I handled a lot of skins taken on the Copper Island grounds. I did not notice any difference between them and skins taken on the coast on this side of Behring Sea. The two lots appear to me exactly alike." Joseph Brown.—" The seals on the Copper Island side are darker in colour than on this side, but I do not think there is any other difference." J. Siteman was mate of the " Geneva " in 1892, when 600 skins were taken on the Asiatic coast-; he had charge of all the skins, and did not notice any difference between the seals taken on that coast and on the American coast. . George Scott.—" I have not noticed any difference in the quality of the skins caught on the Asiatic and American sides." Charles Hartiwen.—" In my opinion the Asiatic seal, the Japanese, and the American, are the same, and I don't think an expert, after they have been salted, can tell them apart. I have had a large experience in all three kinds of skins, and am therefore competent to speak." Milton Scott.—" I have never noticed any difference in the quality between the Russian and the American skin, but I think the former a little darker." Cliarles Francis.—" The seals on the Asiatic side are more copper-coloured on the breast and bellies than on this side, but there is no other difference that I ever noticed. I have seen exactly the same thing in seals on this coast, but not so many of them." Mieliael Keefe. —" These is no difference in the seals on the two coasts. There may be a difference of quality in the fur, but in the seal itself there is none." George Wells.—" I noticed no difference between the seals on the two sides of the Pacific. I often get seals on the American coast differing slightly in colour from the general run, and the same is true on the Asiatic side." W. 0. Shafter.—" Skins on this coast look to me to be better than those on the Asiatic, as the hair looks to be longer." Lee J. lliiers.—" I have never noticed any difference in the quabty of the skins taken along this coast from those in Behring. Sea, and I would not know the difference between those taken on the American coast and those of the Japan side." W. F. Upson.—" In my experience there is no difference in the fur of any of the seals, American or Russian, but I have killed seals off Guadaloupe Island, and found the fur lighter in colour and quality, and not as valuable as the others." l_U8J L I 38 A. W. Roland.—" The fur of the seals generally on the Asiatic coast is a shade darker than on this side, but I have seen seals on this coast as dark in colour as any I saw over there. Except in this respect there is no difference between them." John Matthews.—" I did not notice any difference between tbe seals on the two sides of the North Pacific, except that the seals on the Asiatic side seemed not so wild as on this coast. I think there were a larger number of darker-coloured seals on that side, but the difference is slight, and I have seen seals of the same shade of colour on this side." Frank Moreau.—" I think there is a difference in the quality of the skins on the Russian and American coasts, because I have noticed more shaggy and rough skins on the Russian than on the American." Peter Hammel.—" I could not see the difference between the skins taken on the Japanese coast and those taken on the American coast." XIII.—Evidence of Sealers respecting the possibility of distinguishing the Sex of Seals by Appearance of Skins. Laughlin McLean.—" I cannot tell a 3kin of a female from that of a male by the teats, for both have teats, and salted skins could not be separated in that way. There is no way to tell the sex of the seal a salted skin is taken from. I don't believe any man can tell the difference." Captain E. Lorenz.—" Male and female skins of the same size cannot be distinguished one from the other." Captain Wentworth E. Baker.—"It is not possible to tell a male from a female seal by the skin." II1! P David Laing, engaged in the sealing business since 1867, says i " I have handled many thousands, and could not tell the sex of the seal from which they were taken by the skins." James W. Todd.—" In 1887, after seizure, my. vessel was taken to Unalaska. I had on deck a number of male seals uuskinned. At Unalaska they were taken ashore, and the expert there," employed by the Alaska Commercial Company, proncunced them females. It was not till the sexual organs were examined that this expert would admit that the seals were males." Captain Hiram B. Jones.—" From the skin alone the sex of the animals could not be determined except in the case of large bull seals." A. J. Bertram, six years' experience: " I do not think the sexes could be distinguished by the skins, Robert John Horton, thirty-two years in employ of Hudson's Bay Company at Victoria, says that every year he has handled fur-seal skins brought in by Indians and schooners, and that he cannot tell the skin of a male from that of a female. He thinks it almost impossible for any one to do so, especially when the skins are about the same average size. Old bulls and grey pups can be distinguished from the others, but the sex of a grey pup cannot be told from the skin. . . . The sex of the seal cannot be told by the colour or length of its whiskers." George Scott.—" I think it is impossible to tell a male's skin from a female's when it has been removed from the carcase." Charles D. Ladd.—"I have been constantly dealing in fur-seal skins since the year 1885, and consider it is most difficult, if not impossible, to determiue the sex of the animal from which undressed skins in the raw state have been taken." Charles Hartiwen, sixteen years' experience : " I consider it impossible for aDy expert in skins to infallibly pick out male from female skins after they have been salted and before being dressed, and it is absolutely impossible to select from a large number of salted skins those of the cows that had been carrying pup, and had their pups taken from them after death."s George Wester, thirteen years' experience: " Skins that are in the rough and just taken out of the salt require the most critical scrutiny to tell whether they are males or females, and in my opinion it 39 can. then be only a matter of guess-work, except in the case of an old bull. In my opinion it is a matter of impossibility, even with the closest scrutiny, for any expert to say that any skin was the skin of a female that had been large with pup, and from which such pup had been cut." A. C. Sutherland has been in the sealing business five or six years, and, in addition to hunting* has purchased large quantities of seal-skins for shipment, and does not believe it possible for any one to say from which sex skins had been taken. Noi-man Hodgson, hunter on " Corwin": " After the skins are salted I consider it impossible to define the sex of the smaller skins up to 3 years. With the old cows and old bulls, of course, an expert can tell, but I consider it quite impossible for any one to say, after skins had been salted, that any particular skin was that of one that had been carrying young, and from which the pup had been cut." XIV.—References to Distribution ofi Seals of different Sexes and Ages at Sea. John Townsend.—"All kinds of seals travel together." George Roberts has sometimes shot all males in a band, sometimes all females, but very seldom. As a rule, males and females are together. | J. S. Fanning.—" Generally cows and bulls travel together." William T. Bragg.-—" Males and females travel together, and the yearlings with them." George Dishow.—" Generally the schools were of all kinds of seals except the 1- and 2-year-olds, which are generally by themselves either ahead or behind." Otto Buchholz.—" Younger bulls and cows generally together, and the 2-year-old pups together; but sometimes all the ages of both sexes are found together." James McRae.—" As a rule the males and females "go together." William CLeary.—" Males and females travel together on the coast, and mixed with them are the yearlings." F. Campbell.—" Yearlings travel together, sometimes behind the others, but the other seals are, as a rule, mixed together." Joseph Brown.—" Males and females, as a rule, travel together." A. R. Bissett. —" Sometimes the seals seem to band together according to age, but in any large school there are to be found both sexes of all ages." William De Wilt.—" The bands are made up of males and females, young and old." W. G. Goudie.—" The schools are made up of male and female seals, young and old. But there are sometimes small bands of one sex." J. H. Haake.—" Males and females usually travel together." He has known cases where they travelled separately, George F. FrencJu—" The bands were made up of both sexes of all ages, except old bulls." Oscar Scarf has seen males travelling together, and females together; but where the females are the males are not far off. F. W. Strong.— ' These bands of seals contain both sexes and all ages but old bulls." He has very seldom seen small bands of ten or fifteen of one sex. Andrew Mathison.—" These schools were of all kinds of seals—both sexes, young and old." William Shields, until 1892, found males and females, including grey pups, travelling together but in 1892 he found bulls in schools by themselves. if I K< ' P' i 1 111 1 I'1 li! if 1 s«'i IP fife fit'* P m ' Emit Ramlose.—" Males and females travel together." Has never seen many yearlings. Ernest Lorenz.—" Yearlings and 2-year-olds travel mostly by themselves ; older males and females, together." Isaac O'Quinn.—" The bunches were made up of all kinds of seals from old bulls to 2-year-olds.'" Has never seen a large band of seals of one kind. William Fewings.—" The large seals of both sexes generally travel together." David Laing.—" Sometimes a band of bulls might be seen together, but, as a rule, the males and females travel together, and with them are mixed the yearlings." August Reppen.—" The males and females travel together." Thomas H. Brown.—" Male and female seals travel together, and, as a rule, the yearlings are with them." Victor Jacdbson.—" The large males and females always travel together." John Christian^—" Sometimes we get among young seals—mostly males—for a day or two, then among cows'and bulls mixed." William Heay.—"Some days I have got mostly cows, others young bulls, but generally find them mixed up, all ages, of both sexes." H. S. Algar has noticed that when the seals were brought on board the schooner both sexes were together. Hiram B. Jones.—" Some places we get nearly all males, and some places nearly all females, but generally the two sexes are mixed." Edward Cantillion thinks that males and females go in separate bands sometimes, " but knows that when seals are plentiful the two sexes are mixed together." Andrew McGarva has noticed that females often travel in separate bodies, but that they travel mixed together as well TJiomas Garner.—" Males and females travel together, and with them the yearlings." Captain George Scott.—" On the Californian and Oregon coast the schools are composed of old females and young seals of both sexes, and about Cape Flattery they are joined by the older males." Milton Scott.—That while in schools the seals are mixed as to sex and age. C. E. Modeler.—" Seals travel in schools mixed as to age and sex." Lee J. Thiers.—" We see seals in schools, and they are mixed in sexes and ages." Adolphe F. Carlson.—" These schools [of seals] are generally mixed as to age and sex." Frederick Crocker.—" Seals, for the most part, travel in schools, and the sexes are mixed." William Conners.—" Seals travel in schools, and they are mixed up, males and females, old and youn^ now were P. E. Peterson.—" Seals travel in schools, and they are mixed as to age and sex." James Ford says that schools of seals are mixed as to age and sex. James W. Crew.—" Schools are mixed as to age and sex." WF Roland.—" Generally these bands and schools are made up of all ages and both sexes, but and then I have seen a bunch of all one kind and sex." Ana]rew McKeil.—" The schools or bunches were mixed, all ages, of both sexes, except old bulls together. ' William Petit.—" All ages and sexes travel together." JffllV BEvi' KWBK51 Abner Sinclair.—" When in bunches the older males and females are mixed together. William Edwards.—" I have seen grey pups travelling together, and sometimes females; generally the older seals travel together." Maurice Edwards.—" Grey pups stay pretty well together; the other ages and both sexes mixed together." Wallace Christian.—" I have found this year [1892] small bunches of seals of one sex and age." Thomas O'Leary.—" I found seals of all sexes and ages mixed together." Henry Sieward.—" As a rule all ages and sexes are mixed together." S. W. Buckman.—" I think the young males travel together, and that the older ones go with the females." Frank Moreau.—" Seals are mixed as to age and sex." Peter Hammel.—" The schools are mixed—old and young, male and female." XV.—Statements relating to Raids made upon the Pribyloff Islands. Adolphe Ridderbjelke, master of the steam-schooner " Challenge " at the time the raid was made on East Rookery, St. George's Island, gives a full account of the raid in his testimony; of this the following is an abstract:— At about 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 16th November, 1891, he was close enough to the south side of the island to have been seen had a look-out been kept; the day was bright and clear. He passed the island and returned about midnight; when a mile away from the island a boat was lowered and sent to see whether the coast was clear; it returned about 115 on the morning of the 17th, and three boats with ten men were sent ashore. The schooner steamed in after them until so close that the rocks on the bottom could be seen. The men remained ashore until nearly 7 o'clock; it was then daylight. Frequent attempts were made to get the seals on board, but the swell was so.heavy that only thirty-seven were secured, though a great many more were killed. He further says: " I could see the guard-house plainly, but no one appeared, though a tremendous noise was made. The men were continually calling out and shouting ; all the vessel's lights were lit during the whole time; no lights were taken ashore, as the night was clear, the moon shining during the early part of the evening." The vessel was then taken found to the other side of the island, and lay at anchor there until 3 o'clock the next day, when two men were seen on a hill-top, and the schooner steamed away. Captain E. P. Miner says: " I have frequently heard of raids being made on the Pribyloff Islands. In 1881 and 1882 two schooners anchored to the northward of St. Paul Island for nearly the whole summer. They were the ' Otter' and ' Alexander,' vessels owned by Liebes and Co., of San Francisco. The captains of these vessels told me of this themselves. In 1890, in September, the ' C. H. White' made a raid on the islands, and from what I was told by the men on board of her nothing was known on the islands of this raid. The ' Edward Webster' raided St. George Island in 1889. The captain told m.e of this himself, and it is well known in San Francisco." A. C. Folger says: " It is a very simple matter to make a raid if it is gone about properly. All you have to do is to go quietly to the seals and drive a few of them to one side, and then go back for more when they are killed." He further says: " I more than once made raids on the Pribyloff Islands when I sailed from San Francisco, and know of other vessels having done so. We understood just how to work, and there was no chance of its being known that we had been there. We would go ashore and quietly drive the seals down to the edge of the water, as near the water as possible, so that the tide-or waves would wash the blood away. We would have the boats right at the spot, and would take the seals on board as fast as they were killed; we never left anything that would show we had been there, picking up the slightest bit of stick. Two of us, two schooners, lay at anchor 35 miles off St. Paul; we were there six weeks; when it got dark we would run in to North-easD Point; we were anchored on the east side. We chose that place because when there was surf on one side of the point there might not be on the other, while the other rookeries could only be approached from one side. We never stayed ashore each time over two or three hours, as we wanted to get out of sight of the island as soon as possible. The people on the island never knew we went there, and don't know to this day. We anchored there once from the middle of June until the cufer left in September, going in whenever the weather suited. We once ran in too near the village, and saw a cutter there and went away again, but we found the coast clear the next night and got about 500 skins. We could see the light at the village. We knew very well the natives did not keep a good watch. We got about 2,000 skins that year off the island." [118] M 42 1 f; J EU-. ■" flH|[ em. JbAw Kraft' says : " I was last year on the ' Borealis,' and we were over on the Copper Island side, and landed there in November—at least we tried to land, but the weather was too bad. We then came over to the Pribyloff Islands, and tried to land on St. George, but did not succeed. We then went to the south-west side of St. Paul Island, and landed there. We got 400 skins. We saw no one ashore, but saw a cutter while we were anchored under a high bluff. It was about 2 miles off, anchored near the village. We went right into the bay there, though we saw the cutter, for we were bound to get seals. We anchored about 10 o'clock, and lowered boats and went ashore. We left about 4 o'clock in the morning. We clubbed the seals, and brought them on board without skinning them. We got away without being seen, and were out of sight of the island before daylight. We then came straight home. Two years ago this coming winter we raided the same rookery in the ' Ad&le,' and got 400; we saw neither cutter nor people. We anchored about 9 o'clock, and went away about 6 o'clock in the morning. No one saw us. We then came back; 400 is a fair night's work. The seals are easily got. We drive them to the edge of the water, and kill them there; the tide and waves wash the blood away." S. L. Beckwith says: " I was mate on the vessel ' Alexander,' belonging to Hermann Liebes, of which Captain Carlson was master. In 1880 or thereabouts I went up in her to Behring Sea, and was one of those who went ashore from her on Otter Island, one of the Pribyloff group, for the purpose of making a raid, and got over 300 skins. I do not remember how many exactly, but all we could find— all there were there." F. J. Crocker.—" I have also taken part in raiding other islands [besides Robben Reef], but I do not care to give any statement about them without the permission of the owners of the vessels." John Cole was on steam-schooner " Challenge," and describes the raid made on St. George Island in November 1891. Robert Hope was also on the " Challenge " at that time, and describes the raid. XVI.—Reference of Affidavits relating to the absence of Sealing Vessels from Behring Sea in 1892. Charles Le Blanc. Otto Buchholz. William G. Goudie. E. P. Miner. Charles Campbell. Thomas H. Brown. Edward Cantillion. Thomas Garner. George Scott. George Wester. Charles Lutjens. Charles Hartiwen. Milton Scott. John Worth. William Hermann. John Figuera. Lee J. Thiers. Adolphe F. Carlson. P. E. Petersen. P. Carlson. MW1KM ( 43 ) Affidavits of Sealers and Logs of Sealing-Vessels. I.—TESTIMONY RELATING TO PELAGIC SEALING. Declaration of William Petit. I, WILLIAM PETIT, of the city of Victoria, at present captain of the steam schooner I Mischief," declare :— That I have been sealing for seven seasons. I generally carry Indian hunters. They lose practically no seals, whether they use a gun or spear. They use the spear when they get close enough. Every year seals are shot from the schooner, and they are almost always got There is time to unlash and lower a canoe before they sink. I left Vancouver Island—Quatero Sound—on the 16th April, and found a few seals from the first, I cruized from there to Middleton Island, keeping from 30 to 300 miles off shore, and found the seals as plentiful this year as last year, but they were much harder to get. I have never seen seals in schools. All ages and sexes travel together. I have not got more than 130 cows out of about 660 seals I have taken this year. I have seen seals opened, and find in them salmon, cod, and sometimes squid. Among the females taken this year were a good many barren females. The last day's catch was four barren females and four males. In former years I have taken females in milk between Kadiak and Sitka; none this year. I have seen seals in the North Pacific Ocean between Unimak Pass and Queen Charlotte Islands in September; one year a good many. Last year I saw some in August; these seals had not been to Behring Sea. A single seal is easier got at than when several are together, as then one at least is almost sure to be awake, and will give warning to the others. Three years ago a young seal that appeared to be not more than a week old was speared by one of my hunters on the Portlock Bank, about 50 or 60 miles from laud. This was in June. In Behring Sea I have seen seals cohabiting in the water ; both seals would be " straight up and down " in the water, holding one another with tlieir flippers. Among the "grey pups" we take I have never found a female. I have been examining them for five or six years, and have never found a female. (Signed) WM. PETIT, Port Etches, June 16, 1892. Declaration of Abner Sinclair. I, ABNER SINCLAIR, of tbe city of Victoria, now a hunter on the | Ocean Belle," declare :-— That this is my first year as a seal-hunter. Was out last year as a boat-puller. This year I killed eighty-six seals and lost one of them. I think I wounded about eight or nine that got away, not more than that. I don't think any of them were badly enough wounded to die. A sleeping seal will float a good while as a rule; if a travelling seal is killed at once it will sink pretty quickly, and there is no time to be lost in gaffing him. I shoot at a sleeping seal when 12 or 15 yards away; if they appear a little uneasy I shoot when they are farther away. About half the seals I got were males; a few more than half perhaps. I noticed two barren females among those I got. I found seals in • bunches of from five to twenty more than singly. They are harder to get when they are in bunches. I have noticed that the grey pups travel alone as a rule, but sometimes with the females. When in bunches the older males and females are mixed together. I did not notice any difference in the number of seals this year and last, and they did not appear harder to get. Seals eat cod, salmon, and squid; more squid than either of the others from what I have seen. (Signed) ABNER SINCLAIR. Port Etches, June 17, 1892. ii Declaration of William Edwards. I, WILLIAM EDWARDS, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter on the "Ocean Belle," declare:— That I have been sealing two years ; was on the " Ocean Belle" last year. This year I have killed 142 seals, and got 138 of them ; 4 sunk. About the same percentage was ■lost by me last year. If a seal is wounded, but not badly enough for us to get it, I don't think it will [USj N in f I! i I 44 §j| die. I shoot at a sleeping seal when 10 or 12 yards from it. If a seal is travelling I would shoot at it when about 60 yards away. If a 1 breeching " seal is shot he will generally come up dead. Some seals float a long time, others sink almost at once, but very seldom so fast that we cannot get them. There were about as many males as females among those I got; there were very few barren females. I have seen the stomachs of seals opened, and find that they eat various kinds of fish and squid, more squid than any other kind of food. Last year I went over to the Russian side of Behring Sea; we saw a few seals all the way across. There seems to be more seals this year than last year. Seals are more difficult to get when two or three are together than when one is alone; one is generally on the look-out. I have seen grey pups travelling together, and sometimes females. Generally the older seals travel together. Seals were found most abundant by me this year off' Cross Sound. (Signed) WILLIAM' EDWARDS. Port Etches, June 17, 1892. Declaration of Maurice Edwards. I, MAURICE EDWARDS, of the city of Victoria, now a declare:— That this is my second vear as a seal-hunter; was on the hunter on the " Ocean Belle," Ocean Belle " last year. I have killed 152 seals this year, and of these I lost only 2, securing 150. They were about half males and half females. No barren females were taken by me. Not more than three or four were wounded by me that got away; if they are wounded we generally get them. Some seals float a long time ; if they float more than five minutes or so, they will stay up an indefinite time. No matter how quickly a seal may sink, it can as a rule be got. The two I lost were when I shot two, and left the first while I shot the second. I shoot at a sleepiug seal when about 15 yards away; a travelling seal I would seldom shoot at when more than 50 or 60 yards away. Seals were found most abundant by me off Cross Sound this year. I found seals in bunches more than singly this year; it is very much harder to get at them when they are that way. Grey pups stay pretty well together, the other ages and both sexes mixed together. From this out we will get more males than females, as the females will be going to the breeding-islands. Seals eat salmon, cod, and squid. I have found squid in them all the way up along the coast and in Behring Sea as well. I went over to the Russian side of Behring Sea last year, and. saw a few scattered seals all the way across. I have found the seals to be more plentiful this year, but they are harder to get. (Signed) MAURICE EDWARDS Port Etches, June 11, 1892. i Declaration of George F. French. I, GEORGE F. FRENCH, of the city of San Francisco, how a hunter on the sealing-schooner I City of San Diego," declare:— That I have been sealing three years. The percentage of seals that are killed and lost is about 5 in 100, I think. This year I killed 143, and have lost 3 only. It is easy to tell when a seal is badly wounded, and I do not think that many are wounded and afterwards die. If a seal is badly wounded, we are almost certain to get it. It is easy to tell when a seal has been wounded by the blood in the water; a few drops will colour the water for a long distance around. I shoot at a sleeping seal when within about 25 feet of it. If a seal is lively, I wpuld shoot at it when 50 yards away, but not farther. I would then be almost certain to get it. Seals are seldom lost when shot with a gun, and rifles are now seldom used. Unless a seal sinks at once it will float for a long time—until a hole is picked in it. A seal that is going to sink will not float more than half a minute, but there are not many seals that are shot so'that they sink at once. I have seen seals in bunches of 20 or 25, and have noticed that, while the sexes are generally mixed together, seals of one size are sometimes found travelling together. This is especially true of yearlings. It is difficult to get a seal if several are together, and if I got one out of six that were together I would think myself lucky. Seals are beginning to understand what a boat is, and keep away from it. Seals feed on squid principally, but I have seen them with a fish like a mackerel, and once with cod, never with salmon. They will eat any kind of fish, I suppose, but squid seems to be their favourite food both on the Alaskan coast and on tlie Russian side. Out of the 143 seals taken by me this year, between 30 and 40 were barren. Not more than 60 of the seals taken by me this year were females, more than half were barren cows. I have been examining all the seals taken by me this year. I think the percentage of cows to bulls and of barren cows to those in pup was about the same during the past two years as it was this year. I have seen a few females—a very few—in milk south of the Aleutian Islands; never saw a young pup. I don't think that cows go farther than 40 miles from the Pribvloff Islands for food, probably not 30. I fcund a few seals all the way across from the Pribyloff Islands to Copper Isiand two years ago, but not many, and on the way home we saw them here and there all the way from Attu Island to San Francisco. Last year I entered the Sea by the 172nd Pass, and again found a few seals all the way to Copper Island. Coming home we went to Victoria from Attu, and found a few seals all the way. I believe that sols go from one side of the Behring Sea to the other, as some years when seals are very 45 abundant on the Alaskan side, and a large catch would be expected in Behring Sea, it would not be made, and it would be found that a great many seals would be taken on the Russian side, although there had not been more than usual on the coast there. I learned from a hunter on the " Theresa " last year that a large band of seals had been met with 280 miles north-east from Copper Island, travelling towards Copper Island. This was in theearly part of July. Two different hunters—W. F. Upson and George Ball, of San Francisco—have told me that about fifteen years ago they had seen seals hauled out on Attu Island. They were then hunting sea-otter. Seals are very much more abundant this year than ever before, and are of a larger and better class. I have seen twice as many this year as in previous years. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, the male on top of the female, she being almost out of sight, sometimes quite so. I saw this this year as early as the last week in May. Seals are very much harder to get now than formerly; if three or more are to°ether, one is ahyays on the watch, and all will probably get away. . (Signed) GEO. F. FRENCH. Port Etches, June 17, 1892. Declaration of Wallace M. Christian. I, WALLACE M. CHRISTIAN, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter on the " Ocean Belle," declare that this is my first year's experience as a sealer. I have this year killed seventy-three seals, and of these lost one.- I don't think that I wounded more than three or four that I did not get. One or two of these might have been badly enough wounded to die. I shoot at a sleeping seal when 15 or 20 yards away, and at a travelling one when about 60 or 70 yards away. When a seal is instantly killed it will sink at once, but out of those I got I had only to gaff two to keep them from sinking. Saw no barren females among those I killed. Found seals in bunches of from three to eight or ten; they are harder to get when that way than when alone. I have opened seals' stomachs and find more with squid in their stomachs than any other kind of fish. I have seen salmon and cod in them. I have found this year small bunches of seals of one sex and age, sometimes grey pups, sometimes females, or bulls. (Signed) WALLACE M. CHRISTIAN. Port Etches, June 17, 1892. Declaration of Captain E. C. Le Blanc. I, E. C. LE BLANC, at present captain of the "City of San Diego," a sealing-schooner, sailing under the United States' flag, declare :— That this is the first year I have been engaged in sealing. I sailed from Victoria on the 11th day of February, and cruized as far south as latitude 45° 40', where I found seals very plentiful, but the weather was too rough to put out boats. We worked from there slowly northward to Cape Cook. When we first left Victoria we took a few seals off Cape Flattery. We found Cape Cook about 20th March. We found a good many seal all along Vancouver Island, but they were most abundant off Cape Cook. Our best spring catch was made at this time. We cruized north from there, keeping from 30 to 80 miles from shore. We have been as far west as longitude 150°. On Fairweather grounds, where Pamplona Rocks are marked on the Chart, we made our best catch! We have now 558 skins; 89 of them were of the spring catch. On the way up about a dozen seals were shot from the schooner. To get there a boat had always to be lowered. Only one was lost. Off Mount St. Elias we passed through a band of seals about 30 miles across, but none were got. The sea was too rough to let a boat be lowered. Later on four boats were out for an hour, and 13 seals were got. On 1st May, off Sitka, we took 58 seals in one day. Out of these there were 54 bulls. (Signed) E. C. LE BLANC. . Port Etches, June 17, 1892. Declaration of Peter Jolibis. I, PETER JOLIBIS, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter on the sealing-schooner " City of San Diego," declare:— That I have been sealing for three years, last year and the year before in the " Pioneer." There seem to be as many or more seals this year as other years. I have so far taken 129 seals. In getting these I killed and lost four seals. Very few wounded seals escape and die, for if at all badly wounded we are sure to get them. When a seal is shot we always chase it, and if it is bleeding it soon tires out and is easily got. I shoot at a sleeping seal, when there is a little sea on, when I°am from 4 to 20 feet away. If it is perfectly calm, when 20 yards away sometimes. We.shoot at a seal that is awake and lively when we are about 30 or 40 yards away. A seal will sometimes-float for hours, and sometimes will go down almost at once, but there is almost always time to get up to them. l' never but once have seen a large band of seals together. That was on the Fairweather w 46 grounds, and we were three or four hours in going through them. It was blowing hard, and we got none of'them. Grey pups often travel together, but I have always seen the other kinds of seals mixed together. Out of my catch this year there are many more males than females. I have only taken a tew barren cows this year, but I killed two cows in milk, without pups. I never saw this before. I have not killed more than thirty females. I don't notice any difference in the proportion of males to females along the coast, but we get more females in Behring Sea than we do outside, I think. I have opened seals' stomachs, and have found in them several different kinds of fish and squid. Last year, in September, we saw seals outside Behring Sea as we returned to Victoria, and a few the year before. When seals are in bunches of four or more it is very hard to get any of them, as one is generally on the watch. Signed) PETER JOLIBIS. Port Etches, June 17, 1892. wSS&i* lil m Declaration of Tliomas O'Leary :-j ;..-■' W- p I, THOMAS O'LEARY, of the city of Victoria, now captain of the sealing-schooner "Ocean Belle," declare:— That this is the second year I have been engaged in sealing. I was in the " Ocean Belle" last year as a hunter. Out of 240 seals I killed last year 10 sank and were lost. This year, out of 139 seals I killed, I lost 5. Last year not over 15 were wounded that got away, this year not more than 7. When a sleeping seal is killed instantly he will float an indefinite time. When a seal is standing straight in the water, and is killed at once, 'he is apt to sink quickly. We never sKoot unless we are pretty sure of getting them. A good many seals each season are shot from the schooner, but they are never shot at unless we are almost certain of getting them, and one is seldom lost. I shoot at a sleeping seal when from 6 to 10 yards from it. I would not shoot at a travelling seal when more than 50 yards from it. I think that there were more females than males in my catch, both this year and last year. I have not noticed barren cows amongst those I have taken. We left Victoria 27th January, and cruized as far south as Cape Mendicino. We found a few seals there about the 10th February. We then cruized to the north to Cape Cook, not finding many seals. The most I saw was off Barclay Sound. I reached Cape Cook about 1st March. I then went back to Clayoquot, sealing on the way. Reached there 21st March, having seen only a few seals. I cruized north from there, keeping from 20 to 80 miles from shore. I first found the seals plentiful off Sitka, 29th April. I sealed there for a week, and then went north to Cross Sound, getting some seals all the time. Off Mount Fairweather the seals were very plentiful, but they were in bands of from five to twenty, and it was hard to get any of them. This was in the middle of May. I worked then to Portlock Bank, which was the furthest west I was. No seals were found there. I then came towards Middleton Island, and found the seals pretty plentiful about 60 miles south-west of that place. I then came here. I have taken 815 seals so far. I did not find seals in bunches except at the place mentioned above. I found seals of all ages and sexes mixed up together. Squid is the principal food ef the seals we take, but they eat all kinds of fish they can get. I went across to the Russian side of Behring Sea last year. We found a few seals nearly all the way across. We saw no seals on the return trip to Victoria across the North Pacific. Seals are more plentiful this year than last, as far as I have seen. (Signed) Port Etches, June 18, 1892. THOMAS O'LEARY. Declaration of Luke McGrath. I, LUKE McGRATH, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter in the " Dora Diewind," a sealing- schooner, declare:— That I have been sealing two seasons. Last year I was on tbe " Ocean Belle." I killed 193 seals that I was sure of, and wounded not more than 20 others. Of the 193 I secured 191. I got more in Behring Sea than outside of the Sea. More than half of my catch were females. Seals will float as a rule a much longer time than it will take to get to them. There was only one of the 193 I killed last year that was sinking when I got to it. This year I have killed 18 seals, and did not sink any of them. "Seals were very wild this year, and I shot at them at long raW I think I wounded 10, but don't think that any of them would die. I have found that °seals°eat salmon principally along the coast, but squid principally in Behring Sea; cod also. Last year I noticed a good many barren cows among those taken, but not any this year. For the time we have been out I saw many more seals this year than last, but they are much harder to get at. Seals are much harder to get when they are m bunches than when alone. I never saw seals cohabiting in Behrino- Sea but about the middle of May this year saw a male and female standing up in tbe water with the*ir flitm?™ around one another, and I suppose that they were cohabiting. ppers Port Etches, June 18, 1892. (Signed) LUKE McGRATH. £*.*.. MM) 47 Declaration of Captain Henry F. Steward. I, HENRZ F. SIEWARD, of the city of Victoria, now captain of the " Dora Siewerd," a sealing schooner, declare:— That I first engaged in sealing in the year 1888—1 was then captain of the " Araunah"—in 1889 and 1890 on the " Walter L. Rich " and " Ocean Belle," and last year on the "Geneva." I hunt myself, and from my experience I would say that from 4 to 6 per cent, of the seals killed sink and are lost. The percentage of seals that are wounded and escape is very small. I make a rule of never permitting a seal to be shot at from the schooner unless we are certain to get it, so that none shot in that way are ever lost. It takes three or four minutes to lower a boat, but the seals float long enough to allow us to get them. Most of the seals caught are sleepers, and are caught when from 15 to 25 yards. They are very seldom lost. I left Victoria about the 5th May, and cruized as far south as QuiUnite River. Not many seals were found off Cape Flattery. I then cruized north, keeping as a rule from 15 to 100 miles from the coast. I found the seals abundant first about the 23rd May off Mount Fairweather. I remained on the.Fairweather grounds until the 1st June, when the seals became scarce. My best catch was made there. I then went west as far as Portlock Bank, but did not find many seals. Seals travel a good deal in bunches of from five to twenty. They are harder to get when in bunches. As a rule all ages and sexes are mixed together. I have never kept an account by which I could say anything of the proportion of males and females in my catch. Squid seems to be the favourite food of seals, but they eat any fish they can get. I only noticed one or two barren females in my catch, but there may have been more. I have got seals in milk in Behring Sea 120 miles west of the Pribyloff Islands. I went across to the Russian side of Behring Sea last year. I did not see seals often after I passed longitude 174° except one 5 or 6 miles off Attu. This was about the 19th July. On the return trip to Victoria I saw no seals. Seals are as plentiful this year as I have ever seen them, and not harder to get, I think. My hunters are all green hands, but do not lose more than the per cent, given above. (Signed) H. F. SIEWAED. Port EtcUs, June 18, 1892. m Declaration of Captain C. F. Dillon. lift, I, C. F. DILLON, at present captain of the sealing-schooner " Minnie," declare:— That I have been sealing every season since 1885, including that year. My first two voyages were on the "Mary Ellen" and another, part of the next year in the "Rustler," then on the "Dolphin," then hunter and mate on the "Walter L. Rich," mate and hunter in 1889 in the "Sjlyia Handy," in 1890 in the " Penelope," and since then master of the " Minnie." I have been out with hunters who use spears and those who use guns. No seals are lost when speared, and from the whole of my experience I would estimate that not more than 5 per cent, of the seals that are shot and killed are lost. I never kept an exact count until this year and last year. Last year I killed about thirty seals, and this year seventeen, and lost none. We shoot at sleeping seals when they are about 12 yards away, and at travelling seals all the way up to 75 or 100 yards if a rifle is used. Even at that distance the seal is generally got. If it is going to sink it will sink at once. I have shot as many as five seals before picking them up, and all floated. Seals float all the way from a few seconds up to an indefinite time. I sealed for the first time this year about 60 miles south-west of Cape Flattery about the 20th April, and got five seals; after that I put into Barclay Sound, where I remained two days. I then went nortli to Queen Charlotte Islands, lowering canoes twice off Cape Cook, where forty seals were got. I had an Indian crew this year. Seals were found to be scarce along Queen Charlotte Island. I was there about the 10th May. I then went north, hunting two days off Sitka, where seals were scarce also. I got thirteen one day and fifteen another. From that place I kept north until off' Mount St. Elias, where seals were found pretty plentiful. My best catch was made there. Tne seals were travelling to the westward very fast, and were very wild. Between these hunting-grounds and this place a few seals were got, but not many. I have taken 470 seals so far. When among the main body of the seals they are generally found in bunches of from two or three to twenty. They are a great deal harder to get when in bunches than when they are alone. Formerly, when seals were found in bunches they could be approached, ami one at least, and sometimes more, could be got; now it is almost impossible to get any. Early in the season the sexes keep separate, and the majority are bulls; later on they are nearly all females. Grey pups generally travel together. I have opened seals and found in them nearly all kinds of fish that are found on this coast, including squid and small devilfish. This year I have taken more females than males; about three-fifths of my catch were females. One year I hunted off Kadiak, and was there before the seals. I found that the male came first. There were a great many barren cows among the last seals I took this season. I have killed cows in milk at least 90 miles from the Pribyloff Islands. In 1888 I came south from Behring Sea about longitude 175° west, and caught seals-there. This- was in the. latter part of August. In 1886, late in August, we killed seals 30 or 40 miles south of 172nd Pass, between Unimak Pass and Saanak Island. In 1887 I saw seals quite abundant the latter part of July. In 1889 we got seals about Kadiak, off [118J O 48 and on, all summer. In 1890, late in August, I killed a sleeping seal off" the Shumagin Islands, and saw others. I don't think that seals are getting any scarcer, at least at sea, but they are getting wilder. Last year, in Behring Sea, seals were as plentiful as I have ever seen them. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water in Behring Sea ; the male would cover the female, who would be kept under tbe water for some time. (Signed) Port Etches, June 17, 1892. C. F. DILLON Declaration of Ralph Starrat. x gou in seais tins year, ami sanK. o or l±. joesiues uuese, x wuiuiueu. *.v ux iiir, vs. uuooc, x u™ v v how many would be likely to die. I shoot at a sleeping seal when about 15 yards from it, and I at a travelling seal when more than 50 yards away. Three years ago, off tbe Golumbia River, I I, RALPH STARRAT, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter on the sealing-schooner "Oscar and Hattie," declare that I have been out as a hunter three years. I got 111 seals this year, and sank 3 or 4. Besides these, I wounded 25 or 30; of these, I don't :now ' never saw a school of seals with a hundred or so of seals in it. It was a fine day, but it was not possible to get near them. There are more cows than males among the seals. Yearlings generally travel alone behind the other seals. The principal food of the seal along the coast is salmon, but they eat any kind of fish. I got this year two female seals that were barren. They were about.2 years old. I have seen a very few seals in the autumn in the ocean between the Aleutian Islands and Vancouver Island. Seals are harder to get when in bunches than when one is alone. (Signed; RALPH STARRAT. Unalaska, September 13, 1892. m Declaration of James McRae. I, JAMES McRAE, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter in the schooner " Oscar and Hattie," declare that I have been seal-hunting two years, one year as a boat-steerer and one year as a hunter. I killed 69 seals this year, of which 3 sank—there was only one that 1 had to reach down for with the gaff. The hunter in the boat I steered last year killed 229 seals, of which 15 sank. It is very seldom that a seal will sink before it can be got to. In April and May last year, we saw a great many seals all along the coast and on the Fairweather Grounds in schools of from 10 to 20. As a rule the males and females go together—the yearlings are always found following up a large band of seals. Codfish, salmon, and squid are the principal food of the seals. I have killed females that had no pups, they are generally 2 years old and travel with the young seals, but I have seen a few older females that were barren. We saw three or four seals south of the Aleutian I elands last year in; the early part of September as we returned from Copper Island. We saw a few seals the day after we went through Four Mountain Pass last year, but none then until we were near Copper Island. Seals were no harder to get this year than last season so far as I know. Seals are much harder to get when several are together than when they go singly. We found fewer seals this year than last. (Signed) JAMES McRAE. Unalaska, September 13, 1892. Declaration of A. S. Campbell. I, A. S. CAMPBELL, of the city of Victoria, now a seal-hunter on the schooner "Oscar and Hattie," declare that I have been seal-hunting three years—in 1888, 1889, and litis year. I killed 43 or 45 seals, and got 35 of them; the others sank, but more than half-a-dozen <?ot away wounded. I have known seals that were shot from a schooner to float from fifteen minutes to half-an-hour. Nearly all the seals I have taken on the coast were females. I have seen one or two females in milk off Cape St. Elias. In Behring Sea I found the seals about equally divided. Seals did not seem more this year than in other years. Seals are harder to <*et when in bunches than when alone. I once saw seals cohabiting about 50 (60) miles from the islands; the female was killed. It was not a barren cow, but had milk in its breasts. The two seals were upright in the water with their flippers about one another, and had been in this position about five minutes when I fired at them. The male gave two or three hinges before he could free himself from the cow. The men in the boat with me were sure that the seals were cohabiting, and one of them said he had seen the same thing before in the same way. (Signed) A. I CAMPBELL. Unalaska, September 13. 1892. f !*.' ™*^B***£? 49 Declaration of William Covjie. I, WILLIAM COWIE, now a hunter on the sealing-schooner " Oscar and Hattie," declare that I have been sealing two years—one year as a boat-steerer, and this year as a hunter. I killed 106 seals this year, of which 3 sank; the others I secured. I did not wound more than 10 or 15 that got away, and of these very few would die. Seals nearly always float long enough to allow one to reach them; the gaff had to be used only twice to keep seals from sinking. I shoot at a sleeping seal when from 10 to 20 yards from it, and at a " traveller " never when it is more than 40 yards away. I have found codfish in seals, but never looked particularly at what was in their stomachs. I c0t a few barren females this year—they were all about 2 years old—off Cross Sound. I saw one' band of seals this year with about fifteen in it. I could not get near enough to see whether they were all of one size. The seals I got this year were mostly females. Ou the way home last year I saw a few seals in mid-ocean in September. Seals on the coast were more difficult to get at this year than last year, but they were no wilder on the Russian side. Seals are harder to get when several are together than when one is alone; when together one is generally awake. I saw fewer seals this year than last year. {Signed) WILLIAM COWIE. Unalaska, September 13. 1892. Declaration of Frank Campbell. I, FRANK CAMPBELL, of the village of Esquimault, now a hunter on the sealing-schooner a Oscar and Hattie," declare that I have been sealing five years—three years as a boat-puller and steerer, and two years as a hunter. This year I have killed 65 seals, 64 of which 1 got—one sank. Not more than 30 were wounded; not more than hall of these were badly enough wounded to die. Seals will float on an average from five to ten minutes, sometimes much longer, and sometimes a shorter time. I shoot at a sleeping seal when 10 to 15 yards from it,and at a "traveller " never when more than 50 to 60 yards from it. We were late starting out, and did not find the seals very abundant anywhere. . Three years ago l found the seals travelling in schools along the coast, but not this year nor last year. Yearlings travel together sometimes behind the others, but the other seals are as a rule mixed together. I find that seals eat every kind of fish and squid. I got this year more females than males—more females this year than last year. Among the seals I o-ot this year were 20 or 25 barren females. We went west this season in July, but saw no seals until we were near the Russian islands. On the way back we saw 3 or 4 seals about 100 miles west of this. I found the seals scarcer this year than last, but no harder to get at. It is much easier to get a single seal than it is to get one when there are several together. Last year, when off Mount St. Elias, about 15th June, I saw-two seals cohabiting. (Signed) F. CAMPBELL. Unalaska, September 14, 1892. Declaration of Joseph Brown,. I, J OSEPH BROWN, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter on the sealing- schooner | Oscar and Hattie," declare that I have been sealing six years, but only this year as a hunter. I have killed this year-91 seals, one of which sank: the others I got. I wounded 20 or 25 that got away; of these not more than half-a-dozen would die, I think. Seals float various leno-ths of time; I have often killed one when two were together, and then followed and lolled another before picking up the first. At sleeping seal I shoot when 15 or 20 yards from them; at "travelling" seals never more than 40 yards. Six years ago I saw a school of 60 or 70 close together. I saw more seals off Cape St. Elias this year than anywhere else. I have found fewer seals this year than I saw last year. Males and females as a rule travel together, but single seals are more often females. I got more females than males this year. On the west coast I found the seals to eat salmon and squid as a rule. Among the seals I took this year were two or three barren females. When hunting off Kadiak five years ago I saw females in milk in May. They had dropped their pups somewhere—on Kadiak, I suppose. 1 have taken seals as far west as the Four Mountain Pass. Last year, about the 12th July, I saw young seals playing about there. In 1890 we killed a seal in mid-ocean when returning to Victoria in September on the "E. B. Marvin," and in November of the same year, when on "the " Triumph," I saw four seals 300 or 400 miles off Queen Charlotte Islands. Seals were harder to get at this year than I ever saw them before. A seal is harder to get when several are together than when one is alone. A man seldom gets two now. The seals are learning what a boat is now, and will not wait to be shot. I have seen seal cohabiting in Behring Sea; once I shot two cohabiting, and shot the cow H3i::: If11! 50 first, and afterwards the bull. The cow was a young cow that had never had a young one I would take an affidavit to that effect if in Victoria. Many seal-hunters have told me that they had seen the same thing. (Signed) Unalaska, September 13, 1892. JOSEPH BROWN. Declaration of John Townsend. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, JOHN TOWNSEND, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal-hunter, do solemnly and sincerely state and declare as Mlows:— 1. That I have been engaged in seal-hunting for the past three years. 2. In the year 1890 I was mate on the schooner "Maggie Mac," and went out seal-hunting in the stern boat. I killed during that year between sixty and seventy seals, and do not remember losing any of them. 3. In the year 1891 I was engaged as hunter on board the schooner " Viva," and secured 270 seals, and only lost about 10 during the whole season. 4. During the present year I was on board the schooner " Mary Taylor," and secured 172 seals, and only lost 3 by sinking during the entire season 5. There are very few seals shot at and badly enough wounded to die that are not secured. 6. I never lost a sleeping seal that I had killed, and it is very seldom that a seal will sink. 7. I shoot at a sleeping seal when about 15 yards away from it. 8. I have killed a travelling seal when 60 yards away, but I seldom shoot at a seal when that distance away. 9. We found seals most plentiful this year about the 10th May, off Mount Fairweather. 10. All lands of seals travel together, but I never saw a school of seals of one age or sex. 11. I have often seen seals in schools, but never to such an extent as this year. I account for this by the fact that I saw a great many more seals this year than on any previous year both along the coast and in Behring Sea. 12. Both on the coast and in Behring Sea I secured about as many female seals as male seals. 13. Last year »e were for a few days a-head of the seals, and before going back we killed about 150 male seals without seeing one female. 14. We secured as good a price for seal-skins taken in August as we did for those taken in the spring. I never heard that the fur was not so good in the summer. 15. It is much easier to secure seals when they are alone than when they are in bunches. And I make this solemn declaiation conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths.." (Signed) JOHN TOWNSEND. Signed and declared by the said John Townsend before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Beltea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Charles J. Harris. er t 1 Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, CHARLES J. HARRIS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia maste mariner do solemnly and sincerely state and declare as follows :— 1. That some time last winter I appeared before Mr. Milne, the Collector of Customs for the porl of Victoria, British Columbia, and at his request gave him my ideas concerning certain facts connectec with seal life. 2. That I sailed on a seabng and fishing voyage to the North Pacific Ocean this year as master of the schooner "Mary Taylor," going first as far south as Cape Blanco, and then keeping with the seals as much as possible until we arrived at Kadiak Island. 3. That I have been out in seabng-vessels for four years, each year being on a "ood vessel and having good hunters on board. That during that period the vessels that I was on board did as well or better than the average vessel. 4. This year I saw a great many more seals than ever before, and this was the experience of nearlv every sealer with whom I have spoken. l 5. That the total catch of the schooner " Mary Taylor " for the present year was 942 seals and more than one-half of which were males. 51 6. We secured quite a number of barren cows this year j by a barren cow I mean.a female seal that has no young one in her womb. 7. I have every year found seals in schools; they are frequently seen in schools off the Columbia River. 8. It is much more difficult to take seals when a number of them are together in this way or near one another, as one seal is sure to give the alarm to the others. 9. I found them more in schools this year than ever before. 1 account for this by saying that the seals, being hunted more now, lie single on the water much less than they formerly did, as when a seal is frightened by the report of a gun and starts away, he will startle all he passes and they will join him. 10. That in August 1S90 I saw seals about 300 miles from Kadiak, and in August 1891 I saw seals about 250 miles from Kadiak. 11. That I have seen seals as far south as Queen Charlotte Islands in August. 12. I think the seals were wilder this year than last. 13. I have frequently examined seals closely, and frequently noticed that male seals have small teats; even a bull 2 years old will have them. 14. I make a point of cutting open seals as I want to see whether or not I am on feeding grounds. In doing this 1 have seen the teats without having to move the fur. 15. I have been out sealing with Indians who carried both, guns and spears. 16. I have, when in Behring Sea, seen seals cohabiting in the water, and know a hunter who shot both male and female. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES J. HARRIS. Signed and declared by the said Charles J. Harris before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Bklyea, A Notary Public, in a.nd for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Charles Le Blanc. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, CHARLES LE BLANC, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I have been out on sealing-vessels on the North Pacific Ocean five seasons, two of which I was in the Behring Sea. The first year, 1888,1 was a boat-steerer on the "Maggie Mac;" in 1839, on the "Mary Ellen" as mate; in 1890, on the "Henry Dennis" as boat-steerer; in 1891, on the " Carmolite" as mate ; and in 1892, on the "Annie E. Paint" as a hunter. 2. This year we got 200 seals, and I lost by sinking 4. I remember this distinctly. 3. In the -five years I have been sealing I have been with twenty-five different hunters, and I do not remember of any of them losing in this way more than 4 or 5 in a 100. It is always the excuse of a poor hunter that the seals he shot sank, but as a boat-steerer I know better. Poor hunters miss the seals they fire at much more often than they lose them by sinking. 4. That every year I have been out I have seen schools' of seals on the coast from off Cape Blanco northward. It is poor hunting when the seals are in schools—most of them are awake, and those asleep are soon awakened when a boat comes around, and the whole school gets away. 5. This year I got more females than males on the coast, and on the Asiatic side about equal numbers of each. More than half of the females I got on the coast were with young. On the Asiatic side from one-quarter to one-half the females I got were in milk. I got a good many barren cows this year both on the coast and on the Asiatic side. 6. I know of no schooners being in Behring Sea on the eastern side this year, except those reported seized. 7. That tbe " Annie E. Paint" left the sealing grounds off the Commander Islands about the 21st September, and arrived at Victoria on the loth October instant. I saw seals every dav of the. voyage over. We sailed about 100 miles south of the nearest land on the Aleutian Islands. 8. That I have never noticed or detected any difference in the seals on the two sides of the North Pacific or Behring Sea. I believe them to be identical. 9. That I saw more seals this year on the coast, both in bands and scattered, than in any former year I was out. ' 10. That on three or four different occasions I saw seals cohabiting in the water. The male was on top of the female, and hunters I was with have killed them in the act, getting both male and female once, and the males at other times. 11. That I saw seals this year in greatest numbers off the Pamplona Rocks, and in much lar^ef numbers there than in any former year. [Ii8] . P II BMi P! IK Jf!: c sty »;-:?, K- |& ^91 And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." ^T^ * ° (Signed) CHAS. LE BLANC. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Le Blanc before me., a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, tms- 20th clay of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Captain Abel Douglas. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, ( :tv of Victoria, I, CAPTAIN ABEL DOUGLAS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province'of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— I. That I have for the past eight years been engaged in the sealing business, three years as a hunter, aud five years as captain and hunter, for I make a pcifift of going out in a boat myself so that I may see that the seals are as represented by the men. I have always been counted a good shot, and that is the way I came to go seal hunting." % I was captain of tlie " Triumph " for three years, and was on the " May Belle " as master, and this year was master of the " AVictis." 3: Five years ago in Behring Sea I took more than 160 skins, and did not lose any by smKn^.' The following year I kept count of the seals I lost. I got -Hid skins and lost I I. Three seasons ago I took about 300 skins and lost 8. I do not remembpr the figures for laSrtf year, but think I got about 260. I lost only one on the coast, but don't remember how many in Behring Sea. This year I got 147, and lost 4 seals by sinking. ' A seal that is badly wounded is alitaost certain to be got. Out of all the seals I have killed, I remember of only one shot sleeping and sinking, and nearly all the seals we get are sleeping seals. Seals are much wilder than they were before. When we first commenced hunting seals we used to sail up near them, but now we have to lower the sail as soon as we see them and row towards them. 4. This year I had part Indians and part white men. 5. It will be impossible to extei initiate the seals by hunting them at sea, or lessen their number, for they are getting wilder all the time, and moie difficult to get. The past two years I have seen as many seals as I ever saw—as many as there were twelve years ago. t>. My Indians this year used guns, but those I was with in former years used spears. Now that they have guns they prefer them. 7. I shoot at a sleeping seal when 40 or 50 feet away from it. 8. I have seen seals in schools south of Cape Flattery, as" well as farther north, but it is almost impossible to get any of them. '.i. When we first began hunting we took more females than males, but now we get more males. The last two years we nave taken a great matty young mates from' 2 to 4 years old; the females now seem to stay farther out at sea than they did. 10. I have been four seasons in Behring Sea. U&st year tlie seals were about equally divided there, but before that there Were, I think, niore females' than males. I have seen a great many barren females. II. I have gone into Behring Sea through the 172nd Pass and seen seals there, both inside and outside the pass. J believe these seal's go the Russian islands, and had evidence of this last year, for we saw seals away to the westward of the 172nd Pass. There is no diff^fence that I can see in the seals that go to the two groups of islands, unless it is that the seals on the Russian side are a little' darker in colour. 12. I have noticed that male seals have teats, but don't Eribw that they all have. I have noticed it in young seals. 13. 1 have often seen seals cohabiting in the water. The bull gets on top of the cow, and she of course sinks, but her nose sticks out. I have watched them in this position from five to ten minutes. I have killed both the male and female often; they are very easy to get when they are doincr this. 1 try to kill the female first, and wait until she rises out of the water as they bob up and down. The male will stop about when the female was shot. At ordinary times, it we shoot one of two seals, the other makes off". 14. If there were soundings I could depend upon, I would never have difficulty in telling m position when in Behriug Sea, no matter how thick the fog was. 'Ihere would be no danger ( drifting near the islands, for we could anchor in 150 fathoms. I have, when in a sealing schoone anchored in 110 fathoms. 15. I have carefully read the statements written down in this declaration, and declare that they are all true; that I have received no consideration for having made theifi; and that there is notftino further I wish to say, or that I would like inserted in this declaration. And 1 make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of | The Act respectf|g Extra-judicial Oaths." (Signed) . ABEL DOUGLAS. my of toner. 53 Subscribed and declared by the said Abel Douglas before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of George Roberts. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, GEORGE ROBERTS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal hunter, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been out in sealing-vessels four years. In 1889 and 1890 I was on the " Mary Ellen" as steward; in 1891 I was on the "Teresa" as hunter,; and this year, 1892, I was on the " Annie E. Paint" as hunter. 2. In 1891 I got 232 seals. I lost that year by sinking after being shot not' more than seven seals, probably less. In 1892 I got 222 seals, and lost by actual count 5. The other four hunters on the I Annie E. Paint" lost about the same proportion. 3. That this year I saw more seals on the coast from Cape Blanco north than in any previous year I was out. The greatest number I saw at one place was off Pamplona Rocks. I saw more seals there this year than I ever saw before at any one time or'place. 4. That all along the coast from Cape Blanco to Middleton Islands I have seen every year I have been out seals in bands from five seals up to hundreds. When in bands seals are very hard to get at. There are always some awake on the watch. They never seem to sleep well in bands. Our best catches are always made when the seals are scattered. They are then generally asleep. 5. I got more male seals this year on the coast than females. I am safe in saying that three seals out of every five I got on the coast were males. About one-half the females I got were with pup, the other half barren cows and young females. On the Asiatic side this year I got 100 seals'; about half were females in about the same proportions as on the American coast. 6. That I shoot sleeping seals at from 5 to 15 yards range. I never lost but one seal shot at while sleeping, and that was by goiug after another seal, and leaving it too long. I shoot travelling seals at from 20 to 50 yards range. 1 Have never used a rifle. 7. A few of the female seals I got on the Asiatic coast this year Were in miJk, but a very few. 8. That wounded seals, as far as my experience goes, are either captured or live if they escape. I picked up one dead seal in Behring Sea last year. It had been dead about twenty-four hours, and had been shot. I never heard of any one else finding dead seal in the water, and tliat is the only one I ever saw. 9. That as a rule the bands of seals are mixed, that is, males and female's are together. Sometimes I have shot all males in a band, and sometimes all females, but very seldom. I have never seen more than two or three old bulls (" wigs ") on the coast in a season. These were generally alone, and up north about the Fairweather Grounds. 10. I have never noticed teats on either male or female seals, except those in milk. I saw this year a pair of seals having connection in the water. It was on Fairweather Grounds'. I was quite close at the time, waiting to get a good chance at the female, which was quite under wafer, when the male plunged, and I lost them. 11. The "Annie E. Paint" left the Commander Islands grounds this year about the 21st September, and reached Victoria the loth October. I saw seals in the North Pacific till the way over every day. We were 100 miles from the Aleutian Islands at the nearest. "\Ye ran out of them about Queen Charlotte Island?. 12. That I have always found it harder to get at female seals than males,especially cows carrying pups. They are very watchful, and seem to be always on the alert. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believmg the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) GEORGE ROBERTS. Subscribed and declared by the said George Roberts before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Cohimbia. (Seal.) J W Si mm.'LlQm'mmwm/ II I m 1 M I 54. Declaration of Matthew Ryan. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, MATTHEW RYAN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been sealing ten years. Last year I was a boat-steerer; this year I was a hunter. 2. The hunter I was with last year got 319 seals, and lost 12 or 15. This year I secured 249, and lost 7. I think I am a good average hunter, and such a one ought not to lose more than I do We lose very few by wounding them, and then having them die—none worth speaking of. I shot at a sleeping seal when from 12 to 15 yards from it. I have never seen seals in schools. 3. Our vessel was on the coast this year about the same time as last year, and I saw a good many- more seals than I did last year. We took about as many females as males. On the Russian side this year we took more males than females. We took oyer 500 seals there, and there were not over 100 females. Never looked to see whether males had teats. 4. In Behring Sea—American side—last year we got, 1 think, more males than females, certainly not more females than males. 5. Never saw seals cohabiting; other sealers have told me they have seen it. 6. More Indians use guns now than use spears. 7. I never was out with Brown, who was a hunter on the " Corwin " this year, but have heard he was a very poor hunter, about as poor as could be got. 8. The above statements have been read over to me, and I declare that they are all true, and that there is nothing more than I wish to say on the seal question. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths-." (Signed) M. RYAN. Subscribed and declared by the said Matthew Ryan before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) M & Declaration of R. 0. Lavender. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, R. O. LAVENDER, of the city of Victoria, and Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. That I am a citizen of the United States, though at present my home and interests are at Victoria. 2. I have been sealing five seasons—four as master of a sealing-schooner, and the other year I went as a hunter, in order to see what there was in the business (that was the first year). I was on the "Molbe Adams," then, the next two years the " Henry Dennis," last year the "Pioneer," and this year the " Viva." 3. When off Cross Sound last April my vessel was boarded by an officer of the " Corwin," who asked me to go lo that vessel and tell them what I thought about seals. 4. I have hunted every year myself, and have lost not more than one out of twenty. 5. I explained to the people on the " Corwin " that the reason some hunters were reported to lose more seals than others, was that a hunter was paid according to the number of skins he got, and that killing seals was like killing birds or other animals, the poor hunter excused his lack of skill by sayih* that he killed the animal, and that it had sunk. The boat-puller knows better than that. 6. I do not know Brown who was a hunter on the " Corwin." They thought then that the Indian hunter was very much better, and would get three times as many skins as the white man, but a "ood white hunter with his gun will get more seals than an Indian with his spear. I know that Indians all carry guns as well as spears in their canoes now, and that formerly they did not do so. . 7. This season on the coast 1 got over one-third of my catch in females, less one-half anion" them were barren cows. It was the same other years, but three years ago, on Fairweather Grounds, I <?ot among young bulls about the size of a good-sized cow. We took about 300 in four days. • 8. 1 have been three seasons in Behring Sea. When on the sealing grounds nearest the islands I got mostly females, but farther out they were mostly males of the kind mentioned above. 9. I have never been to the Asiatic side. I have every year seen seals in schools, south as well as north. They are much harder to get when several are together. They are gettino- educated and there is no doubt that they keep a look-out. I have been going toward two sleepin" seals a oood many times, and have had a seal as far as 200 yards to leeward of me scent me, and have seen it make at once towards the sleeping seals, and would jump right on top of them and wake them. ' Only twice in five seasons have I seen two sleeping seals near one another, and when one would wake, see him go away without waking the other. Twice only have I seen this; one seal would wake the other always. 55 10. Five seasons ago I saw more seals between Flattery and Cape Cook than I ever saw since on the coast. That year there was plenty of bait on the coast, and consequently food for the seal. It was a small fish they were feeding on. Since then there has not been such a quantity of bait, and I think the seals were there feeding. 11. This year I did not catch anything off Queen Charlotte Islands; but off Mount Edgecumbe, and from that on to Cross Sound I found nothing in the seals' stomachs, showing that they were travelling seals. On the Fairweather Grounds the stomachs were full of salmon, squid, and a small black fish of which I don't know the name. 12. I saw more seals this year than I did any time since the first year I was out. 13. I think the seals should be protected. There ought not to be any seals killed on the islands at all. They should be perfectly protected there until the young ones cau get along by themsel'-es, which is about the 15th August—I have been told by a United States' Treasury Agent on the islands; but I think, too, that they should be protected at sea, and that none should be killed until the 15th August; then let us go into the sea and stay there as long as we like. 14. Coming home from Behring sea this year I saw four sleeping seals off Cape Flattery, the 21st July; one was shot. It was a barren female, and in good health, for I carefully examided it 15. I have gone into Behring Sea through the 172nd Pass, but saw no seals there 16. I have not noticed that males have teats. 17. I have carefully read the above statements, and swear that they are all true, and that there is nothing further I wished to have inserted in this declaration, but that I told Captain Lavender of the I Corwin" that more seals were lost that were killed with a rifle than with a shot-gun. I would qualify this by saying that seals one is close to are as certain to be got when shot with a rifle as with a shot-gun, but with a rifle they are shot at farther off, and so some may be lost. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." {Signed) R. 0. LAVENDER. Subscribed and declared by the said R. 0. Lavender before me a Notary Public, duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of October, aj>. 1892; (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) mat Declaration by J. S. Fanning* Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, J. S. FANNING, of the city of San Francisco, make oath and say j— That I have been sealing four years. In 1889 in " Lillie L.," of San Franscisco ; in 1890 I shipped in the "Allie J. Alger," of Seattle, but was out a short time only. In 1891 and this year was in the " Henry Dennis." Tbe 21st day of April last, when about 80 miles off Sitka, we were asked on board of the United States' cutter " Corwin." Six hunters in all went on board of the " Corwin," but one only Ernest Miner, was interviewed by Captain Lavender, an Agent of the United States' Government. Mr. Milner was not interviewed in my hearing. The first year I was out I got 227 seals, and there were about twenty, I think, that I killed and did not get, and besides these, crippled a good many. I lost many more this year—that is, 1889—than I would have done had 1 known anything about sealing. •In 1890 I was not out long enough to do anything worth while speaking of. In 1891 I got 167, and killed 7 that I did not get. I kept count of the seals I shot at that year, and know just how many I o-ot and how many I lost. This year I secured 385, and lost 14. I am sure there were no more than that, for every one I lost I made a note of it. A good average hunter ought not to lose more than I did. I shoot at sleeping seals when 12 to 15 yards from them, and at a travelling seal when 30 or 40 yards away. Seals were found most abundant by me on the Fairweather Grounds this vear I have seen seals in schools every year. I saw bunches of twenty-five or thirty off the Columbia River this year, but when they are in bunches they are much harder to get. Generally, cows and bulls travel together, but this year we found when about 60 miles off Mount St. Elias we got 1 019 seals • of these there were not fifty cows. I killed while there 158 seals, and of these there were not more than eight cows, and the other hunters had the same experience. Both last year and this year when tfoinc to the Russian side, and while south of the Aleutian Islands, we killed seals when about half-way over. Coming home this year we saw seals in the North Pacific One of the hunters on our schooner this year killed a female the 28th day of July womb an unborn pup, which we had in the schooner for an hour or so. This year we travelled about the same route as usual, and I saw more seals than I ever did before. I have seen seals attempting to cohabit in the water, but never saw them actually in the act. The male was on top of the female, and it seemed to me that he was attempting to have connection with her. In 1889, in Behring Sea, I got more females than males. I have not been there I killed one of them It had in its since. I talked with Mr Alexander this -year, who is an Agent, of the United-States' Government, I believe, and I gave [118] 1 iiii! i <• m m ■ H :. ft'!' 1 il il?i /)6 him much the same evidence as I have given now. I have read the above statements as written down, and swear that they are true to the best of my belief. (Signed) J. S. FANNING. Subscribed and sworn before me the 30th day of September, a.d. 1892, at the city of Victoria, Province of British Columbia. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public, by Royal Authority, in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) m K Declaration of Abraham BUlard. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, 1, ABRAHAM BILLARD, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been seal-hunting two years. In 1891, on the " Beatrice," with Indian hunters, and this year (1892) on the "Maud S.," as hunter. 2. In 1891 I got 120 seals, and lost 7 or 8 by sinking. This year I got 264, and lost by sinking only 6. I remember the 6 distinctly, and know there were no more lost. 3. I did most of my sealing on the American coast north of Cape Flattery. Last year I saw a school of seals right off the Straits; a little north of Cape Flattery. It was a fine calm day, but I only got one seal out of the thousands in sight. Twelve canoes were out from the " Beatrice," and the total catch for the day was only fifteen. The reason is, that tlie whole school was divided up into small bands, and in every band there were seals awake, that, as soon as a boat or canoe came near, began jumping among the sleepers to wake them up, and before we could get near enough to shoot, the whole band was off. 4. The Indians used spears mostly. They had guns, but seldom used them. 5. About one-half of my coast catch were females; about one-fourth of these were in pup. I sealed in Behring Sea last year from the 2nd to the 23rd July. I got thirty seals there. I don't now remember the number of females among them, but remember three in pup. 6. Last year the "Beatrice" crossed Behring Sea from -east to west, starting from about 35 miles north of St. Paul Island. I saw seals all the way over to the Copper Island grounds, and got two seals on the 27th July on the line, between the American and Russian sides of the sea. 7. That I do not know any difference between the seals on the two sides of the Pacific. The seals generally over there may be a little darker, but I have seen very dark skins taken on this side. 8. I saw many more seals this year than last all along the coast, especially off Cross Sound and Fairweather Grounds. 9. Last year, in Behring Sea, I saw seals*cohabiting in the water. I remember twice distinctly. 1 got both seals both times, killing both seals each time with one shot. The bull's penis .was-out iu each case. I am certain they were having connection. 10. Male seals have teats as well as females, but not so l&rge, especially in the older seals. 11. That I have never found dead seals at sea, nor have I ever heard of such. And 1 make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, $md by-virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ABRAHAM BILLARD. Subscribed and declared before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of October ad 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Colu/mbia. (Seal.) Declaration of William Thomas Bragg. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, WILLIAM THOMAS BRAGG, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia seal-hunter, do solemnly and sincerely state and declare as follows:— 1. That 1 have been on sealing expeditions along the Pacific Coast in the year 1885 and every year since. 2. That during the years 1885 and 1886 I was on board-the schooner "Mary Ellen ■" dtirinf the year 1887 1 was onboard the schooner "Teresa;" during the year 1888 I was on board the "Penelope" for the coast work, and on board the "Triumph" during the remainder of the season; durin°- the vears 1889 and 1890 I was on board the schooner "Maggie Mac;" during the year 1891 I was on board the schooner " Annie C. Moore," and this year I was on board the schooner " Agnes Macdonald." 3. During this and lost year I kept a record of all the seals killed by me. I secured during the year 1891 485 seals and only lost 10, that is, I killed 10 that sank before I got to them. This year I secured 173 seals, and only lost 4 by sinking as aforesaid. I was not out the whole of the season of 1892. 4. In earlier years I did not lose many seals, if any more, than I did the past two years. 5. A sleeping seal seldom sinks when shot, and two-thirds of the seals secured are " sleepers.' 6. The chances of getting a seal that is badly wounded are good. 7. I shoot at sleeping seals when about 20 feet away from them, and I get as close as possible to " travellers." 8. Seals were seen most abundant by me this year off Mount St. Elias about the end of May or beginning of June. 9. Seals sometimes travel in bands of from thirty to forty. Males and females travel together, and the yearlings are generally with them. Sometimes on Portlock Bank young 2-year-old bull seals are found without females among them. 10. I can give no idea of the number of female seals that are killed in proportion to the number, of male seals, because when a seal is killed it is skinned as quickly as possible, and are seldom (examined, at least by me. I have seen young 2-year-old cow seals. 11. In the year 1887 I went over towards Copper Island on the schooner "Teresa," aud I saw seals in Behring Sea all the way across. 12. I went to the Russian side this year, and on the way home in September I saw seals in the North Pacific Ocean about 500 miles from land. I have seen them about the same place in previous years. In August 1888 I saw sleeping seals in the water near the Scott Islands ; that is within 20 miles from the said islands, and have heard other seal hunters make statements that they had also seen seals there. 14. I found seals as plentiful this year as on any previous year. 15. I have been out seal-hunting with Indians. There were eleven Indians, on board the schooner " Triumph," and each one used a gun. Indians are using guns for sealing at the present time more than on any previous year. And 1 make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and. by virtue of | The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WILLIAM T. BRAGG. Signed and declared by the said William Thomas Bragg before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and- practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 19th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of George Dislww. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I GEORGE DI SHOW, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal-hunter,, do solemnly declare as follows.— 1. That I have been sealing six years as a hunter on the schooners " Favorite," 1887; the " Penelope " in 1888, the " Penelope in 1889, the 1,892. 2. In 1887 I got 300 seals, and lost 3 "ot 461, and lost not more than 4 or 5. 1891 I got 223, and lost not more than (i. " Walter L. Rich " in 1890 ; the " Umbrina" in 1891 and In 1888 I got 300, and lost 4 or 5 at most. In 1889 I In 1890 I got 364, and lost not more than 5. In In 1892 I got 303, and lost more than usual—I think, 9— I mean by " lost" that I killed them, and they sank before I could reach not more than 10 anyway them. . . I am a fair average hunter, and lose about as many seals m this way as the average hunter. 3. This year I got more males than in any year before; more than half were males. All the I i titers this year on the " Umbrina" got more males than females. In previous years 1 got a little over half of my catch in females, but very little over, and the other hunters on the vessels I was on about the same proportion. H ■! 4 I have sealed in Behring Sea, on the eastern side, three years. Sometimes 1 got more males than females, and sometimes more females than males. Taking the.years together, I think the catch was about half-and-half. 5. The greater number of females caught on the coast are with youn ne S|| any cows with young. A few 6. I have seen big schools of seals south of the Columbia e G> but in Behring Sea I never cows there would be in milk. River in March, and also all along the of all kinds of seals except the 1-year and 2-year" olds, which are generally by themselves either ahead or behind. When in schools the seals re hard to get at—one can hardly get near them at all. Our best sealing is a: coast right up to Portlock Bank. Generally the schools wer arc among scattered " sleepers. * 58 7. Cow seals in young are very uneasy, and hard to get; in fact, all kinds of seal are wilder and harder to get than in former years. 8. This year the " Umbrina" returned from the Commander Islands botween the 10th September and 1st October. I saw seals in large numbers all the way over about 200 miles south of the Aleutian Islands to within about 200 miles of Queen Charlotte Islands. The year before, 1891,1 saw seals along the same course a couple of weeks earlier, but not in so large a number. 9. I don't know that seals haul out anywhere except on the Pribylofl Islands. I have never been ashore at any place except one to find out, and only say so from what others have told me. 10. I have alsohe#.rd other hunters say that pups were born in the water, but I have no experience of that myself. 11. I gave evidence this summer on the United States' steamer " Corwin," at Sitka. I told him pretty near about the same as this I am telling now. I was not sworn to what 1 said, I only signed my name. I told him I thought the sea ought to be closed till about the end of July, and then let us go in. I think that killing seals on the rookeries is more destructive to seal-life than killing at sea. 12. Indian hunters use guns more now than they used to. 13. I don't think seals are decreasing in numbers: on the contrary, I saw more seals at sea this year than in any other of the six years 1 have been out sealing. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths.'" .(Signed) GEORGE DISHOW. mn Signed and declared by the said George Dishow before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 19th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, Notary Public Declaration of Otto Buchholz. « Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, OTTO BUCHHOLZ, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been fur-seal hunting on the Pacific Coast three years: in 1890 as navigator of the schooner " Minnie," and in 1891 and 1892 as master of the schooner " Sea Lion." 2. This year I hunted myself at spare times in fine weather. I got 48 seals, and lost 6 that I shot at. Of the 6, I lost 2 by sinking; the other 4 were wounded and escaped. I don't think any of the 4 wounded afterwards died. 3. I never-saw a dead seal floating on the water, but I have known a few seals to be got by my hunters that had old shot in them, generally between the skin and blubber. 4. Sleeping seals are shot at by-me when within at least 15 yards, and "travellers " at about 25 to 30 yards off. 5. Last year and this year I saw large schools of seals along the coast from 47° 30' northward. This year I saw a greater number of schools of much larger dimensions than last year,' and over the whole course of my voyage saw at least ten times as many seals as ever before. On the 15th January, 1892, 25 miles off Cape Flattery, I saw the largest school of seals I ever saw anywhere. They were in bands over an area of 15 square miles. The sea was fairly alive with seals. There were heads everywhere. We lowered our boats, but the sea was rough, and tlie boats had to return in a short time, the wind having increased to a strong gale. 6. In my experience I have generally noticed old bulls travelling by themselves, younger bulls and cows generally together, and the 2-year-old pups togethsr, but sometimes .all tlie ages of both sexes are found together. 7. The more scattered the seals the better chance to get them. When in schools they are hard to get, being generally awake and on the move. 8. The food of Seals on the coast is mostly salmon. On the Asiatic side -mostly squid. 9. In the " Minnie " in 1890 I had Indian hunters. They used spears, and guns now and then to shoot " travellers." 10. On the coast I got more females than males, but on the Asiatic coast we get more bulls than on the American side. We got a few barren cows on the Asiatic side this year. 11. Cows with young in them are -very hard to get at They are generally on the watch, and make away as soon as a boat comes near. We don't kill -old bulls as a rule.; thev are of little value and difficult to handle because of the size and weight. ' 12. I don't know any difference between the seals on tlie Asiatic-side -and American coasts The former may be a trifle darker in colour at the same time of the year, but I cannot tell one from another The hunters think the seals on the Asiatic side a little tamer in the first of the season than on this side. 13. In 1890 I sealed in Behring Sea in July. I got a few female seals in milk; none carrying pups. We sealed from 35 to 50 miles from the Pribyloff Islands. & 14. I don't know of any schooners being in Behring Sea this year except those seized. mrm 59 And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) OTTO BUCHHOLZ. Signed and declared by the said Otto Buchholz before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 19th day of October, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of William O'Leary. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, WILLIAM O'LEARY, of the city of Victoria and Province of British Columbia, do solemnly and sincerely declare :— 1. That I first hunted the fur-seal in 1886, and have been sealing every year since, as master each year. 2. In 1886 I was on the schooner " Pathfinder," now the " Pioneer," and sealed along the coast into Behring Sea. In 1887 I was on the same vessel and made about the same cruize. In 1888 I was on the " Teresa," but did not go into Behring Sea that year. The following year I was again on the "Pathfinder," and went again into Behring Sea. I brought the "Ocean Belle" around the Horn in 1890, and sealed on her for about three months—April, May, and June—and then took charge of the " Walter L. Rich," and went into Behring Sea. Last year, 1891,1 was on the " Ocean Belle ',' for the whole season, and this year on the " Geneva." 3. I have always hunted a little in the stern boat, and have never lost many seals by sinking. This year I killed thirty-four, and did not lose one of them by sinking. From talking with my hunters I would say that from 1 to 5 per cent, of the seals killed are lost by sinking. 4. I do not believe that many seals are badly wounded, and die afterwards and are lost, for when a seal is wounded and lives a little while afterwards it will always float when it does die. When there are so many boats close to one another killing seals, many such floating seals would be seen if there were many wounded ones that died, but as a matter of fact I have, in all the time I have been sealing, seen only three such seals. 5. I have seen seals travelling in schools very often, and have seen as- many together off the Columbia River as I ever did anywhere, but when they are in schools it is very hard to get near them, and the hunters do not like to see them in schools. 6. Males and females travel together on the coast, and mixed with them are the yearlings. 7. Last year I saw more seals on the coast than I saw in any year but 1890. This year I was behind the seals, and did not see so many as last year. Seals are not found in the same places every year, and where I got a great many last year, I found few or none this year, and in other places I found a great many more seals than I did last year. 8. I do not think there is the slightest danger of exterminating or seriously diminishing the seals by hunting them, as they are growing more wild and wary every year, and when the catches are not sufficient to pay expenses, the number of schooners employed will soon decrease. 9. I once saw seals cohabiting in the water, and have often heard my hunters speak of it. 10. My coast catch has always been composed of about an equal number of males and females; and about the same in Behring Sea. 11. I have been sealing two seasons on the Asiatic side of Behring Sea, and have not been able to detect any difference between the seals on that side and those on the American side, 12. Besides the schooners that have been seized, I have not heard of any vessels sealing in Behring Sea, and do not believe that there were any other vessels there. 13. I think that if the seals were allowed to breed quietly on the islands, and were not killed in Behring Sea in July or August, that that would be all the protection that was needed, and even without a close season the number of schooners would soon be regulated by the catches made. 14. I have never been close to the Pribyloff Islands, and have never had any trouble in keeping as far from them as I wished, even in the most foggy weather. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WM. O'LEARY. Declared before me, at the city of Victoria, this 14th day of October, 1892. (Signed) D. M. Eberts, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) [118] E, It ifc: Hi! ■l i IB * 1$! w i J(-:ii till! 60 Declaration oj Aljred R, Bissett, Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, ALFRED R. BISSETT, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been engaged in sealing-vessels for three years. In 1889 I was on the | Mary Ellen" as hunter until about the 1st May, when I went on board the "Teresa" as mate and hunter. In 1890 I was not out. In 1891 and 1892 I was master of the " Annie E. Paint." 2. That I have always hunted seals in the stern-boat whenever my duties as master and mate would allow, and in the last two years have got in this way about 70 seals. I don't think I lost more than 3 in getting the 70, 3. That in 1889 the " Mary Ellen" sealed as far south as the Faralone Islands. In the " Annie E. Paint" I have not been south of the Columbia River. From off Grey's Harbour northward along Vancouver Island coast to off Cape St. Elias I have during the last two years seen seals in schools or bands at scores of places, such as Hesquit Head, Vancouver Island; Cape Cook, Cape Scott, Triangle Island; Cape St. James, Cape Addington, Alaska; Sitka Bay, Cross Sound, Pamplona Rocks, including the Fairweather Grounds. This year, about the 20th February, off Barclay Sound, from 5 to 18 miles, for over a week I was in one of the largest schools of seals I ever saw. My six hunters got only 20 seals in that time, because the seals were so wild we could not reach them. The best sealing is always among scattered seals, which are mostly " sleepers." 4. Some of these schools consist of small bands. Frequently the bands are all cows or all bulls; sometimes the seals seem to band together according to age, but in any large school there are to be found both sexes of all ages. I have known my hunters to come in from a day's hunt, one having got all bulls, another nearly aU cows, and others cows and bulls. A hunter's largest score for a day is nearly always among young bulls. This is because tbe bulls are easier got at, AU along the coast the cows are wilder than the bulls. 5. Last year over 80 per cent, of my catch were young bulls. I was late going up the coast, and did not overtake the older seals; at least that is how I account for it. I got very few females. This year my catch was about half females on the coast. My hunters got 568 seals on the coast. They saved about all the skins of the pups that were taken from the cows killed and brought on board, and had about 30 of them. Out of the 568 seals I am sure there were not more than 70 or 80 cows in pup. 6. I was over to the Copper Island grounds this year. My hunters got 421 seals there. The only difference between tbe seals over there and on this side that I can see is that the Copper Island seal is a little darker in colour. The seals there are not so fat as on this side. 7. T left the other side 21st September last, and arrived home 14th October instant. I sailed southerly to the 49th parallel, and thence easterly to Victoria. I saw seals nearly every day until we got within 500 or 600 miles of Vancouver Island. We here entered very bad weather, and I did not notice the seals. There was scarcely a watch that did not report seeing seals. On two days I saw seals enough to justify lowering a boat had the weather not been so heavy. This was about the 173rd meridian west on the 49th parallel. 8. That I saw more seals this year than I ever saw before, and the vessels that kept up with the seals made the largest coast catches on record. 9. That, from my experience and observation, I believe that immense numbers of the seals that go up this coast never enter Behring Sea. I know that all through the summer and early fall that seals are scattered over the North Pacific north of Vancouver Island, and as far as the 165th meridian east. I have compared notes with other masters, sailing both earlier and later than myself, and I have found all reporting seals scattered over the ocean from one side to the other. 10. In my experience I have found only three dead seals on the sea. One of these had been shot by one of my hunters about an hour before, but sank. Another I examined, but found no wounds on it. I believe it had died a natural death. The other had been shot about two days before I got it. From the wounds I believe it was shot dead ; the wounds were in the head. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths." (Signed) ALFRED R. BISSETT. m& ■ Subscribed and declared by the said Alfred R. Bissett before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 22nd day of October, A.D. 1892. ' ' (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Herman R. Smith. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, HERMAN R. SMITH, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been engaged in fur-seal hunting for twelve years on the North Pacific Ocean, and have been five years in Behring Sea—four years on the eastern side and one on the western. 2. That I have served as able seaman, hunter, mate and master in that time, and have also had charge of trading stations on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 3. That I have hunted seals from 200 miles south of Columbia River up the coast and in Behring Sea. 4. Since 1889 I have seen on all parts of the coast seals in schools or bands, often in very great numbers. In February 1889, off the mouth of Hingua (?) River, State of Oregon, I saw the largest school of seals I ever saw. It was a fine calm day. The seals covered the water as far as I could see standing in my sealing boat; there were thousands and thousands of them. There were cows and bulls of different ages. I did not get one, the great majority of them being awake, so I could not get near enough to shoot. 5. In other years I have often seen large schools at other places. This year I saw most seals off Baker Island in very rough weather. My vessel was hove-to, and when the weather cleared the seals were gone off northward and westerly. 6. In 1887 I got plenty of seals, all bulls, off Cross Sound, on the 12th, 13th, 15th, and 24th July. I then sailed away then for Behring Sea. 7. In 1888 I got between 300 and 400 skins off Kadiak, all bulls. In 1889, on the 24th June and 2nd July I got a little to westward of Portlock Bank, an average of fifty skins per day; seven- eighth of these seals were bulls. 8. In 1890 the seals were most plentiful in June off Middleton Island, In 1891 I made no coast catch. In all these years, except 1889,1 had Indian hunters using spears. This year I went north two months behind time, and got 285 seals off Sitka and on Fairweather Grounds, about two-thirds buUs. 9. Previous to 1887 I did most of my sealing off the coast of Vancouver Island. The seals now do not follow this part of the coast as closely as they used to. I believe this is due entirely to the run of the fish on which seals feed. I know that last year there was a great run of herrings into Barclay Sound in April, and that the herrings were followed by a great school of seals, which remained until the herring disappeared. 10. On the Vancouver coast, in the early part of the season, about one-half of the seals got are females, about one-half of which are with pup. As the season grows- fewer females are got, and of those got a smaller proportion are in pup. By the second week in June all females in pup have left the coast as far north as Queen Charlotte Islands. 11. Indian hunters are using guns now much more than formerly. Fully one-half of the Indian hunters out this year used guns as well as spears. My hunters this year lost two seals by sinking out of a total catch of 524. 12. In Behring Sea the seals got during the first half of the season there are mostly all bulls; during the last half, that is, from about the 10th August to the close, the sexes are got in about equal proportions. 13. This year I was over on the Copper Island grounds and got 230 seals. About one-third of these were females. None were in pup, and I particularly noticed that none were in milk. This was from the 5th August to 6 th September, when I left for Victoria. 14. On my return home I sailed south from Attu Island to between the 49th and 50th parallel north latitude, then east for home. I saw seals scattered all along the route home, and at the dates and places given here I saw more than usual, and entered the fact in my log. The entries are as follows:— 9th September.- 11th 15th 21st -49° 58' north, 176° 58' west 50° 4' north, 168° 32' west. 49° 44' north, 156° 4' west. 49° 44' north, 132° 56' west. On all these days at these places I saw numbers of seals, though the weather was rough, 15. The seals off Copper Island seem a shade darker than on the eastern side, and are certainly not so fat. I don't think food is so plentiful. Over there the seals get only squid and devil fish, largely the latter. They seem tamer than the east coast seal, especially.early in the season. 16. From all I have seen and learned of seals in the twelve years I have been hunting I positively say that there are many more seals now than twelve years ago, moving along the American coast from February to June. In my judgment the best and most effective protection of seal life is to let them alone on the rookeries. The slaughter on the rookeries ought to be stopped first, and the seals allowed to haul out, breed, and propagate without any interference. If this were done there is no danger of extermination by sealing at sea 17. That I have only found one dead seal at sea in the years I have been out. That was this year, about 80 miles west of Attu. This seal had been dead only a short time; the wound was still bleeding. My hunters and those of the § W. P. Hall" had been hunting about the place the day i sifH JVf :62 before. A dead seal will generally rise to the surface in about half-an-hour after being killed. I have got several in that way. - • j -U • * And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." Mm TTT111U.,T ^ kmf&$& l (Signed) HERMAN R, SMITH. Subscribed and declared by'the said Herman R-Smith before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 22nd day of October, a.i>. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of William De Witt. w Canada, Province of British Columbia, . City of Victoria, I, WILLIAM DE WITT, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal-hunter do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been in sealing-vessels as a hunter the last four years. In 1889 I was .on the "Penelope," in 1890 on the "Penelope;" in 1891 on the "Viva," and in 1892 on the "Sea Lion." 2. That in 1889, my first year of sealing, Igot90 seals, in 1890 I got 217, in 1891 Igot 290, and in 1892 I got 420. I don't remember exactly how many seals I lost by sinking in 1889, but certainly no . over 15. In 1890 I lost between 15 and 20. I kept count of those I lost that year until near the end of the season. In 1891 I lost 9 by sinking; I kept count of them that year and also this year, 1892, when I lost by sinking 7. 3. I use both shot-gun and rifle in sealing.' I shoot sleeping seals at from 10 to 15 yards' range, and " travellers " at from 30 to 40 yards. I seldom use the rifle, and only then on " travellers." Most of the seals I lost by sinking were " travellers " shot at the longer range. 4. Very few seals are wounded. Those badly wounded I always get, while those so lightly wounded that they escape do not afterwards die. In the four years I have been out I have picked up three dead seals at sea. They all had been dead but a short time, their skins being sound and good. Two of the three I picked up this year on the Copper Island grounds. 5. That each year I have been out I have seen bands or schools of seals along the coast from Cape Blanco north to Queen Charlotte Islands; north of this I have seen smaller bands. They are generally wild when in bands, and I always have best hunting when seals are scattered. The bands are made up of males and females both young and old. I don't ever remember getting among a school or band of all one kind. 6. That of the seals I got a little more than one-half of those taken on the coast were females. On the Asiatic side the cows were in about the same proportion. On the coast over half the females I got were with pup, but on the Asiatic side I got no cows with pup, but a good many had milk. 7. I saw more seals this year than ever before all along the coast, especially off Cape Flattery, Fairweather Grounds, and Middleton Island. 8. Seals are wilder now than when I first went hunting, particularly so on the coast. 9. I have been over to the Copper Island grounds twice, in 1891 and 1892. In 1891 the " Viva" crossed Behring Sea from about 20 miles north of Amutka Pass to the Copper Island grounds. I saw seals scattered all the way over. This year the " Sea Lion" went over outside the Aleutian Islands. I saw' seals in about the same way all the way over. 10. I have seen seals all over the North Pacific Ocean in the fall and early winter months. 11. I once saw a male and female seal having connection in the water. I killed both of them, first the cow and then the bull, and got both in the boat. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths." (Signed) WM. DE WITT. Subscribed and declared by the said William De Witt before me, a Notary Public duly commis- .sioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 21st day of. October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Pubtic in and for the Province of British Columbia. 6S if a Declaration of William G. Goudie. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, WILLIAM GOUDIE, of the city of Victoria, iu the Province of British Columbia, seal-hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have hunted fur-seals in the North Pacific and Behring Sea five years. I went out first in 1888 on the "MoUie Adams" from Seattle, sealing on the coast, and on the " Edward Webster" to Behring Sea. In 1889 I-was on the "Mollie Adams," in 1890 on the Sapphire," in 1891 on the " Carlotta G. Cox," and in 1892 on her again. 2. I kept a record of my catch of seals every year. Last year and this year I kept count of the seals I sunk, but not in the other years, though I remember the number well. 3. In 1888 I got 75 on the "Mollie Adams," and on the "Webster," in Behring Sea, 118. Out of the whole lot I lost by sinking 7. In 1889 I got 250 seals, and lost by sinking 3. In 1891 I got 387 seals, and sunk 5. In 1892 I got 442 seals, and sunk 2. 4. This year the majority of the seals we got on the coast were bulls ; out of 2,040 seals caught on the coast, about 1,500 were bulls from 2 to 4 years old. On the Russian side of the Behring Sea we got 689. I got 136 of these. A little more than half were females—none in pup, a very few in milk. About half the females I got on the coast were with pup, the other half barren cows and young females. 5. Every year I have been out I have seen the seals in bands or schools on the coast as far south as 70 miles south of Cape Flattery and all along up the coast. I have never been as far south as the Columbia River sealing. 6. The schools are made up of male and female seals, young and old, though sometimes we find . small bands of one sex or age. 7. That I saw on the coast this year more seals than I ever saw before, particularly off Cape Cook and Cape Fairweather. 8. I have been in Behring Sea four seasons, around the Pribyloff Islands. I don't remember very well what proportion of those I got were females, some years more, others less, but I think about one- half taking the years together. With very few exceptions there were no females in pup taken in the sea, but some of them, probably a quarter, would be in milk. 9. That I know no difference between the seals on the two sides of the ocean. I don't think there is any difference. 10. The " Carlotta G. Cox " left the Commander Islands grounds 5th September this year, and sailed directly for Victoria. 1 saw seals now and then over the entire course. I remember well seeing two 500 or 600 miles off land in about latitude 54° 30' north and 143° west longilude; also two seals about 100 miles west of Queen Charlotte. 11. That I shoot "sleepers" at from 10 to 20 yards, and "travellers" at from 20 to 100 yards— - very few at the latter distance, and then only on a calm day. 12. I have noticed the teats on male seals as well as females. 13. That three years ago in Behring Sea I saw seals having connection with one another on two occasions. I was within 70 or 80 yards of them. 14. Cow seals with young are the hardest to get at, especially in May and June. They are then wilder and more on the watch. After they pup they are not so wild. 15. In the five years I have been out I have found six dead seals on the water. Most of them had been shot only a few days. 16. That the only sealing-schooners that were in Behring Sea this year at all were those that have been reported seized. The vessels that did not go over to the Copper Island grounds returned to Victoria. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WILLIAM G. GOUDIE. Subscribed and declared by the said William G. Goudie before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this ' 21st day of Oetober, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (SeaL) -M . Declaration of Captain Laughlin McLean. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, CAPTAIN LAUGHLIN McLEAN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been seven years sealing, and consider that I am the oldest sealer that goes out front: this port. I have been out every year in the same vessel—the " Favourite "—as captain every year. [118] S I if! m to III il ',.-.y. •■!>' IIII. a - mm m&-■'■-.. Mfr- 64 2. I do not hunt much, but know a good deal of the sealing business from being out with sealers. 3. My men always report having lost very few seals. Sir George Baden-Powell asked me about this last year, and I kept count of the cartridges 1 gave my hunters—they were Indians. I have had Indians every year since 1887. I found that they brought in almost as many seals as I gave them cartridges. On the 5th August last I gave them (my hunters) ninety-five cartridges, and they brought in eighty-four seals. They had to fire two or more times at some of the seals, so that they got practically all they shot at. The Indians used to use spears, but they all prefer guns when they can get them, and my Indians have used guns ever since 1888. I think my men lose about a half of 1 per cent, of the seals they shoot at. 4. I went out in the usual way this year, and at about the usual time, and on the coast from Flattery to Kadiak found the seals more plentiful than ever I had seen them before; my men also remarked this. 5. There are very few seals indeed that are wounded badly enough to die afterwards, and a few, 1 suppose, are killed and sink, but very few now that rifles are not used. A seal is sometimes stunned and will sink, and when gaffed and brought on board they come to and are all right, and I do not doubt that some that are reported lost come to and live. 6. This year I went to the Russian side of Behring Sea. On the way home I saw seals in the North Pacific, far from land; we got one of them. 7. Outside of Behring Sea my experience has been that there are more males than females taken, very many more. In Behring Sea we find more females than on the coast, but not nearly so many females as males. 8. I cannot tell a skin of a female from that of a male by the teats, for both have teats, and salted skins could not be separated in this way. There is no way to tell the sex of the seal a salted skin is taken from. I don't believe any man can tell the difference. I can see no difference between .the seals on this side and on the Russian side. 9. Sometimes a man might drift in the fog, but if there were good soundings laid down pn the Chart there would be no trouble in telling one's position. 10. I do not think seals could be much lessened in number if they were protected on the inlands when breeding. There were more seals in .Behring Sea last year than I ever saw before there. I .was -six seasons there. 11. I have never seen seals cohabiting in the water in Behring Sea. 12. I know Brown, who was .hunter on the "United States' cutter " Corwin." He is.reported to be such a poor hunter that no one would take hiin out last year. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be tine, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial "Oaths." .'(Signed) LAUGHLIN MCLEAN. Subscribed and declared by>the<said Laughlin .McLean beforeme,.^ Notary.Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. Declaration of John JHenry Haake. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, 'City of Victoria, I, JOHN HENRY HAAKE, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal- iiunter, do solemnly and sincerely state and declare as follows:— 1. That I have been seal-hunting in Behring Sea and on the Pacific Coast for the past five years, the first two years being engaged as a boat-puller, and the last three years being engaged as a hunter. ' 2. That I have been engaged on the sealing-schooner "Walter L. Rich" for two years; on the sealing schooner " Ocean Belle " for one year \ and on the sealing schooner " Walter A. Earle " for one year. 3. That in the year 1890 I hunted seals in the'stem-boat of the schooner "Walter L. Rich," and secured 151 seals altogether,-of these 107 weresecured in Behring -Sea. 4. That during the said season of 1890 I killed and lost not more than seven seals at the most. 5. That in the year 1891 I was engaged as a hunter on board the schooner " Ocean Belle," and secured 275 seals. 6. That during the said season of 1891 I killed and lost not more .than twelve seals at the most. 7. That during the season of 1892 I was engaged as a hunter on board the schooner " Walter A. Earle," and secured 352 seals. 8. That during the season of 1892 I killed.and dost mot more than fourteen seals at the most. 9. I consider myself a fair average seal-hunter, and I am sure that I do not strike many seals that«i& wounded and afterwards die; in fact, there are very few such instances. atO. | shoot at a sleeping seal when 12 or 15 yards from it, and the average distance at which nunters shoot at " travellers " is about 35 yards. 65 11. I have often seen seals in schools, and frequently have seen them in schools south of Cape Flattery. 12. Male and female seals usually travel together, but I have known of cases where males travel together and females together. 13. In September of this year, while we -were proceeding homeward, and while in the North Pacific Ocean, we saw a few seals. 14. During the season of 1892 I secured quite a number of ban-en female seals—by a barren female seal, I mean one that has no pup in her. 15. The total coast catch of the schooner " Walter A. Earle" during the season of 1892 was 1,325 seals, and the greater portion of them were males. md, in fact, I never 16. I found the seals as plentiful during the season of 1892 as any previous year, e t saw them so plentiful on any previous year as I did during the season of 1892. 17. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, and have killed both male and female. 18. A sleeping seal never sinks when it is shot in the head, and I have frequently seen them float for five minutes. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of | The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths." (Signed) J. H. HAAKE. Signed and declared by the said John Henry Haake before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of October, A.D. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 1 Declaration of James Shields. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, JAMES SHIELDS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. I have been six seasons seal-hunting. I went as a hunter each year. I have been out on the " Pathfinder,"the "Ariel," the "Viva," and the "E. B. Marvin." 2. I remember within a seal or two the number of seals I killed and received, and those I lost, il kept a diary every season but last, in which I noted down the seals killed. In 1887 I o-0t 349 seals ,and dost a good many; that was my first year, and I lacked experience. I lost, I believe, between 5 and 10 per cent, of the number I kdled. The next year, 1888, I bad secured 495 seals, and 5 per coent. would fully cover the number lost. In 1889, we made a poor season. I got 350 skins, and lost iby .sinking or crippling fewer seals than the year before. I have not with me the record for 1890 but 1 got the next largest catch to my brother William. The schooner took over 2,100. I lost that year •not more thanftwo se^ls that I kiiojSF werVe kill^d^and sank. In calm weather we .are almost certain to get a wounded seal, but-fwhen the weajher is rough, and the seal goes to windward, one is sometimes ,lo$p, when the }boat cannot be pulled against the4Wjind and sea, but very few are lost in this way. It is a common thing for a poor hunter, or a man who has bad luck, to come on board and say that he struck seals <and dost-.them, but thip 4s only an excuse. fLast ye&r-we ly^d a poor year for our schooner ;was seized. il)tp0kil3{$ :8eals s&\id did n<jt Jose a seal that J know of, not one. I^m sure that I did not badly wound or cripple many seals that got away. I do not know of any. When a seal sinks rthere is a streak of blood in the water that shows it. This year I got 308 seals on the coast, and lost 3 that I know of; there were not more than 2 or 3 that were wounded that would die afterwards of wounds. I have noticed that a wounded seal is like a deer and some other animals ; it gets better after being shot, and often when you think ,one is to be surely got, it revives and goes away. If a seal is badly wounded, I consider it as good as ■got, for it either gets worse or better; if the former we are sure of it, if the latter he will get away and get well. ' 3. I never kept count of the proportion of -males and females takep, but of the larger seals there- are more females than males, I think; of the smaller seals there are more males than females—this is on the -coasW-a good deal dependg on where you are iujBehring Sea; in connection with the sex of the seals, my own experience is I have taken more males than females. I would not like to sw^ar to. 'that, but will swear that a good half were males—this is in Behring Sea. 4. I have sealed in the sea—Behring.Sea—four years. I have not sealed on the Russian side of "Behring Sea. I have gone into Behring Sea through the 172nd Pass, and both outside and inside saw seals. I do not know whether these seals were going to the Commander Islands or to the Pribyloff Islands, or whetherithey had come.from either of those, is lands. 5. I have often seen seals in schools, especially south of Cape Flattery, but it is impossible to get at them there. <I once saw a string,of seals, porpoises, and whales, on a calm day, that took more than -two hours to -pass. This body of animals was about 60 yards wide. I went right among them, but -only-got three. In the same time I-would have got more seals had they been sleeping or resting. 6. I have noticed that seals are getting wilder all the time, and it is much harder to get them •now than it was wheu I first went hunting. There are more on the look-out, and when two or •three are -together there is ^always one ojp. -the look-out, even when seals are sleeping they seem to 1 66 be on the alert and start off. I have seen twenty seals sleeping and get none of them, they would not let me near them. Cows with young are wilder than others; the young seals are more easily i saw on the coast this year as many seals as I ever saw before, and a good many more than I have seen most years. 8. The teats of a seal are not easily noticed, and I don't know that males have them, but even when I knew the seal was a female it was hard to see the teats often. 9. I never saw seals cohabiting in the water, but have talked with men who have seen them, and I have seen males and females playing together, and have shot both of them ; they are easier to get when a male and female are together. 10. Every year that we went into Behring Sea we got barren cows—by " barren " cows, I mean ones that have no milk in their breasts and, of course, no pup. 11. I have read over everything herein written, and declare that it is all true, and that there is nothing else I wish taken down. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JAMES SHIELDS Subscribed and declared by the said James Shields before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of October, \a.d. "1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and- for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal) SSlf1'! M Declaration of George F. French. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia^ City of Victoria, I, GEORGE F. FRENCH, of the city of Victoria,- in the Province of British Columbia, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been-seal-hunting three years—one year out of San Franeisco on the schooner "Hamilton Lewis," and two years out of Victoria—in 1891 and 1892—on the "City of San Diego." All three were American registered vessels, and I am a citizen of the United States. 2. In 1890 I got 320-seals and lost 10 or 12. In 1891 I got 280. I kept count of those I lost last year, and they number 5. This year, 1892,1 got 142, and by actual count lost by sinking 3L This is about the average loss-by sinking made by avertige hunters. 3. I shoot sleeping seals from 10 to 12 yards distant. "Travellers" I shoot from 30 to 60 yards distant. Most of the seals I lost by sinking were " travellers." About 79 per cent, of all the seals I -got were sleepers. 4 I have seen bands or schools -of seals in January oft San Francisco Harbour. This was in 1890. Last year I saw bands of hundreds and thousands of seals off the mouth of the Columbia River in the months of February and March. The bands were made up of both sexes of all ages, -except old bulls ("wigs"). 5. When seals are in bands they are hard to get at. Hunters do a great deal better amon" -scattered seals, because most of them are sleepers. There are always watchers in the hands who soon ■ wake up those asleep^when a boat comes near. 6. Of the seals I.got on the coast the males and females were about equal in number; the farther north I got the larger -proportion of males I got Of the females about 25 per cent, would be with young, the remainder' barren cows and young females. On the Asiatic side I gotno cows with pups in them, but once and awhile a cow in milk. I have been over there two seasons. 7. Last year, 1891, the " City of San Diego" left the Copper Island grounds on or about the 28th August. I saw seals all the way over to (Jape Flattery. We sailed over from Attu Island in as straight a line as we could for Cape Flattery. The year before we left there on the " Hamilton Lewis " about the.middle of August. I saw seals all the way over in mid-ocean. That year we made as .direct as possible for San Francisco. 8. Male seals are marked with teats the same as cows, but the teats are smaller, and do not <row I as the seal grows. 9 I have seen seals in thousands off the mouth of the Columbia. This was particularly so in 1890 and 1891. Also on Fairweather Grounds and off Cross'Sound I have seen great numbers of seals. This year there were more seals on the coast than in the two previous years. I don't think seals are decreasing in any numbers; ou the contrary, there seems to be more on the coast. 10. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water. I remember this distinctly on two occasions, got both male and female both times. 11. The only difference I have noticed in seals on the two sides of the Pacific is that the Asiatic seals are a shade darker on the-average, and taking tbe average of a catch a little larger. I could not tell the skins of the two apart if I saw them together, except by the darker colour. ° Some seals are darker than others on the American side. 12. Ltnt year, 1891, when the " City of San Diego " was crossing Behring Sea from Amutka Pass to Copper Island,-we passed -small bands and bunches of seals travelling Rapidly north-easterly; thjjs 67 took place on three different days. The last lot we met were about 150 miles from the Copper Islands These seals were the same kind of seals we get at Copper Island, and I am fully satisfied they were- crossing Behring Sea to the Pribyloff Islands. This was" between the 5th and 12th July, 1891. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) GEO. F. FRENCH. Subscribed and declared before me by the said George F. French, a Notary Public duly comihis- sipned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 20th day of October, 1892. (Signed') Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Oscar Scarf. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, OSCAR SCARF, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal-hunter, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. I have hunted fur-seals in the North Pacific Ocean and Behring:Sea for six years past. I was two years on the "Pioneer" (during one of which she- was called the " Pathfinder"), two years on the I Viva," one year on the " Carmolite," and this year, 1892, on the " Agnes Macdonald," all of which- vessels sailed from the port of Victoria. 2. In 1887, the first year I was out, I got 348 seals, and lost at the most 10. In 1888 I got 683 seals, and lost by sinking 6. I am sure of this, because I kept an accurate count of all I lost. The next year, 1889, I got 597 seals, and lost 14 or 15—more than I lost in any one year before or since. In 1890 I got 443 seals, and lost by sinking 6. Last year, 1891, I got 517, and lost 6 or 7,1 am not quite sure whieh. This year I got 200 seals, and lost by sinking only 2. This year I did not go into Behring Sea, hence the small catch. 3. I generally get the seals I wound, and if a seal is wounded lightly, he gets safely away; if badly wounded, I always get it. Very few, if arty, wounded seals that escape afterwards die. I believe this because a dead seal is rarely discovered. I have very seldom found dead seals floating ; I only remember three or four in my experience. 4. Many hunters use shot-guns-only. I use the rifle a great deal. I shoot sleepers with thfe gun at 10 to 20 yards range, and travelling seals with the rifle at as long range as 100 yards. The seals I have lost are lost principally in this wajr. 5. I saw more seals off' Cross Sound this year than I ever saw anywhere on the coast before, and altogether this year I saw many more seals than ever before in my six years' experience. This has been the experience of many other hunters as well as myself. 6. I have seen seals in schools all along the coast, but it is hard to get many when they travel that. way. I have found males travelling together and females together, but where the females are the males are not far off. I have seen grey pups mixed with other seals in the schools. 7. The seals eat all kinds of fish, squid principally. I have often killed seals with nothing in their stomachs. 8. I have hunted five years in Behring Sea, and got the sexes in about equal numbers, and it has been the same on the coast. I have never got any young seals, and it hds always puzzled me where the young females were. Every year I got barren -cows. 9. On the return from Behring Sea every year I have been there I have seen seals in the North Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles from land. I have often heard that seals haul out on the Scott Islands, but I have never been there myself. 10. It is difficult to see the teats of the female seal, and I have never noticed teats on the male seal. 11. I have often seen seals eoliabitiag-in the -wateryand have killed both the seals when they were ..doing this. It is very easy to get them when they are doing this. 12. I have seen Indians hunting. They use both guns and spears. |p I have killed as many as sixty-two seals in one day without losing any of them. A great many seals are shot in the body when " breaching," and hunters are sure to get them when struck this way. Pregnant females are much more watchful and alert thdn other seals. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of "The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) OSCAR SCARF. Subscribed and declared before me by the said Oscar Scarf, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this .20th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (118] T Jt-iS <: I Wt'T 'I iihbn |i pll 68 Declaration of Frederick W. Strong. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, FREDERICK W. STRONG, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I am a citizen of the United States. 2. That I have been seal-hunting in the North Pacific Ocean four years, three of which I was in Behring Sea. In 1888 I was on the LTnited States' schooner "Mollie Adams ;" in 1889 on the United States' schooner "Edward E. Webster;" in 1891 on the British steamer " Thistle;" and in 1892 on the British schooner " Maud S." 3. In 1888 I got nearly 300 seals, and do not think I lost any. In 1889 I got 307 seals. I do not remember losing any that year by sinking. In 1891 I got 59 and lost one. The | Thistle " was out that year a little over two months. In 1892 I got 264 seal's and lost one. 4. About two-thirds of the seals I got each year on the coast were females, about one-half of which were with pup. In Behring Sea I got about half females more with pup, but some in milk. 5. I have been one year, 1892, on the Asiatic side. I got 94 seals there, about one-half females ; now and then one with pup or in milk. I cannot see any difference between the seals on the two coasts, except that they are not nearly so wild on the Asiatic side as on the American side. 6. Every year I have been out sealing I have seen seals in schools from as far south as 200 miles below the Columbia River right up north to Sannak Island. This year on a calm day in May, off Cross Sound, I saw bands of seals as far as the eye could reach. Off Kadiak Island, about 100 miles south, in May this year I saw one day sixty or seventy bands of seals, from 50 to 100 in each band. I hunted from 5 o'clock in the morning till 9 at night among them and only got four. They were too wild to get near enough to shoot; seals in bands are always so. 7. These bands of seals contain both sexes and aU ages except old bulls. Sometimes I have got all cows or all bulls from a small band of ten or -fifteen, but very seldom. 8. I use only a shot-gun, and shoot sleepers from 10 to 20 yards, and "travellers" from 25 to 75 yards range. Fully 80 per cent, of all the seals I got were sleepers. 9. I do not think many seals I wounded escaped and afterwards died. I remember only one or two instances of wounding a seal and it escaping, and these were slightly wounded. 10. I found one dead seal the first year I was out. • I examined this seal, did not find any wounds upon it, and believe it had died a natural death; it had been dead some time; it was a female. 11. I once saw a male and female cohabiting in Behring Sea. I got both of them, the cow first; the bull stayed around and I got him too. 12. This year the " Maud S." left the Commander Island grounds the 10th September, took water at Amchitka Island, and sailed direct for Victoria. We saw scattered seals, every day all the way over, mostly 2-year and 3-year-old bulls, but some full grown males and females. lH. I saw more seals all along the coast this year than ever before, but they are a lot wilder and hard to get. The first year I was out our vessel got 700,in two months, and I did not see nearly as many as this year, but they were tamer and easily got at. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) FRED. W. STRONG. Subscribed and declared by tbe said Frederick W. Strong before me, a Notary Public' duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of Eritish Columbia. (Seal.) il! Declaration of Andrew Mathison. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria,. I, ANDREW MATHISON, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare :— 1. I have been a fur-seal hunter in the North Pacific Ocean and Behring Sea for seven years. In 1886 and 1887 I was on the schooner "Pathfinder | in 1888 and 1889 on the "Annie C. Moore ;" in 1890 on the " Triumph I in 1891 on the " May Belle ;" and in 1892 on the " Sea Lion." 2. I have always used a shot-gun ; never a rifle. I shoot sleepers at from 10 to 20 yards rano-e, and " travellers " at from 20 to 40 yards. 3. I don't remember the exact number of seals I got the first two years I was out, nor the number I lost by sinking. In 1890 I got 151 seals, and did not'lose more than half-a-dozen. In 1891 I got 371, and lost about 17. I think that was the exact number. In 1892 I got 341, and Stunk 8 or 9. 4. That more than half the seals I got on the coast in each year were females. Most of these 69 were young females and barren cows. About one quarter of the females would be with pup on the coast, but in Behring Sea I got no cows in pup. Some of the females there early in the season would be in milk, but not very many. 5. I have been sealing as far south as Point Arena, north of San Francisco. I have seen big schools of seals south of Cape Flattery in the months of January, February, and March. These schools were of all kinds of seals, both sexes, young and old. 6. Seals in schools are hard to get; very hard; they are wild, always more or less of them awake and watching. Hunters cannot get near enough to shoot them. The best sealing-grounds are where the seals are scattered and asleep. More than' three-quarters of the seals I have got were sleepers. I never lost many sleepers by sinking. My losses were from the " travellers." 7. That I saw lots of seals on the coast this year, especially early in the season, when seals were more numerous than I ever saw them before: I saw more seals off Cape Flattery this year than anywhere else, and more there than ever before. 8. Very few wounded seals die. If badly wounded I always get them ; if lightly wounded they escape and easily get well. I have'got seals with old shot wounds on them perfectly healed. In the seven years I have been out I have found only two dead seals; neither were very long dead; the skins were sound. 9. The seals on the southern coast feed principally on salmon ; up north on salmon and squid. 10. I got 144 seals on the Copper Island- grounds this year. The only difference between those seals and the seals on this side, so far as Lean see, is that they are tamer. ] 1. The " Sea Lion " left the Copper Island grounds on the 13th September for Victoria. I saw seals scattered all the way over, and quite a number off' Cape Flattery. 12. That to my knowledge seals have not decreased in numbers during the six'years I have been sealing. 13. Male seals have teats, but smaller than the females, and except in the skins of old seals the skins cannot be distinguished by teats. 14. Cow seals with pup are very uneasy, easily disturbed, and hard to get, and this is more so as the season gets later. ■ The females are then travelling nearly all the time. 15. That I have never seen old bulls or " wigs" farther north than off Queen Charlotte Islands. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ANDREW MATHISON. Subscribed and declared by the said Andrew Mathison before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the eity of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 21st day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of William Shields. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, WILLIAM SHIELDS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows':— 1. That for the last seven years I have gained my livelihood as a seal-hunter. 2. I went out first in the " Pathfinder," was in her in 1886 and 1887 ; in 1888 I was in the "Viva, and in 1889, as well as in 1890, I was in the "E. B. Marvin," and was in that vessel last year and th year, j 3. During the last four years I have kept a daily record of the number of seals I secured eacl day, and the number that I killed.and knew sank. These are the figures as given in my diary :—■ In 1889 I got 641 seals, and 32 I killed sank. In 1890 I secured 475, and lost 21. In 1891 I got 181, and lost 4 (this was on the coast; our vessel was warned). In 1892 I got 408 skins, and lost 19. No oood hunter ought to lose more than I have done this year. I consider that I had very bad luck indeed. If a seal is wounded I chase him, of course, for as long a time as possible, and I am sure that the number of seals that are badly enough wounded to die is very small indeed. I know that if they are not badly enough wounded to be got they will very likely live. 4. I shoot at a sleeping seal when about 15 yards from it, and at a travelling seal when not more than 60 yards away, that is, with a shot-gun. Nearly every one prefers a shot-gun to a rifle, but a good shot will do as well with a rifle. I myself would trust as much to a rifle as a shot-gun, because when a bullet hits a seal it is sure to kill it, and we seldom fail to get the seal. 5. I have found the seals in larger schools both south of Cape Flattery (off the Columbia River) and north on the Fairweather Grounds. I have seen forty or fifty together off the Columbia River Seals are a gcod deal harder to get when they are in schools than when they are alone. ! ro 6. Before this year I found males and females, including grey pups, travelling together* but this if ear I found bulls in schools by themselves ; 1 have seen fifty at one time, all of which I considered to be bulls. I have hunted in Behring Sea five years. On the coast I have killed, I think, a fewmore females than males-, and in Behring'Sea it was about the same. Tfiis year I got more males than females— about two-thirds were males—and this was the experience of all the hunters on the vessel 1 was on. 7. There is no differenc e between the seals oh the Russian and the American side of Behring Sea, unless it is that those t n the Russian side are a little darker in colour. Three seasons ago I caught seals off Kadiak Island with milk in their breasts, but with no pups in their wombs. I thought at the time that there must be a rookery ashore somewhere, and spoke of it at the time. I took twb one day that were this-way; this was about the last of June. 9. This year I saw seals all the way across to the Commander Islands ; not many, but always a few. We went south of the Aleutian Islands ; of course, I could not tell, whether the seals that I saw were those breeding on the Russian islands "uhtil I got within 100 miles of Copper Island ; the others may have belonged to either the Pribyloff or the Commander Islands. I, suppose that those I saw came from or were going to the nearest island. 10. On the passage home from Petropavlovsky, and when about 800 miles from Cape Flattery; I -saw seals at sea. I don't know if they were seals from the Commander dr the Pribyloff Islands. Two different years, when Coining home from Behring Sea, we have taken seals 500 miles of so from Flattery, and every year we see some. 11. Three different years I went into Behring Sea through tbe 172nd Pass, and each year saw mtside of the Pass a great many seals. I don't know whether theyr were going to the Pribyloff Islands >r the Commander Islands; 12. I never looked to see whether male seals have teats, but have heard they have. I worked five years as a butcher before I Went sealing, arid know that steers and bulls have teats, and male sheep also. 13. I have seen more seals during the past season on tire British Columbian and Alaskan coasts than I ever saw before except four seasons ago on the " Viva" When to the southward of Cape Flattery. 14. I would not swear that I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, but I know hunters wh0 have, and I myself have seen the inales and females together in the water j add haVe often killed both of them. They would be caressing one another just as people kiss one another. At such times it is very easy to get near therii, and I generally get both of them. I shoot at the female first because the male will not then go away. I have taken the cow into the boat and the male would stay with the boat, coming up repeatedly alongside. We do not shoot at old bulls often ; the skins are worth very little, and the owners tell us not to shoot them. When two ordinary seals are together it is not easy to get both. 15. I also declare that I have read over the statements written down above, and that they are all true, and that I have received no consideration for the evidence I have given, and that there has been nothing omitted from the declaration that I wished put in. And I make this selemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of | The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WM. SHIELDS. Subscribed and declared by the said William Shields before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising in the Province of British Columbia, at the city of Victoria, this 24th day of October, 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration by Charles Albert Williams. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, CHARLES ALBERT WILLIAMS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. I have been sealing five years. I was hunter for a short time the first year, and have been a hunter every year since.- In 1888 I #as on the " Penelope." I got 38 seals. I did not sink any of them, but may have wounded 2 or 3. In 1889 I was on the "Walter L. Rich," an United States' vessel. We did not go into Behring Sea. I got 248 seals in three months arid by sinking lost 10. In 1890 I was on the "Penelope" again, securing 282 skins, and lost by' sinking 7 seals. Last year I was on the § Viva," and got 382 skins, and lost three on the coast and ten on the llpsian side, where I went later on. This year I was on the " Agnes Macdonald." I <»o't 150 skins (we started veiy late), and by sinking lost five seals. A good hunter ought hot to lose more than I do, but I have often heard hunters say they had killed a seal that sank when I had seen the shot strike beyond it arid the seal dive. You can always tell by the blood in the water whether vou have really worinded a seaL 2. I shoot at a seal from 6 to 55 yards from it. :'jmmnrgggmmw 71 3. We every year see seals in schools. I saw as'many as 150" this year together. They are <VSry wild and hard to get at when they are in schools. 4. Both years when going to the Copper Islands I saw seals all the -way across along the Aleutian Inlands, and this year I saw seals in mid-ocean on the course home. I have seen them every year this way. 5. We started late this year, but when we got to the sealing grounds we found the seals as plentiful as I ever saw them before, and all the schooners we saw said the seals were more plentiful than ever before. 6. This year the sexes were about equally divided, but last year and the year I was on the "Walter L. Rich" they were nearly all bulls. On the Copper Island grounds I found the seals about equally divided, too, as regards sex. 7. I have noticed that male seals have teats; they are about the same size as on a young female. 8. I have seen a male and female together in the kelp often, as I thought cohabiting, but I am' not sure of it. I have killed both; if the female is killed first, the male will stay about, and is easily shot. 9. All seals are wilder now on the coast-than they were formerly, and the cows in pup are wilder than the others. 10. If the seals are well protected on the islands, there is no danger of their dying out, for we don't get more than one out of fifty we see—they are so wild. 11. I have noticed that-in clear, calm weather seals are wilder than at other times, and are wilder where there are many schooners about than when there are a few. 12. If a seal smells a boat to windward there is little chance of getting him—not one chance in ten. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and in virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES A. WILLIAMS. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles A. Williams before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) . Declaration of Colin Locke. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, COLIN LOCKE, of the city of Victoria, in the province of British Columbia, seal-hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been engaged in sailing-vessels for fifteen ye:.rs, and was engttged in seal-hunting "during the season of 1892. 2. That although I reside at the said city of Victoria at the present time, I owe my allegiance to the United States of America. 3. That during the season of 1892 I secured sixty-seven seal-skins, and only lost five during the same period. 4. That I lost the said five seals by my own inexperience, as it was. during the first part of the season, and I had no experience at that time. 5. I went up the coast on the schooner " Libbie," and at Kadiak I transferred to the " Annie C. Moore," and went to the Asiatic side. 6. I was both sealing-master [? sailing-master] and hunter. 7. Good seal-hunters do not lose more than 5 per cent, of the seals killed by them. 8. Very few seals are badly wounded that afterwards die and are lost. 9. In another way, besides my own experience I know if a seal is wounded and dies, it wiljl always float until it rots and sinks. 10. When a seal is killed instantaneous it will sometimes sink. 11. I went up the coast this year in the track of the seals and saw but one dead one. 12. The hunters remarked at the time of' this occurrence that it was a very rare thing to see a dead seal similar to this. 13. If a seal is badly struck it will certainly be secured. 14. It is a poor hunter's excuse, when he says he killed a great many seals that he did not get. 15. On the way home this season we saw seals about 210 miles south-east of the 172nd Pass. 16. I do not know whether they came from the Commander or Pribyloff Islands, but as I had heard from more than one person that there was a rookery in the Aleutian Islands, I thought they might have been from there. 17. The skins taken on the Asiatic side seemed to be of better quality, but there is not any difference in the animals themselves. 18. The hunters stated that there were as many seals this year as on previous years, if not more. __ [118] U iii 72 I ul tr-':-.' Iii! Iiii I! 19. I never noticed whether male seals had teats or not. : 20. Our coast catch was about equally divided as to sex, and the catch on the other side was also about equally divided. 21. I killed more bulls than cows on the coast, and I got a few more cows on the other side than I did bulls. 22. Skins of old bulls are not worth much, and not many are killed. 23. If the seals are protected on the islands, I do not see how killing them at sea can lessen the numbers, as there will, be more born each year than are killed. . And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) COLIN LOCKE. i;! Subscribed and declared by the said Colin Locke before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of October, a,d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Emit Ramlose. H!ii> .■■''■, i ■MW if IP m Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, 1. EMIL RAMLOSE, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows :— I have been seven seasons sealing—one year as boat-puller, one year as boat-steerer, and five years as a hunter. 2. In 1888 I was on the " Annie C. Moore " as hunter, and got 130 seals, and kept no count of the seals lost by sinking. I was on the same vessel the next year, and took 366 skins, and lost not more than twenty by sinking, but did not keep count of them. In 1890 I was on the " Triumph," and got 207 skins. Last year I was on the "May Belle," and got 246 skins, losing about 12 by sinking. 1 did not keep count in 1890. TMs year I did count them that were killed and sank before I could get them. I was on the " Walter A. Earle," and secured 415 skins, and lost 7 only; 2 of these were shot from the vessel, and I could not get the boat lowered in time to get them. 3. Very few escape badly wounded, as when wounded we chase them hard, and if they are at all badly hurt are sure of getting them. 4. I have found seals in schools all the way.from Cape Flattery and below it north to the Fair- weather Grounds. Seals in schools are very difficult to get at, even when there are as few as three together, for one or more is always awake, and gives warning to the others. 5. Males and females travel together. This applies'to all ages and sizes, but I have never seen as many yearlings with them as I expected. I don't know where the yearlings go. 6. Before this year I killed more females than males, but this year took more males in proportion than ever before. I am speaking now of the coast. In Behring Sea I used to get more cows than bulls. 7. This year I went over to the Russian side, and on the way home our vessel went in to Adkah Island to water. Seals Were seen between Kanaga Island and that island. We were about 10 miles from land then. 8. Other years I have seen seals—large seals—in July outside of the 172nd Pass, and in August between Unimak Pass and the Sannak (?) Islands. 9. Both along the coast and in Behring Sea I have seen barren cows, good full-grown cows, such as those we took with milk in their breasts. 10. I saw more seals this year than ever before on the coast. The most I ever got before on the coast was between 150 and 160, and this year on the coast I got 325 seals. 11. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, or attempting to do so. Once I saw two seals in the water, one lying very quiet, as if dead, while the other was smelling around her. I kept wfettinw nearer and nearer to them, and the larger seal, which was a good fair-sized bull, although, hewould look at me, made no attempt to go away, but kept fooling about the cow. I was afraid he3 would dive and get away, so when about 30 yards from hi in I fired. He was struck and breached, and I saw quite plainly his penis sticking out. I would have killed him, but he was such a large seal that the shot at that distance did not have much effect. The other seal, which was a cow, no doubt, then dived "arid''"ot away. The boat-steerer saw this too. 12. I was boat-puller on the "Teresa" in 1886. and one day saw a hunter bring on board a bull with his pents out. He said he was with a cow when he shot him, and that the sliot had killed him instantly. 18. I have seen Indians hunting; they use guns and spears. They use guns now more than formerly, for the seals are getting wilder, and they cannot get at them with a soear. 14. I do not think there is any difference' between the seals on this side of"Behring'Sea and on the other side, unless it is that on the Russian side the seals are lighter in colour. 15. I have got seals with rock in their mouths, which they must have got from the bottom. 16. Seals change their feeding-grounds, and where a good many afe got one year, few will be seen the next. ._ And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing tbe same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) EMIL RAMLOSE. Subscribed and declared by the said Emil Ramlose before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day and r of October, a.d. 1892, (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in .and for the Province ofi British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Ernest Lorenz. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, 4^it I, ERNEST LORENZ, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, a subject of the Empire of Germany, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been sealing three years—two years as master and one year as mate. 2. In 1890 I was mate of the "Juanita," in 1891 master of the same vessel (then called the "Mascotte"), and in 1892 master of the "Teresa." 3. I did no sealing myself, except now and then to go out with the hunters, when I shot a few. 4. This year I think there were more seals on the coast—that is, between the mouth of the Columbia River and Unimak Pass—than in the two previous years. This year I saw thousands of seals off Prince of Wales Island, just north of Dixon Entrance, and also just off where Pamplona Rock is supposed to be. 5. In 1890 and 1891 I was in Behring Sea. In one day in 1890, when in latitude 55° 6' north and 169° 1' west—the exact day, I see by my book was the 11th August—my hunters (Indians) got 130 seals, of which about 100 were males—small bulls. The following year I think I took more females than males in Behring Sea, though I did not keep a count. 6. In all years I have seen on every part of the coast seals in bunches or schools. Generally they are hard to get at when found this way, because some of the school arealways awake. Many times I have seen them in a bunch, but one of the three was always awake and watching, the larger the number in the bunch the more awake and watching. Yearlings and 2-year-olds travel mostly by themselves, older males and females together. 7. Last year I saw seals in Barclay Sound. The seals go where food is to be found, and in different numbers in different years ; last year a large number of seals were, taken at Barclay Sound, this year I went there for seals but got very few. 8. I was on the Asiatic side this year ; the seals do not seem so wild on that side as on the American. When I first went over the seals were very tame—came right around the schooner and boats, but got wilder later on. 9. On the way over I saw-seals from 80 to 100 miles south of the Aleutian Islands, and about the 180th meridian; also off' the 172nd Pass. I don't know whether they were going to the Pribyloff or Commander Islands. 10. In 1890, on the way home, I saw seals at least 300 miles westward of Cape Cook, and got a few of them. This was about the middle of September. 11. I don't see any difference between seals on the American and Asiatic side, and don't think anybody can; they seem alike in-all respects. 12. In my experience seals are not decreasing on the coast or in Behring Sea, so far as I know. 13. I have not noticed that males have teats, excepting "wigs." Male and female skins of the same size cannot be distinguished one from the other. I have never seen seals cohabiting, but have heard others say they have seen them doing so in the water. 14. I have had Indian hunters; they used both spears and guns ; as they get used to guns they prefer them. When Indian' hunters approach two seals cl»se together, they generally attempt to get both—one by spearing, the other by shooting. 15. Last year I got female seals in milk off Queen Charlotte Islands in July. That makes me think there is a rookery there. This year I saw old bulls (" wigs ") of Coronation Island, and there may be a rookery there. 16. I know from my own experience that seals remain off the coasts of Vancouver Island all the year round, as well as off Queen Charlotte Islands and Southern Alaska. Captain Ferry, of the "W. P. Sayward, in 1891 told me he got about forty seals 400 miles Westward of Queen Charlotte Islands in September 1891. 17. I have nothing else to say except that I think the killing of seals on the islands is more destructive than the killing on the coast. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) - ERNEST-LORENZ. * u w Subscribed and declared by the said Ernest Lorenz before me, a Notary Public duly commis sioned, and residing and practising at the city of .Victoria, '24th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) in the Province of British Columbia, this Declaration of Tlieodore Magnesen. m> Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, THEODORE MAGNESEN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, mako oath and say:— That I have been sailing from this port four years—as navigator one year, and three years as master of sealing-schooners. I never hunt myself. • - This year, when off' Sitka, on the " Walter A. Earle," my vessel was boarded by a Lieutenant from the United States' revenue-cutter " Corwin," who asked me to come on board that vessel in his boat. I said that I did not like to leave my vessel, but would answer the questions he would ask me. He then asked me some questions. The principal question was about the number of seals that sank. I told him between 4 and 5 per cent., and I believe he took down 5 per cent. I know there is not •more than this, for several of my hunters keep count of the seals they lose by sinking. He asked me how I had found the seals as regards numbers. I told him I had seen as many as other years, and when he asked whether I had taken more males than females, I told him more males. I think he took that doWn. He asked me hoW it was that they had taken so few seals on the " Corwin," and told me that they had so far only got one young one. This was about the 15th April, I think. He said they could riot get seals, and he did not know what was the matter. I don't think there was anything more said. Just then a seal was taken near the ship, and he got the carcase. It was a male, and I then told him that we were'getting mostly males. He did not ask me to allow my hunters to be examined. Had he done so, I would willingly have allowed them to be examined. He didn't ask me to sign a paper ; he just took down what I said. In 1889 I was navigator on the " Minnie" when she was seized by the "Rush." In 1890 I was master of the schooner "Sea Lion," and in 1891 and 1892 was'niaster of the Walter A. Earle." I was every year in Behring Sea until this year, and this year was on the Copper Island side. I think in •Behring Sea we get more females than males, and on the Russian side the sexes were about equally mixed. As I came, home I saw quite a large number, of seals south of the Aleutian Islands in September. This was a little to the westward of the 172nd meridian, arid from 20 to 50 miles from the islands. I did not notice, and do not believe that there is any difference between the seals, unless it is that they are darker in colour on the Russian side. If the seals were protected on the islands and in. Behring Sea, there would be no danger of exterminating them. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, and have heard my hunters say that whenever there is a large body of seals with the sexes mixed this will be seen. I never had difficulty in locating my position within a few miles when in Behring Sea, no matter •how thick the fog was. I would like to say again that more male seals were got on the coast than usual this year, because the females are getting wilder and harder to get, besides, they kjfep travelling. The last three years I had over 1,000 skins for my coast catch each year, and two-thirds of them were males. Off Moun Edgecumbe I struck in with a large body of seals on the last day of March. I have read the above statements carefully over, and swear that they are all true, and that no consideration was given me for having made them. (Signed) THEO. MAGNESEN. Sworn to before me at Victoria this 5th day of October, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Thomas Shotbolt, J. P. (Seal.) Declaration of Wentworih E. Baker. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, WENTWORTH E. BAKER, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been five seasons sealing as a master each year; four years on the " Viva," and this year I was on the " C. H. Tupper." The first four years I hunted from the stern-boat. I 2. The first year I got 75, and 8 sank ; not more than 5 the second year. I got 67 and lost very few indeed. It is very rarely that a seal is lost. The third year I got 86, and did not lose more than 4. The next year I kept count j I got 55, and lost 1 by sinking. I am a fair average hunter ft Talking with my men I find that this is about the percentage lost, but this year fewer were lost. It is a common excuse of a hunter who has had bad luck during the day to say that seals sank. The hunters have three or four different kinds of gaffs and spears", some as long as the boat, and with these the seal is certain to be got; they carry one for each boat. A seal does not sink rapidly, and as the water is clear the seal can be seen, and they can tell just the spot it sank by tlie bubbles that rise to the surface. 3. I saw quite as many seals this year as I ever saw before. Other captains I have talked with found them this way too. 4. I have seen seals in schools on the coast, both north and south of Vancouver Island, and when in schools they are more difficult to get. 5. Cow seals with young are getting very much wilder and harder to get. I notice this in a lesser degree in the males as well,' but not in very young seals. 6. I went last year to the Asiatic coast, and this year as well. 7. I have gone into Behring Sea through the 172nd Pass, and found seals about 20 miles inside the pass. 8. It is quite easy to see that male seals have teats, and it is not possible to tell a male from a female seal by the skin. 9. The only difference between the seals on the two sides of the Behring Sea that I have seen is that the seals are darker there (the Russian side). 10. I never saw seals cohabiting in the water, but I have heard from my hunters that they do so. 11. Along the coast in my catch this year and last year I got about 25 per cent, of cows. I used to get more than this, but the cows' are wilder now. On the Fairweather Grounds this year the greater number of the seals taken by me were bulls. On the American side of Behring Sea the cows school together and bulls together, and the larger catches are made among the bulls, as the. cows are travelling back and forward all the time, and where there are many to-day there will be none to-morrow. ■ 12. If good Charts were made on which soundings were properly laid down, the nature of the bottom, &c, I could, if the depths varied sufficiently, tell pretty well where my vessel was. 13. This year the weather during the sealing season on the lower coast was very bad. If the weather had. then been as good for sealing as it was farther north later in the season, my vessel, as weU as all the others, would have got very many more seals on the coast. The seals were there in great numbers, but the weather was too rough to send the boats out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) W. E. BAKER. Signed and declared by the said commissioned, and residing and practising this 24th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Wentworth E. Baker before me, a Notary Public duly at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, S.- Declaration of Isaac O'Quinn. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, ISAAC O'QUINN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been fur-seal hunting two years on the North Pacific Coast and in Behring Sea; on the eastern side about two weeks last year, and on the Copper Island grounds this year over two months. Last year I was on the " Maud S.;" this year on the " Sea Lion." 2. That last year I got 76 seals on the coast, and lost 9 by sinking. In Behring Sea, eastern side, -I got 75 seals, and lost one by sinking. On Copper Island .grounds I got 84 seals, and did not lose any by sinking. I don't remember wounding any seal that I did not get last year. 3. This year I got 210 seals on the coast, and did not lose by sinking any at all. On the Copper Island grounds I got 137 seals, and I lost by sinking 4 seals. Two of these I lost by waiting to get a shot at another close by; the other two sunk before I got up to them. They were " travellers;" one I killed from the vessel; the other at about 60 yards range. I wounded two this year that escaped me. 4. Last year I did not get over twenty-five females on the coast, and this year not more than forty. The seals I got on the coast both years were scattered seals and mostly young bulls. Last year myself and the other hunters saved all the skins of pups taken from cows we could. When the season was over we had between twenty-five and thirty. These were, I am sure, fully half of all the pups we got from females. Last year now and then we got a female in milk, but none in pup. On Copper Island side last year and this my own catch and that of the other hunters was mostly bulls. Not more than six in a hundred were females. Sometimes for days we would get no females. None of these females were in pup, but most of them in milk. 5. Last year, in January, I saw numerous bands or bunches of seals off Cape Flattery. I was among these bunches five days, and got only five seals; they were so wild I could not get near them. Seals in bunches are always wild. The best hunting is always among scattered seals. Ll 18] x 76 6. This year I saw more seals off Cape Flattery in January than at any other place. They were pretty well in bunches and hard to get. The bunches were made up of all kinds of seals from old bulls to 2-year-olds. I have never ceen a large band of seals of any one kind. |j|| 7. That I have noticed the teats on male seals as well as females; there is no difference in this respect between the skins of males and females. 8. That in both years I have been sealing I have got a good many barren females, principally on the coast. At least one-quarter of all the females I got were barren. Pregnant cows are generally harder to get than other seals. They are more restless and don't sleep so well as the bulls. 9. One day this year, on Copper Island grounds, there were seven or eight schooners, together with all their boats, out hunting. That day I found one dead seal on the water; it had been freshly killed. There were that day between thirty-five and forty hunters at that place shooting from 6 o'clock in the morning till 9 at night. That is the only one I ever saw. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ISAAC O'QUTNN. Subscribed and declared by the said Isaac O'Quinn before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) KW'Sfli Declaration of Robert E. McKiel. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, ROBERT E. McKIEL, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. I made my first sealing trip from San Francisco in 1887 on tbe " Mary Taylor," and have been out sealing every year since- 2. I have been out as master every trip. In 1888 I was on the same vessel (" Mary Taylor "), and in 1889 was on the " Beatrice." In 1890 I was on the "E. B. Marvin," and last year on the I Maud S.," and was out on that vessel this year. 3. I have never acted as hunter, but of course have gone out in a boat and killed a few seals. 4. I have noticed no difference in the number of seals that frequent the American coast, and this year saw fully as many as ever before, and my hunters say this too. 5. There are but few seals lost by sinking, certainly not more than 5 per cent. I heard my hunters counting up their losses this year, and for over 1,700 seals that were got by them about 40 were lost. I have altogether killed 52 seals, and lost but one of them. There are some seals badly wounded that die afterwards, but the number is very small; if they are that badly wounded, the hunters are almost sure to get them. 6. We find the seals in schools now much more than we formerly did, and they are much wilder and harder to get now. I account for this by the fact that they are hunted more. 7. I think I have seen more seals every year than I saw the year before—very many more this year than the first year I was out. 8. At that time the seals were tame and curious, and nearly every one a hunter saw he <*ot, but it is very different now ; they know enough to keep well out of gun-shot. 9. We get more females than males, both on the coast and in Behring Sea; there were more males in proportion to the females this year than other years, I think; we get more bulls with the cows the farther north we go. Last year and this year I found more males in proportion to the females on the Russian side than I had found on the American side of the Pacific. 10. I had Indians with me in 1888 and 1889; they would spear principally, but now Indians use guns a great deal. 11. I could always tell pretty well how far I was from the Pribyloff Islands in the most foo^y weather, and if good soundings that could be depended upon were marked on the Charts, and the nature of the bottom shown, I would have no difficulty in telling where I was. 12. I have noticed no difference in the seals on the Asiatic and on the American side of Behring Sea, unless it is that the seals are darker on the other side. I certainly could not tell them apart in the water. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ROBT. E. McKIEL. Subscribed and declared by the said Robert E. McKeil before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia tin's 24th day of October, a.d. 1892. ' jj (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) BB 17 Declaration of Charles Campbell. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I CHARLES CAMPBELL, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. 1 have been out on sealing voyages two years as master of the schooner " Umbrina." I was out on that vessel last year and this year. 2. I occasionally go. out in a boat myself, as a good sealing captain ought to do; and, besides, a hunter is sometimes sick, and we cannot afford to have a boat idle. 3. I am no hunter, but this year I killed fifteen seals, and lost one only. 4. I went over to the Aisatic side of Behring Sea both last year and this year; last year through Behring Sea, this year outside. 5. Last year we saw seals on the way across whenever the weather was fine ; there was no way of telling when we saw tie last of the seals that frequent the Pribyloff Islands and met the first of those that were going to the Commander Islands. 6. I have had only two years' experience, but saw this year more seals than last year, and all my hunters said that they had never seen so many seals before. 7. The principal part of my catch was young males ; there were more of them than of females. 8. I know from my own experience that cows are more on the alert than males, and can tell at once the sex in this way, and my hunters have told me the same thing. 9. My .hunters have told me that seals are much harder to get now than formerly, and I know from my own experience that they were more difficult to approach this year than last year. 10. Seals are harder to get, too, when they are travelling in bunches; and I have heard old hunters say that it is no use trying to get seals when there are many together. 11. Besides the vessels that were seized, I have not heard of any vessels sealing on the American side of Behring Sea, and am sure if there had been schooners there I would have heard of it. And 1 make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of 1 The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES CAMPBELL. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Campbell before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 25th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal) Declaration of George McDonald. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, GEORGE McDONALD, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been out sealing six years—one year as mate and five as sailing-master. I was sailing-master of the " Kate " in 1887, the "Pathfinder" in 1888, the "Alfred Adams" in 1889, 1890, and 1891. The name of the latter vessel was changed to " Lily " in 1890, and she was wrecked in 1891. In 1891, after the wreck of the " Lily," I was mate of the " Katherine," formerly called the "Black Diamond." This year (1892) I was sailing-master of the "Aurora." 2. The seals are quite as, if not more, numerous now as in former years, but I think they start north earlier. 3. On the coast, as a rule, more females are caught than males. In Behring Sea about equal numbers of the sexes are taken. 4. One year—in the month of August, on the "Lily"—I got seals 200 miles south of the Shumioan Islands, and I have found seals as far west as the 172nd Pass, in the month of September, when homeward bound. 5. That I saw seals cohabiting in the water once. The hunter with me at the time shot both seals. They seemed to embrace one another very firmly with their fins, or flippers. Hunters tell me it is easy to get seals when they are doing this. 6. If I had a Chart of Behring Sea showing plenty of soundings, it would not be hard to tell just where I was in respect to the Pribyloff Islands when the weather is thick. 7. That on tbe home trip of the " Aurora" this year, when 40 to 60 miles west of Vancouver Island', I saw a seal pup not more than 3 months old. All on board saw it. The stern boat put out for it, shot at it, but missed it. It was among kelp. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) GEORGE MCDONALD. h&m 1 i i II M i I ! ii ; fail ( ri l 1II i 78 Subscribed and declared by the said George McDonald before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 25th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Hi Declaration ofi Joseph Hall. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, JOSEPH HALL, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, seal hunter, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I have been fur-seal hunting on the North Pacific Coast two years. This year I sealed on the Copper Island grounds as well as on the coast. In 1891 I was on the " Maggie Mac." This year I was on the " C. H. Tupper." 2. That in 1891 I got 96 seals on the coast and lost only 2. The "Maggie Mac" returned to Victoria in July, which accounts for the small catch—only 688 for the season. 3. In 1892 I got 147 seals on the coast and I lost one by sinking. On the Copper Island grounds I got 78 seals and lost none at all by sinking. I wounded some seals, got most of them, and those that escaped were not wounded badly. 4. I have seen small bands of seals off the mouth of Columbia River, and all the way up the eoast from there to the Fairweather Grounds. Off Baker's Island this year the seals were very plentiful, as well as along the coast from there up to off Mount St. Elias during the month of May. 5. I saw just as many seals on the coast this year as last, but they were very wild—could hardly get near them, particularly so when they were in bunches—it was then almost impossible to get near enough to shoot them. 6. That I had nothing to do with skinning the seals, and do not know how many males and I remember one day this year th lough when we go 1113 seals, and they females I got in either year, were all but 10 or 15 bulls. 7. On the Copper Island side this year I am sure we got no females in pup, and I only remember seeing one in milk. This seal was caught 200 miles nearly off shore, and had had her pup at sea. 8. That I shoot sleepers from 12 to 14 yards range, and " travellers " from 25 to 40 yards range I do not use the rifle. 9. I do not know of any difference between the seals on the two sides of the Pacific, except that the seals on the Asiatic side seem a shade darker on the breast, but some of the seals there are exactly like those on the Asiatic side. The seals on the two sides are exactly alike in shape, but those on the Asiatic side, especially bulls, do not seem so fat as the American. 10. That this year I found two dead seals floating on the coast. One was a small-sized seal and had been dead about a day-—he was wounded in the body. That day there were at least fifty boats out hunting at that place, and I believe this seal had been shot that day. The other seal was an old fellow, weighing 800 lbs. or 900 lbs., the largest seal I ever saw or that any of the hunters on the schooner had ever seen. There were no marks or wounds upon him ; we examined his body carefully, and he must have died of old age. Amd I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOSEPH HALL. Subscribed and declared by the said Joseph Hall before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 25th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia (Seal.) Declaration of William Fewings. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, 1 WILLIAM FEWINGS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been seal-bunting on the North Pacific Coast for six years, in three of which I was in the Behring Sea for the full season; in two others the voyages were broken up by the United States' revenue-cutter " Rush" in one case, and Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe" in the other. In the year 1887 I was on the schooner " Favourite;" in 1888 on the " Viva;" in 1889 on the "Triumph•"•- in 1890 on the "■ Pathfinder ;" and in 1891 and 1892 on the'" Sea Lion." sa:-mmnwrn^mm 79 2. In 1887 I got about 300 seals for the season—it was my first year out hunting, and T lost more ■seals by sinking than in any year since, but not more than 25 or 30. 3. In 1888 I got 502 seals, and did not lose as many as I did the first year in getting the 300. 4. In 1889 I got 140 seals—the total catch for eight hunters on the vessel was about 300—and I lost not more than 6. 5. In 1890 I got 493 seals ; in 1891, 262 seals; and in 1892, 410 seals. In aU these years I did not lose over 3 in 100 ; this year I lost 8 or 9, I think 8. 6. That I have not kept any record of the number of females or males I have got each season, but I think that the proportions are about equal. Sometimes we get more females than males, sometimes the reverse. 7. In January last, off Cape Flattery about 20 to 30 miles, I saw large bands of seals, in fact, I saw more seals there than ever before or since at one place. We got very few each year out of these bands—this year I got only seventeen in five days—they were too wild to get at. Seals always are wild when in bands. 8. That judging by the number of seals taken on the coast this year by myself and all other hunters I am acquainted with, seals must have been more numerous this year than before. 9. That I shoot sleeping seals at from 10 to 15 yards range—according to the state of the water and whether they are sleeping or not. I shoot travelling seals at from 40 to 60 yards. About one- third of the seals I get are " travellers," and most of those lost are of this class. 10. That the large seals of both sexes generally travel together, except that as the seals near Behring Sea, the cows in pup gradually get off by themselves in bands, generaUy ahead of the main body. 11. Male seals have no teats that I have noticed, and those in the cows are not easily seen. 12. That in 1889 I got a cow-seal in Behring Sea about 40 miles from St. Paul Island with a new-born pup. I got the pup and kept it on board for two or three days. The mate killed it because it made so much noise. I have taken pups from the cows, put them in the water, and they would swim briskly away. 13. That I have found in my six years' hunting four dead seals. I examined them all, but found no wounds on them, and think they died natural deaths. 14. That I get all seals I wound badly, but sometimes a seal is hurt slightly and gets away. A seal that dies of his wounds floats, with head and tail under water and back up. I have often wounded seals, followed them up, and found them dead in this position. Very few wounded seals that hunters do not get die. 15. That I know of nothing' that shows the seals to be decreasing. I saw great numbers of seals this year on the coast, and our catch was over the average, though we were behind the main body of seals. 16. One day the last of May or 1st June this year off Sitka, the " Sea Lion " was in company with the United States' revenue-cutter " Corwin." We were told that the " Corwin " had been sealing on the grounds there some days before that. The seals on those grounds then were principally females heavy with pup making for the sea ahead of the main body. We had been sealing there about the .same time, and got more females there than at any other part of the coast. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue -of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WM. FEW1NGS. Subscribed and declared by the said William Fewings before me, a Notary Public duly commis ■ .sioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 25th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of David Laing. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, DAVID LAING, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I was first engaged in the sealing business in 1867. I was out that year in the " Favourite;" we had an Indian crew. I was out in 1868, 1869, and 1870, and in 1879 was sealing on the "Onward." I was on the "Favourite" again in 1888; in 1889, the "C II. Tupper;" in 1890 on the " Venture;" and in the " W. P. Sayward" the last two years. During the past two years I have been out as mate and hunter with the stern-boat, and the three previous years I was out as mate. 2. I °ot twenty-six seals last year, and lost none of them by sinking, and this year 1 got forty-two without losing a single skin by sinking. A seal that is at all badly wounded we are almost sure to get; one is seldom lost when badly wounded. 3. Last year, when 2 miles off , we got eighteen seals in September; they would spring up, and we did not wait to hunt them. 4 I saw more seals this year than ever before, and most of them were travelling. [118] T m- Ii 1 8; iS,.-,, ll mm If 80 5. I have seen seals travelling in schools both north and south of Cape Flattery; they are more difficult to get them, as they are very wild. I have noticed that seals are wilder than they were. 6. Sometimes a band of buUs might be seen together, but as a rule the males and females travel together, and with them are mixed the yearlings. 7. I prefer shooting at a breaching seal to any other, and for a " breacher " use 5 drams of powder and 28 buck-shot. I use 21 shot for a sleeping seal. 8. There is no danger of seals being exterminated; the large catches this year prove that no harm has yet been done, and if the seals are protected on the islands they will be all right. 9. I have noticed that male seals have teats, and on looking at a seal for sex I would not trust to .them unless the seal were an old bull. I have handled many thousand skins, and could not tell Hie sex of the seal from which they were taken by the skins. 10. I have hunted much with Indians in early days ; they bad a superstition about having guns in their canoes, but now they use both gun and spear. If they could only have the gun or spear, and not both, the young men would choose the former and tbe old men the latter. 11. I think that on the coast there are more females than males, but in Behring Sea (Ajnerican side) there are more males than females. It was the same on the Russian side; the seals there are much larger— at least those I have seen were—than those on the American side. 12. I have seen barren cows and killed them with the other seals; they were principaUy old seals. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) DAVID LA1NO. mm: Subscribed and declared by the said David Laing before me, a Notary Public duly commissionedr and residing and practising at the citv of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 25th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of August Reppen. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, AUGUST REPPEN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. That I have been captain or mate on schooners engaged in the sealing business for the part nine years. 2. I have been engaged on the steam schooner " Grace," and the schooners " Kate," " Mary Taylor," "Viva," "Pathfinder"—now called the "Pioneer"—and this year I was on the " Fawn." 3. While I was engaged as mate on the different schooners I was also engaged a portion of the time in seal-hunting. 4. During the entire time in which I have been seal-hunting I have not lost more than three seals- by sinking. 5. I notice no difference in tbe seals now and nine years ago, with the exception that they are wilder. 6. I saw more seals during the year 1892 than I ever saw on any previous year, and I am informed by my hunters to the same effect. 7. When a seal is wounded the chances are 10 to 1 that it is secured by the hunters. 8. If a seal is wounded it is chased until it is secured. I have chased a seal for balf-an-hour after I wounded it before I secured it. 9. I have seen seals travelling in schools, and at such times they are much more difficult to secure. 10. The males and females travel together. 11. I have opened seal's and know that they eat fish, but they also eat shrimps and insects. 12. I have never been on the Russian side of Behring Sea. 13. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water; they do this in the same manner that cats and dogs do on land. 14. I have been, hunting with Indians ; in calm weather they prefer the spear, but as a rule they now prefer the gun for sealing. 15. Quite a number of barren females are killed on tbe coast. 16. Very few old bulls are taken. 17. The only protection necessary for the seals in my opinion, is to protect them on the islands. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) AUGUST REPPEN. ^t-sE2jjU^s5 3JBP^ Subscribed and declared by the said August Reppen before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned -and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 27th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Thomas H. Brown. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, THOMAS H. BROWN, of the city of Victoria and Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I have been seal-hunting five years—the first year as a boat-steerer, and the past four years as a hunter. 2. In 1889 I was on the "Mary Ellen;" in 1890 on the "Maggie Mac;" and last year and this year on the " Maud S." 3. I have kept count each year of the number of seals I have killed. In 1889 I got 370, and lost less than 7 or 8. I am sure there were less than that number lost by sinking, but will say 8, so that I can safely swear to it. In 1890 I got 388 skins, and lost by sinking 12 seals. Last year I got 331 skins, and lost 10 by sinking. This year I- got 348 skins, and lost by sinking 7 seals. I kept count of the number that sank, and know exactly. I consider that no average hunter ought to lose more than I have lost. 4. I and other hunters make sure that we are close enough to a seal to make us reasonably certain of getting it before we shoot at all. 5. I use both a shot-gun and a rifle, but seldom'a rifle, and then only at travelling seals on a calm day, and a rifle is never used except when the seal is too far away to shoot with a shot-gun. I didn't kill more than twelve with a rifle this year. 6. I shoot at a aleeping seal when about 15 yards away, and most of the seals we get are sleepers. There is no chance of a seal sinking before it is got if only one is shot, but sometimes when two are together, and both are shot, one may sink while we are after the other. Most of the seals I lost were lost in this way. 7. I have every year seen seals in schools both south of Cape Flattery and north along the coast to the Fairweather Grounds, but seals are very hard to get then; they seem to be on the look-out, and if one shot is fired all make away. 8. I am sure that I don't shoot at one out of fifty seals that I see—probably not one out of a ■hundred. 9. Male and female seals travel together, and, as a rule, the yearlings are with them, but I have seen schools of young seals together. 10. The older seals are harder to get than the young ones, and the females are much harder to get than the males. 11. I have found that their principal food is squid. 12. Last year and this year I hunted on the Asiatic side of Behring Sea in the summer. On the Way across last year through the sea we saw seals whenever it was fine, and got some, and this year we saw some seals south of the Aleutian Islands as we went across. 13. I found as many seals last year as the year before, and this year I saw more than ever before. 14. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, and have been as long as five minutes getting up to them when they were doing this ; even though they would see the boat they would pay no attention. ..and I have killed both the male and female at such times ; the cow was all under water but her nose, and the bull was a good-sized one. I had no doubt whatever about what they were doing. The bull made a great deal of noise. 15. I have always taken along the coast more males than females, and in Behring Sea the sexes were about equal. On the Asiatic side this year they were about equally divided too. 16. Since I have been hunting I have not killed more than 8 or 10 old bulls. They are so large that they must often be skimmed in the water, and they take so much time, and are worth so little, that we seldom bother with them. 17. Since I have been sealing I have seen two seals floating dead on the water; seals float a long time when they come to the surface this way. I have seen one that had been in the water so long that the hair and fur pulled out. 18. Seals taken in July and August in Behring Sea bring a better price than the spring catch, and the fur, I believe, is better. 19. I have not heard of any schooners sealing in Behring Sea on the American side this year but those that were seized, and I do not believe that there were any other vessels there. And ma ke this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be tm$L and by virtue of 1 The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oatl (Signed) THOS. H. BROWN. Ii 82 Subscribed and declared by the said Thomas H. Brown before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 26th day of October, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia (Seal.) Declaration of Neil Morrison. \m SU ii Mm< 'H WM"" E883 «. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, NEIL MORRISON, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been five years in sealing-vessels on the North Pacific Coast and Behring Sea—one year boat-steerer, and four years hunter. In 1885 I was on the schooner " Mary Ellen" until May, then went on the " Favourite " into Behring Sea. In 1886 I was on the " Thornton." In 1887 I was on the "Mary Taylor." I was not out in either of the years 1888, 1889, or 1890. In 1891 I was on the " Penelope," and this year on tbe " W. P. Sayward." 2. That I am unable to give definitely my catches for the first two years I was hunting, but as nearly as I recollect in 1886 I got about 300 in Behring Sea up to the beginning of August when the " Thornton " was seized. In 1887 I got about 420 up to about the same date as the year before. All these for both years were taken in Behring Sea. 3. In 1886 my catch was about two-thirds buBs; no cows in pup; some in milk and some barren cows. In 1887 I think something over half I got were cows; none in pup—some, I think about one-quarter—in milk, and the remainder barren cows and young females. 4. In 1891 I got 119 on the coast, and lost by sinking 6. About half, not more, of these were females. Of the females not over 30 were in pup. I remember this because we got among a lot of females off Iphigenia Bay in May, and got there in two or three days nearly all the females we got on the coast that year. 5. In 1892 I got 202 seals on the coast, and lost by sinking 10 at the most. Out of the 202, about 65 or one-third were females. The females were about half in pup and half barren and young females. 6. Last year and this I was over to Copper Island Grounds hunting. Last year I got 132 seals there, and this year 82. The females numbered about .half the catch each year. None of them were in pup, and not over 20 in milk. I skinned all tbe seals I got, and remember these things very well. 7. That so far as my experience goes, I believe the fur on the seals of the Asiatic side to be slightly thicker and darker than that of the seals on this side, but in other respects the seals on the two sides are exactly alike. 8. Last year the " Penelope" crossed Behring Sea from 40 miles inside Unimak Pass to the Commander Islands. I saw seals on three different days going over, the last lot just west of the Russian and American demarcation line. 9. That I shoot sleeping seals at ranges of from 10 to 30 yards, and " travellers " all the way from 40 to 100 yards. Most of the seals I lose are " travellers." 10. That in every year I have been out I have seen seals in schools or bands aU along tbe coast in number from 200 to 300 to 400 and 500. This was especially so in 1885 and last year. I saw more seals on the coast this year than in any year before. The seals are getting wilder now than when I first went out, and when found in schools they are very hard to get. 11. That I was taken prisoner this year by the Russian man-of-war " Zabiaka " while out hunting and came home on the " Rosie Olsen." I saw seals all the way from Petropaulovski to within 500 miles of the American cost-line along the 49th parallel north. This was between the 23rd Auo-ust and tbe 10th September. We got to Victoria the 22nd September. 12. That I have in the five years I have been out found two or three dead seals floating. This was in 1887. One I had shot a little while before myself, and lost him in the fog. The others had been dead some days. Both had been killed by shot. 13. That when I wound a seal badly I always in fair weather get it; if slightly wounded it will escape and no doubt get well. Seals are not much affected by slight wounds. I have oot seals with bunches of shot in them that had been there for some years. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) NEIL MORRISON. W Subscribed and declared by the said Neil Morrison before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this ?9th rW of October, a.d. 1892. ' (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 83 Declaration of Henry S. Browne, Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, HENRY S. BROWNE, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, sealer, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. That I was first sealing twelve years ago. I was then on two trips looking for fur-seals, the' last one occupying fourteen months. 2. I worked principally among the Auckland Islands ; nearly all the seals were taken ashore, but some were killed in tbe water. 3. An attempt was made to protect them on the land, and it was supposed that no seals were taken during the six months of the year that the seals go ashore, but the vessel that was to protect them scarcely ever went there. 4. I was once fourteen months in the vicinity of the islands, and lived six months ashore. The rookeries are quite different there from those in Behring Sea. The seals haul out on rocks and under cliffs and on beaches. 5. We secured about 1,300 seals while we were there. 6. Other vessels were there, but they did not secure such good catches, as they were not as familiar with the place as we were. 7. We limited on the Campbell Islands, and secured several hundred seals. 8. We secured about nineteen seals on the Bounty Islansd, a group of smaU rocks. 9. I have been through the Straits of Magellan, and saw plenty of seals there, but did not hunt them. 10. At the Auckland Islands most of the seals are secured by lowering the men down over cliffs with ropes, sometimes 900 feet down. 11. I have been engaged for five years on the Pacific Coast and Behring Sea as a boat-puller, but never did any hunting. 12. This season I saw more seals than I ever saw on any previous year, and I have heard our hunters make the same statement, 13. We secured many more males than females during the present season, and there have been more males than females this year, but there were more in proportion this year than any other. 13. Very few seals are lost by the hunter killing them and not securing them. 14. I went to the Copper Island side this year on the " W. P. Sayward," and saw seals all the way across, and also on the way home again. 15. On the way home from Copper Island we sailed through great numbers of seals when about 700 miles from Petropaulovsky, and about 300 miles south of the Aleutian Islands, but having no arms at that time, we did not secure any of them. 16. When on the Auckland Islands I have watched more than one pup suck from the same cow as she lay asleep, and heard there that when a mother dies another female would suckle it (the pup). 17. From my knowledge of seals, both on land and in the water, I know that there is no danger of their aH being killed off. 18. I saw litle pups about the middle of August at Copper Island eating small squid and other things along the beach, and never saw the mothers going near the little bunches of seals that were hunting for food for themselves along the shore. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) H. S. BROWNE. Subscribed and declared by the said Henry S. Browne, before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 29th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Victor Jacobsen. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, VICTOR JACOBSEN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I have been eleven years master of vessels engaged in the sealing business. 2. I have been on only three vessels, the "Mountain Chief," the "Minnie," and the "Mary Ellen" this year. Wjmm 3. I have always had Indians with me, and some years have had wmte men. 4. Every year I have hunted myself, going out in the stem-boat as a rule. 5. I have never lost many seals by sinking, and no good hunter does, for wecan always tell whether a seal will sink or not if shot in a certain place. [lis] Z ;*f,' leg-- fin'' fe '■: fjiiL ; s. 91m!'m ill if! JI:; 84' 6. I got more than thirty seals this year, and lost one by sinking, and lost it only because I, instead of gaffing it myself, gave the gaff to the boat-puller while I got ready to shoot another seal. 7. Last year I got very few seals, but the year before I got 308 seals, and lost by sinking not more than 6 or 7. 8. Very few seals are so badly wounded that we don't get them, and they then die afterwards, for if wourided we keep after them until we get them, and if we don't get them they are not likely to be badly enough wounded to die. A hunter feels worse about losing a seal he has killed than if he misses fifty. 9. Major Williams, an Agent of the United States' Government, asked me about this last spring, and, as nearly as I can remember, I told him just what I have said now, and he took what I have said down. 10. I don't remember figures for other years, but the percentage lost was about the same. 11. I have seen seals travelling in schools, both south of Cape Flattery and north to Behring Sea.. At such times they are very difficult to get, and if fifteen or twenty are together it is impossible to get. any of them. 12. The large males and females always travel together, and the young seals are, as a rule,, scattered all over, and, as a rule, behind the older seals. 13. I saw as many seals this year as last year, and two years ago I saw as many seals as at any time during the past five or six years; but not so many, I think, as when I first began hunting seals. Seals are more scattered now, and much wilder and harder to get. Formerly we could tell pretty well. where the seals were, but now they are so scattered that we have to look for them. 14. I never noticed that male seals bad teats. 15. My experience has been that about three out of five seals taken on the coast are females, and about the same in Behring Sea. 16. At first all the Indians I had used spears solely; they would not allow one another to carry guns, as they said they would frighten .the seals, and for four or five years nothing but spears were, used, but now .they use both guns and spears; they spear the seal if they can, but if they cannot, they shoot it. 17. Major Williams asked me last spring much the same questions as I have been asked now, and I gave him the same answers. What I said was written down and read over to me, and I signed the paper. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) VICTOR JACOBSEN. ■Bar*.11! ■j£'': Subscribed and declared by the said Victor Jacobsen before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 29th day of October, a.d, 1892. ^(Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in.and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) . mw. Declaration of John Williams. ■ft DwR:V'> ;;' Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, JOHN WILLIAMS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada seaman, do solemnly declare:— 1. That during the sealing season of 1892 I was mate of the British sealing-schooner " Brenda " sailing out of Victoria, British Columbia. - 2. That the "Brenda" left Victoria on the 30th March, 1892, and sailed north alone the coast hunting seals as we went. We got 409 seal-skins on the coast, and about the 25th June the "Brenda" left the vicinity of Kadiak Islands for the Copper Island sealing grounds, at which we arrived on or about 24th July. 3. That on the voyage over, when off the Rat Islands, about 90 miles south, I saw numbers of seals travelling towards those islands. To all appearance they were the same as the coast seals. 4. That when the " Brenda" was about 40 miles south of Atu Island I saw seals; the weather was too rough to hunt, and we kept on towards Copper Island. 5. That the hunters got 511 seals at that sealing ground. I saw all the seals taken, both'on the coast and at Copper Island, and it was my duty to see that they were properly* skinned aud stowed away. The only difference I noticed between the two lots of skins was that the Copper Island skins seemed to me a little lighter in colour, certainly not darker. There were numbers of -skins, however exactly like the skins we took on the coast, and there were plenty of skins taken on the coast just as' bght in colour as any taken off Copper Island. 6. That I saw more seals off Middleton Island this year than at any other place durino- the ige. This was in the earlv part of May. voya| And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virt of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." ue (Signed) JOHN WILLIAMS. »^msmm 85 Subscribed and declared by the said John Williams before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 28th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L.. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of James W. Todd. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JAMES W. TODD, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, master mariner, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I have been master of sealing-schooners every year except one since 1886, and hunted fur-seals all along the American coast of the North Pacific, in Behring Sea, and on the Copper Island grounds. 2. In 1886 I was master of the "Rustler," of Victoria; in 1887 in the "Lily L.," of San Enterprise," of Francisco ; in_1889 in the " City of San Diego," of San Francisco ; in 1890 on the " of San Francisco; in 1891 on the "Penelope," of Victoria; and in 1892 on the Victoria. 3. That I generally hunt myself when the weather permits my leaving the vessel. I usually get from 20 to 50 seals in this way. I am sure that I never lost more than 2 in any one year by sinking, and remember some years I did not lose any in that way. 4. That my experience with hunters has invariably been that good average hunters lose by sinking very few seals, not more than 4 in 100. Poor hunters often attribute their poor catch to the seals sinking after being shot, but I know that it is much oftener the case that they miss the seal shot at. 5. That last year, 1891, I saw more seals on the coast from off Columbia River right up to Kadiak Island than I ever saw before in one season. This year I was late going up, and sealed only on Copper Island side. 6. That in September last on my voyage home from the Asiatic side I saw seals in mid-ocean 200 miles east-south-east of Atu Island. 7. That I have seen every year the seals in schools all along the coast. When in schools and even in bands of two and three the seals are difficult to get, some one or more of the band being always on the look-out. 8. That, generally, I have taken more males than females on the coast; in fact, I remember no year in which I got on the coast more females than males. Most of the females would be in pup ; a number barren, that is, a cow having neither pup nor milk in her, the balance being young females. 9. In Behring Sea I got more than rather half females ; now and then one in pup. A majority of the females taken in the sea were in milk. I have only been in Behring Sea two seasons. In 1887 I was seized with 197 skins, and in 1891 I was ordered out without having taken any skins. 10. When ordered out in 1891 I was about 30 miles northward of Unimak Pass. I at once sailed' across the sea westward to the Copper Island grounds, following a course along the 55th parallel north latitude. I saw seals all the way across to the Commander Islands ; some of the seals were sleeping, others travelling, some east, some west—most of them going east. 11. That male seals have teats, and that it is impossible to tell the skins of males from those of females by the teats. In 1887, after seizure, my vessel was taken to Unalaska. I had on deck a number of male seals unskinned. At Unalaska they were taken ashore, and the expert there, employed by the Alaska Commercial Company, pronounced them females. It was not till the sexual organs were examined that this expert would admit that the seals were males. 12. That in all my experience I have known of only two "floaters." that is, seals dead on the water. I don't know the cause of death in either case. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JAMES W. TODD. Subscribed and declared by the said James W. Todd before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned^ and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 28th day of October,Id. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Affidavit of William A. Farley. I, WILLIAM A. FARLEY, of the city of Victoria, make oath and say:-- That I have been out three yeara as a seal-hunter; in 1890 on the " Ocean Belle;" in 1891 on the *' Carlotta G. Cox;" and this year in the " Mascotte." I shoot at a seal when 15 or 20 yards from it. I was mate as well as hunter this year, and went out in the stern-boat. I lost no seals, but only killed 29. I got all of them. I do not examine seals carefully, but think that in Behring Sea more females are got than along the coast. (Signed) WILLIAM A. FARLEY. Victoria, September 30, 1892. Declaration of Melville F. Cullen. I, MELVILLE F. CULLEN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, solemnly declare:— That I have been two years seal hunting—last year on the " Carmolite " and this year on the " Agnes Macdonald." I was out both years as master. I went north too late this year to be able to form an estimate as to whether there were more or fewer seals this year. I found seals 175 miles west of Pribyloff Islands last year; that was as far as I went. I went to the Russian side this year. Coming back we saw seals in the North Pacific 300 or 400 miles from the Aleutian Islands in September. Last year my vessel secured 2,400 seals, and I never heard the hunters speak of losing many. (Signed) MELVILLE F. CULLEN. Victoria, September 29, 1892. Declaration of John Christian. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JOHN CHRISTIAN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, sealer, do solemnly and sincerely state and declare as follows :— I have been sealing two years on the North Pacific Coast and Behring Sea. In 1891 I was on the " Ocean Belle" as hunter, and in 1892 on the " Mascotte," in the same capacity. In 1891 I got 303 seals, and this year 144. In 1891 I lost not more than ten, principally seals I shot from the schooner, and which sank before I could get a boat over and reach them. In 1892 I did not lose any, except one that slipped out of the hands of one of the boatmen. A few seals might have been badly wounded and escaped. Some of these might die, but the number is very smaU. I shoot sleeping seals from 15 to 20 yards, and "travellers" and "breaching" seals from 20 to 50 yards' range. About two-thirds, perhaps more, of the seals I got were shot sleeping. In 18911 saw seals in greater numbers on Fairweather Grounds than at other places. I have seen seals in bunches, or schools, all along the coast from Cape Blanco north. Off Fairweather Grounds the schools were more numerous and in larger numbers. Seals in schools are much harder to get at than when found singly. Some of the seals in the school are always awake, and those awake warn those asleep. I have seen seals on approach of a boat go up to seals asleep and strike or shove them to awaken them. Sometimes they " breach"' alongside the sleeper to wake it. Sometimes we get anionc young seals, mostly males, for a day or two, then among cows and bulls mixed. On the coast I have noticed more salmon food in the stomachs of seals than anything else, but in Behring Sea it is mostly squid. I cannot detect any difference between seals on the American and Asiatic coasts. I have seen seals in small numbers about 200 miles south of the Aleutian Islands, in mid-ocean. This was about 1st September. Seals are not so wild on the Asiatic side as on this side. On the coast I got about equal numbers of male and female, and rather more females than males on the Asiatic side. I saw fewer seals this year than last on the coast, but nearly all hunters I have talked with tell me they saw more this year than ever before. I don't think male seals have teats, but I never examined them to see. I have never seen seals cohabiting in the water. Indian hunters now use mostly guns; a few use spears still. Cows with young are more on the watch than others, and much harder to get; in fact, all female are harder to get than males. This year I got four or five old bulls ; most hunters get about that number. I have read the above, and have nothing more to say that I think of. And I, John Christian, make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOHN CHRISTIAN. «r««r» 87 Signed and declared at the city of Victoria, British Columbia this 6th ld. 1892. day of October, (Signed) A. L. Belyea. A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. :t Declaration of Walter Heay. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, WALTER HEAY, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal-hunter, do solemnly and sincerely state, and declare as foUows:— I have been seal-hunting six years on the Pacific coasts of America and Asia, and in Behring Sea on both sides. In 1885 I was on the "Lily L.," of San Francisco, as boat-steerer. In 1886 I was on the " Maggie Mac," of Victoria, as boat-steerer, In 1887 I was on the " Mountain Chief." In 1889 I was on the "Maggie Mac;" also in 1890—both years as boat-steerer. In 1891 on the "Annie C. Moore, as boat-puUer, and 1892 on the " W. P. Sayward," as hunter. I got this year 168 seals, and lost by sinking not more than 15, all off Copper Island, and all " travellers." I did not wound more than five, some of which may have died. Sleepers I shoot at from 15 to 20 yards' range, and "travellers " from 25 to 50 yards' range. Over two-thirds of the seals I got were sleepers. I saw more seals on Fairweather Ground in May than anywhere else this year, and in 1890 saw seals in greatest number on Shoo-Fly Banks, about 100 miles off Cross Sound. Some days I have got mostly cows, others young bulls, but generally find them mixed up—all ages of both sexes—the farther south the more mixed, but north of Fairweather Grounds the different kinds seem to separate in large bands. From Cape Blanco to Fairweather Grounds I have seen seals of both sexes and all ages, except old bulls, in schools. I don't think old bulls go far south; I never saw any old bulls south of Baker Island. Seals in schools are hard to get; there is one fellow always keeping watch. If a boat gets within 200 yards of a school, the fellow on watch " bleats " and rushes among the sleepers, jumping upon them, and in two or three minutes the whole school disappears. On the coast the seals eat principally salmon, in Behring Sea principally squid. I don't see any difference between seals on Copper Island side and the American side, except that they are a little darker on the breast and belly, and a little tamer. In 1890, about 300 miles westward of Queen Charlotte Island, I saw quite a number of young seals sleeping. This year there were more seals on the coast than ever before in my six years' experience. My catch this year was over two-thirds young buHs, about twenty-five or thirty barren cows, the rest with young. The hunters I was with in former years generally got about that number of barren cows. They generally travel with young bulls. Male seals have teats, but they don't show as plain as cows. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water in Behring Sea. cow, whose head is just out of water. The bull keeps squealing, upwards of five minutes. If the bull is killed.first the cow goes the bull stays around, and is often got too. Indian hunters use guns more than they used to, and fewer use spears every year. Pregnant females are not so easy to get as other seals. They don't sleep good—seem always awake and watching. All seals on the coast are not nearly so tame as they used to be, but there are more of them. New-born pups swim if thrown into the water. I remember one that I took from a cow and threw overboard that swum after our boat for over an hour. - It, however, made so much noise that I caught it again and killed it, as it interfered with our hunting. I have read over the above, and declare that I have nothing further to say on seal-hunting, and that I have voluntarily made this statement. And I Walter Heay, make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and bv virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WALTER HEAY. Signed and declared at the city of Victoria, British Columbia, this 6th day of October, a.d. 1892, before me. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in ana for tne Province of British Columbia. The bull gets right on top of the I have seen them in this position away, but if the cow is killed first, [118] A Ii Mr ||*i ^ ■";■:■■.!■' (:,'..ii it" :■•' ' Ill- m fill III il II iriswt'' ilsi iii &,l ■■:-3.-,.|i mm CnJ'i;! 88 Declaration of Matthew McGrath. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, MATTHEW McGRATH, of the city of Victoria, and Province of British Columbia, do solemnly and sincerely declare:— 1. That I was this year engaged as hunter on the sealing-schooner " Geneva," and that on that vessel sealed from the Columbia River north along the Alaskan coast, and then went to the Asiatic side of Behring Sea. 2. I secured this year 174 skins and lost 3 seals that I killed and could not secure before they . sank. I did not wound more than 5 or 6 badly enough to cause their deaths afterwards, and am not sure that any I so wounded would die. 3. More than half, I think, of the seals I took on the coast this year were females, and the same is true of the seals taken on the Asiatic side. 4. I saw seals in smaU schools this year, but a seal is harder to get when one of even a small school than when it is alone. 5. I shoot at seals when 20 or 30 yards from them, seldom, if ever, more than 30 yards away, but at sleeping seals at much shorter range. 6. I took seals on both sides of the Pacific Ocean this year, and saw many others, but I could not see, and do not believe there is any difference between the animals frequenting the two places. 7. I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of ' The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) Declared before me at the city of Victoria this 14th day of (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Attorney Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) MATTHEW McGRATH. , 1892. WkW. BSW' m wm Declaration of Captain Albert C. Folger. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, CAPTAIN ALBERT C. FOLGER, at present of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— \ 1. I am a citizen of the United States of America. 2. This is the first season for nineteen years that I have not been out, either sealing or otter- hunting. 3. I was first six years sea-otter hunting, sailing from San Francisco. We did not kdl many seals then, as they were not of much value at that time. 4. In 1882 I went to Japan, and ever since then have been seal-hunting, not otter-hunting at all. We sailed from Yokohama, followed the seals right up to the Commander Islands. At that time we used only rifles, but we then could shoot as well with rifles as hunters now do with shot-guns; we learned to use the rifle well when otter-hunting for seasons. I sailed for the Liebes firm of San Francisco, and it was that firm that sent me to Japan; they had two vessels sailing from Yokohama, supposed to be sea-otter hunting, but they were sealing. This firm has since claimed that they never had vessels sealing, but I know that they took seals, not only in the water, but on the shore as weU. I would not like to say where. 5. In 1882 there was a fleet of thirteen schooners sealing on the Japan coast; they were mostly under different flags. A good many of them were seized by the Russians under the charge of raiding, but the charge could not be proved, and one of them was not near the islands at all; five were seized, I think. The " Helena," one of the vessels, was seized when 16 miles from the Siberian coast; no redress was ever got. 6. Besides the rookeries on the Commander Islands and Robben Reef I know of hauling-out places—not rookeries—one place was a little island caUed Racoky, right in the middle of the Kurile group. Vessels went there every year sea-otter and sea-lion hunting, and no seals had ever been seen there, but in 1886, when on the " Penelope," Captain Miner, we were surprised to find thousands of seals hauled out there. I had been at this place for the three previous seasons—there must have been 12,000 or 15,000 seals—among them 700 or 800 pups. We took 4,000 skins, and had not salt to cure more. The story got about in Yokohama, and an owner of a schooner in Yokohama telegraphed Hakodate to a captain there of the schooner " Diana," and that vessel went to the island and got about 1,500 skins. We went there the next year; the whole fleet agreed that we would not go there until July so as to give tbe seals a chance to come ashore, but one captain went then, and not knowing the habit of the seals, began to kill them as they came ashore; be soon bad them frightened, and none would land; that faU I came over to this side. 7. Captain Snow—in 1879 I think it was—found seals on Mooshir Rocks. I and all the other hunters had been there the year before and other years, but never saw seals. The whole fleet went there the next year, but in the meantime the Japs had got those islands from the Russians and had landed men on every one that seals had ever been heard of on, and we got none. I went later in the 89 we got season to Robben Reef in the " Ad≤" there were eleven schooners there, and altogether 3,800 seals; we killed them all, or drove them away. 8. It is a very simple matter to make a raid if it is gone about properly. All you have to do is to .go quietly to the seals and drive a few of them to one side, and then go back for more when they are killed. I know a captain who had found a rock in the Japan seas on which there were seals,' but he never could find it again. 9. I know from the experience I have had that it is a common thing on that side for seals to haul -out on new grounds, and every schooner always made a point of stopping at every barren rock to have a look for seals. I have always thought that seals hauled out on the Alaskan coast in this way, but ■never succeeded in finding the place. 10. Before Alaskan Commercial Company got the Pribyloff Islands there was a rookery on the south side of Unimak Island. A man told me this about fifteen years ago, and said that the passage between there and the mainland must have got blocked with ice in a manner to allow the bears to get across, for they were found there, and have since increased wonderfully. Bears are fonder of seals than any other food. I know that the people of Attu and Atka are not native there; they were taken there for the purpose of hunting sea-otter. 11. At Neah Bay in 1879 I saw a bitch nursing two pups that had been cut from their mother; the bitch did not seem to know the difference between them and puppies. I was there a month or six weeks, and they were still alive and doing well when I left them; it has always been a mystery to me whether a mother nursed her own young ones, or any that wanted to nurse. When we were on Robben Reef I used to see the pups crawling around the females when they came ashore, but I couldn't teU if they nursed from their own mothers. 12. I more than once made raids on the Pribyloff Islands when I sailed from San Francisco, and know of other vessels having done so. We understood just how to work, and there was no chance of its being known that we had been there. We would go ashore and quietly drive the seals down to the edge of the water, as near the water as possible, so that the tide or waves would wash the blood away. We would have the boats right at the spot, and would take the seals on board as fast as they were killed; we never left anything that could show we had been there, picking up the slightest bit of stick. Two of us—two schooners—lay at anchor 35 miles off St. Paul; we were there six weeks; when it got dark we would run in to " North-east Point"—we were anchored on the east side; we chose that place because when there was surf on one side of the point there might not be on the other, while the other rookeries could only be approached from one side. We never stayed ashore each time -over two or three hours, as we wanted to get out of sight of the island as soon as possible. The people on the island never knew we went there, and don't know to this day. We anchored there once from the middle of June until after the cutter left in September, going in whenever the weather suited. We once ran in too near the viUage and saw a cutter there, and went away again, but we found the coast clear the next night, and got about 500 skins. We could see the light at the village. We knew very well the natives did not keep a good watch. We got about 2,000 skins that year off the island. 13. I was at Robben Reef at the time the Alaska Commercial Company sent a vessel there—the " Leon," Captain Blair—to destroy the seals. They had tried their best to protect the island, but we were too much for them. We had the guard in our pay, and when the " Leon," which had been sent there to guard the place, would go away, lights would be put out, and we would come over from Cape Patience where we had men on the look-out constantly, or if we got impatient the fastest sealer in the fleet would o-o there and be chased by the " Leon " (a sailing-vessel), and the others would make the raid; we worked together, and the schooners would divide up. The reason the Alaska Commercial Company put their stamp on all the money used by them was that they learned we had men on shore in our pay. The only thing the natives would take was sugar and silver and the Company would allow no silver to be used but what was stamped. This was on the Commander Islands. The time I spoke of above when the " Leon" could not protect the Robben Reef they determined not to let us have the skins, and Captain Blair killed all he could get at. Captain Blair told me himself that he killed 3,500. They did not skin them; they cut them up the back and cut them across, and left them rotting there. I and many other men went to work and buried them so that the seals might come back; they would come right back that year. 14. I have read carefuUy everything that is written above and declare that it is all true. 15. I believe that the seals ought to be protected, but I and all other United States' hunters I have talked with believe that it is not right that a Company should have aU the seals; we say, let the Government do the protecting, and give every man a chance to make an honest living. 16. Major Williams sent for me last spring several times by a man named Dillon, whom I knew to be in the employ of the United States' Government. I went to the Driard Hotel, and after waiting there for an hour or two my evidence was not taken. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." 1 & (Signed) A. C. FOLGER. Subscribed and declared by the said Albert C. Folger before me, a Notary Pu }lie duly commis- -sioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 8th. day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 90 Second Declaration of Captain Albert C Folger. lulrs'i to the United States of Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, CAPTAIN ALBERT C. FOLGER, at present of the city of Victoria and Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That while I at present reside in Victoria, I owe my allegiance America 2. I have hunted sea-otter and fur-seal for nineteen years, five voyages being made from Yokohama towards the northward along the Japan coast in search of these animals, as is more set forth in another solemn declaration made by me. 3. During that time I prospected the whole of the islands of the Kurile group in search of fur- seal, and made many voyages up and down the coast, and have very often many times during each summer. I voyaged from the Kurile group to the Commander Islands and back again—this was in 1879, and the years immediately foUowing or preceding that year we used to leave San Francisco in March, and would be back there in September. 4. During the whole five seasons I was on the Japan coast I never saw seals at sea other than a scattered few here and there, and we never saw them in anything like the numbers I saw them on this coast a few years later on. I am told they are now to be found on the Japan coast—whether the seals formerly went to the Commander Islands by way of the Aleutian Islands or not I do not know,, but I have heard that seals used to haul out on one of the Aleutian Islands—Atka, I think—and that white men paid the natives to drive the seals away, and they were given stuff to put on the water that would look like fire and so frighten the seals. I know of places in the North Pacific where seals are to be found in abundance, but whether these seals go to the Commander Islands or the Pribyloff Islands there is no way of telling. I remember when near an island called Midway Island, northward of the Sandwich, seeing them in great numbers, such that had I been pelagic sealing I would have thought it worth while stopping to hunt them, but we were anxious to get to Yokohama. These seals are as likely to go to the Commander Islands as the Pribyloff Islands, and it seems to me very probable that the *seals from the American Islands and those from the Asiatic Islands may mingle there. I mean that those that go farthest south on both sides very likely mix there. 5. I have seen Eskimo wearing clothes made of fur-seal skins when north of Behring Straits when trading there, and I once saw a fur-seal lassoed when north of East Cape, and on the same cruize the captain in my presence shot a fur-seal from the deck of the vessel, a boat was lowered, and the seal was got. The mate also shot them. I don't know where these seals came from, but am sure they were fur-seals. I have known fur-seals for nearly twenty years. 6. I solemnly declare that all the statements written down herein are correct, and that I have read them carefully, and have received no consideration for the evidence I have given. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) A. C. FOLGEB. Subscribed and declared by the said Albert C. Folger before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the City of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 8th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Third Declaration of Captain Albert G. Folger. In I1: Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, T, CAPTAIN ALBERT C. FOLGER, at present of the city of Victoria, in tbe Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as foUows:— 1. That I have been sea-otter or seal hunting the past nineteen years, except last year. 2. I consider that I was the first white man who hunted seals on this coast. The Indians said that a white man couldn't kill seals, but I said what an Indian coidd do a white man could. I was out first in 1880 on the " Udora," a San Francisco vessel. We used muzzle-loading shotguns. We did not get many seals that year. The next year I hunted on the schooner " Triumph," a small vessel; we used the same kind of guns. We did not get many seals, as we were poorly armed. I went to the Japan coast in 1882, in February, and hunted there, and came back in 1886. after the season. In November we got here. In 1887 I was out on the " Mary Ellen," in 1888 the " Penelope " for the spring, and the "Maggie Mac " for the summer. In 1889 and 1890 I was on the "Penelope" as master. I was a hunter on the other vessels. Last year I was on the " Annie C. Moore " as a hunter. 4. Last year, out of about 400 seals, I did not lose five. I never have lost many seals, because if I cannot get close enough to be sure of them, I don't shoot at aU. 5. I have never counted the males and females I killed, and do not know how many of either I killed, or in what proportion they were. 91 6. I have seen seals travelling in schools, hundreds together, but it is impossible to get within 300 yards of them, and all would start " breeching," and go away. 7. I have kiUed thousands of seals on the Japan coast and on this side, and there is no difference between them; none of the men I hunted with could tell them apart. I don't believe that any man could tell them apart. 8. I have been much about the Pribyloff Islands, and in thick weather it is hard to tell where we are, and we drift a little. I noticed that the currents drifted us to the southward, as a rule. 9. If seals were protected on the rookeries there would be no danger of exterminating them as long as they have the islands to go to and are looked after there. 10. I know that male seals after they are a few years old have teats, but I never noticed the young seals; perhaps they may have. 11. I have hundreds of times, seen seals attempting to have connection with one another, but would not swear that thej< actually succeeded in having proper connection with one another. There is a class of seals of a larger size, than those usually killed by the Company on shore, that do not haul out with the young males, and are not allowed on the rookeries by the old bulls; these are the seals that attempt, to serve the females, and I have heard people say that they had seen them actually do it, but I would not swear that I had. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same, to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed)- A. C. FOLGER Subscribed and declared by sfoned, and residing and practisin day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of'British Columbia, (Seal.) the said Albert C. Folger before me, a Notary Public duly eommt-fs- ; at tbe city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 8th Declaration of Charles Petem* Dominion of Canada, Province of'British- Columbia,, ■City of Victoria, I, CHARLES- PETERS, of' the city of Victoria, in the Province-of British Columbia1, do'Solensfc declare as- follows :— 1. I a,m a mariner: 2. I have- been five years- connected with, the sealing' business! 3. Last year (1891) I was mate of the " Mascotte,"'and- this* ymie (l'89-2)» mate of: tffoe " Ose&r ait Hattie.'" 4. Seals were fully as plentiful this year as last on the coast. 5. I have' found; mme females, than males in. both yearsj 6-;, la the. latter part of September 1891 I saw in the neighbourhood of the Pribyloff. Islands, shoals of seal'pups ; I am not sure whether they were of that year or year before. 7. In Bristol Bay in September 1891 the hunters of the." Mascotte " got a number of seals. 8. I was on Copper Island side this year. I got mora males, there, than females in proportion to the number caught than on Pribyloff Islands side. 9 Last November, in returning from the Copper Island side, I saw seals from triers to 400 miles from Vancouver Island coast. 10. I never examined male seals to see if they had teats. 11. I never saw seals cohabiting in the water, but I have heard others say they did. 12. If there was a Chart showing plenty of soundings, I would be able, from my knowledge of navigation, to tell the distance from islands in Behring Sea. °13 I was guard on Otter Island' in-11882:;< sealsv occasionally came and hauled out on the beach. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." oi Alio l- = (Signed)- CHAS. PETERS. Subscribed and declared by the-said Charles Peters before. me,.a Notary Public duly-commissioned, and residue and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British.Columbia,.this Stfcdage of November, a.d. 1892,: (Signed]) Arthur* L„ Belcta, A Notary Public in and for the. Province of British, Columbia., (Seal); [118] S B III! Ii! w ,r-" 1*1, lis! 18*! ill ii III' ill: I WW »i$l'5i. it iiii! S$i;isl I ||l! »2 Declaration of Henny, Paxtfln-, Dominion of Canada, Provinee of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, HENRY PAXTON, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of Br&jgh Cofounbia, C^pg4%, master mariner, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been thirteen years sealing on the coast of the North Pacific Qces^, and have been three times or seasons in the Behring-Sea. 2. That I have never been out with white hunters; always with Imli^gs. 3. In former years the Indians used the spear entirely, but for the last five or si^ years the)? have used the gun a good deal, and the use of the gun is rapidly throwing the spear in|p d/j§^i|.e. 4. That the past season, 1892, on the coast between Destruction IsJaa& about 6Q miles ^QVllfe Of Cape Flattery, and Cape Scott, the north-west point of Vaqppuver Island, I $aw more s.§als than I $%% in any other season in my experience. The largest bodies of S.ejls I §aw this yeg* f$fe off Q|}g§£fc 15 miles south of Cape Flattery, off Clayquot Sound, Cape Beale, and I£sp£!.:.apza Inlet. At th§§£ places the schools or bands numbered from 25 to 200 and $0Q, 5. That at all these places when I was there the wither WM b§4; Sfiil I. §0t l#W §§^s- Tfeg hunters always do better among scattered seals than in the schools. When in schools some of the seals are always awake and on the move, and when a canoe comes up the sleepers are awakened by these, and the whole body moves away, 6. Last year, in the Behring §©a, my hunters got 330 seals. Most of these were young bulls. This year on the coast they got 139, and there were only about 20 females in t|je lot. 7. That male seals have teats, and male and female skins canppt be told apart by the teats. 8. That in my thirteen years' sealing I have JjgeWJ) of only live or six ftaacl se$d'§ being found. One or two I found myself, and the rest my hunters got. I did np£ gssgojn^ them to see what had killed them. I supposed they had been shot by hunters and lost. 9. That in the winter of 1889 and 1890, in the months of December and January, I was trading between Cape Mudge, through Johnston Stilts, to Knight's I#let. In b.ofli years I got fur-seals all along Johnston Straits in December and January. The seals were a-U young—from yearlings to 3-year olds. The Indians get seals in Johnston Straits every winter, especially at Nawatti, where there is a regular sealing ground every wiasfce*. 10. These Johnston Straits seals are identical with the coast and Behring Sea seals. 11. I believe there are as many seals in the ~ws£ffl Q$ tjjg"go%st now as £]aere has ever been. I bebeve the slaughter on the rookeries is more likely to exterminate the seals tbgji deep-sea sealing. I am convinced that less than one seal out of a thousand is killed on the coast, and if more females th§n isaleg a#$ killed o$ the coast. 8&i» feepaiyfcse pf the j&yugbtgP'&f J^fe-^fejggjjl^lly young bulls—on the rookeries. Stop the killing on the rookeries, give the seals a chance to breed wherever they will without being disturbed, and the herd could not be exterminated by open sea se^Jjgg. And I make this solemn decla^tipja .^H^je-ntiQusly ibajiej$#g JJig §3ffl£ to be true, and by virtue of23i# Act fpgspecti^f legate-Ji#a.%[.:$£#&'* (Signed) HENRY PAXTON. Subscribed and declared by the said Henry IPaxton before m®, a Kotar,y BMMie ,#% .aominisgLoned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Colunibia,.£bis l^h day of November; a.d. 1892. ("Signed) Asf hub L. Belyea, A Notary PnMic in and for the 'Province of British Colwibia. Hi Dffllaratton of Gcfivge Hea^r. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, if GEORGE HEATER, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Coltynj^., ^paster •mariner, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I have been seal-hunting on the Pacific coast of America three years. In 1890 I was on the " Sapphire" as a seaman and baaUsteerer. In 1891 I was--mgjpter of the "Rosie Olsen," and in 1892 I was master of the " Ainolco." 2. That in 1891 I got 25 seals at odd times by sbotating. tfeom Ae.<&chooner or going out in the stern boat. I lost 2 by sinking in getting the 25. This year I got in the same way-^8-#eals, but did not lose any. 3. In 1891 the " Rosie Olsen " got about 300 seals on the coast. A large majority of these Were" young bulls. This year the " Aino"ko~" got"750 seals on the coast, about one-third cows; most ol' the old cows were in pup, but some were barren. 4. That in both 1891 and 1892 I was behind the body of the seals going north, and did not see so many seals onthe lower coast as up about the 59th parallel north. About that latitude and 143^ west Kumar***—j* 93 longitude this year I saw immense numbers of seals. I was among them for eight days before I got any, mi account of rough weather. The sea for miles was covered with schools numbering from thirty, to n?ty, often many more. 5. In 1890 I was in Behring Sea a full season on the " Sapphire." The greater part of her catch in the sea that year was males. I remember of two cows in pup and a number in milk, but I cannot give tbe number. 6. I have always had Indian hunters; they used both spear and gun. Very few seals—not any to my knowledge—were lost by my hunters, either when speared or shot. 7. That I have never got more than half-a-dozen old bulls in a season's catch; they stay on land till late in the fall, and go back early the next spring. 8. That in 1890 in Behring Sea a hunter picked up a dead seal floating. It had been dead a day or two from a gun-shot. That is the only " flpater " I have ever seen. 9. I saw more seals on the coast this' year than in either of the previous years I was out, and all the captains and hunters I have talked with say the same. My Indian hunters said they had never seen so many seals on the coast as this year. The seals this year all along the coast were burichebf, that is, in schools or bands. They were hard to get when found this way. Hunters like best to get gjpong scattered seals, not more than two or three together; the seals tfien are mostly asleep, and are easily "approached. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of '■I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) GEORGE HEATER. Subscribed and declared by the said George Heater before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 15th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) ART5JJB L Belyea, A N-ptary Public in and for the tffcavince of British Colufatya. ~ir '!- (Seal.) Declaration of Albert J. Bertram. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, £!i±y of ^'J£$8H&4 I, ALBERT J. BERTRAM, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seal hunter, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have been sealing for the past six years. 2. That during the past four years I have been engaged as a hunter. 3. During the season of 1889 I was on board the schooner "Annie C. Moore," and killed 352 seals. 4. That during the whole season of 1889 I only lost twenty-one sealsdSy sinking. 5. During the season of 1890 I was on board the schoouer "Penelope," and secured 192 seal- skins. 6. That during the whole season of 1890 I only lost fifteen seals by sinking. 7. During the season of 1891 I was on board the schooner '^Maggie Mac," and secured 110 sealskins on the coast. 8. During the season of 1892 I was on board the schooner "-Penelope," and secured ^M seal-kins. 9. That during the whole season of 1892 I only lost twelve seals by sinking. 10. f'have seen seals in schools on all parts of the coast. 11. It is very hard to shoot seals when they are in schools. 12. In April last we went to Japan, and then towards Copper Island. 13. The seals look larger there, but otherwise I see no difference between them arid the seal on this shjle. 14. I saw more seals on the coast this year than I ever saw on any previous year since I have been sealing. 15. On the coast the seals are about equally divided as to sex, and it was the same in Behring Sea the years I hunted there. 1G. I have noticed that male seals have teats, and do not think that the sexes could be distinguished by the skins. 17. I haxe r\eypr §&e§-Sgoh cohabiting in the water, but have frequently seen a pair together, and have killed them both. 18. I nearly ahyays secure bot^ when I kill the cow first, as the bull will not go away, but will remain near the place where the cow was killed. 19. We did- riOt secure m$$v old bulls. 20.' I have killed five old bulls during the time I have been engaged in seal hunting. And I make.tpis solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." 1 (Signed) A. J. BERTRAM. m n Subscribed and declared by the said Albert J. Bertram before me, a. Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Colunibia, this 11th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for- the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) t»i Declaration of Niels Bonde. Dominion of Canada, Province pf British Columbia, City of Vicioria, T, NIELS BONDE, of tbe city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, able seaman, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been out four years on seaErig-schooners from Victoria: in 1887 on the "Kate," in 1888 on the " ," in 1889 on tbe " Kate," in Behring Sea, and in 1890 on the/'- Pathfinder,"' I never hunted niyself. aud was only one year in a limiting boat, that is, I was boat-steerer on the "Pathfinder." 2. That on eaeh of said vessels I had more or less to do with skinning tiie seals,,and would say that about 60 per cent, on the coast were females, and about 50 per cent, females in Behring Sea, I distinguish the male slnn from the female by the absence of teats. Any skin I saw teats on J called a female.. 3. That I have never been ashore on the Pribyloff Islands, nor- at, any <>tiier place along the coast, except on the west coast of Vancouver Island.. I have bea^d tiiat seals haul ou* °n the Pribyloff Islands, Copper Island, and Robben Island; there may be. other places,, but I don't know anything about it. 4. That when on the " Pathfinder" I was part of the season with a good hunter and part with a poor hunter. The good hnnter got nearly all the seals he -fired at ]_ I am sure he did not sink more than three while I was with him. The poor hunter missed about half of those he fired at; he wounded a few, which escaped; he sunk a few. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths.v (Signed) NIELS BONDE. Subscribed and declared by the said Niels Bonde before me, a N«Q^$ry Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 12th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia* (Seal.) itfii III Declaration of Frank W. Adam§. lit; in the Province of British Colunibia, merchant, do or " Narwassan," a rachenah, Indian-, whose decla- Dpminion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City-of Victoria, I, FRANK W. ADAMS* of the caiy-ofVictoria, solemnly declare:— 1. That I am personally acquainted with " Jim, ration is hereto attached, marked' (A), and also with one. E. M. Gijeenleaf; who- is referred toi iii the said declaration 2. That in the month of April 1891 I acted as interpreter between the said Narwassan and tile said Greenlea& when they, entered into an agreement under which the said Greenleaf was. to act as navigator of the sealijgj-scliooner " Mountain Chief," owned by Narwassan, on a sealing voyagei ftom the west! coast to, Behring'Sea. 3. That the said schooner did go to Behring Sea on said voyage, and about one.month, after the said, agreement.was made. I saw:. Greenleaf back- in Victoria, and saw him frequently after; that during the summer on the street. 4. That 1 know nearly emcy man, who goes sealing- from Viotoria, and; never* to my. knowledge, have I known or heard of the said Greenleaf being out sealing. 5. That, by-common, reputation, Greenleaf is a smuggler aad United? States' revenue spy combined, and has not any fixed occupation or employment otherwise. 6. That I interpreted the statement made by Narwassan. in the declaration hereto annexed marked (A), from Chinook into, English, and' say-that the same were- truly and Gorsrectly interpreted • and that before, the. said Narwassan made, his mark- thereto I read over to him- and translated into Chinook the statements in said declaration contained, and that he.fully understood the sapie 7. That I have lived in Victoria all my life, and understand Chinook perfectly. one Knpfna 9o And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) FRANK WOODMAN ADAMS. Subscribed and declared by the said F. W. Adams before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 2nd davof November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Andrew McGarva. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, I, ANDREW McGARVA, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I have been sealing five seasons, three as a hunter. In 1890 I was on the "Bessie Ratler," of Astoria. In 1891 I was on the " C. H. Tupper," and this year was on the " W. P. Sayward." 2. In 1890 I took 181 skins, and lost 2 by sinking. In 1891 I secured 115, and lost 1 by sinking. 'This year I got 194, and lost 11. The boat-steerer was not so good as in other years, and I account for the greater loss in that way. If he had been a good man I would not have lost more than -3 or 4. 3. Not more than 1 in 50 seals are wounded so that they will die afterwards. It is easy to teU when a seal is wounded by the blood, and it and the bubbles show where it went down. 4. I shoot at a sleeping seal when 15 to 25 yards from it, and would not shoot at a "traveller" when more than 90 yards away. 5. I found seals most abundant this year off " Pamplona Rocks." 6. I have seen seals in schools often, both south of Cape Flattery and north along the coast. They are more difficult to get than when they are single or in twos and threes. When there are several together there is generally one awake, and the warning is then given to the others. 7. I have noticed that males and females will often travel in separate bodies, but they travel mixed together as well; the yearlings are mixed with tbe others. 8. This year I took a great many more males than females ; the year before they were in about equal numbers, and the year before that I took more females than males.. Tbe males are more easily got than tbe females, but old btdls are more difficult to get. 9. In 1890 1 got more females than males in Behring Sea, and on the Russian side there were a little more than half females this year. 10. The seals on the Copper Island side are a little darker in colour, I think, than those on the American side. 11. On the way across, in about latitude 50°, we saw seals every fine day. I don't know which islands they belonged to. 12. About 80 miles off Copper Island we got a few seals of a lighter colour, that looked like those on the American side. 13. I saw more seals than formerly on the coast this year, and that is what all the other hunters have told me. 14. Seals- are getting wilder now; hunting them is the cause of this. 15. I have noticed that male seals have teats. I. have not examined all I have taken, but know that some have. 16. I have never seen seals cohabiting in the water that I am sure of, but I have seen them . attempting to, and have shot them both at such a time. It is quite easy to get them both then. Not many old " wigs " are killed, as they give too much trouble. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of -" The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ANDREW McGARVA. Subscribed and declared by the said Andrew McGarva before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and practising in the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 31st day of -October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Sea*.) [118] 2 0 J! y£' 96 «!! \m Declaration of Frank G. Warrington. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, ,."' City of Victoria, I, FRANK G. WARRINGTON, of the city of Victoria, make oath and say :— That I have been sealing six years ; five years I was a boat-steerer, and this year a hunter. While boat-steering I had a good opportunity of studying the habits of the seals, noting the number lost, and so on. I was on the " Teresa " this year, but we were behind the seals and did not do much. I got- 103 seals myself, and lost by sinking 10 or 12, I think, but I never kept count of them. I sunk more than any one else on board the " Teresa." This year on the lower coast I did not see as many seals as in former years, but we were behind them. But when we got up on the Fairweather Grounds I saw more than ever before. Last year I saw seals as plentiful, or more so, than ever before, and it was almost- impossible to get them; the seals were in schools, and it was impossible to get at them. One day this- year, when on the Fairweather Grounds, I saw thousands of seals, but could do nothing with them, and got only one skin. From my own observation I would saw that there are as many or more seals this year as in any other year, and all the hunters I have talked with say the same. There are very few seals that are badly wounded and escape, for when a seal is wounded it is followed and soon caught if it is badly wounded. Generally, the cows and bulls are found together, but sometimes aU bulls are found, and sometimes aU cows. It is almost impossible to get a seal when they travel in schools; one will start the others, and all will get away. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water ; they were holding one another with their flippers, and were standing straight up and down in the water. I have been in the boat with hunters who shot both seals when they were doing this. If the female is shot first, the male will stay about, and is- easily got. The first year I was out was with Indians; they used spears, but now both the gun and spear is used. The man in the bow uses the spear as a rule, and the steerer uses the gun. My experience on the coast has been that more females than males are killed, and it is about the same in Behring Sea. I have noticed that seals are much harder to get here now than formerly, and that a female seal in pup is ever on the alert, and more so than ordinary seals. Not many old bulls are killed. On this- coast I have found a few barren females. I think that all the damage that is done to seals at sea is done on the coast, and not in Behring Se,a. And I swear that I have read all the statements written down in this affidavit, and that they are all true, and that I have received no consideration for having made them. (Signed) F. H. WARRINGTON. Iii Sworn to before me at Victoria, this 7th day of October, 1892. (Signed) F. Richards, Junr., A Notary Public for British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of G. E. Miner. IiUie L." and on 1892 I was on the last year our vessel Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, G. E. MINER, a citizen of the United States of America, make oath and say: That my home is near the city of San Francisco. That I have been sealing six years. In 1887 I was was out on the " Penelope " as a hunter. In 1888 was on the ' the same vessel in 1889. In 1890 I was on the " Maggie Mac." In 1891 and I Henry Dennis." I was out as a hunter every year. Somewhere about April 21 was spoken by the United States' revenue-cutter " Corwin." An officer came on board and invited the captain (my brother) to go on board the " Corwin." A short while afterwards a note came from my brother asking us to come to the " Corwin" and give our evidence if we wanted to. Five of the hunters went—there were six hunters on the " Dennis." We were aU standing together on the deck of the vessel. My brother asked me to come up to the pilot-house, which was used by Captain Lavender, the United States' Agent, as an office, and give our evidence in regard to shooting seals. I went at once. Captain Lavender asked me questions, and he had a young man there with a typewriter to take down my answers. Mr. Alexander, the United States' Fish Commissioner, one of the Lieutenants, and & brother were present. Captain Lavender sent a boy below for a list of questions which were afterwards asked me. I noticed that only part of what I said was taken down. When Captain Lavender wished the type-writer to take down my answers be repeated them to him. I at the time came to the conclusion that he was only taking down that portion of my evidence that he thought would help his case. Among other questions, he asked me, bow many seals I sank out of what I killed. I told him of Mllirig 200 seals last year and not losing any of them—that I was sure of. One seal I thought I killed'and did not get, but am not sure of it. He did not take this down. His'whole method of taking evidence reminded me of a lawyer examining a witness at Court; if the answer did not suit, he would ask tha question in different ways, with the evident intention of getting me to admit- -something, or, rather, have me say something that was different from what I first said. I was tellino- m 97 the triitbi right through, and did not change my answers. He asked me enough questions to have the ariswefs cover four times as much paper as the declaration I signed. He asked me the average number of seals destroyed. I replied, "Not more than 10 per cent." In this I included those that I knew were I killed and would sink, and those that were badly wounded and I thought would die afterwards. The actual number I see sink is much smaller than that. Last year not more than 1 of 9 sank. This year I got 384 skins, and 10 seals sank and were lost. I don't remember the actual figures for former years, but the percentage was about the same. That night my brother and Captain Lavender had a talk about sealing matters. Lavender told him that I said I had lost 30 per cent, of the seals I killed. I never said that I lost 30 per cent.; it would not have been true had I said so. He asked me, I think, about the proportion of males and females.. I don't remember if he took down my answer. I kill more females than males ; there is a majority of females as a rule, both on the coast and in Behring Sea, but this year our catch did not contain more than 10 per cent, of females, I think. I took about 10 per cent, of females. We thought we were all to give our evidence, but no one was examined but myself. Captain Lavender said that his type-writer was sea-sick, and that he would not be able to take down the evidence of the other men. We spoke here again a day or two afterwards, but no one was asked to give evidence. The weather was fair. If he had given us a list of questions to answer, we would have written out our ideas on sealing matters and would have given them to him. We thought.it strange that he had not asked all of us to give evidence, and aU agreed that it was because he thought it would not suit him. I know Brown, who was a hunter on the " Corwin." I have never been out with him myself, but know his reputation as a hunter. He is reputed to be a very poor hunter. I want the " very " emphasized. He is a nervous, excitable man. A good hunter must be cool. I would never think of hiring him as a seal-hunter, for he was not only nervous, but he had had no experience. The officers on the " Corwin " admitted that he was no good. He had taken one seal while we saw him. He had shot at several seals, but got only the one. The men in his boat with him said to me, " We don't know what is the matter; Brown says they sank." They thought that Brown had missed them, but they didn't like to say so. I have sealed three seasons on the Copper Island side of Behring Sea. I have tried to teU the difference between the seal on the American side and on the Russian side, but putting the skins side by side, I cannot see any difference. I have not noticed that male seals have teats, but don't know they have not. I have never seen seals so plentiful on this coast as they were this year. I have seen seals attempting to cohabit in the water, but do not know that they succeed in having proper connection with one another. I think that pregnant seals are more on the alert than the young seals and older males. We always find barren females among them we take. I have read over all the statements written down in this affidavit, and swear that they are all true, and that I have received no consideration for the evidence that I have given. There is nothing further connected with seals that I wish included. (Signed) G. E. MINER. 9i i Sworn to at the city of Victoria, British Columbia, this 2nd day of October, a.d. 1892. Before me: (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public by Royal Authority in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal) Declaration of Robert S. Findley. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, ROBERT S. FINDLEY, of the city of Victoria, make oath and say :— That I have been four years seabng. The first year I was out on the " Viva " as a boat-steerer. •The next year I went seabng—1890—1 was a hunter; this was on the "Triumph." We went out 'in September on an experimental trip, and only got 83 seals. In 1891 I was on the " Thistle," a steam-sealer, and went into Behring Sea, but we were warned out soon afterwards. I got 53 seals, and did not keep count of the seals that sank, but there were not many. This year I did keep count of them. I was on the "Maude S." this season, and took 243 seals, losing 10 by sinking. There are very few seals that are wounded badly and not got, for when I see that a seal is wounded I foUow it if possible until it tires out. I never saw so many seals before as there were on the coast this year, but they "were very wild. This was the experience of other hunters too. I have seen seals travelling in schools. They are very difficult to get at when in schools, even in smaU schools of five or six, for there is always one on the look-out; it seems as if they were on the watch for hunters. I have opened seals, and find that they eat different kinds of fish. About half-way across from Copper Island to this coast we made about 150 miles one day, and saw sleeping seals here and there all' day. When they are that way there are a good many about, as when the boats go out and get from 100 to 200 seals in a day, we don't see more from the vessel than we did then. Seals were more on the look-out this year, and harder to get. Never noticed that male seals have teats. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, and I have shot both the male and female. It is when they are on or among kelp that I have seen them doing this. I have 98 Jl 1 • seen Itfdian hunters with both gun and spear, but they are getting to use the gun more all the time. Former years we got on the coast more females than males, I think, but this year there were most males. One day this year we got over a hundred seals, nearly all of them being males. My catch m Behrmg •Sea was too small last" year to be worth while dividing into sexes. I think the seals on the Russian -side are exactly the same kind of animal as on this side. I have read carefully all the statements written down in this affidavit, and swear that they are all true, and that no consideration has been offered to or given me for having made them. (Signed) ROBERT S. FINDLEY. 11 m'Mf: Sworn before me at Victoria, this 6th day of October, 1892. (Signed) Thos. Shotbolt, J.P. 1 Declaration of Thomas Garner. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, THOMAS GARNER, of the city of Portland, in the State of Oregon, in the United States of America, make oath and say:— That I have been engaged in sealing for three years. In 1890 on the "C. H. Tupper," in 1891 on the " Louis Olsen," an Astoria schooner, and this year on the " C. H. Tupper." In 1890 1 got 216 seals, and including those that were badly crippled, not more than 20 were destroyed that I did not get. Had I had any experience I would have lost fewer, as after we got into Behring Sea I lost none. Last year I only hunted on the coast; I killed 127 seals, losing 2 only. This year I got 344, and lost 3 ; these were traveUing, and the water was rough, or I would not have lost them. I don't think that any good hunter ought to lose more than I did. Very few seals badly enough wounded to die escape. Shot wiU not kill a seal if it strikes it in the body when more than 40 yards away. I •shoot at a sleeping seal when from 14 to 18 yards from it. Very few rifles are used now. Abreast of Cross Sound this year the seal were more plentiful than I ever saw them before, but they were very wild. In March 1891 I saw seals in schools off Gray's Harbour, below Cape Flattery. I saw about 60, and the other boats reported haying seen about as many. Male and female seals travel together, and with them the yearlings. Along the coast there are about as many females as males, and in the early part of the season in Behring Sea there are about as many males as females. Seals eat squid, salmon, and cod; they prefer squid to anything else. Except the seized schooners I have not heard of -schooners having gone into Behring Sea this year, and believe that no others went. I went to the Russian side this year; we saw two seals south of the 172nd Pass about 20th July. I saw many more seals this year than ever before. I hunted in about the same places this year, and at about the same times. Seals are harder to get when in bunches than when alone. I have on two occasions opened seals that had two pups in their wombs. When a seal is travelling and is not frightened, he moves very slowly, and will often stop to rest. On a warm day they do not I travel" at alL I have on two occasions seen seals cohabiting in Behring Sea; we were between 30 and 40 miles away from the islands both times. The seals were both killed on each occasion. The females were, I should say, 2 or 3 years old, and there was no sign of their having had young. The seals seemed to be holding one another by the help of their flippers, and were sometimes on the surface and sometimes under water; their hinder parts were out of the water more than once, and I could see that there was no doubt about what they were doing; we were quite close to the seals when we saw them; this was the case both times. When we are pulling towards seals and are near them, we pull very slowly and easily, so that although close to the seals when we first saw them it must have taken two or three minutes to reach them. I was about 14 yards from the seals the first time I saw them doing this, and about the same distance the next. I have heard other hunters say the same thing. (Signed) THOS. GARNER. Sworn before me, at Victoria, this 29th day of September, a.d. 1892. (Signed) (Seal.) H. Dallas Helmcken, A Commissioner for taking Affidavits in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and a Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. ii Declaration of James Douglas Warren. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JAMES DOUGLAS WARREN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia Canada, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been a resident of the city of Victoria aforesaid since 1854, during which period I have been absent only when on business for a few months at a time. ■If tmrn^i^mm fc9 2. That in the year 1869 I began buying fur-seals from the Indians on the west const of "Vancouver Island. In, I think, 1870 I went out in the schooner "Thornton," taking some Indians with me, to hunt seals at sea off the west coast. I went out in May from Barclay Sound, and returned in a few days. The trip was an experiment only. I got a few seals, and satisfied myself and. the Indians that seals could be got that way. 3. That the following year, about March, I went out in the"Thornton" from Barclay Sound with ten or twelve canoes of Indians—hunters—and hunted from off Cape Flattery to off Kynquot, Vancouver Island. I followed this up, adding every year or so another schooner to the business, until about 1885. In 1886 I fitted out six vessels for sealing, both on the cOast, and five of them went into Behring Sea. One of the five was seized in the Sea, the others returned with fair catches. In 1887 I sent out six schooners; one was wrecked, the others sealed along the coast and went into Behring Sea. Four of those that entered the Sea were seized with the upper coast catch on board besides the catch .in the Sea. Iri 1888 I sent Out only two schooners, neither of which went into Behring Sea. The losses through the seizures of my schooners so crippled me that I was compelled to abandon the business. 4. That I have hunted seals as far south as the mouth of the Columbia River, and from there .north into Behririg Sea. I saw about the same number of seals at about the same places every year I .was out, and saw nothing that indicated a decrease of seals up to 1887. From my knowledge of the seal, its habits, and the places it frequents, and from what I have learnt from reliable persons since 1887, I do not believe there has been any decrease in the numbers of seals off the coast. 5. That the catch of seals on the coast in any year while I was in the business depended almost entirely on the weather. One year, I think it was 1874, with two schooners out from the 1st March to the end of June, I got only about 350 skins from both vessels. Ten years afterwards (1884) the same two schooners with the same outfit of hunters got over 2,300 seals in about the same time. 6. That of the coast catch of seals a little over one-half of those I got were females. Of the females not over one-half were in pup, and in some years less than one-half. The remainder of the females were young seals and barren cows. 7. That in Behring Sea the proportion of females was about tbe same, but very few in pup. The first two weeks in July a few cows in pup would be got, but none after that. 8. That when in.Behring Sea I never went nearer than 50 miles of the Pribyloff Islands. Most of the seals were got about 75 miles from the islands. Up to the latter part of July I got a few seals showing signs of milk when skinning them. 1 do not think these females' had ever been on the islands, but had lost their pups at sea. I never saw a female killed in the Sea having much milk in them. I have seen more milk in cows heavy with pup killed on the upper coast than I ever saw in cows without pups killed in the Sea. 9. That I have haudled fur-seal skins in greater or less quantities nearly every year since 1869. The average size is fully as large now as it was ten or fifteen years ago. The average size in Behring Sea catches is a little larger than in coast catches on account of the larger number of grey pups taken on the coast. 10. That all along the coast the seals follow the fish on which they live. In years when the schools of fish strike in shore the seals are also found close in. I have known the seals to come right into Barclay Sound one year, and then for two years or more none would come in. 11. That in 1875 I was seabng off Queen Charlotte Island. I landed at several places on the north-west coast of the island. The Indians there told me that lots of seals used to haul-out there on the beaches and rocks. 12. That this year I handled a lot of skins taken on the Copper Island grounds. I did not notice any difference between them and skins taken on the coast or this side of Behring Sea; the two lots appear to me exactly alike. 13. That I employed both Indians and white hunters on my vessels. Indian hunters seldom lose a seal they once strike with the spear. White hunters lose a few they shoot by sinking, and wound a few that escape. This is, however, confined to inexperienced hunters. I have myself shot seals from .the schooner, lowered a boat, and picked up the seal. I have often done that when the vessel was under way—shot the seal dead, rounded to, lowered a boat, rowed to the seal 150 yards distant, and picked it up. As a rule seals shot dead do not sink for some time—fully ten minutes—often longer. 14. That I do not remember ever finding dead seals on the water—" floaters " as they are sometimes caUed. 15. That hunters can net most seals when they find them scattered and sleeping. When found in bunches there is generally a " watchman " that gives the alarm when a hunter approaches. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." r (Signed) J. D. WARREN. i ■fl Subscribed and declared by the said James Douglas Warren before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 1118) 2 D 100 Declaration of Micajah Pinckney. If llii v-i."'.- II: >*: If lllll Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, MICAJAH PINCKNEY, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I have been fur-seal hunting in the North Pacific Ocean two seasons ; this year, not having been warned, I was also in the Behring Sea for about a month. Last year (1891) I was mate of the " C. H. Tupper," and this year master of the " Henrietta." 2. That while on the " Tupper " I paid little attention to the actual work of getting the seal's, and know only that the hunters got about 600, less than half being females. 3. This year, on the " Henrietta," I got 152 seals on the coast between Kynquot, on Vancouver Island, and Marmot Island. There were very few females in this catch, not much over one-fourth. I was late getting out, and the great body of seals were ahead of the "Henrietta" all the way up the coast. Ten of the females in this catch were in pup. 4. That in Behring Sea I got 420 seals between 3rd August and 4th September last. Very few seals were got after 12th August, and I was on my way out when seized by the United States' cruizer "Yorktown." 5. That of the 420 seals got in Behring Sea about one-fourth wrcre females. None of these were with young or in milk. They had had their pups, and the milk had dried up. I was from 80 to 150 miles from the Pribyloff Islands, within which distance I got most of the seals. All the seals except about sixty were skinned on board. I saw them come on board, counted them, ami have a clear memory of the fact that there were no females in pup and none in milk. Nearly tbe whole catch were bulls, principally " middlings " and small bulls. 6. That I had on the " Henrietta" both whiie And Indian muiters. The Indians used spears, tbe Whites shot-guns. From what 1 heard from the hunters, they lost very few seals by sinking. I remember an Indian losing one by his spear breaking, and one I shot from the schooner was lost. Now and then I heard one of the white hunters say he had lost a seal, but in what way I dotft know. 7. That I did not siee any other sealers in the Sea while I was there, and have heard of only two others being there this year. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) M. I'INCKNEY. Subscribed and declared by the said Mieajah Pinckney before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 21st day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (SeaL) Declaration of William Otis Huglies. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, WILLIAM OTIS HUGHES of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Colttabia, Canada, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been fur-seal hunting on the North Pacific Ocean and in Bebrin" Sea for two years; in 1891 I was master of the "Katharine," and in 1892 I was master of the I Carmolite." 2. Last year in the " Katharine " I got about 1,500 seals, of which 191 were cot on the coast and the remainder in Behring Sea. 3. Last year the coast catch was about half females, and of these one-half were with pup. In Behring Sea I got most of my catch about 100 miles westward of St. George Island. Over half the catch in the sea were females, none with pup; but in the month of July about one-third of the females were breeding cows showing milk. After the 1st August hardly any cows got showed si°ns of milk. I believe they had pupped on the islands and the milk had dried up', 4. This year (1892) I got &79 seals on the coast, between Cape Blaiico and Kadiak Island. I got more seals off Cross Sound and off' Kadiak Island than at any other localities. 5. That not more than 10 per cent, of my coast catch this year were females. I made large catch off Kadiak Island—about 400 skins—between the 20th May and the 10th June. These were nearly all males. Off Cross Sound, from about the 25th April to the 10th May, I wot about 200 seals; these were nearly all males. 6. That less than one-half of the females I got on the coast this year were with pup I am positive not fifty females in my coast catch were with pup. I account for my large catch of males simply to the fact that I happened to get among the young bulls during good sealing weather. The United States' schooner " Henry Dennis " was off Kadiak at the same time, and her captain one Miner—told me he had then on board 1,800 skins, only 150 of which were females. II KMBflMB** 101 7. That about the 23rd June last I- left Tonki Bay for the Copper Island grounds,,at which I arrived on the 10th July. Between the 172nd Pass and the western islands of the Aleutian group, from 30 to 60 miles off south shore, I saw scattering seals. I cannot say which way they were travelling. 8. That up to the 28th August I had taken 608 skins over there. On the 28 th August the Russian corvette " Vetiez " seized my vessel and ended the voyage. 9. That I saw fully 1,000 seals on the coast this year for one last year. I was late going out last year, but nowhere—except in Behring Sea last year—have 1 seen so many seals as this year along the upper coast. 10. That I had' six white hunters this year. Now and then a hunter reported having lost a seal, but the total lost was very small. The loss of a seal is always talked over by the hunters, and I was sure to hear of it. It is a great merit among hunters to show no losses, or very few. 11. That I have never picked up a dead seal at sea, nor have I heard of any of my hunters either last year or this doing so. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of | The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) W. O. HUGHES. Subscribed and declared by the said William Otis Hughes before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province, of British Columbia, this 24th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of B'ritisJi Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of James McRae. i Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria* I, JAMES McRAE, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, fur-seal hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been seal-hunting on the North Pacific Ocean two seasons: in 1891 on the "Viva," and in 1892 on the " Oscar and Hattie." 2. In 1891 I was boat-puller for John Townsend, hunter. He got 214 skins—109 on the coast and 105 on the Copper Island grounds. He lost 9 by sinking on the coast and 6 at Copper Island. These figures are from memory, and, I believe, correct. 3. I do not remember if-1 ever noticed what the proportion of females was in his catch. I know there were some cows with pup taken on the coast, but none at Copper Island. 4. This year I hunted myself, and got 66 skins—33 on the coast and 33 at Copper Island grounds. I lost 2 by sinking, both on the coast in rough weather. I wounded 12 or 15 that escaped. Some of these might have died of their wounds. 5. That one-half of those I got on the coast were females, most of them young cows; I only got 4 or 5 cows on the coast in pup. 6. Last year the " Viva" sailed across Behring Sea to the Copper Island grounds, after being warned not to seal on the eastern side. This was in the first week of July. We saw seals west of Four Mountain Pass. 7. That the seals on the Copper Island side have darker fur than those on this coast, but are alike in all other respects. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JAMES McRAE. Subscribed and declared by the said James McRae before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) ' Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in- and for the Province of British Columbia. ) Declaration of Joseph Brown. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JOSEPH BROWN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, seal- hunter, do solemnly declare:— HHHBBI <- lf 1. That I have been six years out m sealing-schooners on the North Pacific coast and two year of the six in Behring Sea. WM 102 2. In 1887 I was on the " San Diego " sealing on the coast until May; the rest of the season was sea-otter hunting on Kadiak grounds. In 1888 on the " Sylvia Handy" seal and sea-otter hunting as before; in 1889°on the "Triumph," on coast trip; in 1890 on the "Mollie Adams;" in 1891 on the " Carmolite," and in 1892 on the " Oscar and Hattie." 3. In all years I was Out, except 1892, I was a boat-steerer, and obtained a Ml knowledge of actual seal-hunting by white hunters using shot-guns and rifles. I have been boat-steerer for seven different hunters in five years. They were aU good average hunters. On the " Carmolite " last year the hunter I was with got over 300 skins [and lost only 9 by sinking. His name was Adolphus Porter, and it was his first year seal-hunting. In 1887, on the " City of San Diego," the hunter 1 was with got 76 skins, and lost by sinking 5. On the " Triumph," in 1889,1 steered for Fred Gilbert; he got only 15 skins while I was with him, but lost none at all. Tbe " Triumph " got damaged in a storm and returned to port, where I left her. 4. This year I hunted myself. I got 90 skins, and lost 1 by sinking. I wounded 8 or 10 that got away from me. I coidd have got most of them but for the fresh breeze blowing—the seals making off to the windward, as they always do when shot at or wounded. The hunters I was with lost very few wounded seals. 5. I saw more seals in 1891 than in any previous year. This year I did not see so many as last year because we were behind the body of the herd going north. 6. Not more than half of the seals I got this year were females. I got 44 seals on the upper coast; over half were females, and most of the females were with pup. On the Copper Island grounds I got 46 seals, more than half females; none of them in pup, a few in milk. 7. The seals on the Copper Island side are darker in colour than on this side, but I do not think there is any other difference. 8. That I have been sealing three seasons in Behring Sea, off the Pribyloff Islands. In 1890, on the I Mollie Adams," we got nearly 900 skins there, and the next year, on the " Carmolite," 1,628 skins. In both years the catch was about half males and half females. Early in the season—about 1st to 15th July—we got a few cows in pup, and after that some cows in milk, but as the season grew later very few of these were got. Every year I was out we got barren cows on the coast, but in the sea we cannot teU whether the cow is barren or not. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOSEPH BROWN. Subscribed and declared by the said Joseph Brown before me, a Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public for British Columbia, (Seal.) i Declaration of Luke McGrath. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, LUKE McGRATH, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seaman, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been two seasons out sealing in the North Pacific. In 1891 on the " Ocean Belle." boat-steerer at first, and in the latter part of the season hunter. In 1892 I was mate of the " Dora Steward," and hunted in the stern or ship's boat. 2. In 18911 got 191 seals—56 on the coast and 135 on the Asiatic side. On the coast I did not lose any by sinking. I wounded some—not more than ten—that escaped; I wounded a few others that I got. Those that escaped were not badly wounded, and I believe all lived. It takes a bad wound to kill a seal. 3. That the 56 seals I got on the coast last year were about half females, 15 or 20 of which were with pup. 4. This year, 1892, I got 18 seals; did not leave Victoria until 6th May. About half were females, 5 or 6 with pup. 5. On the Asiatic side in both years I got 201 seals; more than half of them were males. Last year I got one female there with pup, none this year, except a dead one I picked up. There was no wound on this seal, and it had died a natural death. Tbe pup was well nurtured. C. That there is no difference between the seals on the American and Asiatic coasts, so far as I can see. Their habits in the water are the same, though the seals on the Asiatic side 'are a little tamer. 7. That I saw more seals this year on the part of the coast I was on than on the same coast last year, though I got fewer seals, because of rough weather. I saw more seals in bands this year than last, especially on the upper coast. Last year was my first year out sealing. I wounded more seals last year than this, twice as many, according to the number I got; a good average hunter does not lose more than 6 per cent, by sinking. I know hunters who lose less than that. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra- Judicial Oaths." j ■•-< (Signed) LUKE McGRATH, ' 103 Subscribed and declared by the said Luke McGrath before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and-practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 25th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of James Siteman. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JAMES SITEMAN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seaman, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been five seasons in sealing-schooners in the North Pacific Ocean, three of which I was also in Behring Sea. In 1888 and 1889 I was on the "Adele," in 1890 on the "Walter L. Rich," in 1891 on tbe " Ocean Belle," and in 1892 on the " Geneva." All these seasons I was first mate. 2. That the sealing voyages of these schooners extended from off the northern coast of California to about tbe Pribyloff Islands, and from about the middle of January till September. In the " Adele " in 1889 the hunters got 250 on the coast, and in 1890, 200 on the coast. Both catches were about half females, most of the females in pup. In 1890, in the "Walter L. Rich," the hunters got, between Barclay Sound and Sand Point, in May and June, about 600 seals. This catch was nearly all males - of the females very few were in pup; most of them were young cowts, and a feW barren. 3. That in 1891, on the " Ocean Belle," the hunters got 762 on the coast. These seals were <*ot along the whole coast from off Cape Mendocino to off Kadiak Island. This catch was about half females, and about one-half cf these were with pup; the other half young females and barren cows. 4. That in 1892 the hunters on the " Geneva" got 500 skins on the coast between Cape Mendocino and off St. Paul on Kadiak Island. This catch of seals was three-fifths males, and nearly all the rest were barren cows. Only a few cows with pup were got. The " Geneva " was four or five days about 80 miles off shore from Mount St. Elias in June. The hunters got about 200 seals there, and the most of these weie barren cows. This fact was particularly noticed when the seals were brought on board and skinned. Neither myself nor any person on the " Geneva" had ever seen so • many barren cows before. 5. That in Behring Sea, in each season I was there, about half the catch were females; none in pup. Most of the females, probably two-thirds, were breeding cows showing milk—sometimes only a trace, nearly dried up—others with a good supply. 6. That I saw more seals in 1891 than in any other year I have been out. The most I saw at any one place was off Cross Sound in the latter part of May. I saw just as many seals this year on the coast as in the first two years I was out, and I think many more, especially on the southern coast, where the seals were twice as numerous as then. 7. This year the " Geneva " was on the Asiatic side and got 600 seals. These were nearly all males ; no cows in pup; a few in milk, not more than 15. I did not notice any difference between those seals and what we got on this side. As mate I had charge of the skins as soon as they came on board on all the Aressels I have mentioned, and am familiar with the different classes of skins. 8. That in the five years I have been out I have known of only three dead seals being found by tbe hunters; • one of these, in fact, I got myself; none of these had been dead long; all had been shot; one was found in 1888, one in 1891, and one in 1889. . And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JAMES SITEMAN. Subscribed and declared by the said James Siteman before me, a Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in said province, this 25th day of November, AJX 1892^ (Signed) (Seal.) Arthur L. Belyea, Notary Public. Declaration of Charles Otis Burns. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, CHARLES OTIS BURNS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, fur-seal hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been fur-seal hunting in the North Pacific Ocean two years: in 1891 on the " Viva," and in 1892 on the " Carmolite." 2. That in 1891 I was boat-steerer for a hunter named Scott from San Francisco. He cr0t 1 fllSl I 2 E I •■;;;:■ iiii HI:'" III 104 think, 250 skins on the coast and 149 on the Asiatic side. He did not lose more than 4 at the outside on both the coast and Asiatic side. His catch was, I think, about half females at the most; certainly not more. About two-thirds of the cows were with pup on the coast; there were also a number of barren cows and young ones. 3. That this season, 1892,1 bunted myself. I got 141 skins on tbe coast. I lost by sinking 3 or 4, I am not sure which. I lost 5 altogether for the season, including a catch of 103 on the Asiatic side. I got nearly all the seals I wounded—not more than 10 altogether. Those that got away were slightly wounded, and got off to windward at a lively pace. 4. That I did not in either year detect any difference between the coast seals and those on the Asiatic side, nor did I hear any one on board either of the schooners speak of the matter. Hunters often get seals on this coast sbghtlv darker in colour than the general run, and the same may be true of the Asiatic side. I have noticed that on both sides of the ocean. 5. That last year, on going over to the Asiatic coast, I saw scattering seals all the way over, and saw the same this year. The course both years was from 30 to 60 miles off the Aleutian Islands. 6. That I saw more seals this year than last, especially in bands off Cross Sound and Marmot Island. I n five days, off Marmot Island, the hunters on the " Carmolite " got about 450 seals, nearly all males. The " Carmolite " got 878 seals on the coast this year ; not more than 100 of these were females. Nearly the whole of the upper coast catch were bulls. About one-half the females were with pup ; a good many barren cows were also got. Out of the 141 seals I got I am certain not more than 25 were cows in pup. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act resnecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES OTIS BURNS. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Otis Burns before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 55th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Sfe J mm ■1 tit* v.*:, tfe'-'ViS m mwH'i Iste Declaration of Charles Francis. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, CHARLES FRANCIS, of Lake District, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, fur-seal hunter, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. That I have been four years in sealing-vessels in the North Pacific Ocean, two seasons of which I have been in Behring Sea. In 1889 I was on the "Ariel5' as boat-ptdler; in 1890 1 was a hunter on tbe "Walter L. Rich." I got that year 118 seals on the coast, and 108 in Behring Sea. I did not lose more than 6 for the full season. I wounded a few, but got most of them by chasing, them up. My catch both on the coast and in Behring Sea was about half females. On the coast most of the females were with pup, but in Behring Sea none had pups in them. The first two weeks in the Sea I got some cows in milk, but after that the milk would be dried up. 2. That in 1891 I was on the same vessel; I got 91 seals on the coast. We did not go out until the last of March, and came back in July. The 91 were about half females, and one-half—not more of them—were with pup. The "Walter L. Rich" did not seal anywhere except on the coast. We had very rough weather, and did little actual hunting. 3. This year I was on the " Brenda." I got 63 seals on this coast. 1 lost by sinking this year 8 or 10 seals, most of them on the Asiatic side ; I got 64 seals on tbe Asiatic side. About half my catch on both coasts were females; on this coast most of the females were with pup, on the other side there were no pups. A few cows had a little milk, but most of them were dry. 4. That the " Brenda " this year went over to the Asiatic side, along the Aleutian Islands, about 50 miles south. I saw scattering seals all the way along, especially about tbe 175th to 180th parallel. These seals were travelling north towards Behring Sea. 5. That the seals on the Asiatic side are more copper-coloured on the breast and bellies than on this side, but there is no other difference that I ever noticed. I have seen exactly tbe same thinw in seals on this coast, but not so many of them. 6. That the most seals I ever saw in any one place at one time was off the mouth of the Columbia River in 1889. Taking the whole coast, seals were just as numerous this year as in any year I was out. On the upper coast I have seen most seals off iliddleton Island and Portlock Bank in May and June. Seals on the coast are a little harder to get than they were when I first went out. 7. That I use a shot-gun for killing seals, and shoot sleepers at from 10 to 20 yards, and " travellers " at from 25 to 40 yards. Very few wounded seals that escape the hunters die. 1 have got I few seals that had been wonnded, some of them pretty badly, but the wounds were perfectly healed up. These seals must have been wounded some years before. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES FRANCIS. 105 Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Francis before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 26th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. . . (Seal.) Dcchiration of Michael Keefe. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, MICHAEL KEEFE, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been engaged in fur-seal hunting in the North Pacific Ocean for the past six years—two years as mate, and four as master. Three of the six years I was in the Behring Sea sealing. 2. In 1886 I was mate of the " Dolphin," in 1887 mate of the " Anna Beck," in 1889 I was master of the " Beatrice," in 1890 and 1891 master of the same schooner, and in 1892 master of the I Rosie Olsen." 3. That in 1892 my schooner got 180 skins on the coast. These were nearly all young bulls—. very few cows, and none with pup. I am certain of this, as it was remarked by tbe hunters and crew at the time as something unusual. 4. In 1882, on the " Beatrice," on the coast, I got 913 skins from between-Cape Flattery and Kadiak Island. The next year I got 200 on the coast, and tbe third year in the " Beatrice " about 200 on the coast. In each of these years by far the larger percentage of the catches were males. Some years there are more females got than in other years, but I have never got more females in any catch than males. On the coast some of the females are with pup ; my experience is that not more than 20 in the 100 are with pup. The largest part of my catches has always been young bulls, and of the females, mostly young cows. 5. That I have been three seasons in Behring Sea hunting seals. In 1887 I was there in the " Anna Beck"—seized after three days' sealing. I was there again in 1890 and 1891 in the " Beatrice." In 1890 I got 900 skins there between the 20th July and 24th August. This catch was about two-fifths females—none in pup—none with a supply of milk, but a good many showing milk dried up. These cows had been to the breeding-grounds, and had finished nursing their young. 6. In 1891 I got 300 seals in about ten days' actual sealing, and was then warned out on the 26th July. This lot of seals was divided as to sex about as the year before. I went across Behring .Sea to the Copper Island grounds last year, 1891; I saw seals for a long distance west of the Pribyloff Islands. I got 500 seals there last year—nearly half cows. Most of the cows showed dried milk in the breasts. This was after the 12th August. 7. This year I went over to the Asiatic side outside the Aleutian Islands, about 30 miles off shore. I saw scattering seals all along the course, especially off Amutka-Pass (172nd), and also about the 180th paraUel of longitude. These seals all seemed to be travelling towards the Behring Sea, but to what point I could not tell. 8. That on the Copper Island grounds this year I got about 200 skins in two weeks, 100 of which were good [got ?] in one day. This 100 were 90 per cent, males. Shortly afterwards I was seized, and the voyage broken up. 9. That there is no difference in the seals on the two coasts in the fur, but in the seal itself there is none. 10. This year I saw just as many seals on the coast as in sealing. Some years there seems to be more on the coast than other years, but on the whole I see nothing to warrant the conclusion that the seals are decreasing in number. If there is a decrease in the number going to the rookeries, it is because of the killing on the rookeries. 11. I have always had Indian hunters, and they lose no seals. They use the spear always, except when the seal is liable to escape after spearing. I am speaking only of my own Indian hunters. 12. That I have never seen a dead seal on the water, nor have I known any of my hunters to find any. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) MICHAEL KEEFE. There may be a difference of quality any of the first three years I was out Subscribed and declared by the said Michael Keefe before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this '26th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) MW' 106 Declaration of John Goburn. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JOHN COBURN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, fur- seal hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been fur-seal hunting on the North Pacific coast for five years, four seasons of which I have also been in Behring Sea. 2. That in 1892 I was on the " Carmolite," in 1891 on the " Pioneer," in 1890 on the "Annie C Moore," in 1889 on the "E. B. Marvin," and in 1888 on the " Edward E. Webster," 3. That in 1888 I got 150 seals on the coast. I did not lose any by sinking. In 1889 I got 350 for the season—about 160 on the coast, the rest in Behring Sea. I don't remember losing any by sinking that year; I am pretty sure I did not. In 1890 I got 140 on the coast, and 120 in Behring Sea. I think I lost one that year by sinking. In 1891 I got 156 on the coast, and 248 in Behring Sea. 1 did not lose any by sinking at all last year. This year (1892) I got 149 on tbe coast, and 101 on Copper Island grounds. I lost one by sinking on Copper Island grounds. This was a big bull just from the rookery, and too poor to float—nothing but skin and bone. 4. That this year my coast catch was nearly all young bulls. It was the same with all the hunters on the ': Carmolite." None of the females I got were with pup ; they were either young cows or barren cows. For previous years I am not prepared to say definitely what the proportion of females to males was, but I feel safe in saying that less than half my catch every other year were females. About one-half the females were young and barren cows, the other half cows in pup. 5. In Behring Sea the bigger half of my catches were females—none in pup. In the early part of the season some of the females would be in milk, but later on the milk would be dried up. 6. I shoot sleeping seals at from 10 to.20 yards, and " travellers " at from 25 to 50 yards. The seals are aU wilder and harder to get than they used to be, especially on the coast. I have always found seals in schools or bunches; they are very hard to get when in bunches. 1 have chased bunches of seals all day, and got none at all. No hunter gets one seal out of a thousand that he sees, taking the season through. 7. The most seals I ever saw at any one place was off' Cross Sound this year, but we could not get near them. They were all in schools and moving about. In 1890 I saw immense numbers of seals off the mouth of the Columbia River. 8. That there are just as many seals on the coast now as there were when I first went out; in fact, this year I saw more seals on the coast than ever before. Whether the hunters get more depends on the weather and how the seals are bunched. Young bulls are easier got at than females. 9. That I wound very few seals that escape. I am sure that five in a season would be the outside number. 10. That I have never found a dead seal on the water. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOHN COBURN, his x mark. Witness: (Signed) F. Pratt. Subscribed and declared by the said John Coburn, the same having first been read over and explained to him, and he fully understanding the same, before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 26th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public tn and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of George W^ells. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. , GEORGE WELLS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada fur- seal hunter, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. That I have been three years hunting fur-seals in the North Pacific Ocean ; two. seasons I was in Behring Sea. 2. That in 1890 I was on the " Annie C. Moore." That was my first year. I got 134 skins on the coast and 100, in Behring Sea. More than half of my coast catch that year were buUs, and about one-half the females were with pup. I got that year a larger number of young and barren cows than usual. In Behring Sea that year about two-thirds I got were females, none of them with pup A few were in milk, but Most of them were dried up. They had pupped and finished nursino- their youno- The " Annie C. Moore " sealed most of the time 40 to 45 miles from the Pribyloff Islands all around them. 107 3. That in 1891 I was a hunter on the * Pioneer." I got 169 seals on the coast, and 253 in Behring Sea My coast catch was about half females, and half of these were with pup. In the Sea I got about the same proportion of females as the year before; a few were in milk, but the most of them were dried up. After July all the cows are dry of milk. It is only in the first, three or four weeks in July that cows with milk in any aotieeable quantity are got. 4. That in 1892 I hunted on the "Carmolite." I got 164 skins otn the coast, and 134 on the Asiatic side. My coast catch this year was four-fifths bulls. Of the females not more than half were in pup. The other hunters on the "Carmolite" had about the same average of females. On the Asiatic side I got more females than males ; there were no pups in them and no milk; they were dried up. Tliis was after 1st August. 5. That up to this year I had never lost a seal by sinking. This jear I lost two, both on the Asiatic side. I shot them at too great a distance, and they went down before the boat reached them. The number of seals lost by sinking among good average hunters is very small; a good deal depends on .the boat-puller and boat-Bteerer and the condition of the sea. 6. That I noticed no difference between the seals on the two sides of the Pacific. I often get seals on the American coast differing sbghtly in colour from the general run, and the same is true on the Asiatic side. 7. That I saw more seals on the coast this year than in either of the previous two years. The most I saw at one time and place was off Cross Sound in May this year. I saw far more there than I ever saw in Behring Sea. They were in schools, large and small, and very wild. 8. That I have never picked up dead seals, except those I shot myself. I never knew any of the hunters I was with to find any. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same .to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) GEORGE WELLS, his x mark. Witness: (Signed) Robt. E. McKeil. Subscribed and declared by the said George Wells, the same having been first read over and explained to him, and he fully understood the same, before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of William F. Roland. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, WILLIAM F. ROLAND, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, fur-seal hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been three years hunting fur-seals on the North Pacific coasts, two of which I was also in Behring Sea. In 1890, my first year, I was on the " Ocean Belle," and in 1891 and 1892 on the " Carlotta G. Cox." 2. That in 1890 I got 131 seals on the coast. I did not keep an accurate account of what I lost by sinking, but it was not more than 10 or 12. In Behring Sea that year I got 65 seals, and lost 2 or 3. Iu 1891 I got 111 seals on the coast, and 293 in Behring Sea in one month. We went into .the Sea on the 8th July, and were warned out on the 8th August. I lost 4 seals on the coast and 7 in Behring Sea by sinking last year. 3. That about one-third of my catch on the coast each year was females, but this year, 1892,1 o-ot less cows than in either of the two previous years. My catch was mostly young bulls this year. That in Behring Sea my catch was about half females; none in pup; more than half of them in milk in varying quantities from a good supply to a few drops in .cows about dried up. It is only in the early part of the season in Behring Sea we get cows in milk, and before the end of the season they are about all dried up. 4. That this year, 1892, I got 369 seals on the coast, and lost by sinking 11. I kept accurate account of this. On the Asiatic side I got 136 seals, and lost 8 by sinking. Most of the seals I lost were shot at long range with a rifle. I wounded a few seals that escaped, but I always got seals that were badly wounded. There was little danger of those that escaped dying from their wounds. 5. That I saw a great many more seals this year than ever before all along the coast, but especially at Fairweather grounds and off Cape Cook, Vancouver Island. I also saw a great body of seals in February last off Cape Flattery. The weather was too rough to lower the boats, and we got none of them. They were in big bunches traveling northward. 6. That every year, on the return from Behring Sea or the Copper Island grounds, I have seen scattering seals in the North Pacific Ocean on our course about 400 or 500 miles from Kadiak Island along the 50th parallel north latitude. This would be about September, between the middle and 1st October. 7 In my three years' sealing I have picked up three dead seals, two tarn year on this coast, and one in Behrino- Sea in 1890. 'One of those got this year I had killed myself a short time before J it was still [118] 2 ¥ ml t 108 warm. I know it was one I had killed myself, as there were no other hunters around. The other one this year I got early in the morning close to the vessel where we had been hunting the day before. The one in Behring Sea had been dead a day or two; it had been shot through the ribs, and very badly wounded. 8. That in each year I have been out I have seen the seals in bunches; or schools, from three to fifteen in a bunch, and sometimes a large school of these bunches. I have seen this, aU along the coast from Cape Flattery north to the Behring Sea, and in Behring Sea I have seen very large bands of seals—all kinds of seals mixed up. Generally these bands and schools are made up of all ages of both sexes, but now and then I have seen a bunch of all one kind and sex. As we go north the cows with pup draw ahead of the others and enter Behring Sea first. Large bulls (" wigs") seldom come south of Queen Charlotte Island, and go back to the Sea very early. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be truej and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) W. F. ROLAND. sift Subscribed and declared by the said W. F. Roland before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 6th day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L, Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province- ofi British Columbia. (Seal.) HP'- JSthr;; m Declaration of Arthur W. Roland. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, ARTHUR W. ROLAND, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia,; Canada, fur-seal hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been out in three successive years hunting fur-seals in the North Pacific Ocean,' two of which I was in Behring Sea and once over on Copper Island grounds. I was first out in 1890 on the " Ocean Belle," and in 1891 and 1892 on the " Carlotta G. Cox." 2. That in each year I was with my brother William F. Roland, whose declaration I have read. I have a personal knowledge of what is therein contained, and it is true and correct. 3. That in 1890, my first year, I got 73 seals on the coast, and 49 in Behring Sea. The " Ocean BeUe " experienced very rough and thick weather, and had only a few good days in August while in the Sea. I lost none on the coast by sinking, but in Behring Sea I lost two. I don't remember how many cows I got, either on the coast or in Behring Sea, that year. 4. That in 1891 I got 125 seals on the coast, and lost 3 by sinking. In Behring Sea I got 279 seals, and lost by sinking not more than 5. 1 think the exact number was 4. Both on the coast arid in the Sea about one-half my catch was females, and on the coast about half the females were with pup. In Behring Sea no females in pup were taken. In the first part of. the season in the Sea I got a number of cows in milk, but after the 1st August the cows were nearly all dried up. The seals were got from 80 to 125 miles from the islands—most of the seals from 80 to 100 miles off. 5. That in 1892 I got 286 seals on the coast, and lost by sinking 1. After the coast sealing was over we went to Copper Island grounds. I got 78 seals- there, and lost two by sinking. I kept count of all the seals I lost in that way, both last year and this year, and am sure of the number for each year. My catch on the coast was about one-third females this year, and most of these were with pup. On the Copper Island side about half I got were females, none with pup, some with milk, but most of the cows were dried up. 6. That coming home this year from Copper Island grounds I saw some scattering seals about 500 miles south of the Aleutian Islands along the 50th parallel of north latitude. Last year I saw some seals when about half-way between Unimak Pass and Cape Flattery in nearly a direct course between these points. 7. That the fur of the seals generally on the Asiatic coast is a shade darker than on this side, but I have seen seals on this coast as dark in colour as any I saw over there. Except in this respect there is no difference between them. 8. That I saw more seals on the coast this year than in any other year I have been out. The largest number I have seen at one place and time was on the Fairweather grounds this year in the latter part of April and in May. On the lower coast I have seen great numbers of seals off Cape Flattery in February, and off Cape Cook in March. 9. Most of the seals I have lost by sinking were shot from a long distance—from 75 to 150 yards I have killed and got seals shot with a rifle at a distance of 200' yards. 10. That last year I picked up one dead seal on the water in Behring Sea. It had been kiHed by a shot in the body, and had been dead two or three days. 11. That very few seals that are badly wounded escape. They are followed up, and a second shot kills them. Those that escape are wounded very little, and soon get well. I have got several seals that have been wounded. One old buU I remember had a charge of buck-shot just in front of the fore flipper. The shot was aU there, and had evidently been there two or three years. It is almost impossible to kill a seal with shot unless the vitals are reached. vl; "~ms?5 HBHEPH 103 And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) A. W. ROLAND. Subscribed and declared by tbe said Arthur W. Roland before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 6th day of December, a.d. 1882. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of John Matthews, Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JOHN MATTHEWS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, fur-seal hunter, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been hunting fur-seals, in the North Pacific Ocean two years, and in Behring Sea a short time—one year. In 1891 I was hunting on the " Umbrina," and in 1892 I was on the " Brenda." 2. That in 1891, my first year, I got 87 seals on the coast, 71 in Behring Sea on eastern side, and 30 on the Copper Island grounds. The "Umbrina" was warned out of Behring Sea after two or three weeks' hunting, and we went to the Asiatic side. 3. That in 1891 I kept account of all the seals I lost by sinking. I marked every seal I lost that way in my book. I lost 4 on the coast, none in Behring Sea, and 2 at Copper Island. I wounded a few seals that got away, but I am sure I got 8 out of every 10 seals that I shot at, taking the season through. All the seals I lost were old bulls, which sink very quickly when shot, because they are generally very poor, all skin and bones. One of these old bulls I got alongside the boat^but -he was- too big to get on board, and I let him go. 4. That in 1892 I got 99 seals on the coast, and lost none at all by sinking. I wounded a few, but got most of those I wounded. I got 98 seals on the Copper Island grounds this year, and lost by. sinking 4. A few that I wounded escaped, but, taking the season through, I got at least 8-out of every..- 10 I shot at. 5. That I did not pay much attention to the number of either sex of seals I got in any year, but my recollection is that the sexes were about in equal numbers. Of the seals I got both years on the coast, not over one in five were females with pup. In Behring Sea, in 1891, my catch was nearly all bulls, at least five out of.,every six. No'COws. with pup were got, but a very few cows in milk were got, some of them nearly all dried up. 6. That on the " Brenda's " voyage home this year from Copper Island grounds I saw seals in the North Pacific about 300 miles south of Middleton Island. This was about the middle of September. We also saw seals about 15 miles off Cape Flattery about 21st September. 7. That I did not notice any difference between the seals on the two sides of the North Pacific,, except that the seals on the Asiatic side seemed not so wild as on this coast. I think there were a larger number of darker coloured seals on that side, but the difference is slight, and. I. have seen seals of the same shade of colour on this side. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true,, and by virtue of " Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOHN MATTHEWS.. Subscribed and declared by the said John Matthews before me, a Notary Public duly cojnmisr sioned and residing and practising at the. city of Victoria, in the Province of British. Colunibia this 6th day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Andrew McKeil. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I ANDREW McKEIL, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1 That I have been out on sealing-vessels on the North Pacific coast two years as mate—in 1891 on the "Maud S.," and in 1892 on the "Sadie Turpel." 2 That in 1891 the " Maud S." got 1,533 seal-skins, caught by six hunters. More than half of the whole catch were males. We did not leave port until the 24th April, and our coast catch was only about 400. The rest were got in Behring- Sea. About three out of the five of the females taken on mm- 110 the coast were cows with pup. In Behring Sea we got no cows with pup. Up to the 1st August the hunters get cows with milk in them, but after that date the milch cows begin to disappear, and very soon none are got in milk. By the 20th August the milk in the. cows has all dried up. 3. That the hunters on the " Sadie Turpel" this year got 451 seals on the coast, and 244 on the Asiatic coast around Copper Island. The number of cows in pup was about the same as last year on the coast. On the Copper Island grounds about half our catch were females. Mostly all the females had pupped, and were about dry of milk. We reached there about the 2nd August, and left on the 2nd September. 4. That I saw more seals on the coast this year than last, especially off Cape Cook, Cape Fair- weather, and Sitka, but got fewer, partly owing to rougher weather, and partly to having an inexperienced captain and crew. 5. That at all the places I have named the seals were in schools and bunches, and travelling north and westerly. The schools or bunches were mixed—all ages of both sexes, except old bulls, were together. 6. That last year, 1891, the "Maud S." after being warned, sailed across Behring Sea in nearly a direct line between the Pribyloff Islands and the Commander Islands. I saw seals every day on the voyage over. These seals were mostly sleepers, so I cannot say which way they were going. 7. This year the " Sadie Turpel" went over to the Copper Island grounds, outside of, and about 75 or 80 miles south of, the Aleutian Islands. I saw seals every day on the voyage from Amutka Pass to Atu Island. We got seven at different times on the way over. These seals were shot from the deck, and a boat was lowered to get them in. These seals were travelling in towards the Sea in a westerly direction. They were all bulls, from 2 years old up. On the return voyage we saw seals off Atu Island, about 60 miles south. Some of these seals followed the vessels for some time in a southeasterly direction. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue ■ of "The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ANDREW McKEIL. . Subscribed and declared by the said Andrew McKeil before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at tbe city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this fi.th day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of . British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of G. C. Gerow. Mb m m MR. G. C. GEROW declares as follows:— I have been>sealing five seasons. I first went out on the " Triumph " twelve years ago-; she was afterwards lost. Four years ago I went out on the new " Triumph," the next year on the " Ariel," the third year on the"E..B. Marvin," in which I have a part interest, and last year on the " Umbrina." I have always been engaged as hunter. During the last two years I have kept a strict account of the seals shot by me, and would be willing to say under oath that. I did not lose one in eighteen. Often when 1 would get thirty or more seals in-one day none would be lost, but at other times I would lose quite a large percentage, but on the whole season not more than one in eighteen would be lost. Of these, I am not sure that they were killed, but about that percentage is struck and lost. I have no way of knowing how many wounded seals get away and die, as there is no way of telling; but there are not many, for if a seal is not badly wounded it will get away and live. If badly wounded it will be certainly got. It is very seldom that a seal <can be shot anywhere but in tlie head or neck; if shot in the head it will die, and if in the neck it may get away if not hit in a vital part. I know that some wounded ones get away, for last summer near Copper Island we took some seals that had been shot before^some a week, and some much longer. If many seals were wounded and died they would be found after-wards, as, unless a seal is killed instantly, it will as a rule float. In five years I have found but one dead seal. It had been some time dead, for it was much decomposed. If a seal is killed at once it begins to sink in about half a minute, always going down -rump first. A male always sinks .more quickly than. a. female. Good hunters lose very.few seals, and poor hunters do not lose as many as they say they do. They often excuse themselves for,not having brought in seals by saying that they killed them, but that they sank. The pullers tell quite a- different story, however. Seals are sometimes found in schools or bunches of from five to twenty. A year ao-o last March I found them that way off the Columbia River. When seals are in bunches it is&almost impossible to get any.of them, as there is sure to be one or more that are lively and on the watch, and who give warning to the others. If I saw one seal in one direction, and a bunch in another, I would go after the single seal. It is all .nonsense to say that if a schooner gets into a school a great many are killed, for they wouldMikely all get away. I never have seen a schooler bunch of any particular kind of st&l. Late in the season there are a good many young males that do not go to the islands until late, or not -ri. all; but at other times all kinds are mixed together.; sometimes, however a dav's hunt will consist oi nearly all males, and sometimes nearly aU females. ' Of my coast catch about two-thirds are females, and about the same in Behrinc Sea. In a good season's catch there would be about 100 to 150 barren females. t/wmn^wmm ■» Ill I have found all along Queen Charlotte Islands females in milk who have dropped their pups. The most I ever saw was when on the " Triumph " four years ago; in June we got seventy or more females in milk that had dropped their young. I and all other sealers have had this experience, and believe that the seals have some place about, or south of, the Queen Charlotte Islands where they give birth to their young. I have seen seals catching young cod and salmon and a fish like a mackerel, and have found the same kinds in them. I have never taken or heard of any one else taking a stagey skin, or one that was not as good at one season as another. I do not know how far cows go to sea to feed when they have young on the islands, but far to the westward cows in milk are seldom taken; the seals there are young females and males. I have taken seals in the 172nd Pass early in July, and in all the passes east of that. All the years before last year I found young seals in' September all along between the pass by whieh we came out of Behring Sea and Cape Cook. These seals had not been at the breeding-islands. Last year was too stormy, and no look-out was kept. I do not believe that the seals can be exterminated if aU the schooners in America are sent after them, if they are protected on the breeding-islands. There will never be more schooners sent after them than it pays to send, but even if there were, the seal understands getting away better than men understanding taking- them. They are getting more wary every year, and unless they are asleep it is almost impossible to get them. They seem to know now that we want them. They used to come close up to the boat and look at us; now they don't come near us at all. Formerly, if two sleepers were found together, both would very likely be got, as after one was shot the other would come up beside it and look about and would be easily shot; now the second one goes down and will not be seen again, or comes up out of reach. Formerly, if we found ten or so in a bunch of kelp, we would get at least six; now we're lucky to get two. They were as plentiful as ever last year, but very much harder to get. I hereby certify that I have given the above facts voluntarily and without consideration. (Signed) G. C. GEROW. I certify that the above declaration was read over to Mr. G. C. Gerow, and signed by him in my presence. (Signed) Gordon F. Grant, Chief Engineer, Steam-ship " Quadra," Steam-ship " Quadra, May 12, 1892. m m ,i Declaration of Captain James Gaudin. I CAPTAIN JAMES GAUDIN, of the steam-ship " Quadra," do solemnly declare :— That I was in the year 18rf7 eaptain of the sehooner " Ada." Early in July we started from Victoria on a sealing voyage. As it was late we steered direct for Behring Sea, and saw no seals until we got there about the 20th July. We were seized by the " Bear " about the 25th August. We got nearly 1,900 seals while in Behring Sea. I had an Indian crew. From their reports I know that less than 5 per cent, of the seals killed were lost. They used both guns and spears. There were ten or twelve seals shot from the schooner, to get which a boat had to be lowered. None were lost, so they must have floated two or three minutes at least. My hunters always said that if the boatmen were smart seals were seldom lost. They never fired at long range—20 or 30 feet. Never saw a school of seals. They don't go in schools. There was not one grey pup among aU the seals we got. They were chiefly females, but nearly all were dry as if they, had had their pups, but were through, suckling them. A few were in milk. On the stomachs of seals we found a fish like a mackerel, and sometimes squid. About the 1st September seals were plentiful outside Akutan Pass. We never got seals whose skins were stagey or poorer at one season than another. I don't think seals can ever be exterminated by killing them at sea; they have too many chances of getting away. . | (Signed) JAS. GAUDIN. Steamship " Chieftain," May 23, 1892. Declaration of Charles Blomquist. I, CHARLES BLOMQUIST, do solemnly declare :— That I was for three months last year (1891) steeier in one of the sealing-boats of the schooner " Sea Lion." I was in her up to the date of her being warned by the " Nymphe." My position as ste°rer «ave me a good chance of seeing how many seals were missed by the hunter in the boat in which I°was, and how many of those killed sank and were lost. It is easy to tell when a seal is hit and killed, because they generally throw their flippers up in the air, and bring them down on the water before they sink. If they are missed, or only wounded, they " breach " at once, and dive, coming up far away. The hunter I was with missed a good many. He killed 149 seals, and of these 3 sank; one of these was gaffed, but sank with the gaff. When a seal is shot, it sometimes sinks at once, and p.181 2 G m IK Bit'" Iiii'' ; .-J,* e; , 112 sometimes it does not sink at all. One day the hunter shot two sleepers near one another, one on each side of the boat, and both floated. If a seal is shot in the windpipe, it sinks at once. 1 skinned' nearly all the 149 seals, and saw the others. There were about fourteen or fifteen females among them. Nearly all of these seals were got around Middleton Island. I heard some Indians talking on the schooner " Aurora;" they said that they had been ashore on; Middleton Island, and had killed seals there. . AimmoT (Signed) CHARLES BLOMQUIST. I certify that the above declaration was read over to and signed by Charles Blomquist in my presence. (Signed) W. J. Cullum. Steam-ship " Chieftain" May 23, 1892. Declaration of Captain S. W. Buckman. I, CAPTAIN S. W. BUCKMAN, now a pilot on China and other steamers coming to this port, declare:— That I was, in 1886, captain of the steamer " Sardonyx," running from Hong Kong to Victoria. In that year we passed through seals for two days and a part of a third about 150 miles south of the Aleutian Islands. We moved at the rate of about 9£ miles an hour. We saw the last of them somewhere about the 172nd meridian. The captain and mate of the " Zambesi" have told me that in January last they saw seals in about the same place, or a little to the west of where I saw them. When I saw them they were about' as plentiful as sealers generally find them, but the officers of the " Zambesi" report them as being much more abundant than that. I consider that they came from the Japan side, and were a part of the seals that go to the Commander Islands. In 1889 I was captain of the schooner " Ariel," which went to Behring Sea on a sealing voyage. In that year We saw a good mfeny females in milk that had had their young, south of the Aleutian Islands, and in June, north of Queen Charlotte Islands, we saw a few young seals at times swimming- in the water; they appeared to be about two months old. I do not think that all the seals go to Behring Sea, but bebeve that some of them remain around the Queen Charlotte Islands aU the year round. I cannot give an estimate of the number of females taken, as I never kept any record. I do not think that more than one out of ten or fifteen seals killed is lost at the very outside. While I was out a good many seals were shot from the schooner, and they were nearly always got, although it takes some minutes to lower a boat. I have very seldom seen them sink. Hunters will sometimes shoot three or four seals before picking them up. I have noticed that when the carcasses of seals are thrown overboard a great many float, more than half of them. My hunters shot at seals when about 40 or 50 feet from them, and at that distance it does not take long to reach them after they are shot. . On thinking over the matter, I do not believe that more than one seal out of twenty or twenty-five killed is lost. I have seen the seals catching a fish like a mackerel, but I have never examined the' contents of a seal's stomach. I have never seen more than eight or ten seals together in fine weather, but in rough weather they seem to travel more, and then I have seen many more than that; as far as half-a-mile would be covered with them a Httle distance apart. I have found that some boats would bring in all small- sized bulls, while others bring all females. Barren females are often found. I think that the young males travel together, and that the older ones go with the females. I never saw a skin taken in the summer that was poorer than at other times. (Signed) S. W. BUCKMAN. Victoria, June-1,1892. Declaration of Captain William Grant. I, CAPTAIN WILLIAM GRANT, declare:— That I made many voyages to and from China and Japan,, and that I have often seen seals at sea. "rorn^ my private chary when a passsenger on the " Parthia" j " Noon, the The following is an extract 3rd December, 1890. Latitude 42° 29' north. Longitude 157° 35' east. At 10 a.m. saw lots of seals around the ship in large schools jumping out of the water, heading" towards the south." Some of the officers had noticed seals when day broke, and tbey were very plentiful until about 11 o'clock, when the sea grew rough, and they could no longer be seen. They were travelling for the most part in schools sometimes as many as 30 or 40 together. They were not of one particular age or sex, but were of all- kinds. When captain of the barque " George," running from China to Victoria, I, on three different trips, noticed seals in about the same locality, but do not now remember the time of year in which they were seen, as no note was taken at the time. After I left the " George " I put Captain Townsend in clSe'and he Ms told me tlla;t on two v°yages he saw seals in about the same latitude and longitude as that mentioned above; the locality was marked on a chart by him. The chart is now on the "Ainoka." Captain O'Leary, of the "Ocean Belle," told me that in October last year when returning from sealing near the Commander Islands, he found seals very abundant about half-way •between Cape Kapury and Attu Island (Signed) WILLIAM GRANT. SfeVen hundred seals were takeri by " Ocean Belle " in three days at locality mentioned. Victoria, June 1,1892. >/?■■' W. G. Deposition of Edward Pratt Miner. State of Washington, King County, City of Seattle, EDWARD PRATT MINER, being duly* sworn, deposes as follows :— I went out sea-otter or seal hunting in 1876, when I went sea-otter hunting on the, coast of California. Between 1870 and 1878 I was hair-seal hunting on the Santa Barbara Islands. In 1878 I was again sea-otter hunting on the Californian coast. In 1879 I was not out at all, but in 1880 I was out in the schooner "Three Sisters," of San Francisco, Captain Beckwith, master. She was chartered by H. Liebes & Co., and was supposed to be going out on a sea-otter and fur-seal hunting expedition, but as a matter of fact all of us who shipped as. hunters knew that the vessel had been fitted out for a raid on the rookeries on the Commander Islands. We lowered boats twjce on the Alaskan coast on the way north and got one sea-otter, but did no fur-seal hunting. Early in July we started from the Alaskan coast for the Commander Islands, and about the middle of the mppth landed on the west side of Copper Island. We landed in the day-time in a fog. There were three boats. We had killed about 800 seals before we were seen, but had taken none of them on board the vessel. A bidarka with natives in it came along then, and we knew that warning would be given to,the people on the island, and we began skinning the seals. In about an hour what appeared to. be fifty men came across the island to where we were, and began firing at us with blank cartridges. We started off at once, but when some distance from land began killing seals in the kelp. They then fired on us with bullets, and we went on the schooner. All the skins we got of the seals we killed was 153. Before we made the raid on the seal rookery we had anchored at the north end of Copper Island where sea-otter are plentiful, and while there a bidarka full of natives came out to us and served a warning on the captain, telling him that he must not hunt within 5 miles of the islands—the miles were, I suppose, meant for Russian miles. We went from Copper Island to the Kurile Islands to look, for sea-otter, and after getting one sailed on the 4th August for San Francisco. In 1881 I went out on the "Annie Cashman," of San Francisco, on a seal-hunting trip. During April and the early part of May we sealed off Cape Flattery. This was,the first pelagic sealing I had ever done, and had not heard of other white men killing seals in the water before that time. . We went from there to the Shimigin Islands, killnig some seals as we went along, and spent some time there, going into Behring Sea in the latter part of June. We didn't hunt seals there, but were looking for walrus. We were at St. Matthew Island the 4th July, and went from there to Copper Island. We landed there one clear day, and in an hour and arhalf took 250 seals, and had them all on board before the natives came to where we were. We went away then, but came back the next night. We were fired on by the natives, and did not land. We went from there to Robben Island, reaching there about the 1st November. Our schooner and three others anchored there, and we went ashore and clubbed the seals. Our schooner's share was 800 skins. We went from there to Yokahama, where I remained. The next year, 1882, I sailed from Yokahama in the schooner "Otome" otter hunting to the Kurile Islands. The year before this Captain Snow had found a new rookery on Shred-noi Island, and in 1882 we went there and camped ashore; there were eight schooners of us. I do not remember exactly how many seals we got then, but know that there were .1,000 in the first drive. A rookery had been found on Moo-shire Rocks the year before, and we worked both rookeries that summer. Shred-noi Island and Moo-shire Rock are about 160 miles apart, and form part of the Kurile group. We went from there to Robben Island, and waited until the "Leon "—the vessel that was guarding the island—went away; we then landed and killed about 12,000 seals. It was either this year or the previous one, I am not now sure which, that Captain Blair, of. the " Leon," had, in order to break up the rookery, killed all the seals that could be found. He did not have them skinned, but simply cut them down the back and across the body, and left them in piles on the beach to rot. I estimated that there were about 20,000 in all. I heard that after we had been there men landed and buried the seals so that others would haul out, but while we" were there nothing was done,, and all* the seals we got were the Ories that came ashore. From there we went to Yokahama. In 1883 I went in the schooner "Otsego," of Yokahama. sea-otter and seal hunting, but we wanted particularly to find a rookery in the Japan Sea. I was mate and navigator. We were looking for the Waywoda Rocks on which seals had been reported to haul out, but these rocks, I believe, do not exist. We found seals, however, on the Bittern Rocks, 14 miles off north-west coast of Nipon Island. They hauled out there every year, though the natives killed them as fast as they came ashore. We went salmon fishing after that, and then to Robben Island, where 300 or 400 seals were got. In 1884 I was mate and hunter on the schooner " Penelope | we hunted sea-otter on the Kurile Islands, and then north along the Kamstchatkan coast to Karaginski Island. We killed fur-seals here and there all up the coast, and near Karaginski Island as weU. These seals, I think, were from the Commander Islands, as I was ashore in many places on Karaginski Island, and saw no signs of \mt, W-"'(,h,-' Mm Hi1 l||e li'i'- ftSSi 111 i II m m mm m 114 fur-seals or of rookerv grounds. In 18'81 when we went from St. Matthew Island to Copper Island we went to Karaginski Island, but saw no fur-seals near there. We landed on the two small islands to the northward of Karaginski, and though we found no fur-seals we found a great- many skeletons and skulls ashore there ; the skulls were all broken up as if they had been clubbed. In 1884 we went from Karaginski Island to Yokahama, getting a few seals on the Moo-shin Rocks. In 1885 I went out as master of the " Penelope," and discovered a new rookery on Rikoka Island, one of the Kurile group. We got about 3,500 skins there. I had not enough salt to cure more, and went to Yokahama. When the news spread several other schooners went to this rookery and frightened the seals away ; 1,600 was, I think, the most any one got. We went back there again from Yokahama, but the other schooners had been ahead of us, and we got nothing. I went, however, to Robben Reef, and got there about 800 skins. I forgot to say that the schooner " Leon," spoken of before in this affidavit, belonged to the Alaska Commercial Company, and was the vessel that always euar( ed Robben Reef. In 1886 I was again master of the "Penelope," and visited Rikoka Island, Moo-shin Rocks, and Shred-noi, but got only about 500 seals. In October of that year I went across through Behring Sea, and out through Unimak Pass, and then on to Victoria. In 1887 I fitted out the " Penelope" for pelagic sealing, and early in February began sealing along the coast. Before, the 1st May I had taken 975 seals, and then went into Victoria and refitted. I then hunted north along the coast to Behring Sea, and took for the season 2,500 skins. I hunted myself and made the third catch, I think. I got about 400 seals, and did not lose more than four or five by sinking. In 1888 I took the schooner " Lillie L" from San Francisco. I was master. We sailed along the coast to Shumigin Islands, taking about 900 seals. I hunted myself that year, too, and lost about the same percentage of seals as the year before. From the Shumigin Islands we went to the Commander Islands and sealed at sea there, getting about 200 seals. We came home through Behring Sea, and took about 500 skins. In 1889 I was again on the "Lillie L" as master, and made the same voyage as in 1888, except that we did not go to the Russian side. We got about 1,700 skins. I hunted myself, and lost about the same percentage'by sinking as I did in 1888. In 1890 I was master of the " Allie I. Alger." We sealed along the coast as before, and in Behiing Sea. We got 2,600 seals for the season. I hunted that year, too, and took 350 seals, losing not more than four .or five. In 1891 I was master.of the" Henry Dennis," and sealed north along the coast, but did not go into Behring Sea. T went to the Russian side, but we were very late, and did not get many seals there. We took only 1,083 seals during the season. This year I was again master of the " Henry Dennis." We sealed along the coast, and then went to the Asiatic side. We took.2,406 skins. I hunted very little myself, and killed only 159 seals, losing more by sinking than! ever did before. I lost seven or eight. On the 21st day of April my vessel was boarded by an officer of the United States' revenue-cutter " Corwin," who invited me to go on board that vessel. While there I was told by Captain Lavender or Captain Hooper that Captain Lavender was collecting evidence about seals, and that he would be pleased if I and my hunters would tell him what we knew. I understood that he wished us to make affidavits. I sent for my hunters and in the meantime was examined by Captain Lavender. He wanted to know in particular the percentage of female seals that were taken on the coast and in Behring Sea, and the number of seals that were lost by sinking, or that were mortally wounded and died afterwards. I told him that I thought about 40 per cent, of the seals taken on the coast were females, and this was taken down. I said that my experience in Behring Sea was that about 60 per cent, were females. I told him that not more than 2 or 3 per cent, were lost, and that a good hunter wounded very few seals badly that he did not get. I told Captain Lavender that not more than one seal in 100 that was crippled by a hunter and not got would die afterwards. I was asked what I considered would be a o-ood way of protecting tbe seals, and told him that, in my opinion, if there was no killing on the islands and there was a close season from the 1st January to the 15th July or 1st August, nothino- more would be necessary to fully protect the seal. After my evidence had been taken down, it wras read over to me and I found that many things I had said were misconstrued, and I insisted on having these set ri<dit' He first made changes that I would not agree to, and then wrote down what I wanted. I signed "the' statement then, but was not asked to swear to it. When the hunters came on board, only oneoi them —my brother—was examined. They apparently did not care for the kind of evidence he gave and did not ask to examine the others. The hunters were surprised that only one of them should be asked to give evidence when all had been invited on board to do so. I know Brown, who was on the " Corwin " as seal-hunter. He is known on the coast everywhere as " crazy " Brown, and is well known to be of no use whatever as a hunter. I gathered from the officers on the " Corwin " that they thought it very strange that he did not get more seals. He had had little experience as a hunter, and was not a man that any captain who knew anything about sealing.would take out with him as a hunter. This year, before I got to the Fairweather Grounds, my catch was males and females mixed in the usual way, but when we got to the Fairweather Grounds our catch was almost exclusively males The day the "Corwin" was with us I was asked for the carcases of the seals that were taken that day and gave them 40 ; 39 of these were males. I took 1,040 seals in April, and there was not among them more than 50 females. I saw on the coast this year more seals than ever before, taking 1,825 skins for my coast catch I never in the years I was on the Japan coast saw seals in considerable numbers in the water certainly in nothing like the numbers they are reported there now. I have seen many thousand skins from both the Asiatic and American sides of Behring Sea, and could never see any difference between 8fc*£ them, and do not believe that any one could. I sealed on both sides this year, and do not believe that any one could separate my Copper Island skins from the American coast skins. I have frequently heard of raids being made on the Pribyloff Islands. In 1881 or 1882 two schooners anchored to the northward of St. Paul Island for nearly the whole summer. They were the " Otter " and " Alexander," vessels owned by Liebes and Co., of San Francisco. The captains of these vessels told me of this themselves. In 1890, in September, the " C. H. White " made a raid on the islands, and from what I was told by the men on board of her nothing was known on the islands of this raid. The "Edward Webster" raided St. George Island in 1889. The Captain told me of this himself, and it is well known in San Francisco. I have seen money stamped " A. C. G," and know that this was done to prevent natives receiving money from outside people, as they were known to do, or from spending anywhere else the money given by the Company. I saw this money in Alaska as well as on the Commander Islands. I do not think that there were any vessels sealing in Behring Sea this year other than those that were seized, and I am sure that if there had been any I would have heard of it. I was born in the State of California, and am and always have been a citizen of the United States of America. I have read over the statements contained in this affidavit, and swear that they are all true, and that no consideration was given or offered me for having made them. (Signed) EDWARD PRATT MINER.. Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 13th October, 1892. (Signed) C. D. Emery, Notary Public, resident in Seattle. (Seal.) Deposition of Joseph J. Beckingham. State of Washington, King County, City of Seattle. JOSEPH J. BECKINGHAM, being sworn, deposes as follows :— I have been out two years sealing—one year as a boat-puller, and the next year as boat- steerer. I have a good opportunity when in the sealing-boat to see the number of seals that are killed and secured, as well as those lost by sinking. There is not one seal out of 100 lost, as far as my experience goes. The boat I was in this year got forty-six skins, and not one was lost by sinking. Seals were very numerous this year, and had the hunter I was with been a good one he would have got several hundred skins, but the hunter was no good, and missed nearly all he shot at. Seals float two or three minutes as a rule, but very often much longer. From the seals I have seen I would say that there are about as many cows taken as bulls, but not more. The hunters I have been with shoot at seals when 15 or 20 yards from them, and there is not time for a seal to sink before the boat reaches it. I was over on the Russian side this year, but could not see any difference between the seals there and those on the American side. (Signed) JOSEPH J. BECKINGHAM. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 12th day of October, 1892. (Signed) George S. Bush, Notary Public in and for the State of Washington, residing at Seattle. (Seal.) Deposition of Henry Stewart Algar. 'State of Washington, King County, City of Seattle. HENRY STEWART ALGAR, being sworn, deposes as follows :— That I was first engaged in seabng in 1889, when I went out as master of the sealing-schooner " Allie I. Alger," owned at that time by myself. I am a citizen of the United States. That year (1889) we sealed along the coast and into Behring Sea. I was not out again until 1891, when I was out in the same vessel as master. In 1889 I sealed up the coast and went into Behring Sea, and in 1891 I sealed along the coast as before, but went then to the Russian side of Behring Sea. I do not hunt myself. I found the seals as plentiful in 1891 as in the former year, and made a large catch on the coast, but the seals were very much wilder and harder to get than in the former year. I had a better lot of hunters than the average. I have noticed that seals sometimes travel in schools, and have seen them in schools south of Cape [118] 2 H 116 Hi1 m--: Flattery, as well as farther north. When seals are in schools they are very difficult to get at, and we count on getting very few at such times. I have noticed that when the seals were brought on board there were always both males and females, and know from that that both sexes are found together. I have never counted the seals to see whether there were more males than females among those taken. I think that when the lease of the Alaska Commercial Company expired a proper guard should have been placed on the islands, and no seals killed there at all. They should be protected while breeding, and there would then be no danger of their growing less at sea. As a schooner owner I know that there can never be more schooners than at present engaged in this business at a profit, for even though the seals do not decrease, the catch per individual schooner will not pay expenses, and if the seals decrease the number of schooners must grow less. It costs a good deal of money to outfit a schooner properly, and when the catches are not good then there is of course a great loss. There should, I think, be a heavy penalty for raiding on the islands, and there ought to be a sufficient guard placed there to make a successful raid impossible. I don't know personally of any raids having been made on the islands, but last year I met a man a.t Allatak Bay, Kadiak Island, who said he had been raiding on the Pribyloff Islands in August 1890, and as I remember it now there was some talk of a raid being made on the islands that season, 1891. The man I saw was then on a schooner called the " Pearl," I think, of which Edward Littlejohn was captain. There is no difference, as far as I could ever see, between the seals on the Asiatic side of Behring Sea and on the American side as regards size, shape, general appearance, &c. I feel quite sure that there are not fewer seals now than six or eight years ago, for while there were many fewer vessels then than now the catches were, as a rule, not so large. I have read the statements written down in this affidavit, and swear that they are all true, and that no consideration has been given me for having made them. (Signed) HENRY STEWART ALGAR. Sworn to and subscribed before me the 12th October, 1892. (Signed) C. D. Emery. Notary Public resident at Seattle. Deposition of Hiram B. Jones. State of Washington, King County, City of Seattle. HIRAM B. JONES, being duly sworn, deposes as follows:— That I have been engaged in the sealing business five years—three years as master. I have been master of the schooner "Challenge" in 1887, the "Edward E. Webster" in 1888, and last year I was master of the " Allie I. Alger." By last year I mean this past season. The " Allie I. Alger " is a Seattle schooner, owned by Mr. Nixon. I hunt a good deal myself. I never kept any exact account of the seals I killed and those that sank after being shot, but the number would not be more than 3 out of 100. I generally shoot at seals at from 15 to 35 yards from them. Seals travel in schools very frequently. I have seen them this way very often south of Cape Flattery, as weB as north on the Fan-weather Grounds. Seals are more difficult to get when they are in schools than when they are scattered about singly. We don't like to get too big a band of them together, and when several are together some are sure to be awake. Some places we get nearly all males and some places nearly aU females, but generally the two sexes are mixed, and with them are the yearlings, that is,- the yearlings travel with tbe older seals. This year I noticed a good many barren females; my hunters often caUed my attention to this this year, and we would examine the seal and find that it was a cow, but that there was no youn^ one in her. I never noticed this before to such an extent as this year. I have not been sealing on the American coast since 1890, but that year saw as many seals as during any previous season. I have examined seals and know that male seals have teats as well as females, and from the skin alone the sex of the animals could not be determined except in the case of large bull seals. Both on this coast and in Behring Sea the vessels I have been on got more females than males, I think, but I never paid much attention to this. I hunted with an Indian crew last year in Behring Sea. They use both guns and spears. I do not think that Indian hunters are so good as white men. Formerly the Indians, used spears alone, but they have since learned that guns are better, and are using them more and more. I have seen seals having connection with one another in the water in Behrino' Sea, and have killed both the male and the female at such a time. I have heard hunters say the same thin<*. It is very easy to get seals at such a time, as they don't seem to mind the boat then. If the female is shot first the male wiU hang about and is easily got. I have noticed that pregnant females are very wild, and much more on the alert than male seals and the later in the season it is the wilder they are. ' In all the time I have been sealing I never saw but one dead seal floating on the water, and it was. a bull seal that had apparently died of old age, as we examined it, and found no sign of its'having KSWS2 117 This season last I went sealing on the Asiatic side. The 13th February I left this coast for Japan, and fell in with the first seals when about 500 miles from the Japan coast. I found the seals abundant on the Japan coast, and followed them north as far as the north end of Yezo Island. I stopped sealing then about the 20th June, and went to Hakodate to ship my skins, and then north towards the Copper Islands. I there heard that both the Russian and Americans were seizino- sealing schooners, and I came home. There is no difference between the seals on the Japan coast and on the American coast. I took 1,517 skins on tha Japan coast, and saw enough seals to be able to form a good idea as to whether the animals on both sides of the Pacific Ocean were the same, and I consider that they are the same. I have read over the statements set down in this affidavit, and swear that they are all true, and swear that I have received no consideration for bavin made them. (Signed) HIRAM B. JONES. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 12th day of October, 1892, by Hiram B. Jones, in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and official seal this 12th day of October, 1892. (Signed) W. H. White. Notary Public residing at Seattle, King's County, ■ State of Washington. (Seal.) Deposition of Edward Cantillion. State of Washington, County of King, City of Seattle, EDWARD CANTILLION, having been duly sworn, deposes as follows:— I have been engaged in the sealing business for the past four years. In 1889 I was on the ■ Allie I. Alger " in the spring, and the " Mary Ellen " for the north coast and Behring Sea hunting. In 1890 I was on the schooner "Viva" as hunter for the whole season, and in 1891 was on the steam-schooner " Thistle " as hunter. This year I was out as master of the " Willard Ainsworth," a Seattle schooner, and hunted as well. I am a citizen of the United States of America. In 1889 I was new at hunting, and shot at seals when I was not sure of getting them. I killed about 400 that year, and lost by sinking as many as 1 in 12,1 think. In 1890 I took 450 skins, and lost, I think, about 5 to 8 for every lOO'l got. Last year, on the "Thistle," I went out late, and did no sealing but one half-day in Behring Sea, so that our catch was small. I secured 80 skins, and lost 3 or 4 by sinking. It is not difficult to remember about the number lost by sinking, because we are always sorry when a seal is lost, and remember it and speak of it afterwards. A poor hunter imagines that he loses many more by sinking than is really the case. He will shoot at. a seal and miss it, and because he may not see it again he will say that he sank it, and such a man will often come back on board the schooner without many seals, and will say that he saw very few seals, and that he sank most of those he shot at. A hunter will make aU sorts of excuses to account for his having got few seals. This year I did not start until April, and took only 223 seals, and did not lose more than 5 by sinking. When a seal is wounded I always chase it until there is no hope of getting it, and I do not think there are many wounded that get away and die afterwards. I have seen seals in schools from below Cape Flattery uorth to Behring Sea, but when they are in bunches it is almost impossible to get any of them. I think that males and females go in separate bands sometimes, but know that when seals are very plentiful the two sexes are mixed together. I saw this year more seals on the coast than I ever saw before, bnt they are growing very wild and bard to get. If they had been as eas'y to- get this year as four years ago, I would have got a great many more than I did get. Until this year my coast catch contained more females than males, but this year there were a great many more males than females. In Behring Sea my catch always contained more females than males. There is no possibility of ever exterminating the seals by bunting them at sea, for they are getting so wild that in a few years it will be impossible to get near them at all. I remember when, if four or five seals were together, all offhem might be got, as when one was shot the others-would come up close to where he was, and could be shot one at a time, but now when four or five are together a man is lucky if he gets one at all. I .do not consider that any protection at sea is necessary, as the animals are rapidly learning to take care of themselves. This year, in September, I saw seals in mid-ocean about half-way between the Aleutian Islands .and Cape Flattery. I sealed on the Asiatic side this year, and could notice no particular difference v between the seals found there and those found on the American side. I once saw seals cohabiting in the water. I have found a good many barren cows among the seals I have taken. In the four years I have been out I have seen but one dead seal, such as are called " stinkers," floating on tbe water. I have not heard that any schooners were sealing- this year on the American side of Behring Sea, except those that were seized, and do not believe there were any others, as I saw or heard of nearly aU the schooners that were out, and those that.did not go to the Russian side came back home. When I joined the steamer " Thistle " she had been out nearly three months (this was in April 1891), and the catch up to that date was nine skins. She was called by sealing people when she .returned " Old Nine Skins," and there was not one hunter on her who had secured four skins up to the ' date of my joining her. 118 I heard of a raid being made on the Pribyloff Islands in 1889, but would not like to mention the name of the vessel, or who was on her. I have read over the statements written down in this affidavit, and swear they are all true, and that no consideration was given me for having made them. (Signed) EDWARD CANTILLION, Master, " Willard Ainsworth." Itvy u!'.<-.'. lif « ■««■■: Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 12th day of October, 1892, by Edward Cantillion. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 12th day of October, A.D. 1892. (Signed) W. H. White, Notary Public, residing at Seattle, King County, State of Washington. (Seal.) mm m Hi; If HP- am Iff, m Deposition of William Hermann. State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. WILLIAM HERMANN, having been duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I am a seal-hunter, and have been seabng every year for the last seven years in the North Pacific Ocean, also on the Asiatic coast. This year I was out in the " C. H. White," and was seized by the Russian gun-boat, after we had been sealing one day, and captured twenty seals. 2. I hunted With either gun or rifle in all cases, and I would not lose more than 5 seals in 100 that I would hit. The average range would be about 25 to 30 yards, and last year, in one day, I remember getting 52 seals off Hakodate Straits with the loss of only 2 or 3, and this year, in the 20 seals I got, I do not believe I lost any, as I was able to get up very close to them. 3. I find that seals travel in schools, and for the most part are mixed as to ages and sexes. 4. Seals are more alert when in schools, and a pregnant seal is more wary than any other. 5. In my catches I have as a rule got more females than males, and frequently taken cows without pups or milk. 6. I do not notice a material difference in the number met with from tbe time I began bunting until now, but the older seals are becoming more wary and difficult to approach. 7. I can always distinguish a male from a female in the water. Very few old bulls are killed by us, and T have never picked up a dead seal or " stinker " in my life. 8. Some time last April I was examined on this subject in this city by a man who was represented to me as a Government official from Washington; there was also present a representative of Liebes and Co. My evidence was taken under oath, and I told them substantially what I have said here. 9. In the examination previously referred to I was asked if it were not true that hunters lost two out of every three seals shot. I said that was not so. I was also asked if some very poor hunters did not go out and lose a great many, and I said, " Of course, a poor hunter would lose a good few." 10. I do not know of any schooners having taken seals in Behring Sea this year other than those that have been seized, and if there had been I would likely have heard of it. 11. In my opinion the Asiatic skins are better than the Pribyloff Island skins, the fur being longer, thicker, and darker. 12. I think that some protection should be given the seal, but any restrictions made should extend to the islands. 13. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of my making this statement. (Signed) Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) W. HERMANN. William Hermann, of San Francisco, states that two years ago (1890) he was in the Okhotsk Sea and his schooner got 283 seals on the Island of St. Iona, and altogether 700 seals were got there that year by three schooners, and last year he was there and got 551 in the schooner " Arctic." These were got hauled up on the rocks, and were first discovered by Captain Pine, of the " Arctic" in 1889 Eight years ago Captain Peterson, of tbe schooner " Diana," of Yokohama, was there, and there were no seals there. aw Deposition of William Brown. State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. WILLIAM BROWN, of Marzovia, Alaska, having been duly sworn, deposes and swears: 1. Am a hunter and trader, and have been foUowing that vocation for the past fourteen years Was agent on the Island of Ounalaska for the Western Fur and Trading Company for three years g*fc. 119 I was'agent for tbe Alaska Commercial Company at Marzovia from ,1883 to 1891. I own and sail the schooner " Mary Brown." 2. From long residence on the Aleutian Islands I am famibar witjh the habits of the seal, as they ihigrate to'and from the Behring Sea through the various passes in the Aleutian Islands. 3. Have seen seals coming south through the passes as late as the 10th January, and these would be for the'most part yearling pups, but have occasionally seen large ones as late as that date. Have seen large numbers of those pups killed in the vicinity of the passes in November and December by natives ;arid. others. 4. In 1879, in the bays of the Island of Ounalaska, I remember the natives getting 1,300 seals. These were sold to the Trading Companies, part of which I bought for the Western Fur Company at 50 cents a skin, and to my knowledge they are taken in this? way every year. At. Marzovia, where I live, they catch from 300 to 400 every year, and of these 300 or 400 not more than half-a-dozen would be large ones, but near those-passes further to the westward' the percentage of large ones would be much greater. 5. I would estimate that the number of seals yearly caught in this way would be 2,500. The reason that there are not more larger ones taken is that they go directly through the passes, whereas the smaller ones are obbged to seek shelter in the bays amongst the islands m the neighbourhood of those passes. 6. Three years ago I left San Francisco about the middle of February, and sailed in tbe schooner § Olga I directly to Alaska, and never saw a seal from San Francisco to Unimak Pass, and this year ►(1892), sailing on the 28th February to the same place, and as nearly as possible over the same course, saw seals every day. I had seals killed from my schooner 30 miles south of Sannakh Island as late, as the 3rd July this year. During my fourteen years' residence on those islands and mainland of Alaska I have not noticed that the seals have diminished in numbers.' In good weather for sealing they seem as plentiful as ever. 7. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of making this statemerit, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) WILLIAM BROWfr. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 25th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Lincoln SonnTag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Captain George Scott. ►State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. been duly sworn, deposes and CAPTAIN GEORGE SCOTT, of Alameda, Cabfornia, having -swears:— 1. I live in Alameda, California, and am captain of the " Emma and Louisa," sealing-.schooner, and formerly of the " Lily L." I have been sealing for fifteen years, also hunting for otter during that period, and have hunted seals from San Francisco into the Behring Sea and across to the Commandei Islands and along the Japanese coast. 2. I. have hunted with rifle and shot-gun. With a rifle I would shoot up to 150 yards, and with a shot-gun up to 30 yards. In putting the loss from wounded at 5 per cent. I place it at the extreme, -and give the advantage to the loss. We do not keep an actual tally of any loss from wounded seals, but as it is a matter of dollars and cents to us—every seal lost—it therefore makes a deep impression -when we lose one, and for that reason I speak with a good deal of accuracy. 3. When seals are travelling they are mostly in schools, and a young seal is most always on watch, and they are more wary and harder to catch than When travelling alone or in couples. Sometimes these schools are mixed in sexes, and at others all of one sex. On the Californian and -Oregon coast the schools are composed of old females and young seals of both sexes, and about Cape Flattery they are joined by the older males. 4. My take, in my experience, from San Francisco to Behring Sea, along the coast, would run about half and Half 'as regards the sexes, and about two-thirds of the cows would be pregnant, and we get quite a number each -year of barren cows, though it is impossible now to give actual figures. Some days in Behring Sea we would get forty seals, and they would be all males ; the next day 'they would, perhaps, be all females, and I would put it at half and half. In Behring Sea for the most part the cows killed are in milk, but I have killed many in which the milk was just about dried, showino- that the seal had lost the pup on the passage. This has occurred in the month of June. I have killed these cows 500 and 600 miles from the Pribyloff Islands, and I have also killed them the skme distance away, and on the pup being cut out from the mother it cried, and would attempt to take nourishment, showing that the seal could not possibly have reached the islands to pup. 5. I do riot see any difference in the number of seals now than when I began sealing, but from the number that hunt seals, judge that they are becoming wary and hard to approach. 6. I do not know of any vessels having been in Behring Sea this year (1892) that were not warned -away or seized, and had there been any I should likely have known it. 7. I have not noticed any difference in the quality of the skins caught on the Asiatic and American sides. I think they are just the same. In crossing from the American to the Asiatic coast I have noticed seals every day more or less. Seals are found more or less plentiful on different coasts everv year, and regulate their whereabouts by the food supply, and I think that both the American and Russian seals are taken about the Equatorial Islands, and are there mingled together in the winter months. [118] 2 I II [ jjj £<; •ft] 1- ' 120 8. I have twice hunted on the Japanese coast with good success, my catch having averaged better than here. We start in January for. that coast. I have found that the average price of aU seal,. American, Russian, and Japanese, run the same. -1-1,11, 9. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, and at such times have been able to kill both by killing the cow first. 10. In Behring Sea I place the limit of finding suckling cows at from 75 to 80 miles from the- Pribyloff Islands. . 11. We do not restrict our hunters in the way of ammunition ; they can use as much as they like for practice and for food in shooting ducks and geese, and fully more ammunition is used in this, way than in killing seals. The male seals have teats, and I think it is impossible to tell a male skin from a female when it has been removed from the carcase. 12. At the request of the Captain of the United States' revenue-cutter " Corwin," I went on board that vessel and made a statement to Mr. Lavender, an official from Washington, regarding- sealing I cannot remember exactly what was asked me, or what I said, but 1 do remember being asked as to my opinion as to the best manner of protecting the seal, and whether it would be best to have a close or open season, or to close the Behring Sea entirely. I told him I would close the Behring Sea, meaning, of course, that there should be no pelagic sealing or killing on the islands. What I said was written down and read to me, and I signed it, but I don't think I was sworn. 13. Seals that have been wounded and been re-shot after " breeching " will not sink nearly so- quickly as one that has been lulled by the first shot, and I have frequently left such a seal on the water for ten or fifteen minutes while I have gone in pursuit of another. The reason for their floating so much longer is that in struggling they inflate their lungs to such an extent they cannot sink, A poor hunter, of course, does not get as many seals as a good hunter, but every one considers himself a good hunter, and after when he has missed a seal, after firing several shots, comes back with a story that the seal has sunk. And this is one of the reasons for the exaggeration in regard to the loss of seals by shooting. 14. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of" making this statement, which I have read over and find correct. (Signed) GEO. SCOTT, Captain. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 25th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of George Wester. State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. GEORGE WESTER, of San Francisco, having been duly sworn, deposes and swears:— 1. I reside in San Francisco, and am and have been a sealer since 1886, and have been the captain, of the sealing-schooner I Emma and Louisa " during the season of 1892, of this port. I have hunted seals from San Francisco north to the Behring Sea, and also off the coast of Kamtchatka and Korman- dorski Islands. 2. We leave San Francisco about the latter part of January or 1st February, and return about- the end of September or beginning of October. 3. My catches, or the catches of the schooners in which I was a hunter, are as follows: 1886. Schooner "Lily L." 197 seals on the coast. Vessel was seized on entering the Behrin<* Sea, and catch was confiscated. 1887. " Rosie Olsen." 300 on coast, 200 in Behring Sea. 1888. " Mary Ellen." 1,200 on coast, 600 in Behring Sea. 1889. " Mary Ellen." 600 in Behring Sea, 1,200 on coast. 1890. "James Hamilton Lewis." 1,186 on coast, 1,439 in Behring Sea (Russian side). As riiiister in 1891 on "City Diego" we caught 515 seals on the coast, and 640 in Be'lninc Sea (Russian side), and in 1892 on the " Emma and Louisa," 1,012 seals on the coast only. 4. In 1887 as hunter I individually captured 42 seals on the coast, and 106 in Behring Sea. In 1888, 96 seals on the coast, and 204 in Behring Sea. In 1889 I got 240 on the coast, and 90 in Behring Sea; and in 1890, 206 on the coast, and^325 in Behring Sea (Russian side). 5. In my catch along the coast about 60 per cent, would be females, and these for the most part would be carrying pups. In Behring Sea the percentage of males is greater; they would be about half and half. 6. We have taken a considerable number of barren cows every year, and I would estimate the number at from 20 to 25 per cent, of the number of females. 7. Cows carrying pup are more wary than other, seals and barren cows, and pups sleep a o-00d deal, and are easily approached. I have noticed that seals travel north more in schools of late years than formerly, and are in consequence harder to approach, as one seems always on the watch. In the schools the sexes and ages are all mixed. 8. In travelling from the American to tbe Asiatic side of Behring Sea from the middle of June to the middle of July, I have seen seals all the way across on fine days, and could not distinguish whether they were gomg to or coming from either coast. & . 9. I have noticed that the Asiatic seal is rather darker in colour than the American. 121 iavmg been in Behring Sea this year other than those 10. Have always used both shot-gun and rifle, and with shot-gun the range would be from 25 to 30 yards; the rifle range would be from 50 to 100 yards. I estimate that 3 per cent, would cover the loss of seals that were killed or wounded. I have made a special study of this percentage of loss, because of the agitation against the use of fire-arms in killing seals, and I speak from my personal knowledge. 11. Seals are just as plentiful now as they were the first year I went hunting, but seem to be more on the alert and harder to approach, and I have seen as many, if not more, this year (1892) as in any previous year. We see more seals some years than in others, and one vessel sees seals when others do not, depending more or less how they strike the.run 12. I did not hear of any schooners warned or seized. 13. In the month of September, coming from the Commander Islands to Cape Flattery, on or about the 50th parallel, have seen more or less seals every day. I have seen seals in all the passes in the Aleutian Islands that I have entered between Unimak and Attou Island in the month of June. 14. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, and at those times have been able to kill both male and female. 15. I consider that some measure of protection should be given the seal, and, in my opinion, ^the best protection would be in closing Behring Sea altogether and prohibit kilbng on the islands. 16. A vessel is suppbed with ammunition on the basis of about 2,000 rounds a hunter; considering a good hunter's catch to be 500 seals, or allowing four shells per seal. Perhaps as many as twenty shots may be fired at a seal without mortally wounding him, or even hitting him for that matter; and again a seal may be mortally wounded but still able. to struggle, and we continue firing until we get him. A hunter is never restricted in the quantity of ammunition be can use, but is allowed to practise as much as he pleases, and -a large quantity of ammunition is used in this way. 17. A seal that has been hard to kill, and has struggled a good deal, so inflates his lungs that he cannot sink, and is always got by the hunter. As with all other mammals, the male seal has teats, and it takes a competent expert to teU the difference between a male or female skin after it has been removed from the carcase. 18. On or about the 1st April last I went on board the United States' revenue-cutter " Corwin " in Neah Bay, at the request of Captain Hooper, and made a statement to Mr. Lavender, who, I understand, was appointed by the American Government to investigate the sealing question, and what I then said is substantially the same as the foregoing. Mr. Lavender had a white hunter named Brown engaged from San Francisco to practically illustrate the modus operandi of pelagic sealing with gun and rifle. I know this hunter Brown, and personaUy would not take him on a sealing voyage, as he is not a competent hunter, and I don't think he could get employment as a hunter on any of the sealing- vessels leaving this port. 19. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of making this statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) GEO. WESTER. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 25th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Captain Charles Lutjen, State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. CAPTAIN CHARLES LUTJENS, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I reside in San Francisco, and am master and owner of the seabng-vessel " Kate and Anna." I have been engaged in the seabng business as master since 1886, but am not a practical hunter, though I have been out almost every year since 1886, and feel competent to speak on the sealing question. 2. I have hunted along the coast from here to the Aleutian Islands, the Behring Sea while it was open, and on the Russian and Japanese coasts. 3. This year I hunted on the Japan coast, and made a southern passage over through the Sandwich Islands. The catch of my schooner for the season was about 1,400, 1,250 being caught on the Japan coast, and the rest caught between from 40 to 100 miles south of the Commander Islands, and these were seized and confiscated. I returned to San Francisco, south of the Aleutian Islands, about the beginning of September, and noticed seals as I came along more or less every day. 4. In 1886—from the 20th July to 20th August—I got 400 seals in Behring Sea. In 1887 I got 580 Seals up to the 8th August in Behring Sea, and on that day I was seized. In 1888 and 1889 I did not hunt, as my vessel was confiscated, and I had not got her back. In 1890 I was very late getting started from here. In the latter part of May I started directly for Behring Sea, and got 300 seals. In 1891 my coast catch was 180, and on going into Behring Sea on the 6th July was warned out, and went directly to the Russian side, where I got 450. I did not see many seals in crossing on that occasion, and 1 could not distinguish to what group of islands those I did see belonged, as they did not appear to be travelling to any particular group. 5. I cannot say that I notice any difference in the number of seals now than when I first began sealing, but my hunters aU tell me they are much wilder. I III11' ;:''|,-',;;:ii If i^it 122 6 Of my catch alone the coast goin<>' north four-fifths would be females, and I think about four- fifths would be carryino' pups. 'Very few old bulls are caught. The proportion of males to females in the Behrina Sea appears to me to be about the same, but the cows are then in irillk, and I have seeri the cows caught in milk as far as 150 miles from the islands. About one-fifth'Of the co\fo 'taken ate barren. -A _ • L , 7. I have not heard of any vessels sealing in Behnrig Sea this year that Were riot warned-away or seized, and I would likely nave heard of it if there were any. '8. I think that skins taken on this coast are better than those taken On the Japanese or Rus%Mi .coasts, and I think I could tell the difference between them 9. i think that sonie protection should be given the seal, and would -prevent all klllirig after the 1st July,, and that any protection made should apply to the. rookeries. 10.'i cave a stateriient to a lawyer or Notary Public in this city in February last on this subject, but I cannot remember his mime, but what I said was substantially the same as the foregoing statement. I was not sworn on that occasion, as far a's T 'can 'remember. 11. In my opinion, 5 per cent, will cover the loss of seals by sinking after being shot, that is to say, with a good hunter; of course, a poor hunter will not do so well. ' 12. 1 never restrict my hunters in the amount of ammunition they use for practice, arid there is a great deal used in that way and in hunting game. 13. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and find correct. (Sigrifed) CHARLES LUTJEN'S. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 26th day of Noveinber, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) It* Deposition of Charles Harti wen. » "State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. CHARLEiS HAPTIWEN, of Alameda, California, being duly sworn, deposes atfdlsliys:— 1. I reside in Alameda, State, of California, and have been sixteen years a hunter arid sealer, and e been and am now for tbe past two yeaTS captain of the stea'rii-Sealer " Louis ?01§en. have Have been master of the "Sophia Sutherland;" also of the schooner "San Josd " When she "was seized on the 18th August, 1887, in Behring Sea; also in the " Sierra;" also the Sylvia Handy;" also the "Faririy," and many others, and have sealed off the Commander Islaiids, alori^ the Japanese coast, and up this coast nito Behring Sea, and in the Equatorial group. 2. I have hunted always with rifle and shot-gun, and I would not lose 5 seals in 100 that I would kill or mortally wound. This year I got 182 skins myself, and I only lost 2 seals. Tbis year I saw more seals in the Pacific than I have ever seen before since I began hunting, and I attribute it to the fact that tbe Behring Sea was closed, and the killing on the Pribyloff Islands restricted. I believe the seals are just as numerous as ever, and if the Behring Sea is closed and the killing stopped on the islands, there is not the sbghtest danger of the seals being killed off, no iriatteT bow they are hunted. 3. I have noticed that seals are wilder now than when I began to hunt, though on the Japan coast, where I hunted this year, I found them tamer than usual. Seals travel in schools, and are all mixed up as to ages and sexes. When travelling in schools'they are very much harder to <*ei as thev have a watch on the look-out. On this coast I find about 60 per cent, are females, and I think the proportion is about the same in Behring Sea. About two-thirds of the cows got along the coast to Behring Sea are carrying pups, and in Behring Sea the cows we get are in milk, I think to about the same proportion. I have killed a great many large cows that have no milk and are not carrying duds Have killed cows on entering Behring Sea about the first week in July, and have found riflEk drv and yellow. I have taken cows off Vancouver Island, British Colunibia, from which the pup ifrhen tkteu was full-grown arid strong enough to take nourishment and'go all over the deck of the vessel. 4. I.jijaye not heard of any vessels having been in Behring Sea this year (1892) that we're not ||||I||||off or seized, arid Worild have heard of it if there had been any. 5. In my orfiion, the Asiatic seal, the Japanese, and the American, are the same, and I dd&'t think an expert, after they have been salted, can tell therii a'pftrt. 1 have had a large Sxfjerience in all "three kinds of skins, and am therefore competent to speak. 6. I have crossed from the American to tbe Asiatic coast about tbe latter part of June, and from tlie j^ptic to the American in September, and have seen seals off and on almost every da^y "and certainly every'fine day, on the passages, and from seeing them no one could tell to what tgfovtk 'of islands they belong, or to which they were bound, or where they were going. 7. I have crossed to the Commander Islands, keepiilg south of the Aleutian oroup and have noticed seals going north through all the passes as far westward as Attou Island^ and 'have 'Js^en stragglers from there to the Russian coast. I sailed from here on the 10th February this year (l&fctt for the Japanese coast, passing the Sandwich Islands, and commenced getting seals in April and 'ftiv catch over there was 1,334, arid I found the proportion of male to female run about the sairie'as on this coast and in BehSg Sea, and the same percentage of females are in pup. 1 sealed up to 'H^ffiin about 100 miles from Coimtfander Islffls, and finished sealing on the 6th July and started for tiSine I got no cows with milk, tu't in the end of June or early in July got a good many barren cows 8. In my experience of sealing all over I find that there are very 1H|r old bulls taken. nw? m ]23 9. in getting the bull. o I have^often seen seals cohabiting in the water, and by killing the cow first have had no trouble We allow our hunters to 10. Not half the ammunition we take out is used in killing seals practise as much as they like, and to use what they like in other hunting 11. Seals that are killed after a struggle and after being shot several times do not sink as fast as those killed outright, and we hunters pay no attention to them if there are other seals about that can be got, as we can always come back after them and get them; this is because their lungs get fiUed with air. One of the reasons for all the talk about seals sinking and getting lost is because poor hunters, after firing a great many shots and not getting a seal, feel ashamed, and come back saying the seal or seals had sunk. 12. We shoot with shot-gun from 10 to 30 yards, and with a rifle from 30 yards to 100. pregnant seal or a seal carrying pup is more on the watch than any other, and harder A 13. to get. 14. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of making tbe foregoing statement, which I have read over and find correct. (Signed) CHARLES HARTIWEN. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 25th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Milton Scott. State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. MILTON SCOTT, of Petaluma, Sonoria County, State of California, being duly sworn, deposes and swears:— I reside in Petaluma, State of Cabfornia, and am a seal-hunter. I was out in the "Henry Denis," Captain Miner, this year, and sealed all the way from Cape Blanco north to Behring Sea and across to the Copper Islands. The vessel got 2,408 seals, and I personally got 403—all with shot-gun and rifle, and I kept track of all I lost, and the total was 10. Last year I was in the " Viva," Captain Baker, and the schooner's catch was 1,992, of which I shot 398 myself, and lost only 3 seals. I also kept track that year, and am positive of what I say. The year before that (1891) I was on - the "Lily L.," Captain Walsh, my first season. The schooner's catch was 2,030, of which I shot 390, and lost 13 seals. I kept count of those I lost in consequence of the agitation in the papers here and elsewhere against seabng with the gun and rifle. I think that I saw last year more seals than I ever saw since I hunted first, and I do not think their number is diminishing, but they are growing wilder and harder to get on account of so many hunting them. I have hunted in Behring Sea for one year. Along the coast for the last two years I have killed more males than females—I would say four males to one female, and the year I was in Behring Sea (1891) I got about half and half as regards sexes. On the coast this year we got very few cows carrying pup. I know this because we were trying to get a number of unborn pups, and found it difficult to get what we wanted. Of the total take of cows along the coast—about 300—not more than 100 were pregnant, the others being too young to breed, or barren cows. In Behring Sea the majority of cows got are in milk, but I have also got barren cows there. Last year and this year I hunted on the Russian coast, crossing over there each year about the last of June or beginning of July, and got back about the end of September. On each occasion in returning we saw seals more or less every day, and noticed them south of the Aleutian Islands as we came to Sand Point, on the Alaska Peninsula. Seals are nearly all shot with a gun, and are mostly all taken at from 10 to 30 yards. Seals travel in schools, and are harder to get than in ones or twos. While in schools they are mixed as to age and sex. There is no such thing as a leader to a school, and I never heard a practical sealer say there was, and I always try to get the first one I can. I do not know of any vessel having been sealing in the Behring Sea this year that was not warned away or seized, and I feel certain I would have heard of it if there had been any. I have never noticed any difference in the quabty between the Russian and the American skin, but I think the former is a little darker, and there is no difference between the coast skins and the Behring Sea skins. A great part of our ammunition is used in practice or hunting game for food, and I have fired as many as 150 shells at a mark in one day. I think some protection for the seals is necessaiy to preserve the seal from decreasing, but any close season should embrace the islands as well as the ocean. I have not been promised anything, nor has anything been paid me, in consideration of having made the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) MILTON SCOTT. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 28th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) illSj 2 m 124 Deposition of Captain J. S. Worth. mI lifH m State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. CAPTAIN J. S. WORTH, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and swears :— 1. I reside in Provincetown, in tbe State of Massachusetts, United States. I have been bunting seal for the last four years, and am a practical hunter. I was in the " Henry Denis " for two years, and in the schooner " Linfu " for two years, and was in her in 1891, when she was seized in Behring Sea on the 14th July. 2. I have sealed along this coast to Kadiak and into tbe Behring Sea. We commence seabng anywhere between February and. April, and return about the end of September. 3. I always use either a shot-gun or a rifle, but a rifle is very seldom used. 4. I have never kept count of the number of my losses made in shooting, but from 10 to 15 per cent, would certainly cover what would sink after death, and what would get away mortally wounded. 5. The range at which I would take nearly all my seals is between 10 and 30 yards. 6. Seals travel in schools a good deal, and when doing so are harder to get than when straggling I never heard of there being a leader in the school, and in the schools we find the sexes and ages all mixed. When going north to tbe islands there seem to be more males among the seals the farther north we go. 7. I do not think there is any difference now in the number of seals I see than when I first began hunting, though they are wilder and harder to get at. 8. In 1890 our catch was 636 seals along the coast, and in tbe Behring Sea between 1,800 and 1,900. 9. In 1891 our catch was 400 altogether along the coast, and we got none in the Sea, as we were warned out. 10. This year (1892) along tbe coast we got 366. 11. Along the coast in 1890, 70 per cent, were females, and tbe next year about the same. This year, however, they were divided about half and half. In Behring Sea the majority taken were buUs. 12. Along the coast tbe cows for the most part are carrying young, while in the Sea they are in milk. Have got some barren cows that had neither pup nor milk 13. The farthest I have got cows in milk from the islands was from 80 to 90 miles. 14. I have not heard of any vessels having got seals in Behring Sea this year other than those seized or warned, and I think I would have heard of it if there had been any. 15. I think some protection should be given the seals, but any close season made should apply to the Pribyloff Islahds as weU as to pelagic sealing. 16. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, for consideration of making tbe foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) JOHN WORTH. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 28th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (SeaL) iff' life lift 11 it ii Deposition of William OLear Shafter. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. WILLIAM CLEAR SHAFTER, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes as foUows:— 1. That I am a seal and sea-otter hunter, and have bunted seal for eight years on this coast and in the Behring Sea, and have been in the " Laura," " Otter," " Alexander," " San Jos£," " Sylvia Handy/' " C. H. White," " Henry Dennis," and the " Emma and Louisa." 2. In 1883, in the "Laura," we were hunting sea-lion principally, but also got fur-seal and sea-otter. In 1886, in the " Otter," we hunted till March along the coast, and tbe schooner's catch was 653, of which I got 180. In 1887 I was in the " San Jose," and we were seized in Behring Sea. The total catch was about 1,400, of which I got 402, but cannot separate the coast from the sea catch. In 1888, on the "Alexander," we got only 104 seals on the coast (when we went otter-hunting), of which I got 43 seals. In 1889, in the " Sylvia Handy," the total catch was about 600, when we went otter- hunting, of which I got about 130. In 1890 I was in the " C. H. White," and did no seal-hunting to speak of. In 1891 I was in the " Henry Dennis " on the coast and Asiatic side; we got a total catch of about 1,083, of which I got 151. Under 100 of the schooner's catch was got along the Russian coast. In 1892, in the " Emma and Louisa," along the coast we got a total catch of 1,012, of which I got 109. 3. I use gun and rifle, but principally the shot-gun, and most of the seals are got between 10 and 40 yards with the shot-gun. 4. The year I was in the "Dennis" (1891) I lost 3 seals by sinking after being shot, and I would place the outside figure of loss by the sinking of killed and mortally wounded seals with the gun at 8 out of 100, and one of the reasons for the impression that has got abroad of the great loss of seals from gun hunting is from the fact that poor hunters are very apt to account for their poor success by saying that their loss by sinking was much greater than was actually the case. 5. We find seals travelling in schools very often are more difficult to get than when travelling alone or in pairs. There is always a look-out one on guard. I never heard of a leader to a school, and ■sftina HI *fPs, IL'O I don't believe the man ever lived who could pick out a leader in a school. In a school I have killed seals of aU ages and sexes; they are mixed. 6. Going up the coast I find that we gat more females than males, and in Behring Sea I think it is about the same. I cannot say what proportion of the females I have taken up the coast carry pups. In Behring Sea, out of 40 females I got one day, about 10 were in milk; the rest I am unable to say whether they were barren or had lost their pups; certainly they were not carrying young or were in milk. We get very few old bulls in our catches. 7. Tbe seals seem to be as thick now as ever they have been, but seem wilder and harder to get at; seals are more plentiful different years in different places. This year we had more than an average catch, but didn't happen to be in tbe right places, as some other vessels that were near us got extra large catches. I got cows in milk from 60 to 70 miles off Bogosloff Island, and between it and the Pribyloff Islands. 8. In crossing from the American to the Asiatic coast in July we saw seals more or less every day, and no one could tell to which islands these seals belong, as when aroused they mostly travelled to windward. 9. Skins on this coast look to me to be better than those on tbe Asiatic, as the hair looks to be longer. 10. I think the Government should control the islands, and any close season made should apply to the islands. 11. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of my having made tbe foregoing statement, which I have read over and find correct. 12. We are target shooting all the time we are out, and a large quantity of ammunition is used in this way. I used 130 shots in one day to caU the attention of a schooner. (Signed) W O. SHAFTER. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 28th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag. (Seal.) Deposition of John Figuera. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. JOHN FIGUERA, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I am a seal-hunter, and have been engaged as such and as steerer for the past four seasons. 2. I reside in San Francisco, and am an American citizen. I first went out in the "Sylvia Handy" in 1886, and also in the same vessel in 1887, 1891 in the " Sophia Sutherland," and in 1892 in the British steam-vessel " Thistle " from this o. and in port. 4. For the past two seasons our catch was small, for we were late in starting, and were behind tbe run of seals. In the " Sutherland" we got only a trifle over 300, and in the "Thistle" 445, of which I got 40 and 55. 5. I always use a shot-gun or rifle, but nearly always the former, and out of the 40 killed in 1891 I kept account, and lost 3, and out of tbe 55 I lost 2 by sinking, and about 6 or 7 which I think I hit and-got away altogether. In my judgment I would place the loss of seals from sinking after being killed or wounded so as to cause death at from 5 to 10 per cent, for an average hunter; of course, a very poor hunter might lose a good deal more, but if he did he would find it hard work to get a job another season. Many poor hunters account for their poor work by saying their seals have sunk, and this has ~a good deal to do with the talk against killing seals by shooting. We can always use as much ammunition as we please for practice, and a great deal is used in this way and for shooting birds and game for food. 6. I was in Behring Sea in 1887 and 1891, and was seized in the former year and warned out H the 5th July, 1891, when just inside. |||| 7. On the coast my catch was pretty well divided as to males and females, and many of them are in pup ; until we get well up the coast we cannot tell whether they are in pup or not. 8. Seals travel in schools, and sometimes are seen singly and in couples; when in schools they are harder to get near than when alone. 9. I find that seals are very much wilder than they used to be. 10. I have had a good many barren cows amongst those I have shot. 11. I never got any cows in Behring Sea; all I got were bulls. 12. I never knew or heard of any vessels having taken seals in Behring Sea this year that had not been warned or seized, and in talking with sealers I should likely have heard of it if there had been any. jBBj t'3. Never heard of such a thing as a leader in a school of seals, and never heard any sealer say he bad known of it. ., . . . i ■ , 14. I think that if any protection is given to seal bfe it should apply to the breeding islands equaUy with the ocean. KiliHBi 15. I have not been paid nor promised anything in consideration of making the foregoing statement, which I have read and found correct. (Signed) Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 28th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) JOHN FIGUERA. Hi 12(3 Deposition of Captain C. E. Mockler. m III"', mm llli'-' State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. CAPTAIN C. E. MOCKLER, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and swears:— I reside in San Francisco, and am master of the " Mattie Dyer," and have been so for the past three years. I have been hunting seal in her for that time along the coast from the Columbia River to Behring Sea, and also on the Japanese coast. On the 17th June, 1890,1 was seized while at anchor in Ounalaska Bay, and my skins—77 in number, none of which were caught in Behring Sea—confiscated. My schooner's catch in 1891 along the coast was 365, and in 1892 (this year) it was 1,190. Being master of the vessel, I do not hunt as a rule, but this year I personally killed 80 seals just around the vessel, and kept account of those shot which I did not get, and they only numbered three, and had I been a little more careful I would not perhaps have lost those. From my experience I would place the outside loss for a good hunter with gun and rifle at 5 per cent. The range for a gun is from 10 to 30 yards, and most of the seal are got between those ranges. With a rifle the range would be anywhere up to 100 yards at which we would shoot. The reason so much ammunition is used on our vessels is that we place no restrictions on our hunters as to how much they may use in practice or shooting birds or game. We let them do this because we know that the more practice they get the more expert hunters they will become, and much more ammunition is used in the way referred to than in actuaHy hunting seals. A seal that has been killed after a struggle, when it has been necessary to shoot them several times, will not readily sink, and I have known them to float for an hour after death, for their lungs fill with air. Seals travel in schools mixed as to age and sex, and in schools they are more difficult to approach, as some always appear to be on the look-out than when travelling as stragglers. Never heard of there being a leader in a school of seals. A pregnant seal is more wary than any other. I think as a rule more cows are got than bulls; this is the case on the Japanese coast as well as this; the catches in this respect vary every year. Very few of the old buUs are taken; about two - thirds of the cows got on each coast are pregnant. I find that seals are just as plentiful this year as in any year in my experience, and I do not think they are decreasing, but are becoming wilder from being hunted so much, and harder to get near. I left for the Japanese coast this year on the 29th February, and reached Victoria on my return on the 20th July, and in crossing from Japan—taking the " great circle " course by which I would have passed to the southward of the Aleutian Islands about 200 miles—I saw seals every day, some days one or two, but some each day right along. In returning from the Alaskan coast two years ago in August, I noticed more or less seals daily in the North Pacific as far as 500 miles from land. I never picked up any floating seals or " stinkers." Nothing has been paid or promised me for making this statement, but I do it voluntarily, and have read it over, and it is correct and true. (Signed) C. E. MOCKLER Subscribed and sworn before me, this 29th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Lee J. Thiers. IIP IIP' State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco. LEE J. THIERS, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and swears:— Am a resident of San Francisco, and am a seal-hunter. I am an American citizen, and last year sealed in the " La Niufa." I was in ber when she was seized on the 14th July by the United States' cutter " Corwin." I sealed in the " La Niufa " up the coast, and our catch was about 300, and my personal catch was' 57 or 58. This year I was sealing in the " Mattie J. Dyer," Captain Mockler, on the Japan coast. We left here about the end of February, and our catch was 1,190. I got 236 myself out of that number. This year, over and above the 236 seals I got, I lost exactly 7, which sank after beinc killed, and before I could get to them in the boat. Two of these were sunk by the boat running on them] and all of them were long shots. I was particular to keep count this year of those T lost, and this' statement is correct. Last year I did not keep count, but I know I did not lose many. I doubt if the loss by sinking of seals in the case of an average hunter would be more than 5 cent.; that is a hunter who would get employment on a first-class sealing-vessel. We can use all the ammunition we want for practice on the voyage, and a great deal is used that way. Nearly all seals are killed with the gun, and at a distance of from 10 to 30 yards, and what are killed by a rifle form a small proportion of those I kill. We see seals in schools, and they are mixed in sexes and ages. They are very much harder to per in tasssi 127 kill when in schools than when in ones or twos. I don't think any one could find a leader to a school, and never heard a seal-hunter say he had seen one. From my own observation, and from what other sealers tell me, there were more seals seen this year than ever before, but we all agree in saying that they are wilder and harder to get. I think cows as a rule are more wary than bulls, for bulls when awakened will often show fight, and also come towards the boat from sheer curiosity, whereas the cows make off as fast as they can. In the first of the season along the coast I have got more cows than bulls, but later on, as we get farther north, by the southern Alaska coast, we get more bulls than cows, for up there the cows seem to strike out for the islands without any loitering. This is also the case on the Japan. coast. The farthest I have got seals in milk from the rookeries was between 70 or 80 miles. I know this from looking at the Chart now shown me, from which I can see the position at which I was at the time. I have frequently got a number of cows that have bad neither pups nor milk, and got more of that kind on this coast than the Japan coast. There has been so much talk about the seal life that I took particular notice of those facts last year. I have not heard of any schooners having taken any seals in Behring Sea this year that were not warned or seized, and I would likely have heard of it if there had been any. In coming back from tbe Japan coast this year we left Skotan about tbe 21th June, and followed tbe "great circle" track for "Victoria, where we arrived about the middle of July, and in the passage across I saw seals every day. We ran within 200 or 250 miles of the Aleutian group. I never noticed any difference in the quality of the skins taken along this cOast from those in Behring Sea, and I would not know the difference between those taken on the American coast and those of the Japan side. This year we got on our way across—just as we were leaving we got skins off the Farallones Islands, and on taking them to Victoria with the rest of our catch no one could pick out one from tbe other, though we, of course, knew them, having kept them apart and put them up by themselves. I consider that the seals need protection, but it should apply to the breeding-islands more than to tbe coast, for I consider there is more harm done to seal life by their manner of killing there and by their practice of kilbng all bulls. We get very few old bulls. I have never picked up a dead seal or " stinker," but have seen two picked up that had not been long iu the water, as they were quite fresh. I have not beeri paid nor promised anything in consideration of having made the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) LEE J. THIERS. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 29th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Warren F. Upson. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. WARREN F. UPSON, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says :— I will be 57 years of age on the 4th January next, reside in San Francisco, and have lived here for over twenty years, and am an American subject. I have beeii a hunter of fur-skins for tbe past twenty years, and commenced killing seals about thirteen years ago as a business ; previous to that time I was sea-otter hunting altogether, though would occasionally kill a few seals. Was otter-bunting principally amongst the Kurile group up to the time I commenced seal-hunting, and was as familiar with all the islands of the group as I am with the streets of this city, from Cape Nogshaf to Kamtchatka, and know that there were no rookeries at that time on those islands. I know Rakoke, Moo-shire, and Shrenoi Rocks between Ushisir and Shias- kotan, and, to my knowledge, there were no rookeries on them during my otter-hunting days, but I learned since that Captain Miner has taken a large number of seals on some of those rocks, and I account for the fact that they were driven from Robben Island in the Okhotsk Sea, for Robben Island has been raided till there are, comparatively, very few seals landing there. I was on the first schooner that raided Robben Island, tbe " Matinee," fitted out by H. Liebes, T. P. H. Wbitelaw, and Isaac Leonard, of this city. This was about twelve years ago. This was the first and only raid ever I made on rookeries. As near as I can remember, I hunted in the following vessels: pilot-boat " Fanny," schooners " Matinee," " Alexander," " Undaunted," " City of San Diego," " Vanderbilt," " Kate and Ann," and " Active." In some of these I have been bunting several seasons. I have sealed on the American coast, Behring Sea, on the Russian coast, off' the Commander Islands, also on the Japan coast. In crossing over this year to the south of the Aleutian group, going to the Commander Islands, during tbe month of July I noticed seals more or less in the passage. On our return in August it was so rough we could not see anything, but I have come along there as late as September and noticed plenty of seals to the southward of 172nd Pass. I remember one year, when I was in tbe " San Diego," that we got 93 seals in one day (10th September) with three boats. This was off Bogosloff Rock, in the Behring Sea. . . I cannot remember the numbers of seals taken by the different vessels I have been m in trieir [1181 2 L m IIP ,i Wmf\*'%:•■'■ [ lESLH* iirt... .1 <;< ;-' B|fw;:!.: «fpi|i' Siil' : \m:. Sfi* mm: Jbs$ tit' 128 different years, not my own individual catches, though I have it all written down somewhere, I gfmnot now lay my hand on it. Have always used a gun or rifle, but hunted seals mostly with a shot-gun, and most we got under 15 yards. A careful hunter wiU lose very few seals, and 10 per cent, will fully cover his loss. A seal that has been killed after several shots, and struggled a good deal, will float much longer than one that has been suddenly killed. A good many seals are destroyed by " killer whales," and I have had a seal taken away by them after I had killed it. Seals travel a great deal in schools, and are very much more watchful then than when alone or in twos. Never heard of a leader to a school, but I have seen " watchers " on the look-out. In my experience there is no difference in the fur of any of the seals, American or Russian, but I have killed seals off Guadaloupe Island and found the fur lighter in colour and quality, and not as valuable as the others. I have crossed from San FraaSKisco to Yokohama many, many times, and have taken many different courses. In courses made from 35° to 45° north have seen seals off and on every day all the way across in January, February, and March, but south of that have scarcely seen any. I know all the vessels sealing out of this port, and I never heard of tbe " Maggie Ross," and I heard of a seal-hunter called Charles Challal, nor William H. Long, nor Henry Mason, nor John Dalton, know most of the seal-hunters from here, and certainly all the well-known and good hunters. I never nor Richard Dolan, nor William Eraser, nor Thomas Gibson, nor William Mclsaac, nor Patrick Maroney, nor Miles Nelson, nor Adolphus Stairs, nor John Woodruff, nor Joseph Denis, nor Frank M. Gaff'ney, nor Martin Hannon, nor Andrew Hoffman, nor James Kennedy, nor James Malloy, nor Frank Moreau, nor James Sloan, nor E. W. Soron, nor G. Sundrall, nor William Hensen, nor Adolph W. Thompson, and none of the foregoing can be prominent hunters, or hunters of any ability, or have any record. I have not been paid anything or promised anything in consideration of having made the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. DO ' (Signed)- Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 30th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Captain Adolplie F. Carlson. W. F. UPSON. Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes as State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco. CAPTAIN ADOLPHE F. CARLSON, of San foUows:— 1. I reside in San Francisco, and have hunted for sea fur-skins for the past eighteen years ; since 1883 have bunted on this coast, but previously on the Japan coast for sea-otter. 2. In 1879 I became master of the schooner " Alexander," and continued in her till the fall of 1885, when I got the " Helen Blum," which I have commanded ever since. 3. My principal hunting has been for sea-otter, but have incidentaUy bunted seals. 4. I have crossed in the mail-steamer " Gallic " from Yokohama to San Francisco, making a course 45° north, and have seen seals more or less every day—this was in the month of January—and have- returned the beginning of February, at a course about 36° north, and have again seen seals almost daily during the voyage. 5. Sometimes in going north along this coast seals are seen straggling in ones and twos, and at others in schools, and these schools are generally mixed as to age and sex, and in schools they are harder to get than otherwise, for there is always a watch, and I have never known such a theory among sealers as there being a leader to a school, and the habit of a sealer is to get the first one he can. 6. Along the coast we get more females than anything else, and the females are mostly young. 7. I hunted otter along the Kurile Islands from 1872 tiU 1883, and know that up to 1879 there were no rookeries on Rakoke Island or Moo-shir Rocks, and seals up to that time never hauled-up on either of these islands to breed, but 1 learn that they were found there in 1880 or 1881 8. I think seals are decreasing, for I hear so from those on the Island of Shumaain and islands in that vicinity, and I don't think I see so many myself. 9. Seals are getting more wary from being hunted so much more than formerly. 10. I did not bear of any vessels having got seals in Behring Sea this year other than those that were warned or seized, and I should have known it, I am sure, had there been any. _ 11. Nothing has been paid or promised me for malting tins deposition, and I have read it it is correct. -up other (Signed) Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 29th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public (Seal.) over, and A. F. CARLSON. ¥M3V**m -< 3^L'. 129 Deposition of Frederick Crocker State of California, City and County of San Francisco. FREDERICK CROCKER, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— I am a resident of the city of San Francisco, and an American subject. I have been a seal-hunter since 1881, and have hunted on the American, Japan, and Russian coasts, and Behring Sea. I have sealed in the schooners "Mary Ellen," "Victoria," "Penelope," "San Jos<$," "0. S. Fowler," I C. H. White," " C. G. White," the " Bowbead," and have also hunted out of several vessels from Yokohama. I first hunted among the Kurile Islands in 1881, and found rookeries on the Stred-noi aud Mushire Rocks and Raikoke Islands, and we made good takes—cannot say now exactly how many—that year I was in the " Diana," sailing from Yokohama. I know of no other places on those islands where seals haul-out. For the last two seasons I have been hunting on the Japan coast. In 1891 we got 1,687 seals, and in 1892 (this year) 1,868. These years I was 'in the " C. H. White " and " Bowhead." Last year my personal catch was 453, and this year 268, when a " killer " struck the boat, smashed it, drowned one of my men, lost our guns, and I luckily got safe myself. I always use shot-gun and rifle, and some days when I go out never lose a seal, and perhaps, if yery rough and unlucky, might lose one out of five, or on an average all round of from 5 to 10 per cent., but 10 per cent, would be the outside figure for last year, and this I have lost very few. A seal shot and worried by several shots, and finally killed, will not sink for some time, as its lungs become inflated by its exertions. Seals are for the most part shot with shot-gun at from 10 to 30 yards. Seals for the most part travel in schools, and the sexes are mixed, and they are so as regards age. Seals are bard to get in schools, as they are very watchful, at least one or two are always on the watch. In my experience I never heard of any leader to a school, and I don't think any one could pick out a leader, and I always kill the first I come to. A pregnant seal is harder to kiU than another, and when killed is more buoyant. I think along this coast I get more females than males. In Behring Sea they run half and half, and on the Japanese coast it is the same as on our coast, and on the Russian coast they average about the same as Behring Sea. On tbe Japanese and this coast the females we get are mostly with pup, and on the Asiatic coast and in Behring Sea the seals we get are in milk. We get plenty of barren cows, but more on the Japanese coast than elsewhere. On the Russian side we do not get cows in milk farther than from 50 to 60 miles from the Commander Islands. On this side I have got them as far as 200 miles from the Pribyloff Islands. I don't think there is any difference in the quality of the skins caught in any of those waters I have spoken of, but there is a sbght difference in the colour of the skins, those on the being- darker than those on the other. The only vessel I heard of getting seals in the Behring Sea this year was the " Allie I. Alger," but was told that she left when she heard it was prohibited, after having got only a few seals. Male seals, like other mammals, have teats. I do not know of any other rookeries than those I have spoken of. In 1883 I was seized when raiding Robben Island. I was on the schooner " Helena," Captain Golder, master, and our outfit was confiscated. We raided that island five years. I have also taken part in raiding other islands, but I do not care to give any statement about them without the permission of the owners of the vessels. I think that seals should be given some protection, but I think they should be protected on the - rookeries as well as on the Sea. In crossing from the American to the Russian side I have noticed seals more or less every day during the passage; this would be about the month of August, and in coming from the Russian to the American side south of tbe Aleutian Islands about the month of September have observed the same thing. Bj%| I have not been paid nor promised anything in consideration of making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) F. J. CROCKER. Subscribed and sworn before me, this 1st day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of William Conners. State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco. WILLIAM CONNERS, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and swears :— H Am a resident of San Francisco, an American subject, and a seal-hunter. I began sealing m 1886 and with the exception of one year (1889) have hunted every year since. WKmmWM In 1886 I hunted in the "Theresa," 1887 in the "Challenge," 1888 the "Mountain Cnief, 1890 " C. G. White," and last year in tbe I lily L." This year I hunted m tbe j Louis Olsen. ft* 11 w - V. ii. Br iK Pi!;; Si twm 130 In the "Theresa"—I joined her at Victoria, in the month of April—and between that and the Shumagin Islands we got 107 seals. We then went into the Behring Sea, and got over 2,000 seals. In°1887, on tbe " Challenge," we got 108 seals, and were then seized—the first vessel seized that year. The reason given for seizing us was that we were taking female seals, for we had not got into Behring Sea. In 1888 I was on the " Mountain Chief," and we were so late leaving Victoria—16th June—that wTe didn't get any seals on the coast. We got 894 seals in the Behring Sea. On the "C. G. White," we started directly for the Japan coast on the 15th February, and picked up 25 on the American coast. We got 476 on the Japan coast, and then came to Copper Island, and got 59 seals. We stayed there four or five days, when the six boats got lost, and the schooner was brought back here by the captain and cabin boy. My boat and another landed on the island, and we gave ourselves up. We were kept there two weeks, and the Alaska Commercial Company sent us here by the steamer " Karlike," reaching here on the 9th September. Three of the boats attempted to land, and were fired on by the Russians ; one man was kiUed, and two others wounded. Seven bullets went through the boats. Last year, in the " Lily L.," on the coast, we got 567 seals and came home. We went out on tbe 28th January, and stayed about seven months. This year, in the " Louis Olsen," on our way to the Japan coast we got about 20 on tbe American coast, and we got 1,342 on the Japan coast. My individual take as a hunter the first year I was out, in the "Theresa," I got 436 seals. The next year, in the " Challenge," I got only 22, as we were seized. The next year, in the " Mountain Chief," I got 368. The following year I didn't hunt; and in 1890, in the " C. G. White," I got 108. We were the first schooner from San Francisco that went to the Japan coast, and we got lost, which accounts for our smaU catch. In 1891, on the " Lily L.," I got 93 on the coast; we didn't go into Behring Sea. This year I got 259 seals on tbe Japanese coast. We always use rifle and shot-gun. I never, until this year, kept any account of those seals I lost from sinking after having been killed or mortally wounded, and I did it this year, because there was so much talk about the loss from shooting, and out of 266 killed I lost 7. I was very careful, and have them all marked down. I think for the utmost loss for a good hunter from sinking is 5 per cent.; that is putting it at the outside. We are never stinted in the use of ammunition, and we can use all we want for practice or game shooting. Seals are mostly shot from 20 to 30 yards distant with a shot-gun. Seals travel more now than they used to do in schools, and they are mixed up—males and females, young and old—and when in schools are wide awake, and seem to be getting educated to be on the watch. I have seen more seals this year than in any year before since I have hunted, but they are wilder and harder to get at—certainly their number is not growing less. In my experience along the coast I find that more than half of them are females, but I cannot say very much about it, as we are paid by the skin, and I didn't take much note. I have taken skins on the Russian-American and Japanese ccasts, and down off the Island of Guadaloupe, and I cannot say that I have ever noticed any difference in the quality of the skin, though I think the colour of tbe latter are darker. I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, and by killing the female first been able to get both. As a rule we don't get many old bulls, but I remember that in one day, while on the " Mountain Chief," I got 18 old bulls. We meet with and get plenty of barren cows. In all the years I have been sealing I have only picked up but three floating seals or " stinkers." I never heard of a leader to a school of seals. In 1883, crossing from the Japan Islands to Victoria in October and November, I noticed seals every day during the voyage. I know aU the sealing-vessels, as I hunted from Victoria, Seattle, and San Francisco, and am also acquainted with most of the hunters, either personally or by reputation. I have never heard of a hunter named James Sloan, nor of William Long, nor of Henry Mason, nor of Peter Collins, nor John Dalton, nor Richard Dolan, nor Wilbam Mclsaac, nor James Kennedy, nor Patrick Maroney nor Miles Nelson, nor Thomas Brown, nor Charles Challal, nor Joseph Denis, nor Andrew Hoffman'nor James Kean, nor William H. Long, nor Henry Mason, nor William Hensen, and they cannot be men of any experience in sealing. I know a great many of tbe boat-pullers in this part, and I do not recollect ever having heard of any of the above-named being employed in any connection with sealing I think that should any protection be given seals that tbe Behring Sea should be closed and killing on the Pribyloff Islands prohibited as well. I have not been paid or promised anything in consideration of making the foregoing statement which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) W. CONNERS. wW. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 30th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) 131. Deposition of P. E. Peterson State of California, City and County of San Francisco. P. E. PETERSON, being duly sworn, deposes and says :— 1. P. E. Peterson is my name, and I am a resident of San Francisco. I am an American subject and for the past two years have been hunting seals in the schooner " Lily L.," belonging to C. D. Ladd, of this city, and both years sealed from San Francisco to Kadiak along the coast. 2. Last year, 1891, I cannot say how many the schooner got, but I only got 3 5, as I joined at Port 'Townshend after the most of their catch had been made. 3. This year the schooner's catch was about 613, of which I got 79 after missing several of the best days through sickness. 4. I always bunt with shot-gun and rifle, and this year I kept count of those I lost from sinking after being shot, and the number was 3 altogether. I would place the loss that a good hunter would make at not more than 5 in 100. 5. The range for a shot-gun at which I would get seals would be at 8 to 30 yards, and nearly all my seals are taken with shot-gun. A seal that has struggled, and been killed after several shots, will float for a long time. 6. I have never found a dead seal floating—commonly called " stinkers." 7. Seals travel in schools, and are mixed as to age and sex, and when in schools are harder to get at than when in ones or twos. I never heard of a leader to a school of seals. 8. We can use what ammunition we bke while on the vessel for shooting birds and practising, -and there is a great deal used in that way. 9. Along the coast my experience is that we get about half males and half females, and after passing Sitka we get more old buUs than on this side of it, but we get very few old " wigs." 10. I have not beard of any vessel having taken seals in Behring Sea this year that was not warned out or seized. 11. I have killed lots of barren cows. 12. Seals were more plentiful, I think, this year than in 1891. They are not decreasing, but they are harder to get, as they are growing wilder. 13. I have not been paid or promised anything in consideration of having made the foregoing -statement, which I have read over and found correct. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 2nd day of December, 1892. (Signed) P. E. PETERSON. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) §; Deposition of Harry John Lund. State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. HARRY JOHN LUND, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— Am a resident of San Francisco, and an American subject. Have hunted seals for two years; first in 1891 in the " City of San Diego," and this year in tbe " Ivanhoe." In 1891, in the " City of San Diego," we hunted up this coast, leaving San Francisco on the 11th February. We got about 700 on the coast, of which I got personaUy 145. We then'went into the Behring Sea, and only got about 20, as we were warned (ordered) out. This year, 1892, on the " Ivanhoe," we left here directly for the Japan coast on the 6th February, passing through the Sandwich Islands, and never hunted until we reached the Japanese coast, where we got 1,294, and I got myself 253 seals. Out of the 152 I shot at in 1891 on the coast I don't believe I lost from sinking or mortally wounding more than 7 seals, and consider my percentage of loss at not more than 6 or 7 per cent. I -consider the average hunter ought not to lose more than from 5 to 7 per cent, of those he gets. I think that if I happen to shoot a seal just as he has fiUed his lungs that he will float a long time. I know that I have killed a seal and picked him up six or seven hours later, and on one Occasion I kiUed a seal from among five others, and waited around seeing the others trying to bring him under by catching his flipper. This they could not do, as he would float, and I killed all the five before I picked this one up. Seals swim in schools. I have seen in the Japan Sea as many as 300 in a bunch, but they would be very hard to get at when in that way. I never heard of a leader to a school; when going in this wav the sexes are all mixed up, and so are the young and old. I shot almost all my seals with a shot-gun at about 15 to 18 yards distant. I have never shot more than a dozen with a rifle. There is no limit to tbe quantity of ammunition we may use, and there is more used on birds and at a mark than on seals. I got about 65 per cent, of cows on the coast, and the proportion is about the same on the Japan coast. We very seldom get an old buU. On tbe way home this year during the month of July, on the "great circle" track, we saw seals every day; some days as many as 20. I have never seen seals cohabiting in the water. The only vessel I heard of being in the Behring Sea that was not warned out or seized was the AHie I. Alger." Wm [118] 2 M W m 132 Before I went sealing I was a sailor out of this port, and very weU acquainted with all the vessels- engaged in hunting, and there is no vessel engaged in the sealing named " Maggie Ross." I also am acquainted with tbe hunters and men that go on sealing-vessels and other ships, and I do not know Charles Challal, nor James Sloan, nor WiUiam Long, nor James Fyfe, nor Henry Mason, nor John Dalton, Richard Dolan, James Kennedy, Patrick Maroney, Miles Nelson, nor Adolphus Sayers. If any of those men had any record I would be bound to hear of them. I have not been promised nor paid anything in consideration of having made the above statements,; which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) HARRY JOHN LUND. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) la m\ mm II1! Deposition of Charles Haritwen. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. CHARLES HARITWEN, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says :—- 1. I live in the city of San Francisco, in the State of California, and am an American subject. 2. I have been hunting for fur-skins for the past sixteen years, and have been more or less for all that time engaged in kiUing seals. I am captain of the " Louis Olsen," a sealing-vessel belonging to WiHiam Olsen, and which hails from Astoria, in the State of Oregon, and have commanded her for the past two years. 3. I returned this year from my seabng voyage on the coast of Japan on the 16th August, and entered at this port (San Francisco) on the following morning, and had on board 1,334 fur-seal skins,, all taken on the Japan coast except 23 which were got within 50 miles from San Francisco. 4. The skins were removed from my vessel (" Louis Olsen ") on the 18th August last, and were taken without any inspection to the ware-rooms of the firm of H. Liebes and Co., of this city, and no outsiders were present for that purpose when the skins were unloaded from the vessel and removed on trucks to the ware-rooms of the said firm of H. Liebes and Co.; and the time occupied in unloading from the vessel and delivering the skins into the cellar of the said firm of H. Liebes and Co. did not occupy the space of three hours ; only sufficient time was taken to count them at the vessel and on debvery into the cellar, when I taUied them each time. 5. In the forenoon of the following day, the 19th August, I met the owner of the vessel, when he told me he had sold the skins to tbe firm of Liebes and Co., where I bad the night before debvered the skins, and that they had found seventy-nine greys (meaning yearling pups). I objected, and went up to the ware-rooms of H. Liebes to see them picked out (this was on the same day, the 19th August). When I got there I found H. Liebes, the head of the firm, Charles J. Behlow, a partner in the firm of Liebes and Co., or a man I supposed to be him, and two or three other employes of the firm of Liebes and Co., and William Olsen, tbe owner of the vessel, also accompanied me and was present. 6. The skins had evidently been gone over since the previous night, for the pup-skins hacf been separated from the rest, and they were counted over in my presence, and they numbered 79, and I was astonished to find so many, for I considered I had from 34 to 36, but I had to acknowledge it, and let it go at 79. 7. I consider it impossible for any expert in skins to infallibly pick out male from female skins after they have been salted and before being dressed, and it is absolutely impossible to select from a large number of salted skins those of cows that had been carrying pup and had their pups taken from them after death, and to attempt to arrive with any degree of accuracy at a conclusion of that kind would occupy several days with the number of skins I had—over 1,300. 8. I have been sailing from this port for the past sixteen years, and for most of that time have been engaged in hunting seals, and am familiar with the names of aR the vessels that go sealing, and know by reputation or personally aU those connected with the sealing business from this port, either as hunter, steerer, or boat-puller, and I do not know of any one in either of the foregonig capacities named Thomas Bradley, nor Charles Challal, nor Peter Collins, nor John Dalton, nor Joseph Dennis, nor Richard Dolan, nor Peter Duffy, nor George Fairchild, nor William Frazer, nor John Fyfe, nor Thomas Gibson, nor James Griffin, nor Martin Hannon, nor Andrew J. Hoffman, nor James Kean, uor James Kennedy, nor James Kiernan, nor Caleb Lindubt, nor William H. Long, nor Thomas Lyons,, nor Wilbam Mclsaac, nor Wilbam McLaughlin, nor Thomas Madden, nor James Mulvy, nor Patrick Maroney, nor Henry Mason, nor WiUiam Mason, nor E. W. Soron, nor Cyrus Stephens. 9. And I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and have found correct. (Signed) CHARLES HARITWEN Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) John Coffee, A Notary Public in and for the City and County of San Francisco, State of California. (Seal.) ^^^^S**P 133 Deposition of James Ford. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. JAMES FORD, of the city of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I live in the city of San Francisco, am an American subject, and am a seal-hunter. 2. I hunted in the vessel " Emma and Louisa " in 1891, and in the " Lillie L." in 1892. 3. The catch of the " Emma and Louisa " in 1891 along the coast to Kadiak was 1,073, of which I got 133, and lost by sinking 3 seals. The catch of the vessel " Lillie L." this year (1892) was 615, of Avhich I got 124, and lost by sinking 5 seals. This was also along this coast. 4. I always use shot-gun and rifle, but mostly the shot-gun, and I would place the loss from the sinking of seals that had been killed or mortally wounded, for a good average hunter, at 5 in the 100, and not more. Most seals are killed from 10 to 30 yards. 5. I have got more males than females on this coast. I was on board of the revenue-cutter | Corwin " in April last in Neah Bay, and Lieutenant McGregor told me that some of the vessels bad reported that they had sunk 70 per cent, of seals that had been shot, but I knew that this was wrong, and in consequence of this I kept account of all I got and aU I lost, and, therefore, am certain of what I say, and also took notice of the males and females, and one day I got eleven seals, of which nine were males. 6. Fully half the cows I have got on this coast have neither had pups in them nor were they in milk. 7. Have got very few old bulls. 8. I saw more seals this year than I did last, but they appeared to be wilder. j 9. Seals mostly travel north in schools, and these are mixed as to age and sex, but the farther we go north along tbe coast the more bulls there are. 10. In schools they are more wary than when singly or in pairs, and I never heard of there being a leader to a school. 11. I have not been paid anything, nor basanything been promised me, for making this statement, which I have read over and have found correct. (Signed) JAMES FORD. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 2nd day of December, 1892. (Signed) Chas. A. C. Duisenbeeg, Notary Public. (Seal.) being duly sworn, deposes and Deposition of James W. Grew. State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco. JAMES W. CREW, of Port Orford, in the State of Oregc says :— 1. I am now residing in San Francisco, in the State of California, and am a seal-hunter by occupation, and have been continuously engaged in seal and otter hunting since 1886. 2. Have hunted along tbe coast from Monterey to the Pribyloff Islands, and also on the Japanese coast and off the Commander Islands. 3. In 1886 I was in the " Sylvia Handy," and our catch was between 1,800 and 2,000, of which between 300 and 400 were got on tbe coast; my individual catch I cannot now tell, but it was over 300. In 1887 in tbe same vessel the total catch was between 1,600 and 1..700 skins, of which about 300 were got along the coast, the balance being taken in Behring Sea, where we were seized. My personal catch that year was 600 skins. In 1888 I was otter-hunting in the " City of San Diego," but incidentally got a few seals along the coast—about 300 or 400. In 1889 I was again in the " City of San Diego," and was otter-bunting, but we got about something over 100 seals. In 1890 I was master of tbe " City of San Diego," and was again otter-hunting altogether. In 1891 I was in the " Emma and Louisa," but was taken sick in the early part of the season and obliged to return .home. This year I was in the " Kate and Anna," of this port, and sealed all the way from 39° north latitude on the Japanese coast up to the vicinity of the Commander Islands. The vessel's take was 1,460, of which I got 604. 4. I always bunt with shot-gun and rifle, but principaUy with the former, and tbe range at which they are mostly got is from 10 to 30 yards. I never paid any attention to tbe number 1 lost from sinking but it must have been very small, not over thirty for the season, and I would place 5 per cent, as tbe°probable loss of seals that are shot and sink. 5. I think I °et more females than males, and would place it from 60 to 70 per cent, on this coast, and it is about the same on the Japan side. 6. Seals generally travel in schools, and at such times are harder to get. Schools are mixed as to sex and a<*e, and in schools or otherwise every seal is his own leader. 7. Most of tbe cows are carrying pup when going up the coast, but I have also got a great many barren cows. . 8. I think the greatest part of tbe cows got m Behring Sea long distance from the rookeries. are in milk, and I have got them a distance irom wie iuujvcj.ic». 9. In crossing from the Russian side to San Francisco, and foUowing a course bringing us south „he* Aleutian Islands, about the mo-* < until we reached 150° west longitude. 134 10. I saw as many seals this year as I have ever seen, and I cannot notice that they are dGCr6£lSlllc' 11. Nothing has been paid me, nor have I been promised anything, for making this statement, which I have read over and find correct. ; -,•.-, t. ii. ^ 12 In order to secure the protection of the seals, in my opinion, seabng should be altogether stopped in Behring Sea, and no kilbng allowed at the rookeries, and there would then be no danger ot exterminating the seals. II 1N _ ^r rmvixlcT & (Signed) J. W CREW. life.; irif Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 3rd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) John Coffee, A Notary Public in and for the City and County of San Francisco, State of California. (Seal.) Deposition of Norman Hodgson. IP It m< mm'!'-.-. HI m m State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco. NORMAN HODGSON, of Port Townsend, in the State of Washington, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I am a resident of Port Townsend, in the State of Washington, but am now living on Powell Street, in this city, and am 24 years of age, and have been engaged in seal-hunting for five seasons as a hunter. 2. I was in Port Townsend on or about the 1st day of June last, when I was engaged by Captain Tanner, of the Fish Commission steamer " Albatross," to go on board of her as hunter, to illustrate the methods of kilbng seals such as are practised on the sealing-vessels, to test the number lost by sinking, to discover the haunts of tbe seals in the Behring Sea, and generally afford information to those on board the steamer. 3. We left Port Townsend about the 1st June, and on the steamer, besides the Captain, were the following gentlemen: Professor Everman, of Washington, and Professors Townsend and Alexander, who, I understood, belonged to the steamer " Albatross." We sailed direct for tbe Behring Sea, and arrived at Unalaska about the 10th June. We remained there for about a week or ten days, when I was transferred to the " Corwin " with Professor Townsend, whilst the other hunter who was with us, Captain Lennon by name, went with Professor Alexander on the " Rush." The " Corwin" and " Rush " are two revenue-cutters belonging to the United States. We then went to the islands—that is, the Pribyloff Islands. The first seals killed were about 10 miles south-west of St. George Island, on the 10th August, and I got four. They were all females in milk. On the following day, namely, the 11th, I got two seals about 100 miles west by south of St. Paul Island; both were females, and I think both were in milk. On the 12th August I got two seals rather closer to the island, and in about the same direction—one was a cow in milk, and the other a btdl about 2 years old. On the 13th August I got eight about 10 miles south-south-west of the north-west rookery, of which six were cows, and about three of these cows had milk: one of thn buUs was an old " wig," and the other a 2-year- old- On the 21st August I got two, both barren cows. I used a shot-gun altogether, and kiUed the seals aU the way from 10 to 30 yards. Professor Townsend was not present during any of my seal- hunting trips. I had the ordinary sealing-boat, with a boat-puller and steerer. I lost one seal by sinking during the time I was sealing—this one I shot at a long distance, from 45 to 50 yards, and it had sunk before we could get up with the boat. Some seals I could not get to sink, although I tried for several minutes to get them to do so, whilst the big bxdl which I killed on the 13th would have sunk very quickly, and it had started to sink when I gaffed it. 4. At Unalaska I was placed on board the seized vessel " Henrietta " with Lieutenant Johnson, of the " Corwin," to proceed with her to Sitka. She had at the time of seizure about 400 skins, and on our arrival at Sitka I was asked to inspect these to determine the sex of the seals from which they had been taken. Captain C. H. Hooper, of the " Corwin," asked me to do this. I told him it was impossible to ascertain this with any degree of accuracy, but he said to go on anyway and do my best, and I did so. I gave him a statement of what i thought they were; he wished me to swear to it, but I told him I could not do so, but the statement I bad given him was to the best of my knowledge. After the -skins are salted I consider it impossible to define the sex of the smaUer skins up to 3 years. With the old cows and old bulls, of course, an expert can teU, but I consider it quite impossible for any one to say, after skins have been salted, that any particular skin was that of one that had been carrying youn<? and from which the pup had been cut. I have hunted in the "Favourite" for two seasons, she belonged to C. S. Spring, of Victoria- in the " Henry Denis " one season ; and in the " Sophie Sutherland" in 1891. I have hunted alono-'the coast from here to the Pribyloff Islands. In 1891 our vessel got about 360, of which I got 68. I always use shot-gun and rifle, but nearly always the shot-gun, and lose very few seals by sinking; from 5 to 10 per cent, will cover my total loss in that respect. A large quantity of ammunition is used by hunters in praf|||||g when on a sealing voyage, and also in hunting for food game. We are never stinted in any way in this respect. In my catches along the coast I have got about half males, and, perhaps, not quite half; most of the females wotdd be carrying pup. In tbe Behring Sea I have got more females than males, and a great many of these would be in milk. I have got quite a number of barren cows in both place's'-'very few old bulls are got. H FfSP1-. 135 Seals travel singly, in twos, and also in schools, and in schools are mixed as to age and sex, and Are much harder to get that way, for there is always one on tbe "look-out." There is no such thing as a leader to a school—it is every one for itself. I notice just as many seals as when I first hunted, but they are much wilder, because so much more hunted. I think the seals should be protected, and kiUing stopped at tbe rookeries. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, for making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. A Government Agent, who was spoken of as J. E. Murray, and was taking evidence on the " Albatross," took my statement in connection with seabng under oath on board that vessel in June last, and where the subjects touched on were the same as you have asked me about I gave substan- tiaUy tbe same answers. (Signed) N. HODGSON. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 3rd day of December, 1892.' (Signed) - Chas. A. C. Duisenberg, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Frank Moreau. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. FRANK MOREAU, being duly sworn, deposes and states:— I am a resident of San Francisco, and an American subject. I began hunting in 1887, and have been bunting seals ever since. I have been successively in the " Rosie Sparks," " Aldina," " Mary Dabo," " C. G. White," | Lily L.," and " Kate and Anna." Until this year—although I have hunted on the Japan coast, in the vicinity of the Copper Islands, and in Behring Sea—I never made a really good catch; this year we got 1,435 with three boats, of which I got 467. We use shot-gun and rifle, but mostly a shot-gun, and in my experience the loss from sinkage through being killed or mortally wounded woidd not be greater than 8 per cent., which would cover the whole loss. The coast loss is smaller than .the Behring Sea loss, because, as a rule, those on the coast are fatter and more buoyant, and a pregnant female will not sink as easily as another seal. Seals travel a good deal in schools, and are harder to get at then than when in ones and twos ; they are mixed as to age and sex. We get more females than males. I think there may be 80 per cent, of the seals on the coast females; I think that perhaps of the cows 75 per cent, carry pups, and in Behring Sea the same percentage would apply to cows in milk, though I did not pay particular attention to the matter. We get plenty of barren cows. I do not notice that seals are decreasing, but are wilder and harder to get near. I didn't hear of any vessels having been in Behring Sea this year that were not warned away -or seized. We left Copper Island about the 12th August, and arrived in San Francisco about the 20th September, and kept to tbe south of the Aleutian Islands. I noticed seals more or less aU the way across. I think there is a difference in the quality of the skins between those on the Russian and American coasts, because I have noticed more shaggy and rough skins on the, Russian than on the American. I have seen seals taken in milk 100 miles from the rookeries. I think some protection should be given the seals, and would make a close season in the Behring Sea during July, August, and September, and of course this would apply as weU to tbe breeding- islands as tbe open ocean. We are never restricted in the use of ammunition, and can use just as much as we like in practice at game or at a mark. I have not been promised nor paid anything in consideration of having made this statement, -which I have read over and found correct. Signed) F. MOREAU. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 5th day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) 3W ,&-&, IBlP' Deposition of Peter Carlson. •State of California, City and County of San Francisco. PETER CARLSON, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— I live in .San Francisco, and am an American subject. I have been sealing for four years, the first two years as a steerer, and last two years as a hunter. In 1887 I was out from this port in the " Lottie Fairfield;" in 1888, from Victoria, in the [118] 2 N ill!!! p'ffl. ■- .M-j.1i; ; ifll R*®PV 136 "Favourite;" in 1889 and 1890 I was not out; but in 1891 I went in the "C. H. Tupper" from Victoria as a hunter; in 1892 (last year) I was in the "Viva" from Victoria; in 1888, we hunted on the coast into Behring Sea. We got on the coast in the "Lottie Fairfield" in 1887, about 500, and I left her at Victoria; in 1888, on the " Favourite," we went directly, almost, through the Omaka Pass into Behring Sea, and didn't get more than 50 seals on the coast; we left Victoria about the 1st June-. In 1891 we left Victoria on or about the 20th February, and got all our seals on the coast, as we were warned off Sand Point not to go into the Behring Sea; we got 619 on the coast. Last year we left Victoria on the 15th February, and got 1,848 seals. ...In the year 1891, as a hunter, on the coast, I got personaUy 95 seals, and in 1892 on the same coast, American, I got 260 seals. I do not think the seals are less numerous this year than when I first went sealing, as I have seen more seals this year than ever before. They are getting better educated to look out for danger and harder to get, but there are just as many of them. I shot 260 seals last year, and from sinking lost 6, 4 of those I lost through carelessness of the steerer and myself. I remember this distinctly, as it is a serious matter to us. An old hunter will usually get the seal he shoots at, particularly if he only wounds him. A good hunter ought not to lose, from sinking, 5 out of the 100. I know that hunters often say that seals have sunk when, in fact, they have missed them. I hunt almost entirely with a shot-gun, and this year I didn't have a rifle in tbe boat. We kiU .seals from 10 to 40 yards, and the average is about 15 yards. We are not restricted in our shooting, we load our own cartridges, and can use as much powder and shot as we please in shooting for practice and at game, and I know we use more in that way than at seals. Seals travel in bunches or schools, and are divided up as to males and females and old and young, and they are very much harder to get than when singly, or in ones or twos, as there is always some on watch. I never heard of a leader, and there is no such in a school of seals. On the coast going north, as we reached the Columbia River, we found mostly young bulls, and as we got toward Cape Cook we struck more cows. Our catch was half cows—half on the coast, as regards male and female. I found that getting to the north of Sitka the greater number of the cows were in pup, but I found a good many cows that had neither pup nor milk in them. I remember that in Behring Sea I was never nearer than 40 miles to the islands, and I got seals from there to 150 miles off, in milk. I never saw seals cohabiting in the water. I believe that there ought to be a close season for sealing, but that, should it apply to the open sea, the islands ought most certainly to be also included, and that no sealing should be done within 20 miles of the shore. I have not heard of any one sealing in the Behring Sea this year that was not warned away or seized. I was a sailor since I was 14 years old, and from this port for four years before I went sealing, md I never heard of a sealing-schooner named the " Maggie Ross," and would certainly have beard of her if she had been in the fleet. I have not been paid nor promised anything which I have read over and found correct. f in consideration of making tbe foregoing statement) (Signed) P. CARLSON. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 3rd day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Lee D. Craig, Notary Public for the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, 316, Montgomery Street. (Seal.) llt| m m HI m Deposition of Dan A. Lewis. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. DAN A. LEWIS, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. Am a resident of San Francisco, an American subject, and began sealing in 1889; have hunted on the American coasts into Behring Sea, on the Japanese and Russian coasts. 2. In 1889 I hunted on the " Undaunted," in 1890 I stayed ashore, in 1891 I was on the " City of San Diego," and in 1892 I hunted from the " Albe I. Alger." 3. On the coast, on the " Undaunted," we got, I think, 464 seals, of which I got 82. In the I City of San Diego," along this coast; We got 512, and off shore, within 20 miles of Copper Island we got 632. We lowered our boats within 60 to 20 miles off shore, and then hunted. My individual catch this season on the " San Diego " was 270. This year, in the " AUie I. Alger," we hunted for a short time on the coast, got 28 seals, and proceeded directly to the Japan coast, where we got about 1,490. On the way back we entered the Behring Sea and got 114 seals, when we were told that the sea was closed, and we left St. Paul's Island on the 14th August. My total take on this trip was 386 4. I know that in killing those 386 seals I lost exactly 6 that I had killed and sunk A mortally wounded seal does not often get away. It is to my interest to keep count of the seals I lost' and the above are the facts of the case. From my own experience this year and the other years I have hunted I don't think I ought to lose more than 3 out of every 100 from dyin<*, or that I have WMfeggPfl ought never to lose a seal an average als, I do, it to we 137 reason to think sink from being wounded. If a man has a light boat he for if a seal is crippled, and can keep away from me, be will live. 5. I kiU all my seals with a shot-gun, and never use a rifle. We shoot seals at distance of 25 yards, and have killed a seal and got him at 75 yards. 6. We can shoot just as much as we want to when sealing, and there is just as much ammunition used in practice and at birds as there is in killing seals. 7. There are more seals now than when I first went hunting. I notice it wherever I go. St think, are well able to take care of themselves, and when they travel in schools, as they mostly is very rarely that we can get more than one, as they are very watchful. I never heard of a leader a school, but always noticed that there was a look-out on watch. 8. I cannot say anything about the proportion of males that were to females in my catch, but don't get many old bulls, perhaps three or four in a season. 9. I have never seen seals cohabiting in the water. 10. In travelling in schools I have seen all sizes and ages of seals, but I cannot saj the sexes. 11. I have killed barren cows, but it is a matter I have not noticed very closely. 12. I think the seals ought to be protected, but if any close season is made the islands ought certainly to be closed, as well as the open sea. 13. I have not been paid or promised anything in consideration of having made the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) DAN A LEWIS. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 5th day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) anything about Deposition ofi Peter Hammel. State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco. PETER HAMMEL, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. Ann a resident of San Raphael, Cabfornia, and an American subject. Am a seal-hunter, and hunted along this and the Japanese coasts. 2. For the last two years I have been in the " Mattie E. Dyer," and last year, 1891, we got along the coast from here to Kadiak over 400 seals, and I got personaUy 72. This year, on the Japanese coast, our catch was over 1,180, of which I got 92. My catch this year was smaU, owing to the fact that I was lost from the schooner in a fog, and had to return by steamer. 3. I used a gun in seabng almost always, but occasionally a rifle, and lose by sinking very few seals, not more than one in every twenty-five. 4. Pregnant seals float longer than buBs or barren cows. 5. Seals are killed with a shot-gun from 10 to 30 yards away. 6. The seals most always travel in schools, and are then very hard to get. The schools are mixed —old and young, male and female. 7. I think I get more females than males, perhaps 20 per cent. more. I haven't found a big lot of difference in tbe numbers. 8. More than half the cows on this coast were carrying pup, but on the Japan coast not so many carried pups, not half of them any way. ' 9. I have killed plenty of barren cows. I cannot say just what proportion there would be barren, as I paid very little attention to tbe matter. 10. I could not see the difference between the skins taken on the Japanese coast and those taken on tbe American coast. 11. In seabng I could use ammunition for shooting at game, and we were never stinted in its use. 12. Seals eat aU sorts of fish, and wherever the herring and bait is there will seals be found. 13. I have killed very few old buUs. 14. I have never seen a dead seal or " stinker " floating. 15. I think that the seals ought to be protected, particularly at the rookeries. 16. I have read this over and found it correct, and I have not been paid or promised anything in consideration of having made the foregoing statements. (Signed) PETER HAMMEL. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 6th day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) tig<. ■l«f'..:: pf ■ ■we III 138 Deposition of Roscoe Wheeler, Junr. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. ROSCOE WHEELER, the younger, of the city of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and 1. I reside in Flintville, Alameda County, in tbe State of Cabfornia, and am, and have been for some time past, connected with my father, Roscoe Wheeler, in business in the city of San Francisco. 2. My father, the said Roscoe Wheeler, is managing owner of the seabng-vessel " San Diego,' of this port. 3. Said vessel " San Diego " arrived in port on or about the 18th day of August last from a sealing voyage to the Japan coast, having on board 2,069 skins for her season's catch. 4. On the afternoon of the 19th of the same month an inspector came on board and commenced an examination of the skins on board of said vessel the " San Diego." He sorted them out in various piles, and occupied the afternoon of that day, the 19th, and the forenoon of the 20th, in such examination. 5. I cannot give the name of the person who made said examination of skins, but know him to be in the employ of tbe firm of Liebes and Co., furriers, of this city. 6. In the course of conversation while he was examining the furs' I have referred to, he said he was doino it for tbe Government, and also mentioned that he had inspected the skins of the vessel " Sophia Sutherland" previously, and also said he had been with the firm of Lampson and Co., of London, England, for some years. 7. On the 23rd day of August my father sold the skins referred to to tbe firm of Liebes and Co., and they were subsequently on the same day deHvered at tbe store-room of that firm's place of business in this city. 8. On the following day, in consequence of the discovery that some of the skins were missing, I had occasion to go over to H. Liebes and Co.'s warehouse to see about those missing, when I saw there the same party who had inspected the said skins on the 19th and 20th, and who appeared to be engaged in baling the same skins for shipment. He was in the basement of the firm's warehouse, which is situated on Post Street, in this city. 9. The missing skins were found, with tbe exception of one, they having been left on the vessel covered up in the salt, and had not been inspected; they were, I think, sixteen in number, which were not debvered at the store of Liebes and Co. until the 24th August, when tbe final payment was made to my father. No other person inspected the skins of the "San Diego" whilst they were on said vessel for I was present during all the time they were being so inspected. During said inspection the skins wp.i-»» thrown out in several piles, and the inspection appeared to be the same as is adopted when grading for purchase. 10. On the 24th August, when, as I have previously stated, I was in the basement of Liebes and Co.'s store arranging for final settlement of the purchase by that firm, I saw in tbe office there what appeared to be a sworn statement of the assortment that had been made of the skins on the vessel." San Diego " referred to, and though I asked at the time for a copy of it, it was not riven me the excuse given being that it was for the Government. I cannot now remember tbe contents of that statement, nor the name signed thereto, but it contained several classifications; I do remember that it placed the number of pups at 101. 11. Nothing has been paid or promised me for making this statement, which I have read over and have found correct. (Signed) ROSCOE WHEELER, Junr. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 7th day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of James Carthrat. m State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Franc: isco. JAMES CARTHRAT, of San Francisco, having been duly sworn, deposes and says: 1. I reside in San Francisco, in the State of California, and am in my 80th year. 2. Have been master and owner of sealing-vessels, but have never hunted myself. 3. In 1883 went out seabng for the first time in the .vessel " San Diego," of which I was master and sealed only fifteen days. I went out.every year till 1887. When I was in the vessel " Sylvia Handy" I was always out as master. In 1887 the vessel was seized with 1,679 skins, which were confiscated. 4. Always sealed along the coast and in the Behring Sea, and noticed no difference in the number of seals from the first to tbe last year. 5. I never was out in a boat with a seal-hunter, but have seen hunters killing near the vessel and know that hunters do not lose many by sinking, and a reaUy good hunter loses very few, not over 5 m 100. I have seen my bead hunter, William Thomas, on one occasion in 1885 'brin» in seventeen pelts with seventeen shots. I know of my knowledge that he only fired seventeen shots They mostly use the shot-gun. jm|M m 139 6. I myself personally never killed a seal. 7. In my recollection I got more females than males along tbe coast. About 60 per cent., I think, would be about the average run of females, and it would run about the same in Behring Sea, but for two years they ran about the same there. On the coast the cows are mostly carrying pups, and in tbe Sea they were mostly in milk. Have had a good many barren cows. In the latter part of July and August I have seen hunters get cows in milk down near the Aleutian Islands, and I would think they were taken at least 200 miles from St. George Island to the southward. 8. Early in the present year I made a statement to a Mr. Evans, an United States' Government Agent, in his office on California Street, in this city. He questioned me in regard to sealing, and asked me if it was not a fact that hunters lost nine out of ten of their seals. I said, "' Nothing of the kind." That a good hunter would not lose 10 per cent, by sinking, and perhaps not 5 per cent. He told me that the Company, meaning the North American Commercial Company, said that the pelagic hunters lost 30,000 to save 1,000, to which I replied that my hunters must have lost over 60,000 in one year, for tbe " San Diego " in 1885 got over 2,000 skins. 9. Cannot now remember what else I said, but it was something to the same effect as I have said to-day. It was a sworn statement. I gave the same person statements once or twice before, and last time he promised to pay me, but has never done so, and I do not now ever expect to get paid by him. 10. Nothing has been paid me, nor has anything been promised to me, in consideration of my making tbe foregoing statement, which I have read over and have found correct. (Signed) J. L. CARTHRAT [? CARTHATj. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 8th day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) [118] 2 O I ill 140 II—TESTIMONY OF INDIANS ENGAGED IN PELAGIC SEALING AND IN INDEPENDENT SEAL-HUNTING. II W* Declaration of Jim, of Pachenah, Vancouver. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, JIM, of Pachenah, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, sealer, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I am the owner and master of the sealing-schooner " Mountain Chief." 2. I know a white man named Greenleaf; be was on my schooner last year. He was navigator for me one month. I did not get one skin while Greenleaf was with me. I was not out sealing that month; I could uot get any canoes to go out. Greenleaf went from Victoria in my schooner to Chuckleesit, on west coast, and when I could get no canoes I brought my schooner back to Pachenah, where Greenleaf left her and came to Victoria. Greenleaf never was out with me catching seals last year or any year. 3. My Indian name is " Narwassan." 4. Greenleaf often asked me to take opium on my schooner to take down west coast to send to Cabfornia. He wanted to hire my schooner to take opium to Cabfornia, but I would not have it on board. Greenleaf was a smuggler. 5. That I use spears on my schooner to get seals; very few times use gun. I was never in Behring Sea till this year, and then I got seized. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JIM NARWASSAN, bis x mark it; Subscribed and declared by the said Jim Narwassan before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing at and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 2nd day of November, a.d. 1892, the same having been first read over 'and explained to the said Jim Narwassan, who ftdly understood the same. (Signed) .Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of . British Columbia. (SeaL) m> Declaration of Hit-Hitli, of San Juan, in Vancouver Island, commonly called " Peter." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, I, HIT-HITLI, of San Juan, Vancouver Island, commonly called " Peter," do solemnly declare as foUows:— 1. I am a policeman for the village, having been appointed by the Indian Agent for the District. 2. I am about 35 years of age, and have hunted seal ever since I was a boy; that is for fuUy twenty years. 3. Have hunted seals both in canoe from shore and also from schooners. When first went hunting seals was too young to handle a spear, but went along to steer a canoe. 4. Ir^^^Kng for seals off the coast of Vancouver Island the natives always used a spear previous to two years ago, but since that time they have also used a gun. 5. Two men go out in a canoe, and the man in the bow does the shooting or spearing. 6. In using a spear, if a seal is missed it gets away without being frightened, but the guns scare them, and for that reason the natives prefer to use the spear. 7. Natives who use a spear never loss one they hit, but using a gun, if we shoot three at one time, two would likely be lost, as they would sink very quickly. 8. There are just as many seals along the coast now as when I first began to hunt, but they are found further off shore. About CSistmas time they come into Barclay Sound on this coast amongst the islands there, and are seen in great numbers following the run of herring. 10. We get more females than males, and the former are always with pup. I notice no difference in this respect during aU the time I have been hunting. 11. I have noticed that when the herring is plentiful on the Halibut Banks the seals are more numerous than when||he feed is scarce, but of late,||nce the white hunters have taken to hunting with guns, they have driven the seals farther off shore, therefore we have been compelled to hunt them from schooners ourselves. 12. I have never hunted in Behring Sea but always off the coast, formerly from 10 to 15 miles and now from 30 to 50 miles, JSM8B *£OT 141 13. We commence hunting about Christmas time, which is the time se fir appear on ~._. ,.„ .^.^.^^v, ""■"""& U.UUU.U vjuuowuos uiub, wmuu is une time seats nrst appee the coast, and they are here for about six months, but we only bunt them for about three months. 14. We do not do any hunting now in canoes from shore. 15. About ten years ago a canoe.manned by two natives would take from 10 to 16 seals each day, but now, hunting from the schooners, 4 a-day would be doing well. This is because the white hunters have made them wild by shooting them. 16. Have never heard or known of seals hauling out any place on this coast. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." Witnesses: (Signed) A. D. Laing, John T. Walburn. (Signed) HIT-HITLI (or PETER)', his x mark. Subscribed and declared by the said Hit-Hitli, commonly called " Peter," before me, this 2nd day of November, A.D. 1892, at the village of San Juan, on the Island of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Kas-ado, commonly called | Tom'' of the Village of San Juan. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, I, KAS-ADO, commonly called " Tom," of the village of San Juan, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare :— 1. I am a Pachenah Indian, and reside in San Juan, and am about 55 years of age. 2. Have hunted seals ever since I was a boy—formerly from shore, and latterly from schooners. 3. In hunting seals off Vancouver Island the natives up to two years ago or so used spears; since that time some have used guns, but all prefer the spear because it does not frighten the seals as the gun does, and because they always get all they hit with it. 4. We used to hunt from 10 to 15 miles from shore, and would get from 10 to 16 seals in a-day in our canoe I now we go out in schooners and hunt from 30 to 50 miles from shore, and only get about four in a-day in our canoe. 5. Do not think this is because the seals are less plentiful, but because they have been frightened away from shore by the white hunters, who use guns. 6. Seals come into Barclay Sound in great numbers about Christmas time, following the run of herring. Seals are always more numerous years that the herring are plentiful on the Halibut banks than when tbe feed is scarce. 7. We have always got many more females than males, and they are mostly with pup. In a take of ten about six would be females, and of that six three would be cows with pup, and the other three young female, and of the males (four) two would be 1 year old or so, and the other two 2 years old. We never get any old bulls off the coast, but sometimes get cows that are not with pup. We get a great number of grey pups some seasons ; grey pups are nearly always males, and the brown pups are about half males and half females. This year we only got a few grey pups. 8. This year I sealed in the schooner " Fawn " off the north-west coast, and followed the seals up as far as Kadiak. We were away two months and a-half, and had eleven canoes and got 450 seals. We were late getting away, or would have got a better catch. 9. Seals are most plentiful along our coasts ^abotrt "Christmas "time, and we begin hunting then, and hunt for about three months before going north. 10. I have hunted five seasons in Behring Sea, and always use the spear; we go out in a canoe, and each takes a speav, and if we come across two ' or three seals sleeping together the man steering uses his spear as well as me. I always go in the bow. In one canoe we often get fifteen seals a-day, but sometimes get out only two days a.-week on account of fog and bad weather. I never sealed very near the Pribyloff Islands ; the neaiest was one year in the " Minnie," when in a clear day the Captain pointed them out, and I could just see them. 11. In Behring Sea we always got more young bulls than cows. About half the cows got would be in milk, the other half being young females and cows without pups in them. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) TOM, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed; John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the village of San Juan, on Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 2nd day of November, A.O. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwool, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. K« 142 Declaration of Schoultwick, commonly called " Jinks." mm *■ Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, I, SCHOULTWICK, commonly called " Jinks," do solemnly declare :— 1. I am a native of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and a resident of the village of Ohiat. 2. Am a hunter and fisherman, and hunt seals along the west coast every year, commencing about January and continue for about two months, then go north. 3. When "the seals are inside of Barclay Sound and in shore along the coast we hunt from shore in canoes when the weather wiU permit; at that time of the year tbe weather is very stormy, and we get out only about two days a week; this commences a little after Christmas, and continues about two months. The white hunters follow tbe seal in from their schooners, and shoot them and frighten them out, and makes them wild. Two men go In a canoe, one to steer and the other to use the spear. Hunting from shore we use the spear altogether, but from the schooner both spear and gun. 4. The seals are always most numerous when the herring are most plentiful, which they foUow as far as head of Barclay Sound, and we kill them there every year if the bait go that far. 5. Along the coast and in the Sound the seal were not as plentiful in 1892 as in 1891, and the reason was the white hunters came around before we had a chance to go out, and using the guns scared them off shore. 6. Have only used the gun for two years, and am not a good shot, and only pack it along for nothing ; it is the same with all the rest of my tribe; aU prefer the spear; none of the tribe are good gun-shots; with a spear we never lose one we bit, but many with the gun. 7. Around here we get more females than males, but farther north more males than females. Never get any big bulls on this coast, but get pups or half-grown seals. Natives do not keep any record of number of seals taken, nor of males and fei miles, 01 it think more females are got here than males, and lots of them are old ones without pups; sometimes would take ten seals, and find no females with pup, and sometimes would take ten, of which four would be in pup; last year got great many grey pups, and all grey pups are males. 8. The seals this year were not so plentiful as last, and the herring were very scarce. 9. My tribe want gun-sealing stopped, and seals will increase and come in shore again. We wish the white hunter to be stopped from coming in shore to hunt with guns, and any " King George " (English) schooner coming here to take Indians out to bring no guns with them. I commenced hunting seals about twenty-seven years ago, and before the white hunters came made lots of money, but as soon as white hunters found there were lots of seals there, there were so many schooners came on the coast hunting that they have driven the seals away out. It is the young men who have tried the gun mostly, but find that they can make nothing with it, and now want it stopped altogether. (Signed) SCHOULTWICK, his x mark. First having been read over and explained. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. f'-if.f.-- lit iifiH Declared before me at the village of Ohiat, on Vancouver Island, ;"Pqlumbia, this 4th day of November, A.D. 1892. |||&[ned) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. in the Province of British it mw Declaration of Clawaumack, So-y-uk, Thompson, Jack, Too-tootch, and Jimmy, Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, WE, Clawaunack, So-y-uk, Thompson, Jack, Too-tootch, and Jimmy, do solemnly declare :— 1. That we are native Indians of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and reside in tbe village of Ohiat, in Barclay Sound, 2. We have heard what has been said by Schoultwick, commonly called " Jinks," here present, and fully understand it, and the same is true. And we make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CLAWAUNACK, his x mark. SO-Y-UK, ditto. THOMPSON, ditto. JACK, ditto. TOO-TOOTCH, ditto. JIMMY, ditto. First having been read over and explained. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. ■ppm mm 143 Declared before me at tbe village of Ohiat, in Columbia, this 4th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada,. Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Declaration of Clahapisum, commonly called " Eared Coon." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, CLAHAPISUM, commonly called " Eared Coon," of the village of Ohiat, and one of the Ohiat tribe of Indians, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am a native of the village of Ohiat, in Barclay Sound, and I am about 35 years old. 2. Have hunted seals since I was a boy, and have hunted them all along the west coast of Vancouver Island, from 5 to 50 miles from the coast, and also in Barclay Sound. About ten years ago commenced seabng from the schooner, as the seals were not coming in close; when sealing from the shore we used to get from 10 to 15 a-day in one canoe, with two in a canoe—now, sealing from the schooner, we get from 5 to 10. About twenty years ago fully twice as many from our tribe hunted seals, because our tribe was larger then. 4. The reason we hunt so far from shore is that the seals do not now come in close to shore, the white man having frightened them off shooting them. Years the herring are plentiful on the banks-and in the bays the seal are very plentiful, and can be seen foBowing the herring in, but soon as white men commenced shooting, they turn and go out. 5. When we open them we find cod-fish, haUbut, red cod, shrimp, and herring in them. 6. A little after Chrismas the seal come into Barclay Sound after the feed, and we kill thein up as far as Nob Point, about 12 miles from tbe entrance. They came in in good numbers last season, and .always do every year. 7. There are as many seals as formerly, but they are more frightened and harder to kiB. 8. I use the gun and spear when hunting, and have done so for about five years; if the seals are close, use the spear; if some distance off, and seal is waking up, use the gun. When two are sleeping together, one will use the spear and the other the gun. Never lose a seal with the spear if it fastens, but lose many with the gun. A good hunter will only lose a few. I am not a good shot with a gun; only a few of our tribe are good gun-hunters. Many more guns are used now than a few years ago by our tribe, and are being used more and more every year. The young men use the gun more than the old ones. 9. Along this coast and in the Sound more females than males are taken. In a catch of 10 I think about 6 would be females, and about 4 would be carrying young; the males are mostly young bulls. Farther north we get more bubs than here. We natives keep no record of these things. 10. Seals are most plentiful here the third moon from now, but remain off the coast for about six months. The best sealing time is tbe first six weeks, for they are closer in shore. Did not hunt from shore at all this year. 11. What I have said here has been written down and read over to me and explained to me in my own language, and I understand it and it is true, and I have not been paid anything nor has anything been promised me for making this statement. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CLAHAPISUM, his x mark. Witnesses : (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the village of Ohiat, in Barclay Sound, in' the Province of British Columbia, this 4th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Hanaisum, commonly called;" Mac." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, HANAISUM, commonly caUed " Mac," of Ohiat, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am a native of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and reside in Ohiat. 2 I know the native Clahipisum here present, and have heard his deposition and fully understand it, and it is a true statement. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) HANAISUM, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. [11SJ 2 P 144 Declared before me at the village of Ohiat, iii Barclay Sound, in tbe Province of British Columbia, this 4th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. H»i!§; Declaration of Clahouto, commonly called " Jackson." 1. CLAHOUTO, commonly called " Jackson," of the village of Ohiat, do solemnly declare that I have heard the deposition made by Clahipisiim, here present, and fully understand it, and it is true. 2. I hunted from the shore in Barclay Sound this year and got 17 seals in five days, using the spear. In January of last year (1891) I got 80 in about fourteen days. 3. Seals come in every year about the beginning of January, and are more plentiful when the hearing are plentiful. 4. This year, after hunting in the Sound, I went outside in a schooner and got sixty-six, using both gun and spear. 5. Nothing has been paid me or promised me for making this statement. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue, of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CLAHOUTO, bis x mark, Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the village of Ohiat, in Barclay Sound, in the Province of British Columbia, this 4th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Walter Watt. mm mm m ml mm-m?' WW- raw ill1 Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, WALTER WATT, of the village of Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am 28 years of age, and have bved in the viBage of Alberni aB my bfe. 2. I have hunted seals on the coast of Vancouver Island from the mouth of the Barclay Sound to as far as Nootka Sound, and also inside Barclay Sound from Cape Beale up to Rainy Bay, and have hunted fiiOfiJ the shore, and also from spbooner. Have hunted from shore from aB the way from 1 to 15 miles out. Seals foBow the herring in, and are also driven in by rough weather. Have hunted from a scbogner as far as 50 or 60 miles out. 3. I have used both spear and gun; if I get close enough I use a spear; if not I shoot them. With a spear I lose none that I fasten to, and if I miss them they are not injured. I am only a middling shot with a gun, and would lose one or two in ten, and a good gun hunter might not lose that many. Seals sink quickly when injured, but if badly hurt come to the surface again, and can be shot again. Cows with pup will not sink quickly. The natives prefer the spear, and wiB always take the sleepers that way. They nearly always take a gun with them as well as a spear, but they think the gun frightens them and makes them wild like hunted ducks, and keeps them from coming in close to shore. 4. Seals are more plentiful some years than others, just as with any kind of fish. I believe that the seals are just as plentiful as years ago, but do not come in so close to shore since they have been hunted with the gun. The natives object to the white hunter coming in and hunting them when they are close to shore. I have bved with the natives of the Sound all my life; am a half-breed, and married to the daughter of the Chief of the Tseshat tribe, and I know what they (the natives) say and think about it. There were not so many seals taken in the Sound and on the coast this year (i892) as in 1891, and I noticed that the herring was not so plentiful. I have noticed seals come in close to shore at night and go away out to sea at daybgbt. 5. Commence hunting seals in the Sound and on the coast about New Year, and continue for about six weeks or two months, and then go out in schooners, but odd seals remain off the coast for about six months before going north. 6. About ten years ago the natives got more than they do now. Since the white hunters came shooting them about six years ago they do not get so many, but some years they are more lucky than others. 7. Around the coast we get about half females, or perhaps a little more; in a take of 10, 6 would likely be females; of those 6 about 3 would be cows with pups in them, and the rest ^*«SW —><?F' 145 barren cows and pups. There are very few old bulls got on the coast; the males are mostly young bulls of 1 and 2 years old ; get quite a few barren cows. 8. Tbe average catch for a canoe with two men along this coast from shore is about fifty for the season, but we can only hunt about two days a-week, as the weather is generally very rough; sometimes we might get more, and often less. 9. A good number of grey pups are got; these are always males. Not so many were got -this year as last. 10. Never heard of seals hauling out on the rocks in Barclay Sound or on the coast, and never heard of their pupping in the water or on the kelp. 11. Have no idea of how long the natives have been hunting seals from the coast. 12. What I have said has been read over aud explained to "me, and I understand it, and nothing, has been paid to me or promised to me in consideration of my making this declaration. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WALTER WATT, his x mark. Witness: (Signed) John T. Walburn. Declared before me, at tbe village of Alberni, On tbe west coast of Vancouver Islaud, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, .1 Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Chileta, commonly called " Jack." Dominion of Canada, Province of to wit: British Columbia, I, CHILETA., commonly called "Jack," of the Sechott tribe of Indians on tbe Island of Vancouver, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I anr a native of Vancouver Island, and belong to the tribe of Sechott (Sechart ?) Indians, and now reside at the village of Alberni at the head of Barclay Sound. Was living at Aquis village ifl- Toquat Harbour at the time tbe " Boston," United States' man-of-war, came there this spring and I went on board of her. Dick came on shore and got six of us to go on board. An old Indian said, £ Don t go," but Dick said if we came we would get paid; and I was paid 1 dollar and given a large plug of tobacco. I think the Captain took, the money out of his pocket and gave it to an old man who talked Chinook, while a young man wrote down what was said. The old man told me I would get paid *for what I told. Was afterwards paid 5 dollars for going to Ohiat and Ucleulet, where I got the TJcleulets to go on board and make statements. 2. Dick did the talking first while I was there, and I heard all he said and remember it. The white man commenced by saying, " The reason we have come, we want to find out something about all kinds of animals and fish—where there was most;" then we told him where we got most of the different kinds of skins and fish. Then he asked how many seal-skins one canoe would get in a season, and I said a canoe would get about 100. He asked me how many canoes were manned from our village this season, and I think Dick said nineteen: and I said twenty, our tribe cannot man more than that number of canoes. I don't remember how many skins Dick told him we had got sealing off shore, but I said about 300, and we all said they were got in the Sound and off Nillugo Island. The old man asked if we ever hunted near the American coast. I said when we go out in a schooner we sometimes went to tbe southward of Cape Flattery, but a long way off shore, and Dick said the same. That is all I remember telling him, but Dick was with him. a long time ; I was not with him very long. 3. 1 never told the old man that seals did not come in to Barclay Sound, for we kiB them every year away up, and I have killed them as far up as Bird Rocks. None of us who went on board the " Boston " (United States) man-of-war, had been sealing from a schooner up to that time. About three weeks after the man-of-war was with us I went north on the schooner " Auritas," and at the time we were waiting for that schooner to come from Victoria—we were looking for her to come every day, and we got news she was being repaired in Victoria, and would be along in a few days. I was only with the schooner about a month, and left her at the Island of Kadiak after my brother got killed by the bursting of a cannon which they were firing in a fog recalling the canoes. During the time I was on board I got thirty-nine seals—of these I got fifteen with the gun, and the rest with the spear. I lost none that I hit with the gun as I never fire when they are far off, and after shooting them use my spear as a gaff. Use the spear whenever I can, but if I see them going to wake up, and they are not too far off, I use the gun. I am a good shot with a gun, and if they are not too far off I get every one I shoot. Am also a good hunter with a spear, and very seldom miss when I throw, and if the spear fastens, always get my seal unless the bne breaks. 4. I thi»k the seals are just as plentiful as they used to be—we see just as many when we go out in the schooners, but they are wdder on account of being so much hunted with the gun, and harder to get, and do not come so close to shore. 5. Alone the coast and in the Sound we get about as many females as males—can always tell them apart in the water if they are not sleeping and their heads are out of water, as they are quite 146 different. Never see any large bulls till we get up as far as Queen Charlotte Island Old cows that are breeding have white whiskers, and have got plenty of them, carrying no pup and having no milfc. Fully half the females caught on this coast have pups in them. 6. When in the " Aretas " this year we went north; I have not bunted near Cape flattery lor several years. . 7. What I have said here has been written down, and read over and explained to me m my own tongue by Andrew Laing, and I understand it, and it is true. 8. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me for saying what 1 have aid. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) < HILETA, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) Wm. Owen. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, on tbe west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, 1892. (Signed) A. 1'. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Charles Hayulcs lip |; &;&-:. '■:- < llfi'i: I fl m m Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, CHARLES HAYUKS, of Barclay Sound, Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I am a pobceman, a native appointed for the purpose of preventing driiikmg and gambling among the Indians. 2. I have hunted fur-seals from the shore of the land about Barclay Sound for fourteen years, and have hunted as a hunter from schooners. I first went out in small schooners that would take us out and bring us back every time the wind would blow. We would hunt early in the season in canoes from the shore, for then the seals were close in to the shore, but later hi the season we would go out in the schooners. 3. Four years ago I was north in the " Black Diamond," and was in the " Aretas " this year. 4. When I went out in canoes from the shore we sometimes got 10 seals, sometimes 12, -but sometimes fewer; 14 was the most I remember getting. Sometimes we found the seals 5 miles from land, and sometimes 10 mdes; two or three men went in a canoe, but only one hunted. We used to use spears only, but now use both the spear and gun. We are now obliged to use guns. The seals are getting much wilder now, and it is very hard to get them with a spear. 5. When we shoot seals we never lose them; when they are shot we spear them and haul them on board; we use the spear in the same way a white man uses the gaff. 6. The reason we get the seals for sure is that a canoe is easier handled, and we are quicker than the white man. 7. When the herring are plentiful and come in close there are plenty of seals, but when the herring are scarce or don't come in close we don't get many. Last spring—a year ago last sprint— there were great numbers of fish and of seals. We took over 1,000 seals at Barclay Sound from the shore. 8. We see the first seals a little before Christmas, and continue taking them until June, but there are seals about all summer. 9. I never heard of seals being seen on the rocks. 10. When out on the schooner this year I saw as many seals as I ever saw before. None of us Indians think the seals are any fewer. 11. While the seals are near the shore we would rather hunt them in canoes from the shore but when they leave we bke to go out on the schooners. We get good pay, and I am willing to o-o out on schooners. 12. If we could be left to bunt in our own way from the shore in the spring, I have no fault to find with the way seabng is carried on, but we don't like the white man's boats comino- close in shore when we are hunting. After the seals go north we don't care who hunts them, and have no fear that they will be aB kiBed. 13. I solemnly declare that I have told all I know about sealing, and what I think about it and that I have received no consideration for the information I have given. My object in tellino- about the seals is only that all the truth may be known, and if the " Boston " men say that I told them anything different it is not true, because I told them just what I have said now, and everything has been now explained to me, and it is all right. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act rec peering Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES HAYUK, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) -Wm. OwejI|| A. D. Laing. , Declared before me at the village of Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, on the north-west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Charles Hayaks. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, I, CHARLES IIAYAKS, of Barclay Sound, Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I am the policeman appointed by the Indian Agent at Ucluelet. 2. I was appointed to stop gambling and the liquor traffic among the Indians at Ucluelet, and have done all I could to do this. Some time in April last an American slip, of which I do not remember' the name, came to Ucluelet, and an Indian who was acting as a pilot came ashore, and with him were two white men ; they asked all of us to come on board the steam-boat, as there was there a white man "Tyee " (Chief) who wanted to talk with us. I and several others went on board the steam-boat. When we all got on board they wanted to know who was the Chief; there are several Chiefs there, of whom am one, and I and three others were selected, and were taken to a cabin where there were several white men. They asked us first about fish. There were two men on the ship who spoke Chinook; they acted as interpreters. They asked us then whether there were mink and deer-elk and bear hear there, and we ^old them there were plenty. They wanted to know then if we knew where the seals had their young. We told them, no. They wanted to know, then, how we took the seals ; we said we speared them. They then asked if we used guns. We said; " Yes f we use guns now, we used to use spears." They wanted to know, then, how many we got each winter. I told them not so many now as we used to. They told me that muskets were not good to u? e. We told them that when the seals were easy to get we used spears, but now that they were wild, guns were necessary. The men said spears were best, because we were sure of getting seals when they were speared, but that with guns they would sink. They wanted to know.how long seal had been coming to this coast. We told them, a long time; and that we used to get plenty, but that the seals were very wild now. They then said they would be back in about six months. After we were through they gave us 2 dollars each and some tobacco, and in addition gave me enough of blue cloth to make a suit of clothes. Thev told me that the white men were destroying the seals, for out of 4 they killed they lost 2. The whole time they kept telling us not to use guns, so that we got the impression they were helping us. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES HAYAKS, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) Wm. Owen. A. L. Laing. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Oauaghu, or " Charlie." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, 1. OQUAGHU, or Charlie, of Numukamis, in the district of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare that:— ■1. I am a native of the Island of Vancouver, and belong to the tribe of Ohiat tribe of Indians, and reside at Numukamis, on Barclay Sound. 2. Am a seal-hunter, and have been so ever since I was a boy. Have hunted in Barclay Sound and off the west coast of Vancouver Island, both from shore and from schooner. Commence about Christmas and bunt about two months from shore, and then go out in a schooner. Hunting from shore go from 2 to 15 miles out, and in schooner from 50 to 60 miles. 3. In bunting from shore use mostly a spear, but .from schooner both gun- and spear. The gun is always given by the captain. If I get close enough I always use a spear, even when hunting from schooner. A good hunter Will never shoot when a seal is jumping Or " breeching," but waits till it settles' or gets close, and can get a good shot. None but white hunters shoot when the seal is bi eaehing. I never lose one I hit using a spear. 4. Seals come into Barclay Sound every year in the month of January, and are more plentiful some years than others, and years the seals are plentiful have noticed.that the herring were very nlentiful near shore. Seals are as plentiful as ever, but do not come in so close to shore now as [li81 2 Q i!;;;s-;".J !':' . Ill mm vSl-$%'- '■ 148 .before white men commenced hunting, aud if. white men are kept, from shooting them near shore they would be as plentiful as ever. When the seal are very plentiful in shore the white hunters come alono- and hunt them with a gun and they go right out, seeming to get scared. 5 Five and six years ago we used to get more male seals than females; now we get as many females as we do males. Do not get many grey pups now. Fully half the cows we' get have pups in them; the rest are young females, or old cows without pups. Do not get many old bulls on the coast; they are very scarce, but we get more of them the farther north'we go. We do not get many old cows without pups in them. . 6. I am a good shot, and would never shoot, without I knew I was going to get the seal m the same way, as I never use the spear unless sure of getting the seal. I do not believe I would lose more than 2 seals in 10 I would fire at with a gun. 7. I did not hunt froni the shore at all this year, but hunted for about two months from tbe schooner " C. D. Rand," of Vancouver, and got 78 seals in my own canoe along the coast up north. 8. What I have said here has been written down and read over to me, and explained to me in my own language by Andrew Laing here present. I understand it, and it is true. 9. I have not been paid, nor have I beeu promised anything for saying what I have said here, and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) OQUAGHU (or CHAELIE), his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the vdlage of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Ill Pit ■"■■.■ -'■".■' mm Declaration of Kach-kach-ah, or " Peter." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, I, KACH-KACH-AH, or " Peter," of Sechart, do solemnly declare that :— 1. I am a native of Sechart, and at present reside in Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia. 2. I am a seal-hunter, and have been so ever since I was a boy; have hunted in Barclay Sound and off the west coast of Vancouver Island both from shore and from schooner. We commence about Christmas, and hunt about two months from the shore, and then go out ou schooner; in buntin" from shore do not go out more than 15 miles, and from schooner about 50 or 60 miles. 3. In hunting from shore use only a spear, but from sehooner use both gun and spear. The <nm is given by the Captain. If I can get close enough I always use a spear when hunting from a schooner! If two are sleeping together some of bur tribe spear one and shoot the other, but I always make sure of one with the spear. A good hunter will never shoot when a seal is jumping, but waits till close and can get a good shot. None but white hunters shoot when seal are jumping. I am not a oood shot and would rather use a spear. When first commenced using gun lost a good many, but now do not lose many. Would never lose any I hit with tie spear. 4. Seals come into Barclay Sound every year in the month of January, and are more plentiful some years than others, and altogether depend on the herring; if they are plentiful there are plenty seals. Seals are as plentiful as ever, but do not come in so close to shore now as before white men commenced hunting, and if white men are kept from shooting them near shore they would be as plentiful as before. They often come in shore very plentiful, but when the white man commences hunting with tbe gun they go right away off shore scared. 5. Five or six years ago we used to get more male seals than females; now we get about the same of each. About haff the cows have pups in them; do not get many old bulls on the coast; they are very scarce. 6. I only got 20 seals in my canoe this year hunting from shore, but got 82 when I went up :iiorth._ Last year I got 30 seals off the coast, and did not go up north. This year the white hunters came in before we bad bunted long, and drove the seals out by their shooting 7. What I have here said has been read over to me and explained to me in my own lan'maoe by Andrew Laing, here present, and I understand it and the same is true, and I bave'not been "promised anything, nor have I received anything, for making this statement. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) KACH-KACH-AH, his x mark Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, on the west coast of Van< of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood^ A Commissioner of Police for Canada. uver Island, this 5th day 149 Declaration of Charlie and Harry. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: T5 •*■ Yr? fha?-e a-?d Harry' of the vUlaSe of Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, in the Province of .british Oolumbia, do solemnly declare:— 1. That we are natives of Sechart, and belong to the tribe of Indians of that name. 2. We have heard the deposition made by Kach-kach-ah, now present, and the same has been explained to us m our own language by an interpreter, and fully explained and read over, and the same is true. I • 3^ Ye.have nofc been Paid anything, nor has anything been promised so as to induce us to make this affidavit. And we make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Fxtra-Judicial Oaths." Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. 1). Laing. (Signed) CHARLIE, his x mark. HARRY, ditto. Declared before me at the viBage of Alberni, on Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, a.d. 1892, the same having been interpreted by A. D. Laino-, and read over and explained in the presence of A. D. Laing and John T. Wallran. c plained in the pi (Signed) A, P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of lJolice for Canada. Declaration of Shewish Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, SHEWISH, of Sechart, and Chief of the Sechart Indian tribe, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am Chief of the Sechart Indians, and am at present residing in the viBage of Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, and am about 36 years of age. 2. I am a seal-hunter and have been so since I was a little boy, and hunt off the west coast of Vancouver Island in Barclay Sound from the shore, and in schooners. Commence hunting from shore about Christmas time, and continue two months and then go out in schooner. 3. In hunting from shore I always use the spear, but from schooner use gun and spear. I always get the seals with a spear if 1 can get close enough—if not use the gun. Sometimes I shoot a seal and spear it afterwards to prevent it sinking in the same way the white man uses the gaff. A good hunter wiB always shoot when seal is close, and loses very few, but some white men shoot when the seal is breeching (jumping), and I think that is how they lose a good many. I was out this year hi the " Mischief " and got lost, and was picked up by the " C. H. Tupper," which was manned altogether by white men, and I hunted near them and saw some of them miss a good many seals by firing at them when breeching, and picked up two dead on tbe water that had been shot by them and had not sunk. They were both large cows, and one had a pup inside her, and the other had not. I am a good gun- hunter, and only lost 4 out of 46 1 shot. The canoe was so fuB of skins and heavy that we could not paddle up quick enough, and they sank. Sometimes when wounded they go down and come up again, and another shot is got at them and they are kiBed. Amongst the natives a good many more.guns are used now than a few years ago. 4. Seals come into Barciay Sound every year, and sometimes come up as far as Nahnimt, a village about 11 miles from here, and are most plentiful along the coast and in the Sound when the herring come in to spawn, and the more the fish the more the seal. All kinds of fish that are got on the coast are found in tlieir stomachs. . As long as the white hunters will keep from shooting them in shore they are as thick as" they used to be, and there is no danger of their being killed off, and we (the natives) do not mind the white man using the gun hunting with the schooner off shore. 5. In 1891 my tribe got 1,600 seals with 19 canoes, and in 1892 (this year) only 750, all off the coast and in the Sound. Last year we hunted two months, and this year we only hunted six weekj, because so many white hunters came around us they drove the seals off shore. There were more white hunters this year than last, and I have seen as high as five schooners at once in sight of one another, and close in shore. Each one of these vessels would have from six to eight boats, with three men to a boat. The natives only have two men to a canoe, and the bow-man is the hunter. Of the 750 got by my tribe 240 were got in Barclay Sound. My canoe got 40 during the six weeks. We could only hunt about fourteen days out of the six weeks because of bad weather. When I got through hunting from shore I went sealing on the schooner " Mischief," Captain Petit, master. 6. Generally, hunting along the coast, we get of males and females about tbe same, but this year I got more males than females. I got three very large bubs this year, but most of them were young, about 3 years old. About half the cows would have pups in them, and the others would be young 1L0 jows. Have sometimes seen them with two pups in them, and this summer I got one off Queen Charlotte Island with two pups. fg\ 7. I do not know how long our people have been hunting seals, but my father has always hunted, though he is so old now that he can only steer. 8. What has been here said by me has been written down and read over to me and explained to me by Andrew Laing here in my own language, and I understand it, and the same is true. 9. I have not received anything, nor has anything been promised me to induce me to make the foregoing statements. y^i And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) SHEWISH, bis x mark Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, in the Province of British Colombia, this 5th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Clai-Ka-Koi, commonly called " Billy.' Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, CLAT-KA-KOI (commonly caRed "Billy "), of the village of Sechart, and one of the Chiefs of the tribe of that name, do solemnly declare:— 1. That about seven months ago one of my friends, Chileta, or "Jack," came after me in the man-of-war's boat and took me on board, and when I went there I saw a gentleman, named Mr. Woods, an old man, who told me when I got through talking I would get something, and after I got through I got 5 dollars for myself and my son, who also talked with him. The son I speak of is now with me, and his name is Kickiana, or " Tommy." He asked us when the deer got their young, and I told him, and also about bear, otter, mink, and other wild animals, then about fish, and appeared to be writing down what we said. Then asked about the hair-seal, if I knew where they have their young? I said "Yes; along the coast on the rocks." He then asked where the fur-seal had tlieir young. I said " I don't know ; never saw them have them on this coast." He said : " Didn't your father tell you long time ago that they had their young here ?" I said " No." He (Mr. Woods) then said : " Where do you think the skins come from ?" I said " I did'nt know." He then asked: " Which do you think is best for hunting them, the spear or gun ?" I said " I think the spear is good, for the reason that they don't get fewer, for when you shoot them the shot only makes them sick. After we shoot them we have to use the spear to prevent them from sinking."- Mr. Woods then asked: "Is it good for the white man to seal in your waters?" I said "No; that is the reason the seals are so scared, because the white man comes in and doss so much shooting." I told him I had been sealing for about thirty-six years. He asked me if that was all I knew. I said " Yes; but my son knows something." He said, " Does your son know where the seal have their young in Behring Sea ?" Then I was done, and my son commenced to talk. I was forgetting. I told him I had seen seals inside of Barclay Sound, and have killed them as far up as " Turn Point," and even farther up the canal. I told him that when the bait Would come in sometimes I would go out and get three seals in a little while, and have gone a mile and a-half outside of ViBage Island when the herring have been plenty and seen lots, and that I had seen a canoe <*et from 15 to 20 a day there. I told him I sealed from shore from six weeks to two months when there are plenty of seals ; also told him that we used to hunt for four months from shore tiB the white men came and hunted them away. I told him that this year our tribe had got 750 seals with nineteen canoes fishing from the shore, and that we had gbt more last year. I told him that one canoe owned by a man named Kennedy of the same tribe as I am had got 86 seals from the shore (in 1891) last year. There were five other gentlemen besides Mr. Woods sitting in the room. Mr. Woods and one other man spoke Chinook. 2. I have hunted both from shore and from schooner, but have never been in Behrin"- Sea. The seals appear to be as plentiful now as formerly, but are more wild from beino- hunted so much. 3. Seals come into Barclay Sound every year, sometimes more than others; the more fish that come in tnBunore seals come. 4. I watch if weather is good, and hunt in canoe from shore as far as 15 miles, but When the herring are spawning I have got them in as close as 2 miles from Village Island, away inside of Barclay Sound, and huntirfflfrom schooners I go from 50 to 60 miles. Hunting from shore I alwavs use a spear, but when on board of schooner the captain finds me a gun and ammunition. A oood hunter with a gun would not lose more than 2 seals out of 8 or 12, and I have known my cousin to have taken 17, and lost none. I remember now that Mr. Woods asked me about this and I told him a good hunter would lose only 2 out of 10 or 12. Am a medium hunter with a "•un, and out of 10 might lose 2 or 3. A good hunter will never fire when the seal is a long way off'. With a spear if I did not miss altogether I would never lose one. One of my friends gave a fgpt, and we had a talk 151 -about using spear or gun, and we came to the conclusion when sealing from the beach to use nothing but the spear, but from schooner to use both spear and gun. 5. In a catch often I would sometimes get 6 males and sometimes 6 females. SmaB seals are mostly young bulls, and sometimes in a day we would get nothing else. I have seen as many as 25 taken in one day. Some years we get ■ a good many grey pups, and other years they are scarce. This year there were very few. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) BILLY (or CLAT-KA-KOI), his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. First having been read over and explained by Andrew Laing in the native tongue. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, n the district of Nanaimo, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. 1 Clat-Ka-Koi, or Billy, says that his father told him that his (Billy's) grandfather used to hunt seals, but that when he was a boy they disappeared altogether, and were not seen on the coast for a number of years. Years afterwards he (Billy's father) went away whaling, and on his return brought two seals home with him which he had got at sea, and he did not know what they were until told by a very old man of the tribe, named Nehkit. (Signed) A. P. S Alberni, November 5, 1892. Declaration of Kickiana. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, KICKIANA, of tbe village of Sechart, in the district of Nanaimo, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have beard the deposition of Clat-ka-koi, or " Billy," here present, and the same has been read over to me and explained in my native language (the Chinook) by one Andrew Laing, and what he has said is true. 2. 1 am the son of Clat-ka-koi above mentioned, and was present on board, the " Boston " man-of- war with him when he made his statement to Mr. Woods mentioned, and I have not been promised, nor have I received anything for making this declaration. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) KICKIANA, his x mark Witnesses: (Signed) John 'T. Walburn A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. ■m Declaration of Clicklahouto, or '• Joe.' Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I CLICKLAHOUTO, or "Joe," of the viBage of Alberni, on Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am a Sechart Indian, and reside in the village of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia. 2. Am about 35 years of age, and have been a seal-hunter ever since I was a boy and could handle a spear; have hunted aB along the west coast of Vancouver Island and in Barclay Sound, and also in Behring Sea. [118J 2 R &W KH:!iP Jt|i llii IIP mm m M'S^il-j KISSPrE.- flii'ilr: tt41£& WWF& IP 3. I have always seen seals, arid have killed them every year in Barclay Sound. Sometimes they are quite plentiful, and then again there are not so many. Have sealed from the beach and also from schooner. Commence hunting" from the beach about Christmas, and continue for about six weeks or two rddnths, htinting every day that is fine enough, but from fog and wind a great many days are lost. After hunting from the beach a vessebcomes along and- takes us and our canoes, and we go away out from the shore, from 50 to 100 miles, and away up north to the coast of Alaska and Behring Sea hunting seals. 4. I always use the spear in hunting from the. beach, and for the last two years have used both gun and spfear, hunting from the schooner. I always wait till I get close to a seal before throwing my spear, from 4 to 6 fathoms. The spear has two prongs, with barbs on each, and a handle or shaft from 12 to 14 feet in length. Am a pretty good shot with a gun, and hunt carefully with it, and would not lose more than two out of ten, and not that many if I hit them. We natives would rather hunt from the beach with a-spear,-for the gun frightens the seal from coming close into shore, but huntjjpg from the schooner we would just as soon use the gun, and use both, because after shooting the seal most of us use the spear to prevent the seal from sinking as the white man uses the.gaff. The young men use the gun more than the old ones, and it is being used more every year amongst the natives. 5. In seabng from the beach and in the Sound I only, gpt.,35 seals this year, and last ye&r I"got about 20, but my tribe got more last year than this,. . I did not seal from a schooner at all that year, but last year I got 120 from-a schooner. The good hunters always take the'spear or gun and go in tbe bow, and two men are in a canoe. 6. Hunting from the shore I would get about 4 males out of 7 killed, and of the 3 females about 2 would have pups in them.:^kNever-get, any large bulls down this way, but get plenty up north ; never get any cows with milk till we gO north. Along the coast have sometimes got large cows not having pups, and not in milk. We never keep any account of what males or females 'we get, or even the number of seals we get, bul when hunting from, the shore We take the skinfe to a trading post and sell them, and have no"reason to keep au account. . On the schooner the captain gives us a book, and marks down our take every time we come in with a load. In my catch this-year 1 got a good many pups, but 1 cannot say how many. If a seal is asleep on the water I cannot tell a male from a female, but if the seal is awake and his head is above water I can always tell, as their beads and necks are quite different. 7. I believe the seals .are as plentiful now as they were when I first commenced to hunt, but they are driven farther out from shore from being hunted, and are wilder and harder to get on. Some years the seal are very plentiful, but other years there are not so many; if the herring are scarce the seal are scarce, as they follow them in to where the spawning-grounds are to feed. 8. I have been in Behring Sea and hunted seals there, and I think I killed more males than females, and of the cows I killed many did not have milk, and were not in pup. In 1891 I killed sixty seals in Behring Sea. I went there in the "W. P. Sayward," and was only there from three weeks to a month. "9. What I have-here said has beeii read over to me, ami explained to me by Andrew Lairig in my own language, and I understand it, and the same is true, and I have received no money or other consideration for making this declaration. -Add I make ihis solemn declia-Tation conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CLICKLAHOUTO, his x mark. AVitnesses: (Signed) John* T. Walburn.- A. D. Laing. Pi. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in tbe Province of British Columbia, this 7th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. I Declaration, of Keshuqva, or "Jack," and Clalcher (Clatchu), or " Jinks." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: WE, Keshuqua, or "Jack," and Clatcher (Clatchu) or "Jinks," of the vBlage of Alberni on Vancouver Island, m the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare :— 1. We are natives of the Sechart tribe of Indians, residing in the village of Alberni, in Barclav bound. ° ' J 2. We have beard the declaration made by Clieklahouto,'here present, about the seals on this •coast scud up north, and the same has been read over and explained to him and us by Andrew UM in our own language, and what he has said is what we think, and is true. | We havevcome of our own free-will to make }M declaration, and have received'no consideration from any one for so doing, nor have we been promised anything. i^KSBHB 153 And we make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the--same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) KESHUQUA. his x mark. CLATCHU, ditto. Witnesses: (Signed) A. D. Laing. •jJohn-T. Walburn. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 7th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner.of Police for Canada. Declaration of Clatmisk, or " Sante." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: 1, CLATMISK, or " Sante," one of the Sechart Indian tribe, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am a native of Vancouver Island, and belong to the Sechart Indian tribe, and reside in the Opechessit village, near Alberni, in the District of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, and am 45 years of age or thereabouts. 2. Am a seal hunter, and have been one ever since I was a little boy; have hunted on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in Barclay Sound, and all along the coast of Alaska and into the Behring Sea. 3. Seals always come into Barclay Sound—sometimes very many, sometimes not so many ; years herring are plentiful the seals are very plentiful; have sealed from the beach in canoe, and also in canoe from schooner; commence sealing from the beach about Christmas time, and continue till we go out in the schooners about six weeks or two months, depending on the time the vessels come after us. We of the Secharts have no schooner of our own, but always go in a'King George (English) schooner. Boston (United States) schooners have come after us, but we would never go with them. In hunting from the beach we go all the way out from 3 to 15 miles according to the weather and where the seals "are, In schooners we go from 50 to 100 miles off the coast. 4. Never use a gun unless I am on noard a schooner, where I use both gun- and spear, but never use the gun where I can get clOse ou them with a spear. I am not a good gun-shot, but am very good with a spear, and would not miss one in ten that I throw at. The old men amongst the Indians do not use the gun much, but tlie young Indians are using them more each year. The gun has frightened the seals away off from shore, and they are very wild. We see as many as ever, but they are much harder to get at. 5. I got this year' 100 sealing from the beach and 80 from the schooner. I got more this year than last: some of our tribe get many more than others, for some are not as good hunters, and do not Work so bard as others. 6. Our tribe manned eighteen canoes, and with the Opechessit tribe we manned twenty-five canoes, for we generally hunt together and live close together. I don't know how many our tribe got from the beach, but on tbe schooner " Mischief " we had nine canoes this year, and we got 700 seals along the coast as far as Kadiak, and were away three months. We could only hunt about twelve days a month on account of the bad weather. One of our canoes was lost, and was picked up and brought back by the " Tupper ;" Shewish and Watconma were tbe ones lost in it. 7. Along the coast and in the Sound I have always got more males than females, but others I have known have got more'females than males; some years there may be more cows than others. The pups are mostly bulls; I got quite a few pups this year. I did not get any old cows this year that did not have pups in them, but have seen plenty. Did not get any large bulls in the Sound or off the island this year, but off Queen Charlotte's Island I got ten of the largest bulls. The grey pups are always bulls, and hunting from the beach I got quite a few this year. 8. I have been twice in Behring Sea—in the'schooner "Adele" in 1889 or 1890, and I got many more males than females, and they were all half-grown or large bulls, and all the cows I got had milk in them but no pups. 9. What I have here said has been read over and explained to me in my own language—the Chinook—by Andrew Laing here present, and I undei stand it and the same is true, and I have received no money or other consideration for making this declaration, nor have I been promised anything. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CLATMISK, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) • Wm. Owen. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at tbe village of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, t$3w 7th day of November, a.d. 1892. j 'Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. 'i.% jj|fl||| llli lilt lo4 ' We, Wahka, or "Billv," Nahwyak, or "Tom," Claphightup, Tsawassup, or "Joe," of the village of Alberni,'in the District of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, and members of the Sechart tribe of Indians, and Tootush, of the viBage and district aforesaid, member of the Opiehisset tribe of Indians, do solemnly declare that:— 1. We were present and heard the deposition made by Clatswick here present. f _ | 2. That it was read over and explained to him and us in our own language—the " Chinook,' and we understood it, and the same is true as regards -what we have observed about the seal along this coast, and is what we think about it, and we have not been promised, nor have we-received "anything in consideration of making this declaration. 3. I, " Billy," was up in Behring Sea this year, and what Clatswick states about it was tbe same as I noticed it. I was in the " Aretas " in Behring Sea this year. (Signed) WAHKA, his x mark. NAHWYAK, ditto. CLAPHIGHUP, ditto. TSAWASSUP, ditto. TOOTUSH, ditto. Witnesses: (Signed) Wm. Owen. A. D. Laing. iw&-- Declaration of John Margotich. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, JOHN MARGOTICH, of Ucluelet vdlage, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare :— 1. About the last of April or beginning of May last I went on board of the American Government steamer (" McArthur ") at the invitation of the Captain, who asked me about the seals coining to the coast of the island and in Barclay Sound. I told him that the seals came in every year amongst tbe islands, and were also found off the coast every year. I said young pups were caught about the Sound and coast every year ; some years more and some less. I told him that the natives had killed from 700 to 800 around the Sound and off the coast hunting from the beach in canoes this year (1892\ Never said I was agent for five sealing-vessels, because I am not agent for any, but am simply a storekeeper, and trade with the Indians. I could not have told the Captain that seals never came into the Sound, for I have been twenty-five years on this coast, and have always seen the seals come into the Sound every year. A young man was taking down what I said, and when I had got through I was asked to touch the pen and hold up my hand. What I have here told is the truth, and nothing has been given me as consideration for telling this, and what has been written down has been read over to me and explained, and is all true. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving tbe same to be true, and by virtue of § The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOHN MABGOTICH, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) A. D. Laixg. John T. Walburn. Declared before me at the village of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 7th day of November, in the year of Our Lord 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. ■?r-Mi- m fls Declarations of Joseph, Jack; and Johnny Hammond. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, JOSEPH, declare that I am the Chief of the Clayoquot Indians. I have been out hunting on schooners, and have also hunted from the shore. Eight years a<*o I went out in a Seattle schooner, and worked for that firm four years. I was not out again till this year 1 was on the schooner "Triumph" this year. I used both a shot-gun and a spear, and like them equally well; the other Indians say that too. We do not lose any seals that we shoot; if very close we use the .spoar, if not, we use the gun. We get more this way, for if we see two sleeping can j spear one wrthout waking the other, and then can. shoot the other. If there is only one we shoot it We get more man seals always; we used to go out in canoes from the shore, two men in a canoe sometimes we would get 10, sometimes 20, sometimes fewer; if the weather is fine we get a great many, sometimes as many as 40. We go out hunting first a little after New Years; we hunt about 155 five months in this way. We find cod, salmon, and squid in their stomachs. We saw plenty of seals this year, but we went out too late.. The seals will never be aU killed by bunting them; no matter how many seals we kiB there will be plenty left. I, Jack, a Clayoquot Indian, say that I have heard what Joseph said, and it is what I think too. I have been hunting fifteen years on schooners. I was on the " Triumph " this year. I, Johnny Hammond, a Clayoquot Indian, say that I have been hunting sixteen years. I heard of no " Boston " (United States') steamer at Clayoquot this year. I am out most as a steerer, for when a man is found to lose seals he is made a steerer. (Signed) JOSEPH, his x mark. JACK, ditto. JOHNNY HAMMOND, ditto. Witness: (Signed) B, Maynard. I, B. Maynard, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, make oath and say :— That I acted as interpreter for Mr. Macoun while he questioned Joseph, Jack, and Johnny, three Clayoquot Indians, whose statements are hereto annexed. Two of them understood English fairly well, but while the questions were asked in English, I explained their meaning to them in Chinook I have read over these statements as set down by Mr. Macoun, and swear that they are as- made: by the Indians, and that they were not influenced in any way, and received no consideration for the statements they made. (Signed) B. MAYNARD. Sworn before me at Victoria, this 6th day of October, 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, - A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. Declaration of Ehenehessut, commonly called "Dick." Dominion of Canada, Province of British. Columbia, to wit: 1, EHENCHESSUT, commonly called " Dick," one of the Sechart tribe of the village of Alberni, on Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am a native of the west coast of'Vancouver Island, of the Sechart tribe of Indians, and now reside in Alberni, but in April last was living at Aquis, in Toquat Harbour, in Barclay Sound, and was there at the time the "Boston" (United States' man-of-war) was there, and went onboard of her after being asked to do so by some person who came ashore from her in a boat. The person who came ashore was one Willoughby, whom I knew a long time ago when he was Indian Agent at Neah Bay. He was a man with grey hair' and very red face. He asked me if any Indians lived in that house (pointing to one on the beach). I said, " No, but there were six a little way off." He asked me could not I get them to come on board. I said, " It is too far for the old men to come." He said, " You get them to come on board,: and I will give them 1 dollar a-piece and 5 dollars for yourself." I then went and got the six men. They were Clappa, Chakatt, Napoyook, Chileta (" Jack "), Ceissainilt, and Imihap, now present with me. None of them were Chiefs, and did not say they were. I am not a Chief, and never said I was one. There were no other natives with us on the ship at that time, and We'were all together when the questions were asked us, but only Chileta (or "Jack") spoke besides myself. Mi'- Willoughby questioned us. I told him that our tribe and the Opichissets manned thirty canoes to bunt seal I from the shore this last season. He never asked me how many skins the whole tribe had- got, but how many one canoe would get from the shore in a season, and I told him thirty. He then asked how many one canoe would get from a schooner in a season, and I said about forty hunting off the coast in a schooner. (I never went to Behring Sea.) 2. I told him we got skins every season inside of Village Island, in Barclay Sound. I could not have told him anything else, for I told him I had got them as far up as Ecool. I did not tell him I have been hunting off Cape Flattery this year, for I have not been sealing there for three years or more. The last schooner I was there in was the "Anna Beck." I now remember it was five years . ao-o. I did not hunt from schooner at all this year, but altogether from the beach. I did not tell him there were fewer seals, but that I thought there were just as many as ever, only farther off shore from being so much hunted by white men, and were harder to get. Two men: on board the man-of-war spoke Chinook ; the Captain was there when we were, and heard what we said. 3. I am not a good shot with a gun, and never use one. nut even when' going out in schooner; always use a spear, which is about 2 fathoms and two spans of the hand long,, and would throw it from 5h to 6 fathoms distance, and would almost always get the seal. 4. Years fish are most plentiful the seals come.in greatest numbers, and when we cut them open- find' all kinds of fish in them. 5. We get of male and female seals about the same number along this coast. Never got a large- bull here, all are half-grown and pups. Of the females one-half would have pups in-them, and the [118] 2S ISS' '■. JfW' Bl!i:: ftp *'■'■:'' wm if-"' -■ - ||];'t'! -.£ ;- !,.-y. .j;v*'ti,,,- 156 rest would be young cows: have got a few old ones without having pups in them ; all old cows have white whiskers. If the seals are asleep in the water I cannot tell whether they are male or female, but if they raise their heads out of the water I can always tell, for the bull has a long neck and very short big head, but the cow has a short neck and a longer head. 6. T have been hunting seal for about fifteen years, and am about 30 years of age. Cannot say if we got more male seals this year than five or six years ago, for some years we get more bulls than cows, and some more cows than bulls. 7. After we had got through talking on the "Boston" (United States') man-of-war last spring, we were paid, as had been promised, 1 dollar each to the others, and 5 dollars to me. I think it was the Captain who paid us. We also got a plug of tobacco each. 8. I have received no money or other thing from any one for making this statement, but have done it of my own free will. "9. What I have here said has been read over to me and explained to me by Andrew Laing, here present, in my own language, and the same is true. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) EHENCHESSUT, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) Wat. Owen. A. D. Laing. Declared before me, at th* village of Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 7th day of November, a.d. 1892. {Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Imiliap. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, IMIHAP, of the village of Alberni, in the district of Nanaimo, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am a native of Vancouver Island, and one of tbe Sechart tribe of Indians, and reside near the village of Alberni. 2. I was living at the village of Aquis, in Toquat Harbour, at the mouth of Barclay Sound, in April last, and was taken on board the " Boston " (United States') man-of-war at the same time as Ehenchessut, or " Dick," here present, and heard what he said then to the White Chief (Tyee), and it is just about what he has said here, as far as I can remember. I have heard what "Dick" has said about the seals and seabng, and I agree with what be says, and it is what I think about it. 3. I am not a Chief of my tribe, and did not say so to any one; was promised 1 doBar to go on board the man-of-war to talk, and was paid it before leaving the boat. 4. What I have here said and what" Dick " said here has been read over and explained to us in our own tongue, and I understand it, and as far as my knowledge goes it is true. 5. Nothing has been promised me, nor have I received anything whatever, for making this declaration, but have made it of my own free will. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) IMIHAP, his x mark. Witnesses: {Signed) Wm. Owen. A. D. Laing. Declared before me, at the village of Alberni. in the district of Nanaimo, in the Province of British Columbia, this 7th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Annetz-a-Cheet, or "Jack." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia to wit: I, ANNETZ-A-CHEET, or " Jack," of the Ucluelet tribe of Indians 1 Barclay Sound, do solemnly declare:— 1. I am one of the Ucluelet tribe of Indians, and live in Okoolah village, in Barclay Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia. 2. Am a seal-hunter, and have hunted ever since I was able to use a spear. I have not hunted at&B for five years till this year, when I went out in my own bttle schooner and hunted off the coast about 50 miles. I hunted for about fourteen davs altogether, as it would come on blowing very ha-d every few days, and my .schooner being very small I had to come into shore. I bunted the latter end of May and beginning of June 157 3. The seals appeared to nae to be as plentiful as five years ago when I last hunted; I"saw just as many. Some days a great many, and others only a few; they appeared to be wilder and harder to get near. 4. I first took two canoes with four men, and the next time I had four canoes with eight men, and we got forty skins. We used the spear only, and I have never used the gun 5. The seals come into the Sound every year; they come in in the night, foBowing the herring and other fish, and go away out again as soon as daylight comes. The reason is they are afraid to stay near the land, as the hunters with the muskets have frightened them. Have never hunted with any white men or Indians who used the gun; on this coast and in the Sound sometimes we get more females than males, but this year I got more males than females. 6. I only hunted in the Behring Sea one year ; that was in the schooner " Lily " about six years ago, and we got 500 skins with eight canoes and one boat. 7. What I have here said has been read over to me, and explahied to me by Andrew Laing in my own language, and I understand it, and the same is true. 8. I have received no money or other consideration for making this declaration. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths." (Signed) ANNETZ-A-CHEET, his x mark. Witnesses I (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me, at the village of Okoolah, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 8th day of November, a.d. 1892, (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. I, Louis Annetz-a-Cheet, or " Louis," do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the brother of | Jack " here present, and have heard what he has said, and it has been read over and explained to him and me in my own language by Andrew Laing, and I understand it, and the same is true. 2. I have received no money or other -consideration from any one for making this declaration, but have done it of my own free will. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) LOUIS ANNETZ-A-CHEET, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me, at the village of Okoolah, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 8th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. ■ Declaration of Hat-la-Cuntl, or % Charlie." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, HAT-LA-CUNTL, or ■" Charlie," of the village of Ucluelet, in Barclay Sound, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am a native of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and am one of the Ucluelet tribe of Indians, and am about 36 years of age. I know this because I was about 6 years of age at the time the Alberni Mill stopped running. 2. Have hunted seals all my life since I could throw a spear, and have hunted from the beach and in the Sound, and also off the coast in schooners, and also in Behring Sea, and have never lost a year since I first went hunting. 3. I don't notice any difference in the number of seals I see now when out sealing than I did when I first went out sealing, and they come here in the Sound as plentiful as ever, and stay for a month to six weeks, but this year they only stayed about three weeks, as eight boats with white hunters were here hunting from the shore with guns, which scared the seals and drove them out. When I would be paddling up on a seal which was sleeping, the white man would fire a gun at another seal and my seal would wake up and go off' before I was able to throw my spear. They are wild since the white man commenced hunting with the gun. I have never used a gun. 4. In sealing in Barclay Sound and from the beach this year my canoe got 35 seals, and from the schooner, along the coast and up north, 1 got 67. 1 went north and sealed all along the coast from Barclay Sound to Mount Eairweather in the schooner " Borealis." The number of skins taken alto- cether on tbe schooner was 643. Last year I got 50 sealing from the beach and in the Sound, and did not go out at all in the schooner. L'U UUl clu all ill uiio ov^ilwvjjlci. f&. I got about the same number of males as females altogether but as I went north I think I got JjjHl Wm 15.3 mm ii ;; i;;|i^;*'„ PS :*»S8i3aF': iliii mljimM ■'■ lifts so 15 Stftf more males than down here, and I got one very large old bull off Mount Fairweather, which I speared through t te heart, and it died at once and floated on top of the water. I don't ever remember having got an old cow that had no pup in her and no milk. Did not get any grey pups this year; they were very scarce, and I only got four last year, and one of these I caught by tbe flipper and threw it in the canoe alive; they sleep much sounder than the old ones. i n 6. I have not been in Behring Sea since 1887, when I went there in the " Black Diamond ' and got 130 skins myself. I don't remember how many were got altogether. I think I got more cows than bulls up there, but cannot remember very well. The first four days I was in the Sea I killed some cows with pups in them, and for a week we got very few skins, but tbe captain showed a large school of herring and said, " If tbe weather is fine to-morrow you will get lots of skins." We did so, and we got a lot. We afterwards got quite a number of old cows with milk. We got no pups there, and the bulls were all old or half-grown. Was never near the Pribyloff Islands but once, and that was when the fog was very thick ; when it lifted, and we saw the shore, we made sail and stood off to sea. 7. We use almost every part of the seal—sell the skin to the white man and eat the meat and save the oiL Ou tbe schooners the white man takes the skin off tbe seal and throws the carcass overboard, except what is wanted to eat immediately. 8. I know of no place along the coast of Vancouver Island or in Barclay Sound where the seals haul out and have their jroung. 9. Seals are first seen along this coast about Christmas time, and are seen till about the time tbe berries begin to get ripe, but we only hunt them for about three months from the shore, when we go away in the schooners. I have always seen the big ones come first, and towards the middle of the season the smaller ones come. They' are always most plentiful when the herring, are thickest, and I have seen them following the herring riglit in here,, where we now are—in Ucluelet Harbour—in the night time, and have gone out and killed them. 10. Ever since I can remember we have been hunting seals* in Barclay Sound and on this coast of Vancouver Island, and generally hunt with two in a canoe, but at the beginning of the season we go out sometimes with three in a canoe, as the weather is often very bad-. The bow-man uses tbe spear. At the beginning of the season we would not go out any farther than we could see the waves breaking on the rocks, but as the weather gets better we go out as far as 20 miles. Got more males five or six years ago. along this coast than we do now. Don't know any reason for this,, unless it is because they stay up in the Behring Sea and feed there. 11. If seals are. not asleep in the water, and have their " heads " up, I can always tell a bull from a cow, as the bulls have a very long neck and short big head, and have black whiskers■;• with the very old ones it. may be turning, white at the. roots*. The cows have short necks and a longer head, and grey whiskers if very old. 12. None of our tribe use the gun hunting from shore,, as the old: men get very angry if we do, but when away with the schooners and we are given a gun, some of the younger men use them. 13. What has been said by me has been written down aud read over and explained to me in my own language, and I understand it, and it is true, and I have received nothing, nor has anything been promised me, for saying it. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously beUeving. the same, to be true, and by virtue of' " Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) HAT-LA-CUNTL, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) Gordon E. Grant. A. I). Laing. mm wm Declared before me at the village of Ucluelet, in Barclay Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, this 9th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Shkrwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Wake-a-Nen-Nish. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, WAKE-A-NEN-NISH, of the.viBage of Ucluelet, on Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare that :— 1. I am the Chief of the l'< luelet tribe of Indians,and live at the village of Ucluelet, but am now staying at Nahmint, on the Alberni Canal, on the west coast of Vancouver. Island. 2. I was on board of the " Boston g (United States') man-of-war at Ucluelet in April of this year. Sechart Jack (Chileta) and a white man came after me and took me out to where she was anchored in the harbour in front of our village. I was asked many questions, and said there were not many seals in the Sound and along the coast this year, but last.year (1891) there were plenty. Said, the reason was that this year white men had come in and hunted them away with guns, and made them wild. Told that the seals did not haul out and breed in the Sound or on the shore, but that a long time. a<*o the seals used to have their young in the water on this coast. I only know this because my arancU father told me. He told me that the Indians formerly hunted the. seals for their food, but now thev hunted them for their skins. _ White man asked me how long I thought it would be before there would be no skins, and I said that would be impossible; there would always be lots of skins, but they would 150 be harder to get, because the seals were wilder, and did not come in so close to shore since they were hunted by the white man. White man (" Boston " man) asked me if the musket was any good for h tinting seals. I said " No." He said, "I think not too." The "Boston " (United States') man asked me if the white, men hunting from the schooners with the musket didn't lose two out of five seals he would shoot. I said, " Yes • that is what they teB me." 3. I have not hunted for ten years, as I am too old ; do not know how old I am, but I remember when my tribe was very large, and now there are only 300—men, women, and children included. Never hunted with the musket (gun), and never was with any one who did so, and only know what I have been told about it. Have always noticed that some years the seal were more plentiful than others, and some years we would get more, great many more, than others : years that herring were plentiful were the best years for the seal to come in shore. 4. Before I went to talk with the white Tyee (Chief) I was told I would get paid for it, and after I was done talking was paid 2 dollars, and a plug of tobacco was also given me. I think it was the Captain who paid me; be had a blue coat on with brass buttons, and peaked capj There were six white^men there when I was talking, and an old man, not the Captain, asked me the questions. 5. What I have said here has been read over to me and explained to me in my own language by Andrew Laing, an interpreter, and I understand it, and the same is true, and I have not been promised anything, nor have I received anything, in consideration of making this declaration. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by vir of a The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WAKE-A-NEN-NISH, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) Wm. Owen. A. D. Laing. tue 1 Declared before me, at the village of Nahmint, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, this 8th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Cedar-Kanim, or "Peter" Dominion Of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, CEDAE-KANIM, or "Peter," of the village of Ucluelet, in Barclay Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I live at the vdlage of Ucluelet, and am a native of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and belong to the Lfeluelet tribe of Indians. 2. I have been a seal-hunter all my life since I was able to steer a boat or handle a spear, but have not hunted seals at all for the past three years, as I am getting too old, and let my boy hunt for me. 3. When I hunted I always hunted with a spear, and never with a gun. Have hunted both from the beach and from schooner. The spear is 2 fathoms and a span long, but is not always the same length, as the stronger the man the longer the spear he can use. I never lost a seal when the spear fastened; would not throw more than two lengths of the spear, and would very seldom miss at that distance, and it always fastens when it hits. 4. In aB my sealing I have got about as many males as females ; this is along the coast and in the Sound. Have never been to Behring Sea. Not all the cows have pups in them, only the very old ones. Never saw a cow with milk along the coast. Never saw a white-whiskered cow—old cow—- along the coast that had not a pup in her. 5. Seals come into Barclay Sound every year, and I have seen them right in here where the boat is anchored, and saw them in here last spring. Some years ago they were very plentiful; years the herring are very plentiful in the Sound and along the coast seals are very plentiful, and come in close to land. Up to the time I gave up hunting three years ago I did not notice that the seals were less in number than six or seven years ago, and I don't think there is any danger of their all being kiBed off; there will always be skins. 6. What I have here said has been written down and read over to me and explained m my own language, and is true, and I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, for saying it. jjH . 7. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) Witnesses: (Signed) Gordon F. Grant. A. D. Laing. CEDAE-KANIM, his x mark. [118] 2 T •[**" mmM 160 I At-Clappa or " John," of the village of Ucluelet aforesaid, do solemnly declare :— I That I am a native of the same tribe as Cedar-Kanim, and live close by him, and Lave heard what has been here said by him, and it is true, and is what 1 think. I have killed five old cows with two pups in them. . , . „ » 2. I have not hunted for three years myself, because I have been very unlucky in losing nve ot my children in the last three years, and felt very down-hearted, and not like bunting. 3 What we have said has been written down and read over to us, and explained to us m our own language, and we understand it, and it is true. Nothing has been paid to me or promised to me lor saying wha.t I have said. . And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of" The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." WmW&m t * (Signed) AT-CLAPPA, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) Gordon F. Grant. A*D. Laing. Declared before me, at the viBage of Ucluelet, in Barclay Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, this 9th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Atelu. Hill: IflRp iii!' Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, ATELU, of the Ahousat tribe of Indians, in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I live at the village of Ahousat, in Clayoquot Sound, and am the Chief of the Ahousat tribe of Indians, and am about 25 years' of age. 2. Ever since I knew how to work I have been a sealer. I have sealed from the beach and from a schooner, and have used both the spear and gun. Erom the beach I use a spear, and.from a schooner I use spear and gun : the gun is given me by the captain. 3. I have never killed any seal inside Clayoquot Sound—they are'always outside the rocks, but I have killed them along the"coast outside, all the way up to Behring Sea. I have not hunted from the beach for three or four years, not since the schooners commenced coming here regularly; I prefer going in the schooners because it is not so dangerous, for one year bunting from the beach there were more than forty natives lost in one day, of which number there were three of my tribe. This year I was on the " Sapphire," and got 117 in my canoe, and the total catch of the schooner was 972. Last year, 1891, I was also in the " Sapphire," and my canoe got 317 skms ; I cannot teB the whole number got by tbe schooner; there were fourteen canoes on the schooner each year; I cannot remember how many I got in other years, but think in 1890 I got 192. 4. I do not think there are as many seals now as in 1886 when I first went north. I do not see so many. I mean they are not so plentiful near shore on account of the shooting by the white men ; they are further out, and wilder and harder to get at, but I think there are just as many skins. 5. We first g'° out hunting them about the 1st March, and they are seen off here for about three or four months. Along here the pups are seen first, and when it blows hard they come in very close to the rocks. Years the herring come in very thickly the seal are the most plentiful. I never heard of their hauling out on this coast. 6. I think I get more cows than buBs throughout any season's catch. I know that off this coast we get more cows, but as we get north we get more bulls. I have never seen a large bull on the coast till I get north as far as Sitka. Many of the cows, old cows along the coast, are carrying pups, but I have often killed old white-whiskered cows that have no pups nor mdk; I have not got many orey pups this year. In 10 kdled, about 5 would be cows; and 3 of these would be large ones can-yincr pup, and the other 2 would be medium-sized cows; tbe other 5 would be mostly young bulls. I just guess this, for we are paid by tbe skin, and we never keep any account of tbe kinds. 7. Always try to be very careful with both gun and spear, and never use either beyond 3 or 4 fathoms ; this is the reason I do not lose many. When two are together I spear one and shoot the other ; if one is alone, and I see he is going to wake up, I shoot him, and paddle up quickly and use a ■spear as a gaff if he is sinking. Am just as certain with the gum as with the spear, and would not lose more tian one in ten I would fire at or at which I would throw a spear. 8. I can always tell a cow from a bull in the water, whether it is sleeping or waking as the female has a white breast, and they always lie so that one can see it. 9. Have sealed in Behring Sea four years, and was last there in 1891. I cannot tell how many skins I got there in each year, but know that in 1886, my first year there, I got 212 along the coast and in the sea, and in 1891, my last year there, I got 317 along the coast and in the s'ea; this perhaps because I am a better sealer now than then. All the old cows I got there bad milk. I got one with a pup in ber (there). is never HESt^lM"! 161 10. What has been here said by me has been written down and read over to me, and explained to me in my own language, and I understand it, and it is true, and I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, for saying it. 11 nnlld} make this solemn declaration, conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of Ihe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. (Signed) ATELU, his x mark. I, Ah-nah-yook, of Eefuge Cove, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am tbe Chief of the Mamiawasset Indian tribe, and Bve in Eefuge Cove, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 2. I have been sealing all my life along the coast up north, and in Behring Sea. 3. I have been present here while Atelu has told about the seal, and have heard aB he has said, and it has been written down and read over and explained to him and me in our own language as what I have said, and I understand it, and what he has said is what I think also; and I have not been paid nor promised anything for saying this. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) AH-NAH-YOOK (or " SWAN "), his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me by Atelu and Ah-nah-yook afore-mentioned, at the vd'lage of Ahousat, in Clayoquot Sound, on tbe west coast of Vancouver Island, this 10th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police, for Canada. Declaration of Qui-an-Ah, or " Punch." Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, QUI-AN-AH, or "Punch," of the viBage of Ahousat, on Clayoquot Sound, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am a native of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and live in the village of Ahousat, on Clayoquot Sound, and am a member of tbe Ahousat tribe of Indians. 2. I am a sealer, and have been so all my life since I was strong enough to throw a spear, and have sealed from the shore in canoes and also off the coast in schooners off Vancouver Island and all along up north into the Behring Sea. I always go hunting every year for seals since 1 commenced about eight years ago. I have never seen any seals in Clayoquot Sound, and we do not now hunt from shore, and have not done so for about three years, as the schooners come here very early for us to take us out, and we would rather seal from them. We do not commence sealing here for a month and a-half to two months after they commence at Barclay Sound. 3. The seals seem to be as plentiful now as they were when I first commenced sealing. I use both the spear and the gun, and I like one as well as the other. If the seal is sleeping very soundly I use the spear, but if I see he is waking up I shoot him and then use my spear as a gaff to prevent him from sinking, and I very'seldom lose a seal that I shoot at. If I see two seals sleeping- on the water 1 never use the gun, as the noise of shooting one wakes the other, but I use the spear and get them both. I never shoot if the seal is " breeching," and never shoot nor throw the spear if tbe seal is more than 5 or 6 fathoms off. I am a very careful hunter, and would not lose 1 in 10 with either spear or gun. 4. I was hunting for three months this year in the schooner " Sapphire," and went as far as Kadiak Island, but only got 36 seals. Tbe schooner's take was 972 for the season. The weather was very rouo-h or we would have done better. There were fourteen canoes on the schooner and two boats, but the boats were not used. I was out in the same schooner last year (1891), but got very few, as an accident happened to the Indian who was in the canoe with me, who was killed, and I then went as a sador and did not hunt. I cannot remember how many I got any year but this year, but the first year I went to Behring Sea I got 130. I was in the " Grace " that year. It was in 1886,1 think. I have been four times in the Behring Sea. 5. Aloii" the coast I have got more cows than bulls', but as I have gone north near the Behring Sea, and in the Sea, I have got more bulls than cows. This has always happened. I have never noticed any difference. I have never noticed any in milk till I got to the Behring Sea. Along the coast I have got a good many cows with pup, and have also got old cows not carrying a pup, but have never got an old bull until I got as far as Sitka. Six of my catch this year were grey pups; they are i 162 ill IIII nearly always males, but two of mine were females. After I got into Behring Sea I have never' got a cow with a.pup in.her, but plenty with milk, and a good many bulls, young and old. When we first go in we get young bulls, and towards the end of the season we get the large ones. 6. If the seals are sleeping on the water I cannot tell whether they are cows or bulls, but if awake and moving their heads above water I can always tell. 7. I know of no place along the coast where tbe seals baul out and have their young, nor have I ever seen them on the rocks or beach. 8. Years the herring are plentiful on the coast there are a great many seals, and when scarce tbe the seals are scarce. 9. Two months after Christmas seals are first seen off here—a few at first, but as the weather gets warmer they increase. I cannot tell whether the large or small come first; they come mixed. 10. There are just as many skins now as when I first commenced hunting, but there are so many white hunters and schooners hunting them now with guns that they are getting much wdder and keep farther off shore. 11. What has been here*said by me has been written down and read over to me and explained to me in my own language, and I understand it, and it is true, and I have not been paid nor promised anything for saying it. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of "The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) QUI-AN-AH, his x mark. Witnesses : -(Signed) Gordon F. Grant. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the viBage of Ahousat, in Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in tbe Province.of British Columbia, this 10th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. life: Declaration of Enocto. r$K*, V-'.,. jii.-. •!, (■ - l,f iR,I|j|>;' vy •■ ::;'"..; llli «■>■• JBLm H I ill mm-'i IB? 5* '■!-• •■> m Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, ENOCTO, of the .Ahousat tribe of Indians, in Clayoquot Sound, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I live at the viBage of Ahousat, in Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, and am one of the Ahousat tribe of Indians. 2. I am a seal-hunter, and have always been one since I have been strong enough; have sealed from the beach and from schooners, and all along the coast into Behring Sea. I have never missed a season since I first hunted ; for the last few years, since the schooners have been coming here, I have not hunted from the beach, because I bke the schooner better, and it is easier to get on board if the wind comes up. 3. I hunted from the schooner " Sapphire " for the last four years. I have always " headed " the canoe, and do the spearing or shooting, as I use both the gun and spear. I am not a very good shot, and like the spear best. The spear does not make a noise the same as the gun, and does not make the seals wild or wake them up if sleeping. I hardly ever lose one with the spear, and I always use it if I -can, but if the seal is waking I use the gun, and am careful with it, and generally get the seal. I use my spear as a gaff after I shoot, and don't remember when I have lost the seal I have hit. 4. This year is the first I have not been in the Behring Sea for several years; we only went as far as Kadiak. I got 60 skins; in 1891 I got 280; in 1890, 110; and in 1889, 140; and cannot remember what I got other years. I think the seals are just as thick now as some years ago, but they are wilder, and do not sleep as they used to, and are harder to get. Some years there are more than others, and years the herring are plentiful along tbe coast there are more seals. 5. We first see them off this coast from a month and a-half to two months after Christmas, and they stay for about two months and a-half. The small ones come first. 6. I cannot say whether I get more cows than bulls, or bulls than cows, for we are paid by the skin, and never notice what they are; we get quite a few old cows not carrying pups and not havina milk; get quite a number of cows carrying pups along the coast, but have got them carryino- pUp and with milk after passing Kadiak. Never get any large bulls till I get up to Behring Sea, when I <*et a good many large ones. & 7. The big ones we get along the coast are generally cows, the small ones bulls. The cows have a whiter breast and neck than the bulls. 8. In hunting from the schooners we were paid 2 dollars a skin up to last year, when we were paid 3 dollars; and this year we were promised 4 dollars, but when we returned from sealing were paid off with 3 dollars. ° 9. What has been here said by me has been written down and read over to me, and explained in my own language, and I understand it, and it is true, and I have not paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, for saying it. J °- WJBiS*!*"* 163 And I make this solemn declaration Conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtoe of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ENOCTO, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. ■I, Quat-loose, or "Sam; Fred; Suit-hatchest; Peter; Shooksa, or "Joe;" Keelthlab; John Weiqlha; Yacootiish, or " George;" Mucklemick; Kawannass; and Sheenah, do solemnly declare :— 1. That we are natives of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and bve at the village of Ahousat, in Clayoquot Sound, in tbe Province of British Columbia, and are all members of the Ahousat tribe of Indians. 2. We have heard what has been said by Enocto here present about the seals and hunting seals, and it is what we think and know about them. 3. We are all seal-hunters, and use both tbe spear and tbe gun, and would just as soon use the one as the other, and are just as sure of getting the seal with one as the other, and scarcely lose any, and no good hunter need lose many. AB our tribe use the gun, both young and old, and like it. 4. What we have here said, and what Enocto has said, has been written down and read over and explained to us in our own language, and we understand it, and it is what we think, and we have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised to us, for saying this. And we make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue •of "Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) QUAT-LOOSE, his x mark. FEED, ditto. SUIT-HATCHEST, ditto. PETEE, ditto. KAWANNASS, ditto. SHOOKSA, ditto. KEELTHLAH, ditto. JOHN WEIQHLA, dittc YACOOTLISH, ditto. MUCKLEMICK, ditto. SHEENAH, ditto. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Signed and declared before me at the village of Ahousat, in Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 11th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of High-eit-Lick-Sheel. L>ominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, HIGH-EIT-LICK-SHEEL, of the Ahousat tribe of Indians, in Clayoquot Sound, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I live at Ahousat, in Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 2. Am a seal-hunter, and have been so aB my bfe since I could steer a boat or handle a spear. 3. Seals do not come into this Sound, and we natives prefer sealing from schooners than from the shore. 4. I use both tbe spear and gun, as do all my tribe, and we Bke one as weB as the other. A good hunter with a gun need not lose any more seals than with a spear. I lose very few with either, as I never shoot or throw a spear when a seal is beyond 3 or 4 fathoms' distance from me. After I shoot I paddle up quickly and spear the seal if I see he is sinking. 5 Seals are more plentiful some years than others, just as with ducks and other birds and fish. Have noticed that when the feed is plentiful the seals are also plentiful, and I do not think they are fewer than seven or eight years ago, though they are wBder from having so many hunting them and using guns. H 6 Captains of schooners pay us by the skin. So we have no reason to care whether seals are cows or buBs, or large or smaB. Some years we get more- buBs than cows, and some more cows than buBs. This year I got a good many pups. Sometimes I have got old cows without carrying pups and without having milk. I HI , a ^ u 7. Except the year 1891 I have never missed a season from huntr ; seals, and now aD from a schooner alone. Have been four times into Behring Sea- -first in 1886 and last in 1890. I was [118] 2 U iff ■il 164 in the schooners "Grace." "Black Diamond," "Pathfinder," and "Sapphire." I got 96 skins when in the " Grace," and met with an accident, being shot in the arm, and had to stop hunting.. 1 cannot remember what I got on any of the other schooners. This year I got 61 skins. We only went as far as Kadiak. 1 . , . 8. What has been here said by me has been written down and read over to me and explained m my own language, and I understand it, and it is true, and I have not been given anything, nor has any been promised me, for saying what I have said. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving tbe same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) HIGH-EIT-LICK-SHEEL, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Signed and declared before me at the village of San Juan, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 12th day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Charlie Quisto. isi lI'M-fe: Iflfe ill Ml i iflfe I wi- ite- Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, to wit: I, CHAELIE QUISTO, of the vdlage of San Juan, on tbe west coast of Vancouver Island, do solemnly declare that:— 1. I am a native of the west coast of Vancouver Island, am a Pachenah Indian, and reside in the viBage of San Juan, and am the Chief of my tribe. 2. I am a hunter and fisherman, and have hunted seals since I was a boy, from the beach and from schooners. Have hunted from Columbia Biver to Barclay Sound, and from there to the Behring Sea. 3. Etght after Christmas we move from here to Kah-ligbt (or K'Lyde), on the coast where there is a nice beach, and we stay there for a month before we are able to hunt, as the weather is so bad. That is where I saw my first seal, and I have seen them up the Straits as far as Eace Eocks, about 3 miles from shore. I hunt from the shore for about two months, and then go north in the schooner. 4. I always use a spear, and prefer it to the gun. Have never been with a white man or other Indian who used a gun, and do not know anything about it, but I don't think it is any good; lots of my people have been hurt with them. When picking one up in a hurry, when seeing a seal, it is liable to go off and hurt or MB the other man in the canoe. AB my tribe want to use the spear only, as the gun makes the seal wBd. When we are paddling up on a seal some one shoots with a gun and it raises its head and looks round and goes off. I throw the spear from 3 to 5 fathoms, and seldom miss with it. 5. The seals come to this coast just as many as ever, but there are so many white hunters now hunting with the gun that they frighten them right away, and make them wilder and harder tokiB. 6. I did not hunt from the shore this year, but went out in the schooner " Fawn," and got 39 skins. The catch for the schooner was 430 with 10 canoes and 1 boat. We went as far north as Kadiak last year (1891); I got 100. We went into the Behring Sea, and the schooner " Borealis" got a little over 1,000, with 12 canoes and 1 boat. I do not remember how many I got other years. 7. Some years seals are more plentiful than others, and years the herring are plentiful the seals are always very plentiful. 8. Taking it altogether, I get about half cows and half buBs—young and old—but never get any of the large bulls till we get north as far as Sitka. Almost aB tbe large cows have pups in them that we get along the coast, but we get some that have no pups. When in Behring Sea we get cows with milk and no pups; have never got a cow carrying a pup after getting into Behring Sea. It is six years now since the white hunters came to take us north to Behring Sea, but about twenty years since they first came to take us hunting off this coast. In 1886 we got paid 2 dollars a skin, but for the last two years we have got 4 dollars. 9. What has been here said by me has been written down and read over to me, and explained in my own language, and I understand it, and it is true ; and nothing has been paid me, or promised to me, for saying what I have said. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHAELIE QUISTO, his x mark. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. m< 165 I, See-ah-Sum, or " Jimmy Crackhorn;" and Wech-Tin, or " August," do solemnly declare :— 1. That we are natives of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and belong to the Pachenah tribe of Indians, and live at tbe viBage of San Juan. 2. We have heard what has been said by Charlie Quisto, our Chief, about the seals, and it is what we think and believe, and it has been read over and explained to him and us, and we understand it, and nothing has been paid us, or promised to us, for saying what we have said. And we make this solemn declaration conscientiously b'ebeviug the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) SEE-AH-SUM, his x mark. WECH-TIN, ditto. Witnesses: (Signed) John T. Walburn. A. D. Laing. Declared before me at the viBage of San Juan, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, this 12th day of November, A.D. 1892. (oignea; A. P. Sherwood, A Commissioner of Police for Canada. Declaration of Sant-e. SANT-E, an Indian hunter from Barclay Sound, now on steam-schooner " Mischief," declares:— That he has for about fifteen years been going out as a seal-hunter; went out first on the " Anna Beck I or the " Thornton." Does not think there is quite as many seals now as there were at first, but they are not much scarcer, only thin. Always has hunted with a spear; never loses a seal that is struck. About six years before the first schooner came to Barclay Sound he sealed from the shore, and has been going out early in the season ever since. Sometimes two men go out in a canoe, sometimes three. The farthest I ever went from shore was about 25 miles. As many seals were got last year as in any previous year by the canoe I hunted with. The first seals were seen about the first week in December. In former years seals were got as late as July, but now never later than June off Barclay Sound.' Never heard of seals hauling out near Vancouver Island. More males than females are taken if grey pups are counted, more females if the young ones are not counted. All the females are not with young; some of them are barren. Seals off Barclay Sound eat salmon, herring, codfish, and squid. Have never seen a young pup swimming. I hereby certify that the Indian Sant-e was examined by Mr. Macoun in my presence and that of Gus, Douglas, Billy, Peter, Joe, Dan, Charlie, Taylor, and Taylor No. 2, who beard tbe questions asked him and tbe answers given, and all are Barclay Sound Indians, and agree that the evidence given by Sant-e has been their own experience, although aB have not hunted for the same length of time that he has. (Signed) WM. PETIT. The proportion of female seals to males taken this year by the above hunters is as below; figures given by themselves :— Sant-e, 66 seals: nearly all males. Charlie, 80 seals; more males than females. Gus, 95 seals; has not taken many females. Douglas, 73 seals; only 1 female. BiBy, in' canoe with Chariie. " Peter, in canoe with Gus. Joe, 41 seals ; not many females. Taylor, 88 seals; more males than females. Taylor No. 2 was in canoe with Johnnie, a hunter who is not here; 86 seals were taken; not more than 11 were females. Tommie, 59 seals; more males than females. All have seen barren females this year among those taken, but no count was kept of them. None of the above hunters have seen seals of one age or sex traveBing together; all are mixed. I hereby certify that I have heard the questions asked the Indians mentioned above, and the .answers given by them, and certify that they were as set down above. (Signed) WM. PETIT. Port Etches, June 17, 1892. Declaration of Andrew D. Laing. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, ANDEEW D. LAING, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That since 1871 I have been trading with and employing Indians, and fully understand -Chinook, the language used between the Whites and Indians all along the Pacific coast. fl-ii. ■ *' fc' .:'.|t lit I ills lilt 166 2. That I acted as interpreter for Mr. A. P. Sherwood in obtaining the declarations of the Indians at the places and on tbe days set out in the Schedule hereto annexed, marked (A). 3. That I truly and to tbe best of my knowledge and skill interpreted what each and every of the Indians in said Schedule named said, and when aB was written down in each and every case I interpreted and explained to the declarant what was so written, and solemnly declare that each and every of the Indians so named respectively fully understood the statements in the declaration so made by him before making or signing the same, and that the signature or mark of each and every such Indian was made in the presence of the person or persons who respectively signed each such declaration as a witness. 4. That each and every of the said declarations were freely and voluntarily made by the several Indians subscribing thereto, and that no threat, inducement, reward, or promise of reward was in any case made or held out to the said Indians in order to obtain the same, but, on tbe contrary, the Indians were plainly told that nothing would be given or promised to them to make or sign the said declarations. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) A. D. LAING. Subscribed and declared by the said Andrew D. Laing before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Francis B. Geegory, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Schedule (A). iii » fipflP! m mm wm Names of the Indians of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, by whom, places where, and dates when the Declarations interpreted and explained by Andrew D. Laing were made and declared. Name. Place. Bate. Name. Place. Date. Hit-Hitle, or Peter * iju Port San Juan .. Nov 2, 1892. Wabka, or Billy., Alberni ,. Nov. 7, 1892. TrCa'sado, or Tom .. ,, . • . Nahwyka, or Tom „ H igh-eit-lick-sheil ,, • • Nov. 12, 1892. Clap-light-up ,, •. „ Charlie Quiste .. >, • • r Tsawassup, or Joe .. „ .See-ah-Sum ,. • • Tootush .. .. Weech-tin f .. ■ Imihip .. .. .. „ So-y-uk .. .. Ohiat.. Nov. 4, 1892. Ehenchesut .. .. Clawa nnaok .. .. ,, .. „ Louis Annetz-a-chell and Thompson ,. .. » •. H Annetz-a-chell, or Jack .. Okoolah Nov. 8, 1892, * Jack .. .. ,t .. n Wake-a-nen-nish Nahmint . • Too-tootch .. „ .. »» Charles Hayaks .. .. Alberni .. Nov. 5, 1892. Jimmy.. .. .. >• .. • • it Hat-la-Cuntl Uchulet Nov. 9, 1892. Shoultwick .. .. ,, .. a Leder-Katum .. ,< „ Hanaisum .. Clahouto .. .. „ •• it At-Clappa . • ,. Atelu .. Ahouset .. » Nov. 10, 1892. Clahapisum .. .. tt • • • • ,, Ah-hayock .. .. Chileta Alberni ,, Not. 5, 1892. Qui-an-ah * Charles Hayaks .. ,. 11 a Fnocto •. .. Nov. 11, 1892. Oquaglui, or Charlie it • ■ ,, Quat-loos6 .. .. Harry .. .. .. 11 * • Fred .. Charlie >i • • Suit-hatchest It Kach-kach-ah 1 Peter it See-Wish ,, j j ii Kawanness .. a Clat-ka-koi, or Billy .. a •• it Shooksa it Kickiana .. .. a * • Keel-thlah ' Keshuqua, or Jack .. it • • Nov. 7, 1892. John Weighha .. .. H Clalchu, or Jinks t> • • Yacoottish m Click-la-hooto » • • ,, Mucklemick .. ,. '* Clots-mick, or Sante 3* . . ,, Sheenah .. „ » Tim is the Schedule referred to and marked (A) in the declaration of Andrew D. Laing subscribed and declared before me this 5th day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Francis B. Gregory, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 167 III.—TESTIMONY ON VABIOUS POINTS SEALING. RELATING TO SEALS AND Declaration of Tliorwal Mathason. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I THORWAL MATHASON, of the city of Victoria and Province of British Columbia, do solemnly and sincerely declare:— 1. That some time last April a man whom I did not know met me on the street and asked if I had been sealing. I told him that I had. He invited me into the Occidental Hotel, where we had I drink together. He then asked me if I wanted to make a couple of dollars, and as I was hard up a said " Yes." He took me to the Driard Hotel. There was a gentleman there who asked me questions. I was asked what percentage of females had been killed the year before when I Was out, and I told him about three out of five were females. He did not ask me how many seals were lost by sinking, but if he had I would have told him very few were lost. Last year, out of 243 seals taken by the boat I was in, 5' were lost by sinking, and this year 142 were taken, and 1 were lost by sinking. This is about the usual percentage lost. I was on the " Oscar and Hattie " last year, 1S91. Tbe first shot will kill a sleeping seal if the hunter is any good. 2. This year I was again out on the "Oscar, and Hattie" in the spring, but we got few seals, as our captain did not understand about when the boats ought to be lowered, or how seals ought to be bunted I went nut late in the season on the " Dora Sieward," leaving Victoria, the 1st May, and we made a poor catch on the way north, as we went out too late. The other hunters told me that they had seen a very great many seals, and I one day saw over 300 seals when we were off Middleton Island ; they were travelling to the westward. 3. I know a good many of the men that went to the Driard Hotel last spring to give their evidence, and several of them were men such as are always found around docks and wharves—longshoremen—who not only had never been sealing, but I do not believe they ever saw a seal. They went only for the money they got. Some of the men got only 50 cents for going, but they were men whose evidence was not worth much. 1 got 50 cents each for all the men I took to the room at the Driard Hotel, and I took a good many there. I did not bother myself as to whether they had been seal-hunting or not, but left that to the man in the room at the Driard Hotel. 4. I am commonly called " Sailor Jack " in Victoria: 5. I have read over the statements written down in this declaration, and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true,-and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extrajudicial Oaths." (Signed) THORWAL MATHASON. Declared before me at the city of Victoria, this 14th day of October, 1892. (Sicned) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. Declaration of Ernest I. Lorenz. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, ERNEST L. LORENZ, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. That I have been three years out sealing as master and mate. 2, I knew Henry Brown. He was out With me in the " Mascotte " last year as a seaman. I had an Indian crew, and he was never out sealing at all. He was out this year as an able seaman on the "May Belle," a schooner with an Indian crew. He got back from his cruize on the "May Belle" about the middle of April. He is the sort of man we call a "sea lawyer;" he is not a man that is competent to form an intelligent opiuion on any matter, he is, I consider, light-headed. He was with me four months, and I had plenty of chance of knowing what kind of man he was. He was a good sailor, but uot of much use in other ways. He knew nothing of seeing, and could not sign his name, I believe. Last year nor this year he was not farther north than tlie north end of Vancouver Island on either the " May Belle " or the "Mascotte." I remember now that he was out four or five times in a boat with the mate, but had little chance of seeing anything of seals. I do not bear him any Bl-will, and have told only what I know of him from having been with him. [118] 2 X w Am - 168 And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." ^.^ ^^ ||jf|| Subscribed and declared by the said Ernest L. Lorenz before me. a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of. British Columbia, this 24th day of October, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of Richard Hall. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, RICHARD HALL, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, ship-owner, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I am the managing agent of the owner of the sealing-schooner " Mascotte." 2. I know Henry Brown, who was engaged either by me or the captain to act as an able seaman on that schooner. He is a sailor-man of very ordinary intelbgence, not being able to sign bis own name. 3. I never heard of him going out in any other capacity than as a sailor; he was not even a boat-steerer or puBer. 4. He is not a man whom I consider competent to form an inteBigent opinion on any subject. 5. I act as agent for several sealing-schooners, and would not think of engaging him, either as a hunter or boat-puBer. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously beBeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) RICHARD HALL. Subscribed and declared by the said Richard Hall before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of October, a.d. 18'92. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) li: pip Declaration of TJicodore Magnesen. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, THEODORE MAGNESEN, of the city of Victoria, and Province of British Columbia, make oath and say:— That I have been a navigator since I was 19 years old ; I am now 34. I have been navigating sealing-schooners for four years, and was master of the " Sea Lion" in 1890. I went to San Francisco for my boats and outfit early in the season, and there I shipped Thomas Brown as boat-puBer. We did some sealing on the way up, and got 263 seals for five boats. From the boat Brown was in I got twenty-seven skins. The hunter complained all the time that he was of no use, and I intended to get rid of him the first place I came to, which was Victoria. Besides being no good as a boat-steerer, be was a bad man. He is what we call a " San Francisco bum," and no better evidence of his character can be got than from the police at Victoria. He is a bad drinker, and bad in every way. He knows nothing of seabng, and, besides, has not sufficient judgment to form an opinion of anything. I could not think of a more worthless man to ask to teB anything about seals. Among my crew when I went south was a man named Arthur Gififin. He made the trip to San Francisco, but deserted when he got to Victoria. He was with me two and a-half or three months. This is his first year as boat-steerer, and he had no experience of sealing. He was a farmer boy, from Virginia, I think. (Signed) THEO. MAGNESEN. Sworn before me at Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of October a.d. 1892. . (Signed) Thomas Shotbolt, Justice of the Peace for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 169 Declaration of George McDonald. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, GEORGE McDONALD, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia; and Dominion of Canada, master mariner, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. That I personally know Fred. Smith, who was a hunter on the schooner "Mascotte " last year. I have known him for six years. He was " rivet boy " at the Albion Iron Works in this city until he went out seabng. He is about 18 years old—certainly not over 19. 2. I do not consider him competent to- give an opinion on seabng matters, nor would I value his opinion or judgment on any matter. 3. I know very well Wilbam Parker, who was one season a hunter on the schooner " Walter L. Rich." I consider him a fair hunter, but I would not take his word, nor do I think anybody who knows him would. I know he was once arrested for vagrancy. 4. Among masters and mates he has a poor reputation, and is not the kind' of a man they care to take on a voyage. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue ■of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths."' (Signed) GEORGE McDONALD. Subscribed and declared by the said George McDonald before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia., this 25th day of October, 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Fublic in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) f§ Declaration of Andrew D. Laing. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, ANDREW D. LAING, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British. Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I traded on the west coast among the Indians from 1871 to 1881 for Captain Spring. I then left the employ of Spring and built a vessel and bunted fur-seals with Indian crews up to 1887. On the 9th day of July in that year was taken by the United States' cutter " Rush " about 49 miles off the nearest land in Behring Sea, was towed into Unalaska, our skins were taken from us, a Quartermaster put on board, and we were ordered to Sitka. The " Rush" towed us out into the Pacific, and we went then to Sitka and delivered tbe schooner to the Marshal. In 1888 I was out on the "Favourite" as mate on a sealing voyage. In 1889 I was on the "W. P. Sayward," and was in that vessel in 1890. I was out in the "W. P. Sayward" in the spring of 1891, and this year was not out at all. 2. I was examined by Mr. Milne last winter as to my knowledge of seals-and their habits, and he took down all that was said to him; and last spring was examined by Major Williams on the same matters.- Major Williams did not take down all I said. When what I said did not agree with what he thought, he would either not listen to me, or would argue with me, and then change the subject. One thing I remember was about the number of seals lost by being killed and then sinking. I told Mr. Milne that I had not hunted with white men, but I knew Indians lost very few. I told Major Wilbams this also, but I do not think- he took this down. At the time my evidence was given it was taken down in writing, but I was not asked to sign the paper. The next evening the United States' Consul, Mr. Meyers, and Mr. Moss—who was then, I think, Vice-President of the Sealers' Association—came to my house. They asked me to go to the Driard Hotel, and then, what purported to be my evidence, was read over to me. I did not read it myself. Everything that was read was oil right and true enough, but some things I had- told them were left out. They asked me to sign the paper then, and I did so; it was type-written; no improper means were used to induce me to give my evidence. A United States' Treasury Agent, Mr. Mackey—I am not sure how his name is spelled— met me in the street and asked me if I would go to the Driard and teB Major Williams what I knew about sealing. As I bad already given my evidence to Mr. Milne, and wanted both sides to know the truth, I went wBlingly. I heard that others had received money from Major Williams, and knew that many of the men were not sealers at aB—cooks and sailors on vessels, and " longshoremen." Ned Useless, one of these men, told me that he had been given money to give his evidence. He is not a man that could be trusted, and is drunk every chance he gets. I thought it very strange that such a man should be asked to give evidence, when men that knew something about sealing were to be had. 3. I think the seals ought to be protected, especiaBy on the islands, and if there Was no killing at sea between tbe 1st January and 1st July, there would not be the slightest danger of the seals becoming less in number. Last year there were, according to my knowledge, as many seals on the coast as there were before, and in 1890, when I was out the whole season, I saw as many seals as I had seen at any time during the previous eight years I had been out. W llffc llli!!' 170 4 As far as I could see, last spring the American Agent wanted only one-sided evidence, and if I said anything that did not suit him he would not fake it down, but would argue with me, and try to convince me that I was wrong. 5 I declare that I have made the above statements voluntarily, and that they are all true ; that nothing I said has been omitted, and that no consideration was given nie or offered for making til 6 S£Vm6 And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." -r,-,^ r (Signed) A. D. LAI!NG. Subscribed and declared by the said Andrew D. Laing before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 25th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of John Morris. v-'i. !!■ Hiiill iii'; Mil; ill 111 m Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, JOHN MORRIS, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows :— 1. Some day last spring—the exact date I don't remember—a man came to me and told me that if I would go up to the Driard Hotel and give my evidence to a man there that was getting information about sealing I would be given 2 dollars. There were several sailor-men looking for people to give evidence, but no sealing-men, as far as I know. These men were abo paid to entice men up to the room of Major WilBams—for that, I beBeve, Was the man's name who was taking the evidence. He did not pay us the money himself, but it was paid in his presence by another man. I was told to send any others I knew there, and that they would be paid for their evidence. One man that gave evidence was called " Banjo Brown." He had not been out sealing. Another man was called " Sailor Jack." He was a boat-puller, I think. I am called " Bonanza Jack." There must have been forty men altogether, many of them knowing nothing of sealing. They were what we call " longshoremen." I know many men that told me afterwards that they knew nothing of sealing, but bad been told the name of a vessel to say they had been on, and were then asked to sign what the man wrote down. They went only for the dollar or so they got. For my part, I was asked the names of the vessels I had been on, and told him no lies on this or on other matters. 2. I have been out as mate and master, not as a hunter ever. All that I know of seali-hg is what I could see from the deck of the vessel, and from what the hunters told me. 3. I was five years sealing, and have had a good deal of experience with sealers. 4. There is no getting out of the fact that there are more males taken than females; if any one says that I ever told him that more females were taken than males, he says what is not true. I could not have said that, for if I had I would have told a lie. 5. Each year I have found the seals on the coast about in the same numbers; they are like the salmon, some years there are nore than others; but, taking it one year with another, they don't change much, if at all. 6. He (Williams) asked me about these things, but there was nothing else, I think. 7. He (Williams) did not read to me what was taken down by the type-writer, nor did I read it. I Was simply asked to sign the papers ; 2 dollars were given me and I came away. This was the way every one did. There was a big crowd of men outside his door; there must have been about six men acting as " runners." I went, just through foolishness, to see what was going on, and while there thought it would be no harm to get 2 dollars, as I had nothing but truth to teB. I was doino- nothing then. He kept me much longer than most of the others. They wanted me to go back the next day, but I did not go. I saw how foolish it was for a captain to be mixed up with a lot of men such as were there. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOHN MORRIS. Subscribed and declared by the said John Morris before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned and residing and practisin'g-at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 27th dav of October, a.d. 1812. ' y. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 171 Declaration of Henry BroWft. '■ Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, HENRY BROWN, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, seaman, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been in sealing-vessels on the North Pacific Coast and Behring Sea in the years 1890, 1891, and 1892. In 1890 I was a seaman on the "Minnie." In 1891 a seaman on the " Mascotte." In 1892 I was a seaman on the " May Belle " until the 18th April, when I left her and went to the " Ariel" as boat-steerer. 2. That I never did any sealing myself. 3. That I have never given any statement to any person on seabng matters, either at Victoria or any other place. I am positive that I Was not in Victoria in the month of April last, and did not then, or at any other time or place, make any statement to any person about sealing. I don't know anything about the proportion of females to males that hunters get, or where the seals haul out, or where the pups are born. If my name appears signed to any paper containing anything about such matters it was not put there by me, and is a forgery. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) HENRY BROWN, his x mark. m m Subscribed and declared by the said Henry Brown before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city ot Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, the same having been first carefully read over and explained to the said Henry Brown, who thoroughly understood the same, this 29th day of October, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Prouince of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of George C. Gerow. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, GEORGE C. GEROW, of city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia* sealdiunter, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. That I have known WBL Parker, a seal-hunter, of the city of Victoria, for about seven years. 2. In the year 1889 I was out on the schooner " Ariel" as a hunter. 3. The said WiB. Parker was also on board as a hunter. 4. I am considered a good, fair, average hunter, and know a good hunter when I see him work. 5. From what I saw of Parker in the year 1889 I know that he is a poor hunter; frequently when tbe other hunters came on board With skins in plenty, be woidd bring in few or none, and every person on board considered him a poor hunter. 5. I know from personal experience that the said Parker is a liar; he has frequently told me certain things that I know were untrue. I would not believe him on oath in any matter where I knew be was interested. He would, in my opinion, give evidence in any way desired for about two drinks of whiskey, and for money he would make any statements. He is well known here as an idle feBow, and I would call him a cheap liar, that is, one who, for a small consideration, would make any statements desired of him. 7. I have no personal enmity 'against said Parker, and wish him no harm, but know that he is unreliable and untrustworthy as a man. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiouly bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) G. C. GEROW. and Subscribed and declared by the said G. C. Gerow before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 29th day of October, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia* (Seal) <# say Affidavit ofJ.S. Fanning. I, J. S. FANNING, of the city of San Francisco, in the State of California, make oath and That when on tbe "Henry Dennis," a seabng-schooner, this year, I saw a good deal of the [118] 2 Y ml wmvm 172 steamer "Corwin," and that I was once on board of ber, and at that time I saw the hunters that were on thfl.t vp^spI There" was one white hunter and his crew of two men and a canoe with two Indians. I know the hunter George Brown very well, but have never been out with him. One of the men on the "Henry Dennis " had been out with him on the « Lily L." in 1890. He told me that Brown was not a good •hunter not even a fair average 'hunter, and I heard the same story from a man named —, wlio was with him in 1890. Brown was not out in 1891. We heard on the " Corwin " that he would have ' the boat lowered when he saw a seal, and after having missed it he would say that he had bit it and that it sank. This is the usual excuse of a poor hunter. He was, I believe paid by the month, not by the skins as in the usual way. He told me himself that he got good pay. I was told when I saw him that he had so far got one skin. I had taken at that time about 130 seals. I was told on the quarter-deck of the "Corwin" that he was a good shot at birds on the wing, but that he didn't have much success with seals. The Indian hunter was a good hunter. I have been told that he was one of the best, if not tbe best hunter at Neah Bay. Neither I or any one else in the " Henry Dennis " considered that the work of the I Corwin " was a good test of what is to be done by sealers. I and others on the " Henry • Dennis " thought it strange that we were not asked to give evidence. & (Signed) I J. S. FANNING. Subscribed and sworn at the city of Victoria, Province of British Columbia, this 30th day of September, a.d. 1892, the same having been first read over to the deponent in my presence before me. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public by Royal Authority in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) mm i IP? :•!'!.t.: IIP- Declaration of Charles Peters. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria, I, CHARLES PETERS, of the city of Victoria, in tbe Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare as follows:— 1. I was mate of the " Mascotte," on a sealing voyage last year. 2 Fred. Smith shipped on the " Mascotte " for that voyage as hunter. 3. The voyage lasted five months. Smith did not get more than twelve skins. 4. He (Smith) was on the " Sea Lion " the year before as a boat-puller. 5. I do not consider him at aB competent to form an opinion about sealing; he is simply an overgrown boy. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHAS. PETERS. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Peters before me, a Notary Pubbc duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Cclumbia, this 8th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Deposition of Frederick Crocker. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. FREDERICK CROCKER, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— I am a resident of San Francisco, and have been a seal-hunter for eleven years, and think I know almost all the vessels engaged in the work, and acquainted or know by repute all the men who have any standing as hunters. I never knew or remember hearing of a sealing-vessel caBed the'" Maggie Ross," and do not bebeve any such vessel ever did any sealing. I never heard of any hunters named Peter Colbns, Wdliam Long, Henry Mason, James Sloan John Dalton, Richard Dolan, William Mclsaac, Patrick Maronev. Miles Nelson, James Kennedy, Charles Challal, Joseph Denis, Andrew Hoffman, James Kean, anc1 William Hensen, and I do not think they can ever have been engaged as seal-hunters. Even among the boat-pullers, I think I know the most of them, and I cannot remember ever hearing the names of the of the foregoing. . I Ifave not been paid nor promised anything in consideration of making the foregoing statement which I have found correct after reading. D (Signed) F. J. CROCKER. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. Deposition of John A. Belodo. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. JOHN A. BELODO, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says :— 1. I reside in the city of San Francisco, in the State of California, and am foreman in the manufacturing department of C. JD. Ladd, merchant, of said city. 2. 0 D. Ladd aforesaid is managing owner of the sealing-vessel " Emma and Louisa," of the port of San Francisco, and was so in the month of July last. 3. Said vessel " Emma and Louisa" returned to this port on or about the 11th day of July last, and on the day following 1,342 skins Were debvered from her at the place of business of the aforementioned C. D. Ladd in this city.'' 4. On or about the 13th day of July last, in the forenoon, I was in the basement of the store of said C. D. Ladd, on Kearny Street, in this city, when George B. Barber, book-keeper for C. D. Ladd aforesaid, came down with a gentleman, whom I did not then know, but have since been informed was Charles J. Behlow, "one of the partners of the firm of H. Liebes and Co., of this city of San Francisco. 5. Said George B. Barber showed the gentleman who accompanied him, and who, as I have said, I subsequently learned was Charles J. Behlow, the skins that had been delivered the day previous from the said vessel "Emma and Louisa," and which were all lying in one pile on the elevator as they had been delivered, when he (Charles J. Behlow) bfted a few up from the pile, not exceeding five or six, and looked at them, and then went upstairs again with said' George B. Barber, and the time they were down there would not be more than five minutes. 6. My occupation requires me to be in the basement near the elevator where the skins were piled all the time, and this occasion I have mentioned is the only time I ever saw the person whom I was informed was Charles J. Behlow on the premises of C. D. Ladd aforesaid. - (Signed)- J. A. BELODO. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of December, 1892.. (Signed) Charles A. Duisenberg, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of George B. Barber. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. GEORGE B. BARBER, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I bve in the city of San Francisco, in the State of Cabfornia. Am a clerk in the employ of C. D. Ladd, merchant, of the city aforesaid, doing business at 529 and 531, Kearny Street, and have charge of and keep bis books, and have been continuously in his employ for the past ten years. 2. C. D. Ladd aforesaid is the owner of the sealing-vessel " Emma and Louisa," of this port, and was so in the month of July last past. 3. Said vessel "Emma and Louisa" returned to this city from a sealing voyage on the 11th day of July last, having on board 1,342 skins, and these skins were debvered at the place of business of the afore-mentioned C. D. Ladd on the 12th day of the same month. 4. In the forenoon of the day following, that is, on the 13th July, Charles J. Behlow, of this city, came into the store of the aforesaid 0. D. Ladd and asked to see the skins which had been brought from the vessel "Emma and Louisa," and I took him to the basement, where they were all lyinc in one pile in the elevator. I made no objection to his seeing the skins, as I had been informed that all seal-skins of pelagic catch had to undergo inspection before any disposition could be made of them, and at the same time had been told that the firm of H. Liebes and Co. had been appointed by the Government the Inspectors for that purpose, and I knew the said Charles J. Behlow as a member of the firm of H- Liebes and Co. for many years. 5. On being shown the skins, which, as I before stated, were all in one pile, the said Charles J. Behlow remarked to me that he " bad to say he had seen them, for it did not pay to inspect them as he was only paid 5 dollars a-day for doing it," and on saying this picked up and looked at a few skins, not exceeding five in all, but gave even these no such scrutiny as would be required to determine the sex. The whole time the said Charles J. Behlow was so employed did not exceed five minutes, and he did not again see the skins. Said skins were subsequently shipped to London, England, in two lots 86 obtained elsewhere being added, making in the two shipments 1,428 skins, 1,269 being in one shipment, and 159 in the next. Said two lots were consigned to the firm of C. M. Lampson and Co., of London aforesaid. About the end of October or beginning of November last advice came from said firm, through their resident agent in New York, one Alfred Fraser, acknowledging receipt ofi[,428 skins, and an assortment list was also sent, which is hereto attached, marked (A), accounting for the 1,428 skins, of which the 1,342 skins brought in by the vessel "Emma, and Louisa/'.and subsequently seen by said Charles J. Behlow on the premises of C. D. Ladd afore mentioned, formed part. (Signed) GEORGE B. BARBER. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of December, 1892. (Signed) Chas. A. C. Duisenberg, Notary Public. (Seal." II Plift •■'iti\ r <* 174 m% K8»r 0<£>L "Rosarian," e 1/19 D. o m "Umbria." 3c Schedule marked (A). Assortment of Salted Fur-seal Skins. N. W. C, part round shaped, mostly well furred and blubbered, ratheT stale looking. 2 large wigs .. •• 2 small wigs .. • - 10 middlings 1,269 72 middling and smalls .. 220 smalls 232 large pups .. • • 237 middling pups .. 18.} small pups .. •• 159 85 ex. ditto ditto .. 6 ex. ex. ditto ditto .. 2 middlings, cut, &c. .. 19 ditto and smalls, cut, &c. 49 smalls, ditto .. .. 73 large pup9. ditto .. 88 middling ditto ditto 81 smalls ditto (4 wool), cut, &c 44 ex. small (9 ditto) ditto 11 ex. ex. ditto (9 ditto) ditto 5 grey pups .. •• 7 faulty .. •• 1,428 1,428 London, October 15, 1892. (Signed) December 1,1892. C. A. C. D. (Signed) Lbs. oz. .. 36 0 .. 25 8 .. 12 13 .. 10 14 9 10 8 0 & 9 5 8 4 10 4 0 .. 14 0 .. 11 0 9 i 7 6 6 1 .. 5 1 4 4 3 3 2 11 5 5 GEO. B. BARBER. mk Dear Sir Office of Alfred Fraser, 50, Wall Street, New York, October 26, 1892. Inclosed please find particulars of assortment of your salted fur-seal skins, which wiB be sold on the 24th proximo—not on the 23rd, as previously announced. Yours very trulv, (Signed) ALFRED FRASER. C. D. Ladd, Esq., San Francisco, California. Deposition of J. S. Worth* State of California, City and County of San Francisco. J. S. WORTH, being duly sworn, deposes and says :— 1. I am a seal-hunter, and master of the sealing-schooner "La Niufa," and was so in the sealing season of 1891. 2. I know James Criffin, of this city. He was with me in the "La Niufa" in that year as a boat-steerer. He was not a hunter, and did not MR any seals. I would have known it had he done so. I hired him as a green hand, and he acted as one, and I do not think he was ever out sealing as a hunter. 3. I am familiar with tbe names of all the sealing-vessels, and I never heard of one caBed the " Maggie Ross," and I do not believe there- is such a vessel engaged in the sealing business. 4. I have not been paid or promised anything in consideration of having made the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) JOHN WORTH. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of Charles D. Ladd, State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco. CHARLES D. LADD, of tbe city of San Francisco, in the State of Cabfornia, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I bve in the city of San Francisco, in tbe State of Cabfornia, am an American subject, and am a merchant, doing business at 529 and 531, Kearny Street, in said city. 2. Am managing owner of tbe sealing-vessel "Emma and Louisa," and have so owned and managed her for the past two years, and this year she was commanded by Captain George Wester. and they are in my employ, and have been for 17$ 3. I know George B. Barber and John Bilodo, some years. >.. I 4. On or about tbe 11th day of July last my vessel, the "Emma and Louisa" aforesaid, came into tins port from a seabng voyage, having on board 1,342 seal-skins. After I had entered her at the Custom-house 1 was informed by an official there that before they could be landed they had to be inspected by tbe Government Inspector appointed for that purpose, and on inquiring who tbe person was, was told that it was the Inspector of H. Liebes and Co., or something to that effect. On the foBowing morning I went to the Custom-house to get a permit to land the skins, and was delayed there for an hour or more awaiting the arrival of tbe Inspector, who, when he arrived, I recognized as an employ^ of the said firm of H. Liebes and Co., but whose name I did not know and cannot now remember; have known him as an employe of that firm for several years. He is about 6 feet in height, about 30 years of age. When I first knew him in their employ he was what I would caB a head porter, but of late years be has been grading furs for them. 5. Upon the arrival of the individual referred to in the last paragraph at tbe Custom-house, I took him in my buggy, and we drove down to where the vessel was, and we arrived there somewhere between the hours of 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning, when the Customs officer who was in charge cut tbe seals that were on the hatches and allowed the skins to be discharged. The time occupied in discharging was from two to two and one-half hours. The skins were thrown out of the hold on to the deck of the vessel; there the Inspector sorted the skins as to sizes, and as soon as there was a pde of from thirty to forty, it was checked off and then removed to the dray for delivery at my store. In order to facilitate the work, I personally helped by handing the skins to the Inspector. He made no examination to determine the sex from which the skins had been taken, but sorted them as is ordinarily done for tbe purpose of purchase, when it is necessary to arrive at the different sizes and .grades 6. At the conclusion of the inspection I asked him how many grey pups he made out there was, and his reply was that there were thirty-seven. The other grades I did not ask about, as the average of the seals tan well, but I do remember there were four old " wigs," as they were thrown out to one side. This is the only inspection the skins referred..to underwent in this city, though I learned from my book-keeper, George B. Barber, that Charles J. Behlow, of the firm of H. Liebes and Co., subsequently came and looked at the pBe in my cellar. 7. I know the said Charles J. Behlow. He is a member of the firm of H. Liebes and Co., of this city, and has been so to my knowledge for many years, and he was not the party who inspected the seals on my vessel, the " Emma and Louisa," nor was he present during any portion of the time they were so inspected. The captain of the said vessel, George Wester, before mentioned, was one of those present during tbe inspection. 8. After the inspection I have referred to, the skins were immediately removed to the basement. of my ware-rooms on Kearny Street, and were all stored therein not later than thirty minutes past .2 in the afternoon of the same day (the 12th July). 9. I have been constantly deabng in fur-seal skins since the year 1885, and consider it. is most difficult, if not impossible, to determine the sex of the animal from which undressed skins in the raw: state have been taken, and in my opinion, to arrive at anything like an accurate conclusion, it would take at least two days to examine the number of skins (1,342) which comprised the cargo of the vessel " Emma and Louisa " before mentioned. 10. It is a fact well known in this city that tbe members of the firm of H. Liebes and Co., of this city, are largely interested DnanciaBy in the North American Commercial Company, who are the lessees of the Bribyloff Islands. 11. Nothing has been paid me, nor have I been promised anything, for making the statement, which I have read over and find correct. (Signed) CHARLES D. LADD. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 2nd day of December, a.d. (Signed) John Coeeee, A Notary Public in and for the City and County of San Iraneisco, State of California. (Seal.) 1892. Deposition of George Wester. State of Cabfornia, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. GEORGE WESTER, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I am a resident of San Francisco, and have been so for the past thirteen years, seven of which I have devoted exclusively to sealing. I was captain of the sealing-vessel " Emma and Louisa " this year, 1892, said vessel being owned and managed by C. D. Ladd, of the city of San Francisco, merchant, and doing business at 529 and 531, Kearny Street, in said city. 2. I arrived back from my seabng voyage on or about the 11th day of July last past, and had on board 1,342 skins. On entering my vessel that day I was told by the Collector of Customs that before landing'my cargo my skins Would have to be inspected by an expert appointed by the Government for that purpose 3. On or about the 12th of that month I came on board my vessel about 11 a.m., and found tli - hatches open and men engaged throwing the skins on deck. I asked the man standing at the [118] Z ill Pi ill' il 176 by whose authority this was being done. He repbed that it was by Mr. Ladd's orders. I noticed a stranger there about 6 feet in height, fair complexion, sandy moustache, and about 30 years of age, but whose name I did not learn, apparently counting and sorting the skins as to sizes. I asked him who he was, to which he replied that he was the expert appointed by the Customs to examine the skins. 1 then asked him if he was competent to do so, and he replied that he thought so. I again asked him it he could teB a fur-seal skin from a sea-Bon skin, whereat he smiled. The examination given was very superficial, attention occupied not exceeding three hours and a-half, no more than was required to count and sort the skins as to sizes. The skins were immediately trucked up to the place of business. of C. D. Ladd, on Kearny Street, in this city. 4. Skins that are in the rough and just taken out of the salt require the most critical scrutiny to- teB whether they are males or females, and in my opinion it can then be only a matter of guess-work, except in the case of an old bull. In my opinion, it is a matter of impossibility, even with the closest- scrutiny, for any expert to say that any skin was the skin of a female that had been large with pup„ and from which such pup had been cut. (Signed) GEORGE WESTER. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Declaration of Arthur Louis Belyea. iw my Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, ARTHUR LOUIS BELYEA, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, barrister-at-law, do solemnly declare:— 1. That on the 29th day of November last I went to the Indian village of Neah Bay, in the State of Washington, United States of America, on the Dominion of Canada steamer " Quadra," for the- purpose of securing the evidence of the Indians there for use before the Arbitration on the Behring Sea Fur-seal question. 2. That I took with me as an interpreter one Andrew Laing, and immediately upon arrival at Neah Bay I sent Laing on shore to inquire of the Indians whether they were willing to give the evidence. On his return to the " Quadra " he informed me that the Indian Agent'tbere had forbidden the Indians to give any evidence to the British side without bis permission, and that the Indians were willing to give evidence if the agent would permit them. 3. That I immediately went on shore and called upon the Indian Agent, one John P. McGlynn. I told him what I wanted. His reply in effect was that the Indians had an idea that the sealing on the coast would be stopped, and would not say anything to me, as it might injure them. I told him I understood that to be one of the objects of the American Government, and if the Indians wished to prevent it they would be acting in their own interest to give me their views. He then said the Indians had already given evidence to the officers of the United States' Government for use on the Arbitration, and he did not consider it fair to either the Indians or the United States' Government to have them examined by the British. I told him I was wiBing to take the statements of the Indians in his presence, and he then said be refused under any circumstances to allow tbe Indians of bis Agency to give me any evidence about seals or seal-hunting. He further said that he did not intend to subject the Indians to an examination by the British side, as they might stultify themselves. He said the Indians were easily misunderstood, and quite as easily induced to say things that were not true. Finding it useless to prolong the interview, I left him, and went up to the Indian viBage. 4. That at the vBlage I bad a conversation with one Chestoqna Peterson, who spoke English fluently, and appeared to me to be an intelligent half-breed. He told me that the Indians were under strict orders from the Agent not to talk about seals to any stranger who came there without the permission of the Agent, Mr. McGlynn. He said the Indians were quite willing to state what they knew to me, but that they dare not disobey the Agent. 5. That whBe I was on shore at Neah Bay as aforesaid an Indian policeman, under orders of the Indian Agent, as I was afterwards informed, and do believe, followed me about for' the purpose of preventing any of the Indians talking to me. He foBowed me into the store where Peterson was, and -as soon as he entered said something in a threatening manner and in his own language, and Peterson at once ceased talking to me. I was informed afterwards, and believe, that bad I attempted to talk with any of the Indians the poBceman woidd have arrested any such Indian and myself. 6. On my return to the " Quadra " I found on board an old Indian from the village seBing baskets .and other articles. I directed my interpreter to ask the Indian his name, age, and occupation.: Finding that he had been once on a raiding voyage to Behring Sea in an American schooner, I wrote- down what he said as interpreted by the said Andrew Laing, who, after it was all written, explained it to him in Chinook. The Indian fully understood what he signed by his mark. 7. No inducement was held out to the Indian, nor was anything given or promised to him for making the statement he signed. He repeatedly stated that McGlynn had told Peter (the policemanV to tell the Indians that, if they gave evidence to the British, they would be sent to gaol, and that Peter- had often so threatened the Indians if they did so. 177 And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) A. L. BELYEA. Subscribed and declared by the said Arthur Louis Belyea before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 2nd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Francis B. Gregoey, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) i Declaration of Andrew D. Laing. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, ANDREW D. LAING, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, master mariner, do solemnly declare :— 1. That on tbe 29th day of November last 1 went on shore from the Government steamer " Quadra " at Neah Bay, near Cape Flattery, for the purpose of ascertaining if the Indians living there were wiBing to teB what they knew about fur-seals and fur-seal hunting to Mr. Belyea, who was on the " Quadra " taking evidence on the sealing question, and for whom I was interpreter. j 2. That I went to a trader's store and saw one Chestoqua Peterson, son of the Chief of the Makah Indians, the tribe Bving there. Peterson talks good English, and I asked him if the Indians there would give the British side evidence on the sealing question, and told him if they would a gentleman on the " Quadra" would take down what they had to say. He told me the Indian Agent had forbidden the Indians to give evidence to the British, and the best thing I could do was to go on board and teB the gentleman to see the Indian Agent and get his permission to talk with the Indians. He also said that, if the Agent would consent, the Indians were wiBing to give all the information they could. 3. That I went back to the "Quadra" and told Mr. Belyea what'Peterson said. Mr. Belyea at once went on shore and saw the Indian Agent, one John P. McGlynn. I went with him, and was present and beard aB that passed between him and the Agent, except for a few minutes at the close of their conversation. I have read what Mr. Belyea says took place then, and it is true. I remember distinctly the Agent telUng Mr. Belyea that be would not aBow the Indians under any circumstances to give evidence to the English. This was in reply to an offer of Mr. Belyea to take the evidence in tbe Agent's presence. 4. That we went from the Agent's office to the village, and into the store where Chestoqua Peterson was. Mr. Belyea began talking to Peterson, and asked him, if the Agent had given permission, whether the Indians would give evidence. Peterson replied that he thought the most of them would, but they were afraid of the Agent. He also said that Indians believed that the Enedish wanted to stop the coast seabng. A few minutes after we went into the store an Indian policeman and three other Indians came hurriedly into the store. Peterson at once ceased talking to Mr. Belyea, and we left. 5. That when we got back to the " Quadra" an Indian was on board selling baskets and other Indian articles. At Mr. Belyea's request, I began to talk with him in Chinook, which he understood perfectly. After talking awhile with him I reported what he said to Mr. Belyea, who told me to ask the Indian if he was wiBing to have taken down in writing what he had told me, and sign it. The Indian said he was, and we then went to the chart-room, where I interpreted what the Indian then said to Mr. Belyea, who wrote it down. After it was.aB written, I explained fully in Chinook to the Indian, who caBed himself General Jackson, what was written, and he clearly understood everything before he made his mark. Mr. Belyea and WiBiam Owens, first officer of the " Quadra," who understands Chinook, were present when the statement was read over and explained to the Indian, and he made his mark to it in the presence of aB of us, I and Owens signing it as witnesses. 6. That I knew the American schooner "Signet" mentioned by tbe Indian in question, and was personally acquainted with Captain Kimberly, her owner and master. He came to this coast seabng about 1872>and followed it until, I think, 1876, when the " Signet" was lost, and he and all the crew perished. 7. That it was a notorious fact—known among all seating men at that time—that the " Signet | T7ent into Behring Sea every summer and raided the islands. I remember the time distinctly Boscowitz bought the catch of the "Signet" from Kimberly at Neah Bay. It was in 1874 or 1875, I am not certain which, but at the time it was generaBy known among sealing men that the catch bad come off the Pribyloff Islands by raiding. 8. That the first time I was at Neah Bay was in 1866. There were four or five times as many Indians there then as now. I began trading with the Indians for furs on the west coast of Vancouver Island at Barclay Sound in 1871. At that time the hunters in a tribe of 400 or 500 Indians, all told, would get 500 or 700 skins in a season. Now the same number of hunters get from 1,000 to 2,000 111 &'£*■?;■ • i-' 181 ■raE'.i-'- iMJ.i'-M''I: Ifffil ft* sail ifli Ilfif 178 skins in a season. The seals are just as plentiful as ever on the coast, but most years keep a Bttio farther off shore, coming in close only when the fish they Bve on run in close. The reason the Neafo Bay tribe don't get as many seals as formerly is because there are so many less hunters to catch them. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing tbe same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) A. D. LAING. Subscribed and declared before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 3rd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Francis B. Gregory, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia, (Seal.) iii! ■Declaration of General Jackson. On board Canadian Government Steam-ship " Quadra," at Neah Bay, State of Washington, United States of America. I, GENERAL JACKSON, of Neah Bay, in tbe county of Clallam, in the State of Washington, United States of America, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am a Makah Indian, and Bve at Neah Bay. I am more than 50 years old. I was never out seabng in canoes. 2. That I was up in Behring Sea one year in the Boston (American) schooner " Signet," Captain Kimberly. We went ashore twice on the Seal Islands—I don't know the name of tbe island. There was no cutter there then. We got " hiyou " (great many) seals. We got thousands—don't know how many thousands. We went ashore in tbe daytime soon as we got our breakfast. Did not see any policemen there. We got to Alaska about the middle of June, and on the 4th July we went ashore on the island. I got back to Neah Bay when the Indians were digging new potatoes. Boscowitz bad station at Neah Bay then. Kimberly sold seal-skins to Boscowitz. Mr. Landes and another man were in the Boscowitz store then. Was never in Behring Sea afterwards. 3. That a Boston " Tyhee" (Headman) last spring took Peter, the Indian policeman here, and Peter got the rest of the Indians here to give evidence. I did not give any. John McGlynn is tbe Indian Agent here. The Indian policeman here—Peter—told the other Indians here that if they told the King George (British) men anything about seals they would be put in gaol. He told them that when the " Boston" (United States') man-of-war was here taking the Indians' evidence. Peter is always teBing them that. Peter has often told me that McGlynn knows Peter teBs the Indians this. McGlynn makes him do it—they are just the same as one. 4. That there are nothing like so many Indians here now as there used to be. When I was young there was 8,000, now there are only 900 here—Ohsett, Quinelth, and Waacbset. 5. Very few Indians here go out sealing now Bke there used to be. Great many seals here now. Indians go off Cape Flattery in canoes about 4 miles to catch them. One man gets 80 seals in season, another man 70, some 40, some as many as 100. They get as many now as they used to—it was always like that. 6. That aB what is written down here has been read over and explained to me in Chinook, which I understand. I know what is written here, and it is aB true, I am afraid Peter wBl put me in gaol for coming here. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously beBeving the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) GENERAL JACKSON, his x.mark. Witnesses: (Signed) A. D. Laing. Wm. Owen. *' ilif Subscribed and declared by the said General Jackson, the same having been first read over and fully explained to him in the Chinook tongue, and be fully understanding the same, before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned in and for the Province of British Columbia, on board the said Canadian Government steamer "Quadra," at Neah Bay, this 29th day of November, a.d. 1892-. (Sighed) Arthur L. Belyea, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of George Wester. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. GEORGE WESTER, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I am an. American subject, and a resident of San Francisco. Have been engaged in seal- hunting for the past seven years. ° pawaggSS 179 2. This year (1892) I was captain of the " Emma and Louisa," and reached this port on or about the 11th July with 1,342 skins on board, which was the season's catch for the said vessel. On the 12th July, or next day after our arrival, I went on board the vessel in order to discharge my skins, when I found the hatches up, and a stranger engaged in sorting the skins out, wluch were being thrown up from below. I asked the man at the hatch by whose authority this was being done ; he replied by Mr. Ladd's. I then asked the stranger what he was doing, and be answered he was inspecting the skins, and was appointed by the Customs to do so. 3. I asked him if he was an expert, and he said he was. I then asked him if he knew the difference between a sea-lion's skin and that of a fur-seal. He made no reply, but snriled contemptuously. 4. The inspection commenced about 11 A.M., and was finished before 2-30 P.M. of the same day, and was that usuatiy made by a prospective purchaser, for he appeared to throw them into piles according to sizes, feebng the fur and glancing at the inside of the skin for the evident purpose of seeing whether any were " punky." 5. The said vessel " Emma and Louisa " is owned and managed by C. D. Ladd, merchant, of this city, who was present at the inspection referred to, and remained during the whole time it lasted superintending and assisting in the work. 6. I do not know the party referred to who inspected the skins, but would describe him as from 30 to 35 years of age, 5 ft. 10 in. or 5 ft. 11 in. in height, fair complexion, and light moustache. 7. In my experience of seven years' seal-hunting I have handled a large number of sMns, and I consider it impossible for any expert to determine with any degree of accuracy the sex of the seal from which the skins have been taken (except in the case of an old " wig ") after they have lain for any time in salt, and altogether impossible to distinguish those of the females which have been carrying pup at time of death, as the skins shrink to their ordinary size. 8. I have not been paid or promised anything for making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) GEO. WESTER. J I Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 8th day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Iii Deposition of George B. Barber. State of California, City and County of San Francisco. GEORGE B. BARBER, of the city of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I reside in San Francisco, and am book-keeper for C. D. Ladd, merchant, of said city, doing business at Nos. 529 and 531, on Kearny Street. 2. Said C. D. Ladd is engaged in the sealing business as owner and manager of the vessels " Emma and Louisa " and " Lily L." 3. Previous to the departure of the vessel "Emma and Louisa" this year (1892) I measured the ammunition that was suppbed to her for the use of the seal-hunters, and charged her for the same in a book kept for the purpose, and on her return I measured up and credited her in the same book what she had left over and returned. 4. On calculating what was used, I found that the amount did not reach quite four shots for each skin that comprised her cargo on return ; this allowed for all ammunition used in practice, hunting game, signalling, and other purposes. 5. Nothing has been paid or promised me for making this statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) GEO. B BARBER. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 9th day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) John Coffee, Notary Public in and for the City and County of San Francisco, State of California,. (Seal.) [Note.—Affidavits of Frank W. Adams, p. 94, and Jim Narwassan, p. 140, belong here.] i11**: 3 A *m 180 Statement by August Tychson. AUGUST TYCHSON, seal-hunter, of Victoria, British Columbia, makes tbe following statement -.— On or about the 22nd day of April, 1892, a gentleman met me in Victoria, British Columbia, and asked me to go to the Driard Hotel, View Street, Victoria, British Columbia, and give evidence before. Major WiBiams, said to be acting for the United States' Government, on sealing and seal life. I went to the Driard Hotel, saw Major Williams. He asked me several leading questions, to which I replied. Major Williams asked me, "New ('green') hunters destroy about 80 per cent, of the seals they shot at ?" I answered, " I do not believe they do; in fact I do not know how many seals any hunter destroys; so far as I am personaBy concerned, I never destroyed 1 per cent, of the seals I shot at." From the way Major WBBams used the word "destroyed," I understood it to mean that to I destroy " a seal was to wound it so that the seal would escape from tbe hunter and die afterwards. Major WiBiams wrote a number of questions and answers, and requested me to sign them. The answers not being correct and in accordance with facts, I positively refused to sign them. I have been out sealing seven seasons, and have closely studied seals and their habits. I have not seen many wounded seals. When I hit a seal I nearly always get the seal. On tbe average not over 2 per cent, of the seals shot get away after being shot. Seals are not decreasing in the Pacific Ocean and Behring Sea. I saw more seals last year (1891) than any former year since I have been sealing. In 1886 when seabng I opened a female seal and removed the pup out of the female seal. The pup lived, and I believe that under ordinary circumstances any pup seal, when pupped, will Bve without care from the mother seal. (Signed) AUGUST TYCHSON. Sworn to at Victoria, British Columbia, this 6th day of May, 1892. (Signed) E. P. Marvin, J.P. Statement by James Robert Ja imieson. II mm JAMES ROBERT JAMIESON, sealer, of Victoria, British Columbia, makes the following statement:— A young man, a stranger to me, met me on or about the 20th April, 1892, and told me that Major WiBiams, Representative of the United States' Government, was at the Driard Hotel, View Street, Victoria, and that he (Major WiBiams) wanted sealers to go to the Driard and tell what they knew about sealing. I went to the Driard Hotel, aud met the gentleman caBed Major Williams, who questioned me about seabng. Major Wilbams asked me the following questions, to which I gave the foBowing repbes as near as I can remember -.— I How many schooners had you been in ?" I told him I had been in the " Mary Taylor," " Mountain Chief," " Adele," " Teresa," " MoBy Adams " (now caBed the " E. B. Marvin "), " Mascotte," " Venture," and " Minnie." I What was the catch of each schooner ?" I told him " Mary Taylor," about 800 seals; " Mountain Chief," about 70 seals; " Adele," about 800; I Teresa," about 400; " Molly Adams " (now the " E. B. Marvin "), about 2,000; " Venture," about And Major 675; " Minnie," about 5; " Mascotte," about 4, during the time I was aboard of them. Williams asked me several other questions, and gave me 2 doBars for my evidence. I consider I have had as much experience as most sealers out of this port. I have studied the habits of seals closely during the six seasons I have been sealing. I do not believe tbe seals are decreasing. I think the average hunter would miss one-third the seals shot at. I never saw seals on the way to Behring Sea that bad given birth to young. Not over one in forty of the females caught on the coast en route to Behring Sea were with pup inside, or accompanied by pup. The Indians use spears, and white hunters use shot-guns and rifles to kill the seals. Not over one seal in twenty escapes after being shot by tbe hunter. During the time I have been sealing I have always seen three or four seals caught in Behrino Sea to one caught on the coast. In all the time I have been sealing I never knew the sealers to go within 15 miles of the land after seals. (feigned) JAMES ROBERT JAMIESON 1892, Sworn to at Victoria, British Columbia, by the said James Robert Jamieson, this 29th April. (Signed) E. B. Marvin, J.P. BBKI1I t&s, 1S1 Statement by Alfred Dearden. ALFRED DEARDEN, porter, of Victoria, British Columbia, being sworn, makes the foBowing statement, viz.:— That on* or about the 20th April, 1892, George Dillon, of Victoria, met me and told me he would like me to go to the Driard Hotel, View Street, Victoria, and see Major WiBiams, who was collecting evidence regarding sealing for the United States' Government, and tell Major Williams what I knew about sealing, and George DiBon also told me I would get something from Major Williams for my trouble. I went to the Driard Hotel on or about the 20th April, and was questioned by the gentleman called Major WiBiams. Major WiBianis asked me :— Q. Have you been out sealing ?—A. I have. Q. What schooner were you aboard of ?—A. The | Mollie Adams;" her name was afterwards changed to the " E. B. Marvin." Q. What did you ship as ?—A. As boat-puller, but during tbe voyage I acted as ship-keeper or deck-hand. Q. How many skins did the "E. B. Marvin" have before reaching Behring Sea?—A. Over 900. Q. What Pass did you go through in entering Behring Sea ?—A. Ounamack Pass. Q. When did you leave Victoria for, and when did you return from, Behring Sea ?—A. Left the 27th April, 1890, returned September 1890. Q. How many seals did the " E. B. Marvin " get ?—A. 2,159. Those were about all the questions Major WiBiams asked me; so far as I can remember. I consider I know as much about sealing as any of the sealers out of this port. I studied the habits of sealers closely while on my sealing voyage. I consider haB the seals caught by the schooner " E. B. Marvin " during the time I was aboard of her were female seals, and a large portion of those female seals were barren. Major Wilbams' clerk or Secretary gave me 2 doBars for the replies I gave to questions asked me by the Major at the Driard Hotel. I did not read the evidence which I signed for Major WiBiams at tbe Driard Hotel. I have read the above, and conscientiously believe the same to be true. (Signed) ALFRED DEARDEN, his x mark. Witness to signature: (Signed) W. R. Brown. 1 f 1 I m 1 i Sworn to at Victoria, British Columbia, before me, this 20th day of April, 1892. (Signed) E. B. Marvin, J.P. Affidavit of Edward Eustace. EDWARD EUSTACE makes oath, and says :— On Thursday last I was stopped in the street by a man whose name I don't know, who told me that if I went up and gave evidence about the sealing business I would get 2 dollars. He asked me tc meet him at the corner of Johnson Street, at 2 o'clock that afternoon. I did so, and he took me up to the Driard Hotel. He did not teB me whom he was taking me to see. I was taken into a room before a gentleman who asked me to give him aB the information I could about seabng. I did so, and he told me to return the next day at 10 o'clock and sign it. I did go the next day, when a person met me at the door of the hotel and postponed me until the following day, when the same person whom I had met on the previous day told me that they did not like my evidence. I asked for the pay I had been promised, which he would not give, but offered me half-a-dollar, which I would not accept. I told him he ought to pay me for my time, and he said: " You don't do much here anyway." He did not ask me to sign my evidence, as he said it was no use to them. He asked me whether there were more male than female seals killed, and I told him, to the best of my judgment, most males. He asked me if we went near tbe Pribyloff Islands, and I said no, we never sighted land after we got into the sea. He asked if the Indians used guns. I said sometimes. He asked me if the Indians lost many seals by spearing them. I said no, I thought not. My experience of seabng is one season in Behring Sea in 1890, and one season on the coast of Vancouver Island about ten years ago. I did not at the time study the habits of seals closely. (Signed) E. EUSTACE. Sworn at Victoria, British Columbia, this 28th day of April, 1892, before me. (Signed) E. B. Marvin, J.P. Affidavit of William Albert Short. WILLIAM ALBERT SHORT makes oath and says :— I am a painter, and reside in Victoria, British Columbia. In 1890 I was out sealing in the schooner " Maggie Mac." I was a boat-puBer. I never made it my business to study the habits of seals closely, but did so as much as any other sealer. On or about the 20th of this month a man whom I know by sight about town; but do not know his name, caBed at my shop and said that there was a man at the Driard who wanted to get information about sealing. He did not say who the man was, 1 vQ ■IN; and I did not know. I went there, and a gentleman, who, I was told afterwards, was Major WiBiams, asked me questions about the sealing business. He asked me whether we got most male or female seals. I told him that in some places we got most males and in others most females. He asked in what portions of Behring Sea we caught seals, and how far from land. He named certain places along the coast, and I told him whether we had or not been there. The man who told me to go there informed me that I would get 2 dollars for going, and he was to have 50 cents for each person he brought in to give evidence. When I had finished my evidence I signed it, and was paid 2 dollars. I was not asked to swear to it. (Signed) W. A. SHORT. llf llli!1 War •,'■■!-3Fl'»wia! Sworn to before me at Victoria, British Columbia, this 28th day of April, 1892. (Signed) E. B. Marvin, J.P. Declaration of Adolph Ridderbjelke. City of Victoria, British Columbia, to wit, lllll; ml Mil m& fir KK'#i«'; p f! citv of New Whatcom, in the State of Washington, do I, ADOLPH RIDDERBJELKE, of the solemnly declare and say:— 1. That on the 11th or 12th day of November, 1891, I entered the Behring Sea through the False Pass, or Issanacks Straits, as it is sometimes called, and set course for St. George Island, and having been compelled to heave-to on account of contrary winds, did not reach the vicinity of the island until the afternoon of the 16th. At about 3 o'clock in that afternoon we were close enough to the island to have been seen from it had a look-out been kept—the afternoon was bright and clear. We were close enough to see the outline of the bay on the south side of the island. We passed the island and returned between midnight and 1 o'clock on the morning of the 17th, close enough to sight North-East Point, and kept on towards the Island. When more than a mile away from the island a boat was lowered. It returned to the schooner about half-an-hour afterwards. The boat was sent out to see that all was well, and returned with the report that they had seen nothing. I then lowered aB our boats (three) at 145 ; j^Sfinen went ashore. They remained ashore until nearly 7 o'clock ; it was then daylight. After the boats left, I steamed in so close to the shore that I could see the rocks on the bottom. Frequent attempts were made to get the seals on board, but the sweB was so heavy that there was great trouble with the boats, and only thirty-seven seals were got on board. I could see the guard-house plainly, but no one appeared, though a tremendous noise was made. The men were continuaBy calling out and shouting : aB the vessel's bghts were Bt during the whole time. No lights were taken ashore, as the night was clear, the moon shining during the early part of the evening. We then steamed round to Garden Cove, where the vessel was anchored. At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon the people on the island seemed to have awoke, for two men were seen walking on the biB behind Garden Cove. We were about a mile from shore at the time. I at once got up the anchor and steamed away. I went to Maku- shin then, and afterwards to Unalaska. I started for Macushin again after having been several days at Unalaska, but on account of heavy weather bad to return to the latter place. While there the first time my papers were sealed up, and I was ordered by the Custom-house officer to proceed to Sitka. From one or more of my men the Deputy Marshal learned where we had been, and after we had been in Unalaska several days he took charge of the vessel. We were kept there until the steamer " Elsie " arrived from Sitka, about the 15th April. We were then taken to Sitka, reaching there the 28th April, I think. While at Sitka, Captain Lavender, whom I was told was an Agent of the American Government, examined me as to my bebef as to what would be the best means by which the seals might be protected. I told him that, from my knowledge of the matter, I thought that to protect the seals properly there should be years when no seals should be taken, either on the islands or at sea. He took down my evidence and asked me to swear to it, which I did. 1 know that he also examined some of my men ; none of them were good hunters, as they lacked experience. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ADOLPH RIDDERBJELKE. Taken and declared before me at the city of Victoria, this 29th day of September, 1892. (Signed) D. M. Eberts, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Colummn. and a Commissioner for taking affidavits to be used in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. (Seal.) Declaration of John Kraft. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia. City of Victoria, I, JOHN KRAFT, of the city of Victoria, make oath and say :— That I have been sealingeight years—three as a hunter-one year on the " Adele," and two years <m- the Vancouver Belle. Three years ago I got 213 seals, but did not count those that sank; there were very tew. ' tmmsBS I did not seal on the coast last year, but went straight to Behring Sea; we were soon ordered away, and I got only 28 seals. I did not lose one. This year I got 219, and not more than 4 or 5 were kiBed by me that sank. When seals are badly wounded, severely enough to die afterwards, we generaBy get them—nearly always. I saw more seals on the coast this year, than ever before, and that is what the other hunters sa3r too. I have seen seals in schools both south along the Washington coast and north on Fairwjeathet Grounds. They are harder to get when in schools. I went over to Copper Island side this year; saw no difference in the seals there, unless it is that they are a little darker. It is hard to teB how many males I get and how many females, as I never kept count, but I think about half are females; cows with young in them are more on the look-out than others, and all seals on the coast were wilder than I saw them before, and on the Copper Island side they were not so wild. I account for this by the fact that seals are more hunted on this side; I have seen males and females cohabiting in the water. I have seen seals.with shot in them, and believe even with shot in they will live aB right. I was last year on tbe i Borealis," and we were over on the Copper Island side, and landed there in November—at least we tried to land, but the weather was too bad. We then came over to the Pribyloff Islands, and tried to land on St. George, but did not succeed. We then went to the southwest side of St. Paul Island, and landed there. We got 400 skins; we saw no one ashore, but saw a cutter while we were anchored under a high bluff. It was about 2 miles off, anchored near the village. We went right into the bay there, though we saw the cutter, for we were bound to get seals. We anchored about 10 o'clock, and lowered boats and went ashore. We left about 4 o'clock in the morning. We clubbed tbe seals, and brought them on board without, skinning them. We got away without being seen, and were out of sight of the island before daylight. We then came straight home. ■ Two years ago this coming winter we raided the same rookery in the "Adele," and got 400 ; we saw neither cutter nor people; we anchored about 9 o'clock, and went away about 6 o'clock in the morning. No one saw us. We then came back; 400 is a fair night's work. The seals are easily got; we drive them to the edge of the water, and MB them there ; the tide and canoes wash the blood away then. I do not think the United States' Government has the right to allow a Company to kill all the seals, and I and my companions, since we have been prevented from taking seals in Behring Sea, thought it was not wrong to take them ashore. Among the seals we got were three or four with shot in them; there was nothing tbe matter with them. The above statements are all true, and I have read them over careftdly. No consideration was if I 1 m given me for having made them. (Signed) JOHN KRAFT. Sworn to before me at Victoria, this 5th day of October, 1892. (Signed) Thomas Shotbolt, J.P. (Seal.) Deposition oj S. L. Beckwith. State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. S. L. BECKWITH, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I Bve in San Francisco, and came here in 1848, and have bved on the coast ever smce. Am aged 72 years, and foBow boat-building. Was a hunter for about eight years, both for sea-otter and fur-seal. 2. I was mate on the vessel " Alexander," belonging to Hermann Liebes, of which Captain Carlson was master. ' In 1880, or thereabouts, I went up in her to Behring Sea, and was one of these who went ashore from her on Otter Island—one of the Pribyloff group—for the purpose of making a raid, and got over 300 skins. I do not remember how many exactly, but. aB we could find—all there were there. At that time the lease of the islands was held by the Alaska Commercial Company of San Francisco. In the same year, and on the same voyage, I went ashore and raided Copper Island, and got about 100 seals, and we would have got a great many more, for we had about 1,200 kiBed, when we were fired upon. A Japanese vessel was there the day before raiding, and several of the raiders were shot. The Alaska Commercial Company were the lessees of the island at that time. 3. I have hunted otter on the Japanese coast, but did not do any seal-hunting there. I remember that there was a seal rookery on Ketoy Island, one of the Kurile group—that was about 1873 or 1874. I have been there since, and they are all destroyed. 4. I never beard of a sealing-vessel named the " Maggie Ross," and I do not believe there ever was one, nor did I ever hear of the " Charles D. Wilson." 5. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised me, in consideration of making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. 5 (Signed) S. L. BECKWITH. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 26th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) [118 j' ±> 184 Declaration of John Coles. Hi^l- * I JOHN COLES, of the city of Victoria, make oath and say :— 1 That I sailed from this place on the sealing-schooner " Mascotte" on tbe 25th June last on a voyage to Behring Sea. On the 24lh October I was transferred to the schooner " ChaBenge," an American vessel registered at Sea-home or Whatcom, Washington. We entered Behring Sea about the 10th November,°the object being to raid the rookeries on St. George Island. We landed on the north-east rookery on that island about 1 A.M. We found the seals in great numbers; they were so thick that they tumbled down the cliffs and killed one another. The night was clear and bright, although there was a heavy sea raging. 1 don't know whether there was any one on guard or not, but I didn't see any one, and we were not interfered with. Had the sea been calm we would have got from 750 to 1,000 seals. As it was, we had to leave most of those we killed, and get on board our vessel and steam away. The " Challenge " is a small steam-schooner of 37 tons. We saw some seals while crossing Behring Sea, and others again on the 20th November at Makusbin Bay. We spent tbe day after the raid in Garden Cove, but at 5 p.m. we saw a man on shore, and made off. The vessel was seized in January at Ounalaska, and on the .18th April we were sent to Sitka, reaching there on the 28th April. 2. That while we were in gaol at Sitka we were sent for to give evidence before a gentleman who was taking evidence for tbe United States' Government—Captain Lavender, I think his name was. I did not go. The other men, when they returned, were laughing at tbe stories they had told—" fairy tales " they caBed them. He seemed anxious to prove that not more than one seal out of fifteen shot is secured, and asked them if this were not the case. There were no regular seal-hunters among the men and if they had aB told the truth they could not have given information of much value. (Signed) . JOHN COLES. Sworn before me, at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 2nd day of June, 1892. (Signed) A. R. Milne, Collector of Customs. Victoria, B.C., June 2, 1892. mm- W 5 .".-l i Declaration of Robert Hope. I, ROBERT HOPE, of the city of Victoria, sailor, make oath and say:— That in the year 1891 I went on a sealing voyage in the schooner "Mascotte." I was engaged as boat-steerer when on her until the 24th October, when I engaged as hunter on the " ChaBenge." As steerer, I could see the seals plainly when they were shot, and the boat I was in lost only one in the entire season. We took more cows than bulls, I think, but no record was kept. The boat went up to from 10 to 30 feet of a sleeping seal before it was shot at. I kept no record of things when on the schooner, and can tell no more than this. I was one of those who took part in the raid on St. George Island last November. We went close in to the shore with our steam schooner, and the boats were then sent ashore. There were a great many seals there, and had the sea been smooth, so that the seals could have been taken to the vessel, we could have killed 700 or 800. The sea grew so rough that we had to hurry away, leaving about 100 there besides those we took. We did not see any watchman on shore, and we were not interfered with by any one. We went around to Garden Cove for shelter, intending to return to the rookeries the next night; but about 5 o'clock in the afternoon we saw one man on shore, and we steamed away. We spent some weeks among the Aleutian Islands, and were in January seized by the Custom-house officer at Unalaska, and in April were sent clown to Sitka, where we were sentenced to one month in gaol. While there we were sent for by an Agent of the United States' Government—Captain Lavender, I think bis name was. He asked me how far seals were away when shot at, and I told him just what I have said above. I told him too that we lost only one seal during the season in our boat. He asked also if rifles were not better than shot-guns, but I told him no. I told him also that if a seal is not too badly wounded to be caught, that there is no danger of them dying afterwards. If a seal is badly wounded we are surer of getting it than if it is drilled at once. Most of those examined had never been sealing before. (Signed) ROBERT HOPE, his x mark. Sworn before me at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 3rd day of June, 1892. J (Signed) A. R. Milne. Victoria, June 3, 1892. mi 185 Declaration of Robert John Horton. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, ROBERT JOHN HORTON, of the city of Victoria, in the Province cf British Columbia, furrier, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I have been in the employment of tbe Hudson's Bay Company at Victoria for the last thirty-two years. 2. That since 1886 I have had the charge of the purchasing and packing of furs of all kinds for the Company, and since 1871 had full charge of the fur department. 3. That every year I have handled fur-seal skins brought in by Indians from tbe west coast and from points as far north as Wrangel, in Alaska. In some years—especially between 1870 and 1875—I bought quantities from sealing-schooners caught on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 4. That I have never seen the seals before skinning, and I cannot tell the skin of a male from that of a female for that reason. I think it almost impossible for any one to do so, especiaBy when the •skins are about the same average size. Of course, old bulls and grey pups can be distinguished from the others, but tbe sex of a grey pup cannot be told from the skin. 5. That for the last eight or ten years, since the schooners began seaBng, the average size of the seal-skins I have bought has been larger than in former years, and of better quabty. 6. That the fur-seal skins taken from Queen Charlotte Island northward, both along the coast and in Behring Sea, are of better quality than those of the west coast. The finest quabty of seal-skins we get come from the coast about the north of Queen Charlotte's Island and Fort Simpson, in British •Columbia. 7. That aB tbe seals belong to tbe same herd, and the difference in the fur is due to the season, quantity and quabty of food, and temperature of the water. 8. That the whiskers of a seal when young are black and short, but when the seal arrives at maturity, whether male or female, the colour of the whiskers changes to grey or white. The sex of the mature seal cannot be told by the colour or length of its whiskers. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of | Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) R. J. HORTON. Subscribed and declared by the said R. J. Horton before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned' and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, British Columbia, this 23rd day of November A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) m I I" - [ I -.V: 1 i » i Deposition ofi Archibald Cook Sutherland. State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. ARCHIBALD COOK SUTHERLAND, of Oakland, in Alameda County, in the State of California, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I, to-day, tbe 8th December, a.d. 1892, went to the store of Liebes and Co., and in one of the private offices of that firm met Mr. C. J. Behlow, one of the firm, and he is not the party who made the inspection of the seal-skins of the " Sophia Sutherland," referred to in paragraph No. 4 of my deposition of the 6th of this month, which is annexed hereto. 2. The firm of Liebes and Co. are furriers in this city, and their place of business is on Post Street in this city, and that is where I saw Mr. C. J. Behlow to-day. 3. Mr. Behlow referred to acknowledged that he did not inspect the skins of the said vessel, the " Sophia Sutherland," this year, but said he had done so two years ago, and I now remember that he did so, for on that occasion I had offered my skins to the firm of Liebes and Co. for sale. 4. Said Mr. Behlow further informed me that the party who made the inspection referred to in my affidavit hereto annexed, marked (A), dated the 6th December, 1892, was one Price, a man in the employ of the said firm of Liebes and Co. 5. Nothing has been paid to me or promised to me in consideration of my making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and found correct. (Signed) A. C. SUTHERLAND, Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 8th day of December, 1892. (Si<med) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) (A.) State of California, City and County of San Francisco, S.S. ARCHIBALD COOK SUTHERLAND, of Oakland, in Alameda County, in the State of Cabfornia, beintf duly sworn, deposes and says:— °1. I am a resident of the city of Oakland, in the State of CaKfornia, and am master and owner of the sealing-schconer "Sophia Sutherland." jK-.-:fe, 186 ml ife'S^«!'; 2. I sealed this year (1892) on the Japanese coast, and returned to the port of San Francisco on Lha 6th day of August, and on the following day entered at the Custom-house. 3. Several days afterwards I went to" the Custom-house to clear, so that I might discharge my sax go, when I was there informed that I must have my skins inspected before I could do so, as tbe Government bad appomted a man for that purpose. I had bad my skins all baled up, and was much annoyed at the idea of having to open them. 4. In the evening of the day I speak of a man came on board of my vessel, and said he was the Inspector appointed by tbe Government for the purpose of examining the seal-skins coming into tbe port of San Francisco, and produced a letter or something cf that sort, which I did not look at, but asked him his name, when he said Pelow, or Below,—I cannot say which. 1 refused at first to allow it, afterwards consented that be could come on the following morning and proceed with the work. This he- did, and the inspection lasted several hours. I cannot say how long, but be proceeded in the same manner that a buyer does, and just as I would were I about to purchase. 5. I had 1,603 skins, and they had lain a long time in the salt. 6. In the state my slcins were in it was, in my opinion, impossible for any one to say to what sex they had belonged, unless in the case of old " wigs " (old bulls). 7. The person who inspected them was about 35 years of age, 5 ft. 10 in. in height, sandy- complexion and light moustache only, his face being what I would call a Scandinavian one. 8. After he had completed his inspection and gone away, I wished to ask him something about what he thought of them, and asked one of the Customs officials where I would find him, and was told that bis office was at Liebes' store. 9. I have been in the sealing business for the past five or six years, and am 69 years of age, and am an American subject. During tbe years I have been in the sealing business, in addition to hunting them, I have purchased large quantities for shipment to tbe London market, and I consider I am a good judge of seal-skins, for I have made it a study. 10. The Inspector who conducted the examination I have referred to informed me at the conclusion of said, inspection that I had somewhere between 40 and 50 grey pups—I cannot recaB the exact number—and that my skins were in perfect order. 11. This was the only hispection to which my skins were subjected in San Francisco, and they were continuously in my possession till I shipped them to London, England, for sale, through Alfred Fraser, representative in New York of Lampson and Co. 12. There was only one person present at the inspection, and that one was tbe person whom I have before described in paragraph No. 7. 13. I have not been paid anything, nor have I been promised anything, in consideration of making the foregoing statement, which I have read over and have found correct. (Signed) A. C. SUTHERLAND. ' Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 6th day of December, 1892. (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) Deposition of William Bendt. ie Ml M State of California, City and County of San Francisco. WILLIAM BENDT, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes and says:— 1. I reside in San Francisco, and am by occupation a boarding-bouse and saloon keeper. Live on Clay Street, near East Street. 2. Have been engaged in managing and fitting out sealing-vessels for tbe past ten years, and am now the owner and manager of the schooner " Bowhead." 3. Have never been out seal-hunting myself, and personally know nothing whatever about the loss through sinkage of seals that are shot, nor have I any knowledge personally as to whether the seals are decreasing, or where they are caught. 4. This year I sent my vessel, tbe " Bowhead," to the Japanese coast, and she returned on or about the 16th August, and within twenty-four hours after her arrival back in port I sold her cargo of sealskins, numbering 1,830, to the firm of Liebes and Co., of this city, who do business as merchant furriers on Post Street, in this city. 5. The cargo was immediately removed to their place of business without any inspection whatever having taken place on board said vessel the " Bowhead." The skins were taken from the hold of the vessel, and immediately piled on drays and removed to the warehouse of said firm of Liebes and Co. and no person was present for the purpose of inspecting them during such removal, as I was there and would have seen any one had it been done, but I was told afterwards that the lot had only 30 nuns in the whole 1,830 skins. ^ * 6. I think that, in order to protect the seals, a close season should be established, and perhaps it would be well to close the Behring Sea altogether; but should this be done, killing should be prohibited at the rookeries on the islands, and any close season should apply to those islands. (Signed) W. BENDT. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 8th day of December, (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Public. (Seal.) 1892. QSM Dear Sir, 322,- Washington Street,San Francisco, December 7, 1892. . .We.have examined the records in the Custom-house, and find that the Schooner " Alexander" was owned from 1879 to i891 by Herman Liebes, as sole owner. That she cleared froni this port on the 16th February, 1880, in charge of G. W. Littlejohn, as master, and returned to this port from Yokohama -on the 8th November, 1883, in charge, of A. F. Carlson, as master. The schooner " Otter " was documented on the 21st March, 1881, with the following ownerhsip viz.: H. Liebes, one-third ; Charles J. Behlow, one-third; and G. W. Littlejohn, one-third; and G. W. Littlejohn appears as master.* Yours truly, (Signed) GARDNER and THORNEEY, |&§i Ship and Custom-house Brokers, To C. D. Ladd, Esq., 529, Kearney Street, City. I if IY. LOGS OF SEALING VESSELS. (1.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. ■ {*.'■ a I, CHARLES CAMPBELL, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare :— « 1. That I was the master of and kept the log of the sealing-schooner " Umbrina " for and during the year 1892. ';'. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," "-Number of Seals taken," "Latitude," and "Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed, marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her seabng voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a fuB, true, and correct abstract of the-entries therein made referring to the masters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHARLES CAMPBELL. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Campbell before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at tbe city of Victoria, in the Province of British Colunibia, this 9th day of November, a.d. 1892. | |||| (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (A) [j ' •!•• l I Catch of Seal-skins on, board British" Schooner " Umbrina," 1892. Date. Latitude. Longitude. Remarks. Daily Catch. Total., ' 1892 o / O f- " t/St February 4 .. 48 10 N. 125 30 W. .. .. ■• .. .. 5 .. G .. 47 ^5 N. ' 125 30 *W. 6 11 7 .. 47 45 N. 125 30 W. •■ .. •• *. •. 2 13 „ 11 .. 46 35 N. 121 4 0 W. .. .. .. . * .. 14 27 | 13 .. 46 15 N. 124 45 W. .. .. .. .. .. 3 BH 14 .. 46 18 N. 124 40 W. .. .. ., .. .. 3 33 15 .. • 46 00 N. 124 30 W. • • 6 39 16 .. 46 30 N. 124 30 W. .. .. .. ■. . • 22 61 17 .. 46 30 N. 124 25 W. Killed from schooner .. .. .. 2 63 18 .. 46 45 N. 124 30 W. Had boats out forenoon only .. .. 11 74 19 .. 46 20 N. 124 30 W. • • .• .. .. «. 2 76 „ 22 .. - 46 55 N. 124 40 W. • Had boats out afternoon qply- 3 H 79 24 .. 46 50 N. 124 35 W. •. .• ■. .. * * 24 103 „ 25 .. 46 48 N. 124 30 W. 10 113 „ 26 .. 46 45 N. 124 40 W. Had boats out forenoon only .. .. 2 115 March 1 .. 48 05 N. 125 30 W. .. .. .. .. • ■ 7 122 2 .. 48 06 N. J 26 03 W. ,. .. •• • • 21 143 ',', 15 .. 48 30 N. 127 05 W. 8 151 „ 16 .. 48 30 N. 127 05 W. Killed from schooner .. .. •. 1 152 „ 17 .. 49 22 N. 127 45 W. Ditto .. 1 153 , 19 .. 49 28 N. 128 12 W. .. 11 1G4 „ 21 .. 49 34 N. 127 55 W. ' .. .. .. •• 9 173 „ 22 .. 49 50 N. 128 55 W. Killed from schooner 1 174 „ 23 .. 50 02 N. 129 25 W. Boats out forenoon only 4 178 25 .. 49 29 N. 128 13 W. Ditto 2 180 It „ 27 .. 50 30 N. 129 34 W. .. .. .. •• • • 4 184 „ 29 .. 50 50 m 129 40 W. .. .. .. • • . 2" 211 30 .. 50 50 JSf. 129 45 W. .. 10 221 [118] Littlcjoha was lost in " Otter' in 1888. ii 3 0 m 188 Date. Latitude. Longitude. Remarks. Daily Catch, Total. 1892 April 1 .. » 6 .. 0 1 51 18 50 40 N. N. o / 130 40 W. 130 05 W. .. 38 14 259 273 ii 7 .. 50 43 N. 129 33 W. Boats out forenoon only .. . 2 275 16 .. ,, 17 •• 52 15 52 27 N. N. 132 22 W. 132 4 2 W. Boats out afternoon only., • 6 15 281 296 May 4 .. » 5 .. 57 10 N. 136 33 W. Killed from schooner .. 1 297 57 40 N. 137 00 W. Small bulls .. .. 36 333 » 6 .. 57 50 N. 137 10 W: Ditto .. .. 49 382 „ 7 .. 57 50 N. 137 10 W. Ditto 21 403 •> 10 .. 59 20 N. 142 30 W. Killed from schooner ., 2 405 11 .. 59 30 N. 142 40 W. Boats out forenoon only ,. . 6 411 » 13 .. 59 30 N. 144 10 W. .. .. .. • 11 422 ,. 14 .. 59 30 N. 145 40 W. Boats out afternoon only .. . 11 433 456 » 15 .. 59 20 N. 145 40 W. Boats out forenoon only ,. . 23 16 .. 59 18 N. 145 35 W. .. .. .. • 19 475 18 .. 59 15 N. 145 35 W. Small bulls and cows mixed 98 573 21 .. 59 10 N. 148 00 W. Killed from schooner ,. . I 574 22 .. 59 05 N. 147 10 W. . • .. .. • 22 596 27 .. 59 00 N. 146 50 W. Small and medium sized seal 109 705 „ 28 .. 59 05 N. '147 10 W. .. 13 718 I 29 .. 58 55 N. 146 55 W. Large and small seal .. . 49 767 30 .. 58 50 N. 147 20 W. Ditto.. .. 46 813 June 3 .. 58 55 N. 148 00 W. ■ a * . • . • 6 819 4 .. 58 55 N. 148 40 W. . . * * * * * 3 822 6 .. 57 25 N. 150 10 W. Killed from ship .. . 1 823 » 8 .. 57 00 N. 152 00 W. .. .. 24 847 » 15 .. 57 30 N. 150 50 W. 2 819 » 16 .. 57 50 N. 151 15 W. Killed from ship .. • 1 850 July 5 .. 50 33 N. 170 45 W. Killed from schooner .. • 1 851 9 .. 50 40 N. 177 15 W. Ditto.. 1 852 13 .. 50 40 N. 177 00 E. Ditto 1 853 20 .. 53 50 N. 167 30 E. Ditto.. 2 855 22 .. 53 50 N. 167 30 E. Ditto .. .. . • 1 856 23 .. 53 40 N. 167 10 E. Ditto.. 1 857 24 .. 53 40 N. 166 40 E. Boats out all day .. . 17 874 25 .. 53 50 N. 167 00 E. • « .. .. • 12 886 26 .. 53 40 N. 166 30 E. .. .. • • • 65 951 27 .. 53 30 N. 166 25 E. .. .. .. • 68 1,019 28 .. 53 40 N. 166 50 E. .. .. .. • 27 1,046 August 1 ., 53 30 N. 166 50 E. .. .« .. . 3 1,049 2 .. 53 40 N. 166 55 E. .. .. . • . 10 1,059 3 .. 53 34 N. 1G6 40 E. .. .. .. * 8 1,097 4 .. 53 40 N. 165 30 E. . • .. •. . 65 1,132 5 .. 53 45 N. 165 10 E. .. •. .. . 72 1,204 6 .. 53 55 N. 165 10 E. .. .. .. . 56 1,260 ii 7 .. 54 10 N. 165 30 E. .. .. .. . 10 1,270 10 .. 53 40 N. 166 30 E. Killed from schooner .. • 1 1,071 11 .. 53 47 N. 166 40 E. • • .. .. . 5 1,276 1 12 .. 53 40 N. 166 50 E. Killed from schooner .. . 1 1.277 16 .. 53 55 N. 167 00 E. . • . . .. . 8- 1,285 17 .. 55 55 N. 166 50 E. .. •. .. . 21 1,306 » 18 .. 53 30 N. 166 45 E. .. .. .. . 25 1,331 19 .. 53 40 N. 166 40 E. Killed from, schooner .. . 1 1,332 „ sgmsz 53 35 N. 166 35 E. .. .. .. * 15 1,347 22 .. 53 35 N. 166 45 E. .. .. .. . 55 1,402 23 .. 53 50 N. 166 35 E. Killed from schooner .. . 2 1,404 24 .. 54 00 N. 166 35 E. .. .. .. . 62 1,466 „ 25 .. 53 50 N. 166 30 E. Killed from schooner .. • 1 1,467 26 .. 54 00 N. 166 35 E. Ditto.. 1 1,468 „ 30 .. 53 35 N. 166 30 E. Ditto.. 2 1,470 31 .. 53 30 N. 166 40 E. Ditto 3 1,473 Total for season .. . . 1,473 Above certified to be correct. (Signed) CHARLES CAMPBELL, Master, British Scliooner " Umbrina." This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration of Charles Campbell, hereto annexed. (^Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. £**i- St\ v 189" St-: (2>) ■ Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, John Graham Cox, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, merchant, do solemnly declare:—■ 1. That I am the agent of the owners, and have the custody of the log-books of tbe sealing- scbooner " W. P. HaB " for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings "Date," "Number of Seals taken," "Latitude," and "Longitude," in tbe Return hereto annexed, marked (A), with the original entries in the log of tbe said schooner for and upon ber sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters, in said Return set out. of And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths," (Signed) J. G. COX Subscribed and declared by the said John Graham Cox before me, a Notary PubBc duly nnmissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, lis 9th day of November, A.D. 1892. commi th: (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (A.) Retuen showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, tbe Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner "W. P. HaB" on her Seabng Voyage for the Season 1892. 1 i Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892 o / o / June 1 5 56 50 N. 137 10 W. 2 2 57 50 N. 138 20 W. 4 1 58 10 N. 139 03 W. 7 8 58 50 N. 139 30 W. ,| 8 .. .. 10 59 20 N. 140 00 W. 9 5 59 30 N. 141 02 W. •• 10 4 59 35 N. 141 25 W. 11 5 59 40 N. 141 35 W. : 12 7 59 35 N. 141 45 W. „ 13 3 59 30 N. 141 55 W. July 21 6 54 25 N. 170 00 E. 24 5 54 35 N. 169 10 E. 27 59 54 30 N. 1C8 50 E. August 2 .. .. 19 54 20 N. 168 40 E. 3 15 54 03 N. 168 55 E. 4 40 53 35 N. 168 40 K. ,, s . • .. 49 53 30 N. 169 00 E. „ 6 .. 36 54 05 N. 168 30 E. 8 20 54 35 N. 168 55 E. tt y • • • • 40 54 25 N. 169 00 E. „ 10 10 54 05 N. 168 35 E. „ 11 27 54 10 N. 168 55 E. 11 £ L •• • • 8 53 00 N. 169 55 E. „ 22 30 52 55 N. 169 00 E. „ 27 2 52 20 N. 168 30 E. 416 This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration hereunto annexed. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. (3.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Robert E. McKiel, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I was the master of and kept the log-books of the seaBng-schooner " Maud S." for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefuBy compared the entries under the headings "Date," "Number of Seals taken," " Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed, marked (A), with the original entries BM he log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Beturn in the are set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) Subscribed and declared by tbe said Robert E. McKiel before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) ' A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province ■of British Columbia. (Seal.) ROBT. E. McKIEL. ken, the [ 'Maud S.' lumber taken each Day, and the Noon on her-Seabng Voyage for tbe Season Longitude. Gape Flattery N.N.E. mag. dist. 65 miles Same position Ditto Ditto Cape Disappointment E. mag. dist. 47 miles Cape Flattery N. mag. dist. 35 miles Cape Flattery E. mag. dist. 30 miles Same position Ditto Ditto Cape Cook", Vancouver Island, N.E. mag. dist. 15 miles 50° 28' - N. I 130° 46' W. i 50 50 N. 130 5'J W. i Keeper's Inlet, Queen Charlotte Island, N.E. dist. 38 miles Same position 27 N." 1 133 46 W. • 47 N. ] 127-55 W. Cook, Vancouver Island, N. • dist, 40 miles 30 N. | 128 10 W. ■ Same position 49 38 N. | 128 16 N. • Keeper's Inlet, Queen Charlotte Island, N.E- by N. mag. dist. 40 milts. • 52 20 N. 133 51 W. 57 08 N. 138 05 "W. 57 02 N. 137 38 W. 57 00 N. 137 41 W. 57 07 N. 138 22 w. 57 02 N. 138 30 w. 57 21 N. 136 43 w. 57 24 N. 137 5C w. 57 01 N. 138 43 w. 57 34 N. 138 43 w. 58 00 N. 138 15 w. 58 12 N. 138 49 w. 58 14 B 138 54 w. 58 13 N. 139 11 w. 58 35 m 14(1 no w. 58 55 N. 140 40 w. 58 49 N. 140 58 w. 58 25 N. 141 03 w. 58 35 N. 140 54 w. 58 09 N. 139 30 \v. 58 18 N. 140 14 w. 58 30 N. 140 15 w. 58 18 N. 141 14 w. 59 23 N. 142 48 w. 59 29 N. 143 57 w. 59 11 N. 143 13 w. 59'09 N. ' 143 00 w. 59 26 §§ 143 05 w. 59 34 N. 142 45 w. 59 24 n 143 10 m 59 03 N. 143 29 w. 59 19 m 145 08 w. 58 42 N. .146 59 w. 57 07 N. ! 150 42 w. 57 08 N. 150 30 w. Total Seals to Date. ' 13. 19 21 32 39 59 06 77 78 79- 80 82 83 86 89 97 110 171 174 185 191 195 256 2-18 260 277 191 Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. 1892. o / June 13 1 Maimot Island W 25 i ,, 29 2 50 28 N. July 1 1 48 02 N. >I 14 11 53 10 N. It 15 10 53 33 N. 11 21 10 53 33 N. tl 22 .. ..- 12 53 12 N. ti 23 7 52 49 N. 91 26 1 53 24 N. IS •27 57 53 24 N. tl 28 99 53 21 N. ;> 28 .. H 53 33 N. August 2 .. 3 54 10 N. 3 .. '.. 8 53 55 N. 4 12 53 50 N. 5 .. .. 40 53 44 N. 6 41 53 35 N. 7 71 53 33 N. 8 3 53 35 N. 10 24 54 11 N. 11 12 53 04 N. 13 5 53 53 N. 14 2 54 43 N. 17 15 56 48 N. 18 8 56 35 N. 19 2 55 39 Nf 21 1 53 48 N. 22 .. 7 53 22 N. 23 lit 52 51 N. 25 16 . 52 46 N. 26 10 52 44 N. 27 7 52 55 N. 31 • • 31 52 52 N. Septetnl ler 4 .. .. 12 53 15 N. ,, 5 .. .. 30 53 14 N. a 6 1 53 01 N. . 7 .. .. 34 53 06 N. 1 10 9 52 31 N. Longitude Total Seals to Date. lile Dy N. mag. dist. 165 00 169 45 166 10 166 55 165 29 165 46 167 166 168 168 1()8 167 166 166 167 166 165 105 167 166 165 164 160 167 167 169 108 167 K.7 167 167 167 167 167 167 167 167 22 36 04 08 09 11 45 59 04 01 51 49 00 40 14 58 15 25 57 10 02 45 35 58 34 38 26 38 08 08 19 W. W. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. K. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. (Signed) ROBT. E. McKEIL, This is tbe Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration of Robert E. McKiel, hereunto annexed. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. (4.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, MelvBle F. Cutlen, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I was the master of and have the custody of the log of the sealing-schooner "Agnes McDonald" for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings "Date," "Number of Seals taken," " Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of tbe entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) M. F. CUTLEN. Subscribed and declared by the said Melville F. Cutlen before me, a Notary Public duly coni- issioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, -, -,r .1— _r -vr i . .-> lono mi this 15th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) [118] 3D M 1 i m I I,'/ pr',:",: II 192 (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day,, and! tbe Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " Agnes McDonald " on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. Wm< '■'■ ' '-^'ii " Itflf mm n !8IIi! TMSfsSsSlHiJ Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude.. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892. o / 1 | April 18 18 48 28 N. 126 34 W. 1,8 19 43 48 37 N. 126 22 W. 01 21 1 48 53 N. 126 42 W. 62 22 7 49 02 N. 127 13 W. 69 26 7 49 31 N. 127 53 W. 76 27 5 49 52 N. 128 44 W. 81 30 4 50 43 N. 129 49 W. 85 May 2 3 51 25 N. 132 11 W. 88 1 4 I 54 10 N. 134 52 W. 89 5 15 54 43 N. 134 U w. 104 6 18 54 4 7 N. 134 05 W. 122 „ 7 25 56 05 N, 135 53 W. 147 8 11 57 39 N. 138 37 W, 158 10 8 57 47 N. J 38 00 W.. 166 13 53 58 07 N. 138 1.6 W. 219 14 46 58 17 N. 138 07 W. 265 15 20 58 20 N. 138 16 W. 285 18 h" 58 26 N. 138 14 W. 286 25' 13 58 23 N. 139 08 W. 299 26 23 58 30 -N. 138 26 W. 322 27 66 58 37 N. 138 45 W. 388 28 lllil 6 58 40 N. 140 48 W. 394 29 7-0 59 22 N.. 141 34 W. 464 30 Gl 59 20 N. 141 39 W. 525 June 1 .. .. 18 59 33 N. 142 05 W. 543 „ 7 5 59 32 N. 143 14 W. 518 8 20 59 14 N. 144 40 W. 568 9 6 58 38 N. 146 25 W. 574 i 11 6 59 09 N. 146 56 W. 580 15 10 59 18 N. 147 51 W. 590 J«iy 20 .. jUl 18 52 38 N. 168 02 E. 608 27" 97 52 48 N. 168 08 E. 705 28 26 52 49 N. 168 00 E. 731 August 1 .. 12 53 30 N.. 167 35 E. 743 2 •. 54 53 52 N. 367 05 E. 797 i 3 '.'. 17 53 49 N. 167 02 E. 814 1 4 24 54 03 N. 166 17 E. 838 „ 5 9 .. 6 54 07 N. 165 05 E. 844 ,.6 4 54 18 N. 165.45 E. 848 » 7 .. .. 4 54 05 N. 166 35 E. 852 1 5 54 07 N. 167 15 E. 857 „ 10 3 54 02 N-, 167 42 E. 860 1 11 11 53 42 N. 165 37 B. J-,71 „ 17 11 53 43 N. 168 02 E. 882 „ 18 18 53 12 N. 163 25 E. 900 „ 20 3 53 05 N. 166 10 E. 903 „ 21 8 52 45 N. 166 58 E. 911 „ 22 52 53 20 N. 167 4 2 E. 903 „ 25 1 52 28 N. 166 44 E. 964 (Signed) M.. F. CUTLEN, Master. !v8* This is the Return marked (A) referred to in tbe declaration of Melville F. Cutlen, hereunto annexed. (Signed), A.. L. Belyea, Notary Public.. lift (5.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria.. I, Abel Douglass, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner of and have the custody of the log-books of tbe sealino--- schooner " Arietis " for and during the year 1892.. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under tbe headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken " "Latitude," and "Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in riie log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a fuB, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referllbg to tbe matters in slid Return set out. ■ ni ■ j. 193 And I make this solemn declaration concientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ABEL DOUGLASS. Subscribed and declared by the said Abel Douglass before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 11th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. BElyea. A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and' the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " Arietis " on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. * ° I I I I Date. Ma Jlir Jul> 1892 August 17 26 27 28 29 3') 6 7 8 12 21 27 29 3J 4 21 22 25 26 27 28 29' 31 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 18 22 24 29 Num ier of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. S o / o / 28 58 00 N. 143 00 W. 28- 30 58 30 N. 146 30 W. 58 61 58 00 N. 146 .iO W. 119 62 58 30 N. 146 00 W. 181 53 58 30 N. 146 45- W. 231 93 ' 58 15 N. 147 00 W. 327 5 58 30 N. 146 30 W. 332 10 58 15 N. 140 15 W. 342 It 58 45 N. 149 30 W. 356 19 58 30 N. 150 30 W. 375. 4 58 00 N. 151 00 W. 371 17 57 45 N. 150 45 W. 396 15 58 05 N. 150 30 W. 411 4 55 00 N. 156 30 W. 415 10 55 05 N. 1,7 30 W. 425- S3 5o 00. N. 157 00 W. 458 16 55 00 N. 157 45 W. 474 5 53 00- N. 163 00 W. 479 I 54 08 N. 109 00 E. 480 25 53 48 N. 109 30 E. 505. 21 53- 30 N. 169 00 E. 52& 16 53 00 N. 168 45 E. 542 160 53 20 N. 169 00 E. 702 17 54 00 N. 168 45 E. 719 1 54 00 N. 16S 55 E. 720. 5 54 10 N. 168 30 E. 725 3 54 00 N. 109 00 E. 728 5 53 45 N. 168 45 E. 733 13 53 40 N. 108 30 E. 746 118 53 20 N. 168 15 K. 864 154 53 20 N. 168 20 E. 1,038 16 53 40 N. 168 45 E. 1,054 3 54 00 m 108 00- E. 1,057 4 54 00 N. 108 30 E. 1,001 3 53 45 N. 108 09 E. 1,061 14 53 00 N. 169 00 E. 1.078 25 52 30 N. 167 40 E. 1,103 40 5.-S 00 N. 168 00 K. 1,143 6 53 00 N. 169 00 E. 1,149 (Signed) ABEL DOUGLASS. This is the Beturn marked (A) referred to in the declaration of Abel Douglass, hereto annexed. (Signed). A. L. Belyea, Notary; Public. (6.) Canada, Province of British, Columbia, City of Victoria., I, August Jorgensen Bjerne, of the city of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I have been master and have kept the log on and during tbe voyage of the sealing- schooner " Beatrice " (Vancouver),, for and during the year 189-2. 2.. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number <af Seals taken," " Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the loo- of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are ■A mmmmmmmm 194 a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) AUGUST JORGENSEN BJERNE. Subscribed and declared by the said August Jorgensen Bjerne before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 22nd day of November, A.D. 1892. (Signed) J. M. "Whitehead, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) mf, (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of tbe Schooner " Beatrice " (Vancouver) on her Seabng Voyage for the Season 1892. Date. i»mi :»,.; ft*::' mW- BR*- aw 8' 1892. March April January 9 11 „ 18 20 „ 22 February 19 22 23 24 26 29 1 2 3 8 9 10 11 12 15 16 19 24 25 27 30 MM 3 6 9 11 16 18 19 25 26 27 1 5 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 11 15 May Number of Seals taken. 10 14 11 5 1 3 1 5 3 6 2 1 2 10 2 3 1 3 5 I 17 7 4 1 o D 11 27 16 4 29 18 2 1 12 8 7 13 8 65 51 11 4 33 35 101 9 28 22 1 3 2 8 14 1 9 3 2 48 00 N. 125 50 W 46 36 N. 125 45 W 42 48 N. 125 15 W 43 04 N. 125 00 w. 42 53 N. 125 53 W. 47 36 N. 126 11 W 48 12 N. 126 00 "W. 48 07 N. 126 40 W. 48 01 N. 125 55 W. 46 38 N. 125 32 W. 47 02 N. 124 59 W 46 37 N. 124 27 W. 46 14 N. ' 124 30 W. 46 15 N. 125 19 W. 48 14 N. 125 24 W. 48 05 N. 125 40 W. 48 28 N. 125 43 W. 48 30 N. 12) 20 W. 48 22 N. 125 44 W. 48 30 N. 125 20 W. 48 35 N. 127 07 W. 48 49 N. 127 00 W. 49 07 N. 127 33 W. 48 37 N. ' 126 32 W. 50 12 N. 128 00 W. 50 17 N. 128 40 W. 50 29 N. 128 45 W. 50 20 N. 128 28 W. 49 58 N. 129 25 W. 50 30 N. 12S 58 W. 48 20 N. 127 00 W. 49 01 N. 127 12 W. 48 25 N. 127 10 W. 48 27 N. 127 00 W. 49 38 m 129 48 W. 49 35 N. 129 30 W. 49 54 N. 128 52 "W. 52 28 N. 133 52 W. 54 07 N. 134 30 W. 54 30 N. 135 07 W. 55 10 N. 134 50 W. 56 10 N. 135 30 W. 56 43 N. 136 81 W. 56 56 N. 130 20 W. 56 49 N. 137 33 W. 5<5 45 N. 137 21 W. 57 07 N. 137 50 W. 57 25 N. 138 35 W. 59 34 N. 142 58 W. 59 40 N. 143 11 W. 59 16 N. 143 36 W. 58 59 N. 143 30 W. 59 14 N. 144 00 W. 59 22 N. 145 00 W. 58 44 N. 147 29 W. 59 15 N. 148 34 W. 5'.* 11 N. 147 46 W. 57 56 N. 148 20 W. 58 21 N. 149 41 W. 58 20 N. 150 06 "W. 58 00 N. 151 34 W. 58 04 N. 150 40 W. 58 22 N. 149 35 w; Total Seals to Date. 22 57 110 249 059 701 T—ass 195 Date. Number of Seals. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to taken. Date. 1892. July 1 1 57 58 N. 149 49 W. ,, 2 1 56 34 N. 152 10 W. a 24 1 51 54 N. 168 50 E. >t 25 3 53 17 X. 107 48 E. ,, 26 68 54 17 N. 167 40 K. >' 27 112 5S 51 N. 107 56 K. 33 28 3£tM3 53 38 N. 107 30 f':. 907 Augu -5t 1 4 53 28 N. 107 01 E. ,. o 15 53 29 N. 103 15 E. ii 3 .'. '.'. 28 53 50 N. 167 13 E. i* 4 28 53 23 N. 168 15 E. a 5 47 53 36 N. 167 34 E. il 6 75 53 26 N. 107 36 E, si 7 8 53 22 N. 166 07 E. 11 9 12 53 45 N. 166 20 E. 11 10 5 53 24 N. 165 52 E. tl 11 7 54 07 N. 165 31 E. 19 16 12 53 21 N. 166 37 E. 11 17 15 53 18 N. 167 04 E. >1 18 14 53 10 N. 167 21 B, ., 21 9 53 36 N. 109 29 Ii. 11 22 27 53 19 N. 169 00 E. iy 23 5 53 29 N. 169 04 E. 1* 24 21 54 06 N. 168 17 E. it 25 1 53 32 N. 168 12 E. Total for the season .. •• ■ • 1,246 f-I (Signed) A. B J ERNE, Master (7.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, John Graham Cox, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, merchant, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner and have the custody of the log-books of the seabno'-schooner I Sapphire " for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," "Latitude," and "Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in tbe year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of "The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) J. G COX. i 1 Subscribed and declared by the said John Graham Cox before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 9th day of November, a.d. 1892.^ (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) [118] 3 E 196 ill' 1%.: ifpil!: :■■■<•■'; : (A.) Return showing tbe Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, on the Schooner " Sapphire" on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. April May June Date. 1892 Number of Seals taken. Latitude 50 10 N. 51 36 N. 51 55 N. 54 20 ^. 54 23 N. 54 23 N. 55 02 N. 55 21 N. 55 06 N. 55 24 N. 55 30 N. 55 33 N. 55 58 N. 56 01 N. 56 01 N. 56 06 N. 56 06 N. 56 36 N. 56 36 N. 58 24 N. 58 34 N. 59 12 N. 59 20 N. 59 28 N. 59 14 N. 59 20 N. 59 22 N. 59 2 59 15 N 58 44 N 59 18 N N. Longitude. 25 W. 50 W. 41 W. 47 W. 05 W. 44 W. 44 W. 32 W. 30 W. 05 W. 27 W. 32 W. Total Seals to Date. 983 This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. lereunto annexed. (8.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, John Graham Cox, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, merchant, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner and have custody of the log-books of the sealing-schooner IE. B. Marvin " for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," I Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to tbe matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously beBeving the same to be true, and by virtue " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) J. G. COX. jf Subscribed and declared by the said John Giaham Cox before me, a Notaiy Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 9th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) whiz- m Ps 197 (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day. and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " E. B. Marvin" on her Seabng Vovase for the Season 1892. ^ Date. 1892. January 28 February I a 3 a 4 ii 6 a 8 a 10 3, 11 a 15 16 a 17 , 18 19 23 24 25 .... 26 March 2 n 10 9i 12 tl 14 it 15 j» 16 18 ,, 20 fi 21 23 27 yy 29 tl 30 April 1 it 2 a 5 it 6 a 7 16 3t 18 22 a 23 a 26 ii 27 28 a 29 30 May 1 „ 2 >> 3 33 5 11 6 7 8 10 11 12 31 13 „ 14 13 15 17 18 33 19 22 26 27 28 , 29 30 June 2 3 ,3 4 33 6 / 8 9 Number of Seals taken. 6 4 6 17 17 15 g 16 20 10 5 4 16 8 13 10 5 7 44 11 5 29 6 9 14 2 6 14 2 2 15 30 1 22 9 7 1 44 20 37 22 7 18 47 87 31 4 61 84 5 31 17 35 10 195 82 14 78 44 2 35 15 17 30 44 57 il 1 3 4 15 18 2 Latitude. 50 03 49 49 50 09 56 17 56 35 56 59 57 13 57 19 57 27 57 50 58 31 58 18 58 42 58 29 48 24 N 48 54 N 48 06 N 47 55 N 47 49 N 47 00 N 46 50 N 46 43 N. N. N. N. 46 57 47 02 47 12 46 29 N. 46 19 N. 46 35 46 25 46 34 46 58 N. 48 44 N. 48 35 N. 48 24 N. N. N. N. N. N. N. '50 18 N. 50 05 50 05 50 22 5n 01 50 16 N. 50 25 50 32 51 36 52 14 51 04 51 11 51 13 51 34 52 20 52 47 53 04 54 53 56 27 56 32 56 29 N. 56 43 N. 56 26 N. 56 38 N. 56 27 N. 56 18 N. N. N. N. N. N. N. N. N. N. X. N. N. N n! N. X. N. N. N. N. N. N. N. N. N. 58 29 N. 58 30- N. 58 20 N. 58 40 N. 58 44 N. 58 47 N.. 58 53 N. 58 46 N. 58 47 N 58 46 N 58 53 N 58 45 N 58 38 N Longitude. 125 48 W. 126 27 W. 124 57 W. 125 18 W. 125 23 W. 125 06 w. 124 52 w. 124 42 w. 124 44 w. 125 21 w. 125 07 w. 124 51 w. 124 32 m 124 40 w. 124 19 w. 124 28 w. 124 34 w. 12t3 05 w. 126 00 w. 125 24 w. 128 08 w. 128 28 w. 128 51 w. 129 20 w. 128 36 \v. 129 31 w. 128 36 w. 128 38 w. 129 36 w. 129 30 w. 129 51 w. 130 57 w. 131 48 w. 130 59 w. 130 31 w. 130 46 w. 133 11 w. 133 32 w. 133 46 w. 133 43 w. 135 00 w. 136 34 w. 135 13 w. 135 37 w. 136 49 w. 136 22 w. 136 50 w. 135 59 w. 136 43 w. 136 16 w. 136 01 w. 137 54 w. 138 22 w. 138 23 w. 138 12 w. 138 45 w, 139 48 m 139 49 w. 139 52 w. 140 29 w. 140 21 w. 140 33 w. 140 56 w. 140 53 w. 140.43 w. 141.00 w. 141.10 w. 147 34 w. 147 38 w. 147 17 w. 146 56 w. 146 44 w. 147. 53 w. Total Seals to Date. 1,62 This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration hereunto annexed. (Signed) A. L.-Belyea, Notary Public. I W Ml I 1 198 (9.) It. iHfl Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I William Munsie, of tbe city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, merchant, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner and have possession of the log for 1892 of tbe seabng-schooner I Viva." 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date/' " Number of Seals taken," (l Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set but. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WILLIAM MUNSIE, Subscribed and declared by tbe said William Munsie before me, a Notary PubBc duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 8th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia, (Seal.) (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " Viva," cleared at Victoria Customs February 8 saBed on Eebruary 11, on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. i ■ j* -- • Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. L ongitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892. o / o t. Februar, f 15 28 46 34 N. 126 00 W. 28 a 16 11 46 13 N. 125 45 W. 39 a 17 5 46 04 N. 125 56 W. 44 a 18 3 47 a 19 20 11 45 5*6 N. 124 30 W. 58 59 a 21 - vi%- 47 33 N. 127 0*7 W. 60 22 .. 23 24 4 47 41 N. 49 05 N. 127 00 W. 126 30 W. 64 a 25 26 3 7 48 50 N. 127 05 W. 67 74 a ii 27 28 29 .. 1 47 43 N. 48 OO N. 127 43 W. 126 00 W. 75 March 1 H 47 55 N. 126 01 W. 113 t* 2 58 47 45 N. 125 50 W 171 a 3 ,. a 4 .. 47 33 N. 126 20 W. a 5 1 47 30 N. 126 00 W. 172 a 6 1 48 01 N. 120 50 W. 173 ii 7 1 47 58 N. 127 00 W. 174 ti 8 2 48 00 N. 126 20 W. 176 >i 9 10 2 47 57 N. 125 30 W. 178 It 1 . , 179 a 11 4 46 52 N. 125 25 W. 183 ii 12 10 48 00 N. 125 25 W. 1J3 1) 13 it 14 ■ it 15 H * " 37 lfi tl 17 HB 11 18 B 11 19 * * it 20 ■ • • 11 21 * * 11 92 • • t> 23 .. I " • 11 24 11 It 25 26 3 48 37 N. 127 50 W. "l96 1» it 27 28 1 40 57 N. 131 30 W, 197 11 29 30 11 52 3*7 N. 133 29 W. 208 t% ■ ''■ 52 58 N. 132 45 W. 216 199 April Ma June J-uly .Date. 1892. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 l.-> fG 17 18 19 20 21 Number of Seals taken. 22 3 33 1 61 2 24 7 4 1 87 149 130 82 48 48 21 20 32 109 17 27 21 24 64 69 2 17 1 14 61 48 34 16 1 17 40 49 11 11 1 50 "3 23 38 10 1 Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 0 / 55 00 N. 55 29 N. 55 30 N. 55 50 N. 134 00 W. 134 30 W. 135 00 W. 136 16 W. 224 227 54 47 N. 56 13 N. 56 40 N. 56 31 N. 56 13 N. 56 18 N. 57 17 N. 57 19 N. 57 15 N. 58 i*7 N. 58 25 N. 58 30 N. 58 38 N. 58 40 N. 58 52 N. 59 10 N. 59 04 N. 58 56 N. 58 39 N. 58 30 N. 58 20 N. 58 53 N. 57 02 N. 57 10 N 58 55 N, 58 4*3 N. 58 42 N, 58 51 N. 57 30 N 59 0*6 N 58 46 N 48 35 N 58 50 N 58 4/ N 57 00 N 58 55 I 58 59 N 58 30 N. 58 35 N. 59 01 N. 59 10 N. 58 85 N. 135 56 W. 134 10 W. 136 00 W. 135 45 W. 136 54 W. 137 20 W. 136 16 W. 130 34 W. 141 28 W, 141 01 w. 111 50 w. 141 16 w. 141 28 w. 141 01 w. 141 20 w. 142 50 w. 143 20 w. 146 56 w. 149 20 w. 144 16 W 144 49 W 144 01 "W 145 00 w 145 20 w 144 54 "W 146 59 w 147 48 W. 145 12 W, 144 27 W. 144 21 W. 144 00 PI U2- 40 W. 140 05 9 140 10 W. 140 20 w. 140 20 W. 140 25 W. 143 01 W. 114 00 W. 145 49 W. 249 252 285 286 347 349 373 380 384 385 472 621 751 833 881 886 934 950 975 977 1,009 1,178 1,195 1,222 1,243 1,267 1,331 1,400 1,402 1,419 1,420 1,434 1,495 1,543 1,577 1,593 1,594 1.611 1,651 1,700 1,711 1,722 1.723 mm 1,776 1,799 1,837 1,847 1,848 Certified correct, as copied from log-book, this 7th day of November, 1892. (Signed) WM. MUNSIE, Managing doner, British Schooner " Vivmmii This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration of William Munsie, hereunto tttached. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public I ■ ■ sJM [118_ 3 F 20G (10.) nada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Alfred R. Bissett, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I was the master of the sealing-schooner " Annie E. Paint" for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefuBy compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," " Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of tbe said schooner, for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a fuB, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring, to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believhig the same to be true, and by virtue of " Tbe Act respecting Extra,-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ALFRED R. BISSETT. Subscribed and declared by the said Alfred R. Bissett before me,, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at tjhe city of Victoria, in- the Pnovince of British Columbia, this 8th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signadi) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal) 201 (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " Annie' E. Paint" on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. mA Date. V&&& February 7 13 it 11 1*4 J 5 13 10 It 17 11 18 11 19 is it 23 25 March 1 it n 9 a 12 it 15 it 16 a 20 April 4 ii- 1'6 ir 18 22; 25 it 26 27 May 1 a 5 31 <■ 11 12 It 15 31 25 11 26 28 11 29 11 30 June it 1 4i 7 a 12 31 16 »» 17 August ti 3 4 5' it 6 it 8- 13 12 31 17 19 13 21; 31 22 tl 23 11 91 27 31 September 5 12 a it 13 20 .Numl )er of Seals alien. Eatitutle; Longitude. 2 48 44 N. o ' 125 35 W. 2 48 41 N. 125 30 W. 1 48 38 N. 125 22 W. 6 48 40 -N; 125 20 W.. 5 48 10 N. 125 25 W. 3 47 20 N. 125 05 W. 1 1 47 40 N. 125 12 W. P 47 4-7 N-. 125 06- W. 3' 4 7 25 N. 125 12 W. 7 47 20 N. 125 20 W. 2 47 54 N. 124 5 5 \V. 7 46 16 N. 124 40 W. 4 46 06 N. 124 24 W. 7 47 45 N. 125 05 W. 9 49 32 N. 127 09 W. 57 49 25 N. 120 50 W. 4, 4-9- 07 N. 127 00 W.- 15 . 49 31 N. 127 52 W. 3 48 55 N. 127 16 W. 5 51 26 N. 132 06 W. 27 51 06 N. 130 30 W. 7 51 30 N. 133 53 W. 1& 51 22 N. BSD 00 W. 13 51 05 N. 130 08 w: 20 51 10 N. 130 21 W. 2 51 09 N. 131 58 W„ 4 51 47 N. 132 48 W. 11 5T5T N. 133 18 W. 15 55 42 N. 136 22 "W. 24 57 05 N. 138 00 W. 18 59 06 N. 141 03 H 46 59 14 N. 141 40 W. 57 59 14 N. 143 10 W. 38 59 20 N. Ill 58 W. . 5? 59 24 N. 141 41 W. 11 59 24 N.. 141 16 W, 8 59 24 N". 145 53 W. 10 59 13 N. 145 03 W. 19 59 11 N.. 149 45 W. 8 59 20 N. 149 45 W. 1 58 45 N. 148 55 W. 5 52 55 N. 166 40 E. 3 52 32 N. 166 01 K. 24 53 04 N. 165 21 E. 46 52 30 N. 165 30 E. 53 52 47 N. 165 37 E. 15 53 00 N. 166 40 E. 8 53 02 N. 166 46 E. 33 52 59 N. In6 31 E. 8 52 48 N. 166 12 E. 26 52 58 N. 106 14 E 48 52 59 N. 16625 E. 32 52 58 N. 166 35 E. 13 52 01 N. 167 00 E. 16 53 00 N. 167 30 E. 28 53 00 N. 165 58 E. 19 52 59 N. 165 40 E. 44 52 00 N. 169 11 E. Total Seals to Dale. 2 4 5 11 10 19 30 37 40 47 49 56 60 67 76 133 137 152 155 160 187 194 2»ee 219 239 241 245. 256 271 295 313 3591* 416 454 SOS- SI/ 525 536 5'55- 563 564 569 572. 596 642 695 710 718 751 759' 7S4 832 864 878 894 922 941 985- (Signed) ALFRED R. BISSETT, Master, Schooner " Annie E. Paint." This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the- declaration of Alfred B. Bissett, hereunt' annexed. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. ■A Ill !l! - ■, - '! mm ®m 202 (11.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Charles Hackett, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I was the master of the sealing-schooner " Annie C. Moore" for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefuBy compared the entries under tbe headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," Latitude," and "Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her seabng voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I Tlie Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHAS. HACKETT. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Hackett before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 15th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " Annie C. Moore " on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. Dats. March i 2 )) 10 )J 11 12 ii „ 15 16 May 1 „ 5 ii 6 ,j 7 8 10 13 14 15 18 ii 2'i 27 28 29 Juue 4 6 8 3892 Number of Seals takjn. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. o / o / 57 49 30 N. 129 00 W. 57 5 49 12 N. 129 00 W. 62 10 49 20 N. 129 00 W. 72 9 49 19 N. 128 00 W. 81 6 •i'J 19 N. 127 40 W. 87 62 49 19 N. 127 47 W. 149 12 49 19 N. 127 47 W. 161 *24 54 36 N. 134 55 W. 185 39 55 37 N. 135 35 W. 224 31 55 50 N. 136 00 W. 255 8 56 10 N. 135 50 W. 263 8 56 10 N. 135 50 W. 271 29 56 37 N. 136 14 W. 300 17 57 00 N. 137 08 W. 317 15 57 00 N. 137 08 W. 332 15 57 00 N. 157 08 W. ■ 347 20 59 00 N. 145 40 W. 367 21 59 00 N. 145 40 W. 388 39 58 55 SB 145 50 W. 427 17 58 55 N. 14 5 50 W. 444 59 58 50 N. 147 10 W. 503 9 57 50 N. 117 10 W. 512 7 57 50 N. 148 50 VV. 519 8 57 50 N. 1H 50 W. 527 (Signed) chas. hace:ett. This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration of Charles Hackett, hereto annexed (.Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. (12.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. solem^ilytXe^ * 1 if °f fig in | Tr°VmCB °f ErItish CoW>ia> WM do 1. That I am the managing owner of and havp flip runtr,^ r.f ti™ i~ e at, I " Fawn" for and during the year 1892. 7 6 l0g9 °f the seall*g-schooner •'. That I have carefuBy compared the entries under the headings " Date," I Number of Seals taken I 203 ILatitude," and "Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed, marked (A), with, the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously beUeving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) THOMAS EARLE. Subscribed and declared by the said Thomas Earle before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 15th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and. the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner "Fawn" on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. ~ y ° 1 11 Bat..'. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892. o / o / April 22 4 50 02 N. 128 49 W. 4 3) 23 7 50 38 N. 129 10 W. 11 » 25 8 Cape St. James bearing N.E. by E. 25 miles off 19 93 26 2 50 00 N. | 130 50 W. 21 27 12 52 06 N. 33 May 1 52 Forster Island bearing N.E. by N. £ N. 35 miles off 85 „ 2 6 54 18 N. ., 91 13 28 54 15 N. .. 119 14 15 54 58 N. 134 40 W. 134 15 5 56 12 N. 135 47 W. 139 18 5 57 18 N. 136 56 W. 144 22 7 58 23 N. 138 33 W. 151 25 1C 58 41 N. 140 19 W. 161 20 49 58 58 N. 140 37 W. 210 27 32 59 05 N. 140 40 W. 242 28 13 59 02 N. 140 39 W. 255 29 49 58 56 N. 141 15 W. 304 30 39 59 03 N. 141 16 W. 343 June 1 4 59 11 N. 142 32 W. 347 2 7 59 13 N. 142 35 W. 354 3 .. .. 16 59 01 N. 142 20 W. 370 4 9 58 56 N. 142 35 W. 379 5 7 58 58 N. 142 04 W. 386 6 18 59 02 N. 141 56 W. 404 . 7 8 59 12 N. 141 36 W. 412 " . 8 5 59 12 N. 141 36 W. 417 11 12 59 22 N. 147 39 W. 429 " 12 34 58 58 N. 147 53 "W. 403 16 8 58 44 N. 148 04 W. 471 20 1 58 41 N. 147 04 W. 472 ,3 28 8 57 47 N. 148 27 W. 480 mi m m\ (Signed) THOMAS EARLE. This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration of Thomas Earle, hereunto annexed. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. (13.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, George Heater, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— ..-,„„ 1. That I was the master of and kept a log of the seabng-schooner | Amoko for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," "Number of Seals taken," " Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the lo<* of' tbe said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a | [118] 3 G ml 204 full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration consc of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." sen out. . And 1 make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue (Signed) GEORGE HEATER. Subscribed and declared by the said George Heater before me, a Notary PubBc duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 15th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " Ainoko" on her Seabng Voyage for the Season 1892. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. taken. Latitude. Date. 1892. o / o / February 20 .. •. 24 48 20 N. 125 20 W. 24 (In port.) April 27 17 50 00 N. 128 35 W. 41 28 16 51 46 N. 131 20 W. 57 May 6 20 52 50 N. 133 00 W. 77 „ 7 .. • • 17 54 00 N. 134 00 W. 94 9 9 54 28 N. 134 11 W. 103 14 8 54 36 N. 134 34 W. 111 „ 15 6 561 15 N. 136 30 W. 117 17 12 56 45 N. 136 55 W. 129 „ 18 17 it 41 N. 138 23 W. 146 25 00 59 20 N. 143 07 W. 206 „ 26 114 59 00 N. 143 00 W. 320 27 166 59 20 N. 142 17 W. 486 „ 28 16 59 17 N. 142 55 W. 502 „ 29 57 59 14 N. 143 20 W. 559 ,, 30 H 59 20 N. 143 36 W. 640 June 3 .. .. 8 59 01 N. 144 06 W. 648 4 10 59 17 N. 145 29 W. 658 „ 5 .. 6 59 06 N. 146 00 W. 664 „ 6 25 59 04 N. 147 24 W. 689 ,, 7 .. 8 59 02 N. 147 30 W. 697 „ 12 24 58 40 N. 150 20 W. 721 15 4 58 12 N. 150 25 W. ■ 725 19 8 58 50 N. 150 13 W. 733 20 17 58 52 N. 150 08 W. 750 (Signed) GEORGE HEATER, Master. (14.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Wilbam Henry Whiteley, of the city of Victoria, in the Proviuce of British Columbia merchant, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I was the master and kept the log-books of the sealing-schooner "Mermaid" for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken " " Latitude," and "Longitude" in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her seabng. voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And 1 make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue Tbe Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) W. H. WHITELEY. Subscribed and declared by the said Wilbam Henry Whiteley before me, a Notary PubBc dulv commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia this 9th day of November, a.d. 1892. | (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. 'Seal.) 205 (A.) Retukn showing the Dates on which Seals' were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon IRQ?011 °n eaCh SUCh DateS' °f the Schooner "Mermaid" on her Sealing Voyage for the Season Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892. May 1 .. „ 2 „ 3 „ 4 11 & • • •• •• „ 6 „ 7 .. „ 8 „ 9 .. „ 10 .. 11 *■ & • • • » «• „ 14 „ 26 5 2 2 2 10 10 2 2 1 11 22 31 17 o / 54 30 N. 55 05 N. 55 30 N. 55 50 N. 56 20 N. 57 15 N. 56 30 ffl 56 30 N. 57 10 N. 57 30 N. 57 40 N. 57 45 N. 59 40 N. o / 135 00 W. 135 00 W. 135 00 W. 137 00 W. 135 30 W. 137 00 W. 136 20 W. 136 20 W. 136 40 W. 137 40 W. 138 20 W. 138 50 W. 145 00 W. 187 This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration of William Henry Whiteley, hereunto annexed. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. (15.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, John Graham Cox, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, merchant, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner and have the custody of the log-books of the sealing-schooner "Triumph" for and during.the year 1892. 2. That I. have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," " Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in tbe log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and, by virtue of 1 The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." ' (Signed) J. G' COX. „-'--,i w Subscribed and declared by tbe said John Graham Cox before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, thi. 9th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A..L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, tbe Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Schooner " Triumph " on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. May 27 . ti 28 . 9t 29 v 9t 30 . -y 31 . June 3 . si 4 5 • 6 . tt 7 8 1 a 9 11 12 ti 16 , This is the Return marked (A) referred to in the declaration hereunto annexed. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. (16.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. 206 (A.) Total Seals to Latitu de. Longit ude. Date. o / 59 06 N. o 146 / 06 W. 59 00 N. 148 37 W. 59 06 N. 146 57 W. 58 54 N. 146 45 W. 58 52 N. 146 30 W. 58 50 N. 147 39 W. 58 46 N. 147 40 W. 58 48 N. 147 38 W. 58 37 N. 148 02 W. 58 52 N. 148 00 W. 58 41 N. 148 32 w. 58 42 N. 149 24 W. 58 24 N. 149 06 W. 58 23 N. 148 48 w. 58 48 N. 148 34 w. 262 I, Alonzo Nickerson, of tbe city of Victoria, in tbe Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I was the master of and have the custody of the log-books of the seaBng-steamer I Thistle " for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefuBy compared the entries under the headings "Date," "Number of Seals taken," I Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to tbe matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) ALONZO NICKERSON. Subscribed and declared by the said Alonzo Nickerson before me, a Notary PubBc duly commissioner, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of November, ad. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 207 (A.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of the Steamer 1 Thistle" on her Seabng Voyage for the Season 1892. ■ 111 I I ■p. tp Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892 o / o / February 27 3 37 30 N. 123 55 W. 3 „ 28 1 37 45 N. 123 35 W. 4 „ 29 37 38 00 N. 123 15 W. 41 Mareb 1 2 37 20 N. 123 40 W. 43 9 6 38 12 N. 123 20 W. 49 10 3 38 20 N. 123 45 W. 52 H 4 40 22 N. 125 00 W. 56 12 1 42 15 N. 125 25 W. 57 14 8 44 20 N. 125 00 W. 65 15 8 44 50 N. 124 50 W. 73 16 4 45 00 N. 124 40 W. 77 17 2 46 30 N. 124 40 W. 79 April 2 3 46 25 N. 125 00 W. 82 4 1 45 58 N. 124 30 W. 83 6 1 45 05 N. 125 10 W. 84 ,i 7 6 44 50 N. 125 15 W. 90 9 1 44 46 N. 126 05 W. 91 10 1 44 29 N. 124 50 W. 92 11 3 44 33 N. 125 02 W. 95 13 1 ' 46 10 N. 125 00 W. 96 16 14 46 39 N. 124 30 W. 110 17 4 46 28 N. 124 30 W. 114 „ 18 1 46 20 N. 124 20 "W. 115 19 1 46 36 N. 124 00 W. 116 21 7 47 37 N. 124 00 W. 123 23 10 48 20 N. 126 00 W. 133 28 15 48 25 N. 126 10 W. 148 May 1 20 48 52 N. 126 20 W. 168 2 17 48 53 N. 126 20 W. 185 3 14 49 20 N. 127 00 W. 199 13 16 51 31 N. 132 10 "W. 2)5 26 1 58 19 N. 142 55 W. 216 27 53 58 42 N. 142 30 W. 269 „ 28 5 58 56 N. 142 20 W. 274 29 31 58 56 N. 142 38 W. 305 30 „ 31 June 1 52 59 19 N. 142 55 W. 357 2 59 08 N. 143 21 W. 359 2 14 59 10 N. 143 35 W. 373 3 5 59 13 N. 144 30 W. 378 ,. 4 10 59 40 N. 144 40 W. 388 5 3 , , ., 391 6 7 , s .. 398 7 3 57 20 N. 146 20 W. 401 8 13 57 30 N. 146 15 W. 414 „ 9 1 ,. ,. H 415 „ 11 2 57 20 N. 146 30 W. 417 „ . 12 2 57 30 N. 146 25 W. 419 14 4 57 27 N. 146 42 W. 423 „ 26 8 56 10 N. 146 50 W. 431 27 7 56 15 N. 146 42 W. 438 „ 28 3 .. 146 30 W. 441 ■ml 1 I (Signed) ALONZO NICKERSON. V I This is the Return referred to as marked (A) in the declaration of Alonzo Nickerson, hereto annexed. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. ■* [H8] 3 H mmmmr I&* mmm Wm ill 208 (17.) fi Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Wentworth E. Baker, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I was the master of the sealing-schooner " C. H. Tupper " for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefuBy compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," " Latitude," and Longitude," in tbe Return hereto annexed marked (A), with tbe original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her sealing voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a fuB, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) • W. E. BAKER. Subscribed and declared by the said Wentworth E. Baker before me, a Notary PubBc duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 28th day of November, a.d. 1892. (Signed) P. M. Irving, A Notary Public in and for tlie Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) (A.) Return showing tbe Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the Noon Position on each such Dates, of tbe Schooner " C. H. Tupper" on ber Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892 on the Eastern side of the North Pacific Ocean. llSf ifUS ilSfc ill.--!i'-i\*' iv-v. - Sill llli Nil Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892. • / o / February 1 .. . 1 46 57 N. 125 30 W. 1 ■B 7 46 23 N. 125 27 W. 8 3 .. 46 50 N. 125 31 W. , , 4 10 46 10 N. 125 35 W. 18 5 » . 46 02 N. 125 29 W. , , „ 6 14 44 51 N. 125 26 W. 32 ,3 7 3 43 48 N. 125 30 W. 35 ,3 8 .. . 4 43 47 N. 125 33 W. 39 13 y • • . ,. 43 50 N. 125 31 W. ■ , .- „ 10 3 43 22 N. 125 15 W. 42 „ ii a E 43 20 N. 125 16 W. , . ti J- ^ • • • 15 43 23 N. 125 19 W. 57 „ 13 . .' 43 38 N. 125 24 W. t # „ 14 .. 43 45 N. 125 21 W. ^. ,3 15 41 43 46 N. 125 18 W. 98 i 16 13 43 48 N. 125 26 W. 111 » 17 13 43 50 N. 125 27 W. 124 i 18 4 43 46 N. 125 20 W. 128 I 19 .. 43 58 N. 125 12 W. ,, „ 20 4 44 30 N. 125 00 W. 132 ,3 21 .. 44 33 N. 125 10 W. g m 11 && •• • 11 44 30 N. 125 12 W. 143 „ 23 23 45 20 N. 125 30 W. 166 » 24 29 46 03 N. 125 05 W. 195 „ 25 12 • • , , 207 3, 26 3 46 15 N. 125 13 W. 210 1 27 .. 46 13 N. 125 10 W. .. ft „ 28 .. 46 20 N. 125 14 W. „ 29 .. 47 23 N. 126 15 W. Marcb 1 24 48 05 N. 126 16 W. 234 2 24* .. , # 258 3 1™ .. 259 4 .. 48 09 N. 126 14 W. 5 • • 48 03 N. 126 16 W. 6 .. 48 10 N. 126 18 W. 7 2 ,. % # 261 91 8 ., , 4 48 00 N. 126 07 W. a u • • • 4 47 53 N. 269 ,, 10 3 47 35 N. 126 0*0 W. 272 11 , » ■ 12 4 47 21 N. 125 36 W. 3, 13 .. 47 00 N. 125 40 W. 276 14 8 47 16 N. 126 18 W. 284 „ 15 10 ,, # 9 294 16 3 46 45 N. 128 20 W. 297 3, 17 .. 46 52 N. 126 13 W. 18 4 19 o,%~* 46 58 N. 126 06 W. 307 ., 20 1 47 10 N. 125 50 W. ,.21 •• 47 30 11 125 36 W. 308 W\'.l"-Vi'!.:i;i'.i 209 Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. ' Total Seals to Date. 1892. o / o / March 22 23 ..' '.'. 24 •• 48 05 N. 126 17 W. •• **'":'. ,*- * i 1 48 H N. . 126 23 W. • • '0,ivsi ' 25 1 48 35 N. 126 00 W. ! 309 a 26 Went in port for water and supplies. ,3 30 ,. 50 00 N. 128 50 "W. 309 39 31 ., 49 57 N. 128 54 W. April 1 ., 49 30 N. 128 20 W. 9, 2 4 .! , . 313 33 3 .. .'. 2 50 03 N. 128 21 W. 315 33 4 .. 50 10 N. 128 23 W. , « 13 5 6 7 .. .. 1 50 08 N. 128 49 W. 316 31 91 I 50 42 N. 129 i'o W. 31 8 ## 51 36 N. 130 31 W. , , 31 9 , . 52 00 N. 131 54 W. . # 31 10 1. , . , . 317 91 il , m 52 10 N. 132 06 W. • • 91 12 3 52 34 N. , , 320 31 13 # # 52 40 N. 132 41 W. • • i>; j 11 14 2 . , # # 322 11 15 • • 54 40 N. 133 55 W. • • 19 16 Went in port for water. 33 22 9 54 46 N. 135 00 W. 331 33 23 19 55 07 N. 135 20 W. 350 It 24 2 56 09 N. 135 36 W. 352 13 25 1 56 55 N. 136 58 W. 353 31 26 13 ,. # # 366 91 27 18 56 59 N. 136 59 W. 384 3> 28 18 56 58 N. 137 08 W. 402 11 29 62 56 56 N. 137 15 W. 464 11 30 20 57 05 N. 137 18 W. 484 May 1 35 57 20 N. 137 35 W. 519 39 2 11 57 20 N. 137 35 W. 530 P 3 .'. 2 57 24 N. 137 40 W. 532 g 4 57 57 26 N. 137 42 W. 589 5 60 57 30 N. 137 50 W. 649 6 35 57 28 N. 138 49 W. 684 7 # , 58 20 N. 140 36 W. .. g 8 23 59 00 N. 142 40 W. 707 9 1 59 00 N. 142 30 W. 708 10 2 , . • • 710 11 41 58 56 N. 143 20 W. 751 12 113 58 48 N. 143 42 W. 864 13 17 59 00 N. 144 06 W. 881 14 24 , , » . 905 15 5 58 43 N. 144 23 W. 910 16 1 58 59 N. 146 00 W. 911 17 20 58 59 N. 146 00 W. 931 18 41 58 59 N. 146 00 W. 972 19 1 58 59 N. 146 20 W. 973 20 58 59 N. 146 20 W. .. 21 # # 59 08 N. 146 00 W. .. ' ., . 22 5 59 00 N. 146 23 W. .. 23 1 58 52 N. 146 42 W. 979 24 t # 59 01 N. 147 06 W. .. 25 # 58 50 N. 148 00 W. .. 26 30 58 41 N. 148 02 W. 1,009 27 73 58 41 N. 148 02 W. 1,082 28 41 59 03 N. 147 20 W. ' 1,123 29 14 58 56 N. 146 30 W. 1,137 30 60 58 43 N. 146 08 W. 1,197 31 58 45 N. 146 00 W. .. June 1 4 • • .. 1,201 2 6 58 51 N. 145 52 W. 1,207 ' 13 3 9 59 03 N. 146 07 W. ' 1,216 ; 9> 4 17 59 20 N. 146 02 W. 1,233 93 5 1 59 18 N. 146 00 W. 1,234 if 6 5 , . , , 1,239 St 7 6 59 02 N. 147 50 W. ' 1,245 It 8 #< 58 02 N. 148 46 W. ,. 19 9 1 58 02 N. 148 46 W. ' .1,246 ' 93 10 58 31 N. 149 10 W; 91 11 *8 58 13 N. 149 22 W. 1,254 ; 11 12 13 58 40 N. 149 30 W. 1,267 ' 93 13 1 58 40 N. 149 30 W. ' 1,268 1 tl 14 58 32 N. 149 18 W. .. 11 15 .. 58 41 N. 149 05 W. .. 13 93 16 5 59 01 N. 149 35 W. 1,273 (Signed) W. E. BAKER. This is the Exhibit (A) referred to in the declaration of Wentworth E. Baker, taken before me this 28th day of November, 1892. (Signed) P. M. Irving, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. f ill ii.Tj, HBttuAOa r*:- Bill 210 Ii • , -,- ', ;■ w v*.... ■-,-■ Illii! 'i-jf':.:-.'---'*-':';"-'1 JrS«oSVS8j': (18.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Olaf J. Westerlund, of the city of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, mate, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I, Olaf Westerlund, have been mate of tbe sealing-schooner " C. D. Rand " for and during the year 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," I Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the original entries in the log of the said schooner for and upon her seabng voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are a fuB, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." Subscribed and declared by the said Olaf Westerlund, before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, on this 19th day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) OLAE WESTERLUND. (Signed) R.W. Harris, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the noon Position on each such Dates, of tbe Schooner " C. D. Rand," on ber Seabng Voyage for the Season 1892. IIS life! fill1 Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892. o / o / February 25 .. .. 4 48 23 N. 125 44 W. „ 26 3 48 18 N. 120 91 W. March 10 2 47 58 N. 125 22 W. 12 5 48 38 N. 125 59 W. iiii u 5 48 04 N. 125 48 W. 15 8 47 48 N. 125 21 W. 17 1 47 00 N. 125 00 W. April 27 9 49 12 N. 125 17 W. 28 5 49 15 N. 126 52 W. May 6 8 51 39 N. 130 39 W. „ 7 17 131 40 W. 8 2 52 10 N. 132 45 W. 9 7 , , , , 13 25 55 40 N. 135 32 W. 14 20 50 21 N, 135 36 W. 15 27 56 21 N. 135 12 W. 17 5 56 32 N. 135 31 W. „ 22 3 58 27 N. 138 44 W. 23 1 58 40 N. 140 23 W. „ 25 86 58 58 N. 140 53 W. 26 43 59 02 N. 140 58 W. 27 63 58 49 N. 140 51 W. 28 17 58 59 N. 141 10 W. „ 29 44 59 24 N, 141 32 W. 30 46 59 22 N. 142 04 W. June 1 .. 9 59 14 N. 142 55 W. 2 8 3 20 59 19 N. 143 13 W. 4 34 59 23 N. 143 32 m 5 33 59 29 N. 143 36 W. 6 5 59 38 N. 144 02 W. 7 7 59 16 N. 145 10 W. 9 5 59 54 N. 146 38 W. 15 3 58 08 N. 149 10 W. 580 (A.) This is the paper-writing marked (A) referred to in the declaration of Olaf Westerlund made before me this 19th day of December, a.d. 1892. ' (Signed) R. W. Harris, Notary Public. Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Vancouver. I, W. II. Copp, of the city of Vancouver, Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I was master of the seabuo-'gehooner " Vancouver BeBe" for and during the year of 1892. 2. That I have carefully compared the entries under the headings " Date," " Number of Seals taken," I Latitude," and " Longitude," in the Return hereto annexed marked (A), with the entries in a diary kept by me, and extracted from the original entries ib the log of the* said schooner for and upon her seabng voyage in the year 1892, and say the same are, to the best of my knowledge and belief, a full, true, and correct abstract of the entries therein made referring to the matters in said Return set out. 3. That I have been unable to compare the said enjtries with the original entries in the log of the said schooner, for the reason that the said schooner, while upon her sealing voyage aforesaid, was seized by the Russian Government, and the said log passed out of my possession along with the said schooner, and I have not since obtained possession of the same. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) W. H. COPP. Subscribed and declared by the said W. H. Copp before me, a Notary Public dttly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Vancouver, in the Province of British Colunibia, this 24th day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) E. P. DAVIS, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia-. (Seal.) [US] i*Wfi It 212 H | Return showing the Dates on which Seals were taken, the Number taken each Day, and the noon Position on- each such Dates, of the Schooner " Vancouver BeBe," on her Sealing Voyage for the Season 1892. III! V:: ■ ..i.::Vi',l.'',.i mwivm & ill mm Date. Number of Seals taken. Latitude. Longitude. Total Seals to Date. 1892. o / o / February 16 .. . 3 47 50 N. 125 25 W. ,. 17 .. . 1 47 55 N. 125 08 W. „ 18 .. . 4 47 40 N. 125 10 W. „ 19 .. . 5 47 30 N. 125 20 W. 3, 22 .. . 2 47 51 N. 125 25 W. „ 25 1 47 27 N. 125 30 W. March 1 a . . 2 48 40 N. 125 52 W. 2 . . * 2 48 20 N. 125 50 W. 8 • • . 2 48 20 N. 125 30 W. 9 . . . 1 48 30 N. 125 35 W. 11 . . . 4 48 30 N. 125 50 W. 12 . . * 1 48 10 N. 126 08 W. 15 . . * 7 48 17 N. 127 45 W. 16 . . . 1 48 30 N. 127 50 W. 19 . . . 2 48 32' N. 126 38 W. April 18 . . . 2 48 20 N. 127 50 W. 19 . . . 2 51 50 N. 132 00 W. 24 .. . 2 52 13 N. 133 18 W. 26 . . . 14 54 30 N. 133 30 W. 28 . . . 4 55 20 N. 134 15 W. 29 . ■ . . 2 55 40 N. 134 40 W. 30 . . . « 2 55 45 N. 134 50 W. May 1 • . . 26 56 00 N. 134 56 W. 4 » . . . 6 57 40 N. 136 50 W. 5 . . . • 24 57 40 N. . 136 45 .W.. 6 . . . . 5 57 40 N. 136 4 9 W. 11 t. . . 5 59 32 N. 142 32 W. 12 • . . 6 59 06 N. 143 30 W. 13 ,. . • 19 59 06 N. 142 40 W. 14 . . . 6 59 10 N. 143 50 W. 15 • . . 3 59 00 N. 146 00 W. 16 * . • 7 59 30 N. 145 56 W. 17 . • • 19 58 53 N. 14 6 30 W. 18 57 59 03 N. 147 45 W. 22 « • . 5 57 35 N. 147 33 W. 27 • .. 16 59 16 N. 148 44 W. ,3 28 . .. 14 57 29 N. 149 43 W. 29 • « . ■ii/ ■ 57 35 N. 149 40 W. 30 . . . 27 57 47 N. 149 40 W. June 2 • • . 10 58 30 N. 150 00 W. IPS 3 • 7 58 40 N. 151 30 W. 335 on the coast. July 4 3 54 11 N. 168 52 E. 5 | 54 05 N. 107 15 E. 8 1 54 04 N. 167 00 E. 9 18 54 12 N. 169 03 E. 10 2 54 16 N. 169 32 E. 13 3 54 13 N. 169 30 E. „ 14 22 54 10 N. 168 30 E. 16 1 55 25 \\ 167 20 E. 17 1 55 40 N. 166 10 E. 20 1 55 16 N. 168 24 E. „ 25 8 55 28 N. 170 24 E. 26 2 55 09 N. 169 08 E. 27 8 53 56 N. 169 08 E. 28 103 54 05 N. 107 35 E. 29 11 54 05 N. 167 35 E. » 30 I 54 07 N. 167 00 E. 31 1 54 15 N. 107 00 E. August 1 . 13 54 04 N. 167 10 E. „ 2 I 54 10 N. 167 10 E. „ 3 13 54 20 N. 1G7 33 E. 4 5 54 12 N. 167 26 E. 33 5 14 53 54 N. 167 35 E. „ 6 24 54 10 N. 167 38 E. H 7 . 31 54 13 N. 167 20 E. „ 8 1 54 20 N. 167 01 E. „ 10 3 54 20 N. 166 00 V-. >3 11 3 54 15 N. 166 30 E. •• •• •• 296 Total catcl I 631 (Signed) Vancouver, December 20, 1892. (Signed) E. P. Davis, Notary Public. W. A. COPP, Ex-Master, Schooner " Vancouver Belle. HfflV 213 Notes made on Voyages between Yokohama and Vancouver by the Commanders of Steam-ships of I Empress " Line, Canadian Pacific Railway. MR. W. C. VAN HORNE, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway, kindly instructed tlie Captains of the mail steam-ships of the " Empress " Line, running between Vancouver and Japan, to report any fur-seals observed during their voyages. The reports so far received are quoted below. Dear Sir, Canadian Pacific Railway Company, Montreal, April 11, 1892. Captain Marshall, of the "Empress of India," reports that, on his last voyage out (13th to 17th January), "although only 15 miles off some of the islands (Aleutians), no seals were seen, but one was seen on the Japan coast between Kirkasan and Inaboye." This may interest Mr. Dawson. Yours truly, (Signed) A. PIERS, W. C. Van Home, Esq., President. P 1 Dear Sir, Yokohama, May 12, 1892. I wish to report that on the 10th instant, from 4-20 A.M. to 5-20 a.m., off the coast of Japan in latitude 38° 20' north, longitude 143° 20' east, we passed through a continuous shoal of seals playing about. There were a few large ones, but most, of them were very small. I can conscientiously say that we saw over 200 before the wash from the ship frightened them away. The morning was very gloomy and calm, the sea calm, with a peculiar smell off it; small clumps of see-weed, and several birds hovering about; evidently plenty of fish about. The sea temperature at the time was 66 degrees. Yours respectfully. (.Signed) GEORGE A. LEE, Commander. A Piers, Esq., Canadian Pacific Railway, Montreal. il SI Extract from a Letter from Captain Marshall, At Sea, May 22, 1892. This passage (19th and 20th May) we have again seen numsrous seals between latitudes 38° and 46° north, and longitudes 146° and 169° east; at times they were present in goodly numbers, but generally only a few were seen at a time. They appeared to be travelling in a north-westerly direction, but; this is, of course, very hard to determine, going at our speed; these seals this passage have not been seen playing about, but they did not look like sleeping; the seals we passed on this' voyage outwards were particularly lively, and were jumping clean out of. tbe water. iii m Dear Sir, Canadian Pacific Railway Company, Montreal, May 13, 1892. Captain Marshall, of tbe " Empress of India," reports that, on the 18th April, on his outward voyage No. 6, be saw " any number of seals, all fur-seals, latitude 40° 41' north, longitude 143° to 145° west, apparently going north. We passed one sealer with three boats down, following them up." Yours truly, (Signed) A. PIERS. . W. C. Van Home, Esq., President. Dear Sir, Canadian Pacific Railway Company, Montieal, August 5, 1892. Captain Lee, of the " Empress of Japan," reports having observed two seals close alongside, apparently playing, on tbe 5th July, 1 p.m., latitude 49° 25'north, longitude 171° 30' east. At the time the weather was fine, calm, and overcast; sea temperature, 42 degrees Fahrenheit. Captain Marshall reports having seen one seal on the 26th July, latitude 49° 45' north, longitude 140° west. Captain Marshall is tbe commander of the " Empress of India." Yours truly, (Signed) A. PIERS. W. C. Van Home Esq., President. ■ Dear Sir, Montreal, October 1], 1892. The following is an 'entry in the teg of the I Enipress of India," Commander O. P. Marshall, voyage No. 8 home, dated the 27th September, 1892 :— 110 a.m. Passed some kelp. Observed a seal." Yours truly, (Signed) A. PIERS. Wk C. Van Home, Esq., President. Dear Sir, Canadian Pacific Railway Company, Montreal, October 17, 1892. I return Dr. Dawson's letter of the 13th, with reference to the one seal which I reported from the " Empress of India," voyage No. 8. This seal was observed at 10 A.M. of the 27th September, 1892, ships course N. 58° E., position at noon by account (sun obscured) 50' 26" north, 148' 54" west, speed in the interval 15'5 knots per hour. No seals of any kind- having been reported since the 5th August, Dr. Dawson may take it that none have been observed by our ships. Yours truly, (Signed) A. PIERS. W. C, Van Home, Esq., President. 2!5 OS , CO ^ iH s ^ f-i ^ o ^ *H <i Ci H-3 H CD CD ,<o §§ gj I 60 .,—1 ^> Is >* 0) ^ OQ .^s 1 ce 11 eg "V» jj °o c3 <S O >» 1 O <D p- IP 61 • ^ *Si k; ^0 O P r3 02 B i CD r3 118] ,_ *J US GO 00 r •■ *j C-, ^o CO J JS c <t «M o ■ co ^i. -V 3 "o p. bO cJ 00 <H , i 2 ii . 0 0 0 us <-T CO (M US © O O -i OC © us © 2 © (N © "^ 'i. 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The following is a copy of the Form used :— Dominion of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. British Columbia, and Dominion of Canada 1. That I am the of the sealing schooner of the City of Victoria, in the Province of do solemnly declare |— registered at the Port of Victoria,- British Columbia, and mentioned scaa referred to in the statement hereunder written. 2. That I have full knowledge of all the facts connected with said schooner set out in the said statement, for and in respect of the sealing season of 189 , and say that the same are true and correct. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same- to be true, and by virtue of "The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths/' Subscribed and declared by the said before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned and residing and practising at the City of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this skUII °f _a.d. 1892. Ml I *>P A Notarv Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. i This is the Statement referred to- in the above solemn Declaration of 1. Name of Vessel .. .. 2. Tonnage 3. Value ».' .. . * 4. Value of Outfit 5. No. of Boats 6. No. of Canoes 7. No. white men. employed 8'. No Indians employed M 9-. Estimated loss to vessel by closing of Ber ins: Sea H- Declarant. * (Seal.)' Notary Public. [118] 3 L ilSsS Jit wm lilt itliti ( 220 ) VI.—Evidence as to Value of Sealing Schooners. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, JOHN STEAVENSON, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, ship-owner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner of the British schooner " Labrador." The " Labrador " was built for me directly under my own supervision, and attached hereto, marked (A), is a true and accurate statement of the cost of the " Labrador," and in another column a true and accurate statement of the outfit and wages paid for the first sealing voyage made by the " Labrador." 2. The " Labrador " is 25-31 tons register, built of Douglas pine, iron fastened, and uncoppered. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of £ The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOHN STEAVENSON. j ISS'i Subscribed and declared by the said John Steavenson before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Akthur L Belyea, Notary Public. (Seal.) Iiii ■'-Wi.i-i EicWfcsJ -llli Schooner "Labrad or, 221 (A.) 25-31 tons, built at Vancouver, British Columbia, expressly for the Behring Sea Fur-Seal Fishery, 1890-91. Date. Cost of Vessel, including insurance. Outfit, including Wages. 1890. Dol. c. Dol. c. Oct. 27 to 29 1891. Telegrams ,. ., ., 5 65 Jan. 21 .. Insurance against fire whikt building to 30th April.. 7 20 ,, 16 .. First instalment on hull 600 00 Feb. -1 .. Account books, &c. .. .. 3 50 Jan. 20 .. Ship chandler's account .. 2 16 ., 30 .. Drilling forboat-sails ,. .. .. ,. 9 0') Feb. 25 .. Freight of windlass .. ,. 0 35 Mar. 4 .. Sails, cordage, oats, &e. .. 28S 23 „ 1 -. Powder .. .. 55 50 ,, 1 to 31 Sundry freight, ballast, stores, &e. .. 278 56 ,, I to 31 ; Insurance for voyage .. .. .. 70 00 ,. 25 .. 20 water-casts 20 50 ,3 20 .. Freight on stores from Halifax per C. P. ft. 34 13 3, 20 Pump 17 15 ,, 27 .. . 7 " Parker" 10-bore gims at 60 dollars each 420 00 „ 28 .. On account of hull, as per contract 900 no 33 28 .. Fees of Registrar of Shipping .. .. 15 00 ,, 28 .. Gray and Co , account for provisions .. , # G80 50 33 28 .. Chandlery .. .. ,. 10 90 ,, 28 .. Smithy work .. .. ,. ., ,. 12 20 33 28 .. Towage and wharfage .. .. .. 27 50 „ 28 .. Rigging .. .. .. .. ,. 20 00 3, 28 .. Painting name on schooner .. .. 4 00 „ 30 .. Hardware (on account).. .. # # a 00 00 „ 30 .. Ditto, ditto .. . j 66 00 ,, 30 .. I wo " mast-coats" .. .. .. 4 00 April 2 .. On account of chronometer .. ,. 92 54 „ 2 ,, five boats .. 365 00 July 6 .. ,, charter of steamer •" Danube " , | .29 9.2 ,, G .. Balance of ditto .. .. | . 50 00 ,, 7 Wharfage and stores .. .. .. 33 84 Aug. 29 .. 1 Wages of captain and crew for the voyage . • .. . . 2,707 .75 j. 29 .. Fees of Registrar of Shipping on discharge . * 3 30 Sept. 12 .. ' Coal account.. .. .. .. , . 24 75 ,, V.) .. , Wages of painter .. .. .. 20 00 , 19 .. Balance of account for hardware.. .. „ . 120 50 Oct 14 .. „ „ five boats .. 52 50 Nov. 2 .. „ hull 500 00 3y 2 ,, ,, of chronometer 57 00 j. 2 .. .. Petty cash 0 50 >> 3 .. Insurance (reimbursement to MeAlpine of premium paid by them) .. .. 85 00 20 .. Sealers' Association .. .. .. .. 15 00 26 .. Law costs ■. .. • • • • 12 50 Dec. 12 . .. Account for ship chandlery- Salt i Provisions, &c. .. .. ■ Labour .. .. .. .. Insurance .. .. .. .. . • Casks .. .. > Express hire Insurance .. .. .. ... Cartage and 'telegram Sundry insurances (premiums) .. .. Repairing sails . • . * .. Blacksmith's account Interest charged in agent's account 331 00 17 20 23 87 176 77 35 50 18 25 57 00 130 30 10 40 13 00 2 50 2 95 108 61 Anchor, to replace one lost Total .. .. .. 15 25 4,074 41 4,700 32 (Signed) JOHN STEAVENSON, Managing Owner. This is the statement marked (A) referred to in the declaration of John Steavenson, declared before me the 24th day of December, A.B. 1892. (Signed) A. L Belyea, Notary Ptiblic S5SR!*3 J m ov>o mm BPffi- 1; III Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. 1. Eiclwrd Hall, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, ship-owner, do solemnly declare:— 1 | | 3. That I am the managing owner o§ the hereinafter named vessels, " Geneva and Ocean Belle," and have in my possession all the accounts,- vouchers, and books of the said vessels since the purchase of them as hereinafter set out. 2. That myself and two others bought the said " Ocean Belle " at Lunenburg, in the Province of Nova Scotia, in October 1.889, for the sum of 2,475 dollars. The actual cost of fitting out, provisioning, insuring, wages, and all other charges and expenses in bringing the " Ocean Belle" from Lunenburg to Victoria was°5,892 dol. G4 c, making a total cost of the vessel at Victoria of 8,3F,7 dol. 64 c. 3. That the " Ocean Belle " was, on arrival at Victoria, thoroughly refitted and repaired, and equipped for a Sealing voyage, at a cost of 4,450 dollars. The voyage lasted six months, and cost a total of 9,556 dol. 69 c. for wages of master and crew, lay or share paid to the hunters, insurance, and incidental charges and expenses, making a total outlay of 23,074 dol. 33 c. for the vessel for the year, including her purchase price, 4. The " Ocean Belle" was built at Lunenburg in the year 1883, and is 83 tons register. She has always been kept in first-class repair, and is to-day a strong sound vessel, worth at current prices in Victoria for sealing-vessels of her class 8,200 dollars. 5. The " Geneva" was purchased by myself and associates at Lunenburg aforesaid, in October, a.d. 1890, for the sum of 2,900 dollars. It cost an additional sum of 5,250 dol. 12 c. to bring this vessel round Cape Horn to Victoria, making the cost at Victoria 8,150 dol. 12 c. The " Geneva" was built at. said Lunenburg in 1884, and is 98 tons register. 6. That after arrival at Victoria the "Geneva" was repaired,-put in first-class order, and outfitted for a sealing voyage in 1891. This cost for all purposes the sum of 4,600 dol. 63 c, making a total cost or expenditure, for and upon the " Geneva" as she lay ready for her voyage, 12,750 dol. 75 c. On the completion of the voyage, the sums paid for insurance, wages, lay of hunters, and incidentals amounted to 5,324 dol. 88 c, a total expenditure for and on accxrant of the " Geneva " and her season's sealing voyage of 18,075 dol. 63 c. 7. The guns on both vessels were the Smith and Greener manufactures, the former American, the latter English, arid cost something over 50 dollars each on the average. 8. Included in the cost of bringing the said vessels from Lunenburg to-Victoria is the cost of coppering, both done at Lunenburg. 9. I am the Secretary of the Sealers Association of Victoria, and have a good knowledge of the sealing business carried on from tliis port. In 1892 the hunters were paid from a one-fifth lay on Victoria prices to 4 dollars per skin. In 1891 and 1890 the hunters were paid from a one-fifth lay to 3 dol. 50 c. per skin. In 1889 hunters were paid from 2. to 3 dollars'per skin. Previous to 1889 the general rate paid to hunters was about 2\ dollars per skin. The above prices; were for white hunters. Indian hunters are paid on a different plan. Indians hunt in canoes, two men to each canoe. The general rule is to allow 4 dol. 50 c. for each skin the canoe brings to the vessel. One-third of this goes to the vessel, and the remainder goes to the canoes, or ~\\ dollars to each Indian employed. In addition, a bonus of 10 to 20 dollars per canoe is paid by the vessel for the season, and a donation of provisions to the families of Indians-employed, from 100 to 200 dollars in value for all. This donation is called in Chinook " Cultns Pottach." 10. That 9 the last two years a higher figure has been paid to Indians than the above, as well as to white hunters. As high as 6 dollars per skin has been allowed, one-third to vessel, and remainder to the canoe, or 2 dollars per man. ■ 11. That sealing with Indian hunters is about one-third cheaper than with -white hunters, but a much less number of seals is taken by Indian hunters than white hunters. As a rule, sealing men allow that one boat (white hunters) is equal to two canoes (Indian hunters). The great objection to Indians is their superstition. Often some trivial occurrence will be construed by them to presage some disaster, and they will abandon the voyage. Once they make up their minds to this they will go no further, in fact, in some instances they have destroyed spears and canoes rather than continue the voyage. The seizures in Behring Sea have greatly interfered with the employment ol' Indians in the sealing-schooners.. 12. That since the year 1888, when I first went into the sealing business, I have known of only two cases of sealing-schooners being'employed in any other pursuit except sealing. One case was that of the " C. H. Tupper," that in the winter and spring of 1889 went to the Sandwich Islands with a submarine cable outfit. I do not think the " C. H. Tupper " did any sealing that year at all. ' This year the steam-schooner " Mischief" has been employed in the halibut fishery simply as an experiment. These are the only vessels since 1888 that have been out of berth from the time of arrival at the close of one season to opening of the next. As a matter of fact, there is nothino- else for the sealing-schooners except sealing. There is no coast trade they can engage in, and deep-sea fishino- is so far a failure, owing to the great distance- from markets and great cost of transportation. 13. That, if the sealing business were stopped from any cause, the entire fleet now engaged in that pursuit would be practically valueless. It would cost more to take any one of the fleet *to°the North Atlantic coast than suck schooner would be worth when there. 14. The cost of building the hull and spars of a fair-class sealing-schooner at Victoria is not less than 125 dollars per ton. Many of those built here cost over that. Schooners bought in the east and brought here cost nearly as much, if no accident happen them en route. The class of both vessels and outfits have been greatly improved since 1888, and the capital invested per vessel when ready for sea is now double-what it was in 1887. The latest and best firearms are used, and the ammunition used^ is the best in the market. Most of the sealing-boats. are copper fastened, strongly built, and first class in every detail, Wmffl 223 15. That, in 1892, sixty-three schooners cleared from British Columbia ports for sealing voyages, exclusive of small schooners owned by Indians. Ten of these were seized, and two wrecked and lost. One of the ten seized was an Indian schooner. This year the fleet will number not over fifty-six, including new vessels. 16. That the sealing season for Victoria vessels lasts about eight,months, four of which are'spent on the coast, and four on the Behring Sea cruize. It takes from forty to fifty days' actual sailing to make the trip from the point where the coast sealing closes into Be.hring Sea and return to Victoria. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) EICHAED HALL. I Subscribed and declared by the said Eichard Hall before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and. residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 22nd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, Notary Public. (Seal.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Charles Hackett, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner of the British schooner I Annie C. Moore," engaged in the fur- sealing business out of the port of Victoria aforesaid. 2. That hereunto annexed, marked (A), and certified correct by me, is a true statement of the expenditures and receipts of the voyage of the | Annie C. Moore " for the sealing season of 1891. The gross expenditure was 17,085 dol. 89 c., the gross receipts 31,919 dol. 99 c. 3 That, in the years 1889 and 1890 the expenditures and receipts were about the same as for the year 1891. 4. That the item " Wages," 8,734 dol. 65 c, includes amounts to hunters for lay. 5. That, in the month of October 1891,1 purchased at the port of Shelbourne, in the Province of Nova Scotia, the British schooner " Libbie," 92 tons register, one year old, for the sum of 3,175 dollars. After purchase I had the " Libbie " coppered, and put in first class repair and order for the voyage to Victoria. This, together with the provisioning and ship supplies for the voyage, cost a toial of 4,118 dol. 69c; a total cost of 7,293 dol. 69 c. when the vessel was ready to sail for Victoria. The voyage out cost as follows:— I Dol. c. Insurance .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 292 00 Wages of crew .. .. .. .. ,. .. .. .. 421 25 Wages of captain .. .. ,. .. ,. ., .. .. 400 00 1,113 25 making a total cost on arrival at Victoria of 8,406 dol. 94 c. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) CHAS. HACKETT. Subscribed and declared by the said Charles Hackett before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 23rd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. ■) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. 1, John Clark, of the city of Victoria, in the PrdYince of British Columbia, ship-builder, do solemnly declare:— 1. That in the years 1891 and 1892 I built the sealing-schooner "Enterprise," 69 tons, registered at the port pi Victoria aforesaid. 2. That' the cost" of the " Enterprise," when eomplete'd and ready for her sealing outfit, was 9,500 dollars, or over. I also built in the same years the sealing-schooner " Victoria," for 9,000 dollars. The " Enterprise " is larger and in every way a better built and stronger vessel, and worth more than the difference in cost between her and the " Victoria." _ The " Enterprise" is copper-fastened, coppered, and in every respect a first-class, vessel for the purpose she was intended. Her market value at Victoria is not less than 10,000 dollars. An ordinary sealing-schooner, uncoppered, can be built at Victoria for from 100 to 120 dollars per ton carpenters' measurement, and when copper-fastened and coppered, and built generally of better material and workmanship, at from 125 to 150 dollars per ton, same measurement, exclusive in both cases of rigging and sails. [118] 3 M I J 224 And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true,- and by virtue if " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." * (Signed) JOHN CLAEK. Subscribed and declared by the said John Clark before me, a Notary Public commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 23rd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Victor Jacobson, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner and ship-owner, do solemnly declare: — 1. That I am the owner of the schooner " Minnie, 49 tons, registered at the port of Victoria aforesaid. I had the hull of the " Minnie " built by contract for 3,000 dollars. I sparred, rigged, and furnished the vessel myself, and when completed she had-cost me a little over 6,000 dollars. This was in 1888 and 1889. I fitted and equipped the "Minnie" for sealing in 1889, at an additional cost of about 4,500 dollars. 2. That neither the " Minnie " nor the | Mary Ellen," both owned by me, have ever been in any other trade except sealing, nor do I know of any other sealing-schooner that has been. If the sealing trade were to collapse the Victoria fleet would be worth little or nothing. There is nothing on the Pacific coast such a class of vessels can do except sealing. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) VICTOE JACOBSON. Subscribed and declared by the said Victor Jacobson before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 23rd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, John Lambert Penney, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, trader, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the Managing Director of the Pacific Sealing Company (Limited), of Victoria, British Columbia, and have full knowledge of all the matters hereinafter, stated and referred to. 2. That the said Company are the owners of the schooner " Victoria," built for said Company at Victoria in the early part of 1892. 3. That the contract price for the "Victoria," including hull, spars, sails, and rigginc, was 8,550 dollars. That, in .addition, there was paid to the builders for extras, cost of model and inspection, the sum of 450 dollars, and for ship furniture the sum of 500 dollars, making a total cost of 9,500 dollars. 4. That the " Victoria " was fitted out in 1892 for a sealing voyage at a cost of 5,000 dollars (in round numbers), made up as follows:— Dol. c. 6 sealing-boats, at 100 dollars ,. .. .. .. .. .. .. 600 00 1 ship's boat.. 14 guns, at 60 dollars .. ,, 1 rifle .. .. ., Provisions and other supplies.. Total 85 00 840 00 15 00 3,460 00 5,000 00 5. That the said Company are the-owners of the sealing-schooner "Oscar and Hattie," bought in San Prancisco by me in 1890 for the sum of 7,500 dollars. The total cost of the " Oscar and Hattie " at Victoria was 9,500 dollars, made up as follows :— Purchase price.. .. ,. Expenses and commission of purchase ,. ,. Alterations, repairs, and fittings for sealing purposes Canada customs duty 10 per cent... ., ,. Total •• •• •• •• •• •• .. 9,950 00 In addition there was put on the " Oscar and Hattie " for sealing purposes the following:— Dol. c. 7,500 00 500 00 750 00 750 00 Water-tanks ,. 7 boats .. ., 14 guns, at 60 dollars each making a total cost for the " Oscar sealing, the sum of 11,595 dollars, Dol. c. 570 00 685 00 840 00 : and Hattie," when ready for receiving provisions and stores for 225 6.. That neither of the said vessels have ever been used for any other purpose than sealing, and, in fact, there is no other trade or use they can be put to on this coast. They are too small for either the coal or lumber trade, and there is no fishing trade worthy of mention in which these vessels could engage. Without the sealing, the sealing fleet of British Columbia would be on the owners' hands almost worthless. Already the values of sealing-vessels at Victoria are somewhat depreciated by the closing of Behring Sea under the modus vivendi, and the course pursued by the Eussian Government last season (1892) on the Copper Island grounds. 7. That, for a catch of 2,000 seal-skins per season of eight, months, it will cost to pay the crew and hunters of either the " Victoria" or " Oscar and Hattie" 13,000 dollars at least, made up as follows: Captain, at 50 dollars per month 50 cents per skin on 2,000 skins .. 6 hunters, at 3 dol. 50 c. per skin Mate, at 45 dollars per month.. 13 seamen, at 30 dollars per month 1 boy, at 15 dollars per month ,. Cook, at 65 dollars per month.. Dol. c. 400 00 1,000 00 7,000 00 360 00 3,120 00 120 00 520 00 The cost of provisions for such a vovage would be about 3,500 dollars, the ammunition included. The annual cost of repairs to vessel, boats, and guns runs from 800 to 1,000 dollars. Sealing-boats last from three to four years, and guns are generally sold at from a quarter to one-third of original cost at the end of four or five years, and replaced by new ones. Insurance on vessel and cargo costs at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously Relieving the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JNO. L. PENNEY. Subscribed and declared by the said John Lambert Penny before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, Notary Public. (Seal.) Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, George Henry Brown, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, merchant, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the managing owner of the hereinafter-mentioned sealing-schooners " Maud S." and " Agnes McDonald," both registered at the port of Victoria. 2. That I am a member of the firm of Brown Brothers, who purchased the said vessels at Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, and have full knowledge of the facts hereinafter set forth. 3. That the said schooner " Maud S." was purchased at Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, in October a.d. 1890, for the sum of 3,200 dollars. After purchase there was spent upon the hull and for the proper and necessary equipment of the said schooner for a voyage from Halifax, vi& Cape Horn,- to Victoria, the sum of 2,530 dollars. 4. That the actual expenditure for the voyage, which occupied about five and one-half months, in addition to the above sum, was made up as follows, namely:— Dol. c. Insurance .. .. •• •• •• •• •• •• •• 210 00 Provisions ... .. •• •• •• •• •• »• •• '21 00 Wages •• i. •• •• •• •• •• •• •• "°° 00 Total 1,916 00 making the total coast of the "Maud S.," on arrival at Victoria, 7,646 dollars. 5. That to this.must be added the allowance for wear and tear, which in ordinary cases is put at 10 per cent, of the cost of the hull and equipment. 6. That the " Maud S." is five years old, 97 tons, and is the cheapest vessel of her class and tonnage in the sealing fleet of Victoria. 7. That the said schooner "Agnes McDonald " was purchased at Halifax aforesaid, in OctoberA.D. 1891 for the sum of 6,200 dollars. To prepare this vessel for the voyage to Victoria there was spent upon hull and equipment the sum of 2,607 dol. lie. The actual expenses of the voyage, which lasted about five months, were as follows, namely :— Insurance .. .. •• •• •• •• ••' •• Provisions .. .. •• •• •• •• •• •* Wages .. .. •• •• •• •• •• •• Making a total of .. >• ( •• •• •• and bringing up the total cost of the " Agnes McDonald," exclusive of wear and tear, to the sum of ■ 8 The " Ao-nes McDonald" is less than two years old, 107*09 tons,built for a Government fishery cruizer on the Atlantic coast, and cost, when first ready for service, about_ 9,000 dtlkrs. 9, That immediately upon the arrival of the | Maud S," at Victoria in 1891, she was fitted up and Dol. c. 400 00 918 35 1,169 25 2,487 60 equipped for a sailing voyage On hull and equipment ,. Insurance .. ■. Provisions .. . • Ammunition .. . ■ Guns •• .. Boats ,. .. 226 The total sum expended in such fitting up and equipment amounted to Dol. o. 1,137 55 210 00 1,242 16 374 80 773 25 sum of.. 916 06 total 4,653 82 4,653 dol. 82 c, made up as follows :— On hull and equipment.. .. . • • • • • Insurance .. .. •< •• •• •• •• Provisions .. .. •• •• •• • • Ammunition . • .. .. . • • • • • Guns .. .. •• •> •• •• •• Boats Making, as the cost of outfitting for the sealing voyage, a 10. TMt the " Maud S." sealing voyage in 1891 lasted five months, and upon her return to port there was paid to the.master and crew in cash, for wages/the sum of 3,250 dollars. In addition to this, the hunters, six in number, were paid for. their services at an average rate of 2 dol. 90_c. per skin for the number of skins caught, and the master, in addition to his monthly wages, was paid 50 cents per skin on the total catch of the vessel. 11. That the cost of fitting out the "Agnes McDonald" for the sealing season of 1892, after her arrival at Victoria, amounted to 5,448 dol. 25 c, made up as follows, namely:— Dol. c. Making a total of 1,240 13 742 85 1,233 72 555 40 800 50 875 65 5,448 25 The wages paid in cash to the master and crew on the return of the " Agnes McDonald " from her sealing voyage amounted to 3,226 dol. 41 c, and the amount paid to the hunters for their "lay," or share, was 3,852 dollars; this included 50 cents per skin to the captain. The actual running expenses of the " Agnes McDonald" on her sealing voyage aforesaid, exclusive of ammunition, cost of guns or boats, averaged the sum of 1,278 dol. 22 c. per month. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) GEO. HENEY BEOWN. Subscribed and declared by the said George Henry Brown before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Oolumbia, this 20th day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, Notary Public. Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I,] George Collins, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, ship-owner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the owner of the British vessel " Sea Lion," registered at the poit of Victoria aforesaid. 2. That I had the " Sea Lion 1 built under my own supervision, in the fall of 1889. The total cost of the " Sea Lion," when ready for sea, without sealing outfit, was 6,500 dollars, exclusive of my own services. In the fall of 1890 Iliad the "Sea Lion" put upon the ways, recaulked and coppered, at ti cost of 1,000 dollars. This vessel is copper-fastened .throughout, strongly built, and is first-class in every respect. 3. That I sent the "Sea Lion "'to San' Francisco in* January 1890 for the purpose of fitting her out at that port for a sealing voyage. At that time I could not get either boats or guns of the kind I wanted at Victoria. At San Prancisco I got a complete sealing outfit, and provisioned the " Sea lion " for the season at a cost of 4,300 dollars. "When the " Sea Lion" sailed out of San Francisco about the 1st February, she had cost me in cash over 11,000 dollars. She carried five boats and nineteen men, and brought to Victoria in October, about the 10th, 1,815 seal-skins. The voyage yielded me a net profit of 14,000 dollars. 4. The I Sea Lion 1 is built expressly for sealing, and would be practically valueless for any other purpose. There is no business on the Pacific coast for which any of the sealino- vessels are suitable, and the closing of the business would render the whole fleet about worthless. An I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths.''. I (Signed) GEO. COLLINS. Subscribed and-declared by the said-George Collins before me, at the city of Vi rovince of British Columbia, this_22nd day of December, A.D. 1892. [ (Signed) ctoria, in the Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 227 Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, John Graham Cox, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, merchant, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am a member of the mercantile firm of E. B. Marvin and Company, the owners of the hereinafter named sealing-schooner " Carlotta' G. Cox," and I am the managing owner thereof. 2. The said " Carlotta G. Cox" was built in the latter part of the year 1890, and completed in the early part of 1891, at the ship-yard of 0. E. Marner, in this city. 3. That the contract price for the hull and spars of the said schooner was 5,600 dollars. The cost of rigging, sails, and general equipment, exclusive of the special requirements for sealing purposes, was 2,882 dol. 87 c, and the cost of-coppering to load-line mark was 1,020 dol. 7 c, making a total cost of the " Carlotta G. Cox," when ready for her sealing outfit, of 9,502 dol. 94 c. 4. The said schooner carried on her sealing voyage for 1892 six boats, which cost 581 dollars, nine shot-guns (Parker's), costing 617 dol. 50 c, and one rifle costing 18 dollars. The ammunition put en board cost 406 dol. 63 c, and the provisions 2;579 dol. 1 c. Insurance for the voyage cost 986 dol. 80 c. —a total for these items of 5,188 dol. 94 c. The " Carlotta G. Cox" thus cost, when ready for sea on. her sealing voyage for 1892, the sum of 14,691 dol. 88 c. 5. That on the return of this vessel to port at the close of the season 1892 there was paid to the crew and hunters—twenty-three men all told—the sum of 14,814 dol. 13 c. 6. That in the fall of the year 1887 I purchased at Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, the schooner " Sapphire," two years old, and 108 tons net, now registered at Victoria aforesaid. That appended hereto, marked (A), is a true statement of the cost of this vessel when ready for sea at Victoria, and also of the expenditure for and upon her first sealing voyage in 1889. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) JOHN G. COX Subscribed and declared by the said John Graham Cox before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, Notary Public. (Seal.) (A.) Cost of Schooner " Sapphire," Victoria, British Columbia. Cash paid at Halifax.. .. .. .. Disbursements at Halifax Outfitting, sails, gear, copper, &c, at Halifax— Staces, Son, and Co. .. .. .. Provisions, Muir and Co. .. .. Rio de Janeiro disbursements.. .. .. San Diego disbursements .. .. .. Victoria, British Columbia— Including crew's wages .. ., ,, Including captain's wages Insurance, Halifax to Victoria, 3£ on 6,000 dollars Repairs— Cost of repairs in Victoria, British Columbia Less received from Insurance Company ., Loss .. .. .. Total cost, ready for sea .. (Signed) Dol. c. Dol. c. 3,800 00 380 49 2,564 08 451 73 3,015 81 111 83 733 98 •• 1,025 99 925 32 210 00 1,878 16 1,318 89 559 37 , ^ • • 10,762 69 1) JOHN G. COX Ii * [118] Ii iii £28 ismi [mm til I rltlJ i Schooner " Sapphire," Victoria, British Columbia, one Season's Disbursements. Wages paid Indians ■ > ,, crew .. Insurance . • .. Port expenses, watchman, &< Labour .. >. Ship chandlery .. Provisions.. . • Hardware. • Sundries Guns .. Ammunition .. Towage .. .. Freight .. Sailmakers i • Shipwrights .. Slop account, clothes, boots, Lumber .. .. Boats .. i. &c. Dol. c. 18,696 20 3,666 87 1,393 41 240 85 224 25 1,583 23 2,132 62 124 12 313 33 114 75 112 47 118 50 214 42 654 02 211 00 623 45 89 45 80 00 DoL Total expenditure (Signed) 25,542 99 JOHN G. COX This is the statement marked (A) referred to in the declaration of John Graham Cox, declared before me this 24th day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) A. L. Belyea, Notary Public Cafiada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, William Turpel, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, ship-builder, do solemnly declare :— 1. That I have been in the business of ship-building for fourteen years at the city of Victoria, British Columbia. 2. That during the last ten years I have been almost wholly engaged in repairing, rebuilding, and building sealing-schooners belonging to the Victoria fleet. The first sealer I built was the " May Belle," 58 tons register. I launched the "May Belle" from my yard in March 1891. I built the hull and furnished spars, rigging, and sails for 7,000 dollars. I lost money on her, about 600 dollars, on my contract to build her. 3. That in the year 1891 I built for myself the sealer " Sadie Turpel," 56 tons register. The " Sadie Turpel" cost, when ready to receive her sealing outfit, the sum of 10,500 dollars. The " Sadie Turpel" cost a trifle more than other vessels I have built of the same tonnage, for the reason that she is a stronger built vessel, and nothing but first-class material went into her construction. 4. The sealing outfit of the " Sadie Turpel" for 1892 cost a little over 4,000 dollars, and the wages of crew and hunters' share, 4,558 dol. 98 c. Other charges and supplies brought the cost of the voyage up to.8,782 dol. 87 c. 5. That during the last ten years I have not known any sealing-vessels, except one or two, as hereafter stated, to engage in "any other kind of business or trade than sealing. In fact, there is nothing else for them to do, and without the sealing the fleet would be mostly useless and valueless. The sealers I have known to engage in other work than sealing ar°. the "Mischief," a small steam- schooner, this year engaged in halibut fishing as an experiment, and a trip the " C. H. Tupper " made to the Sandwich Islands with' "a submarine cable outfit. The whole fleet remains in Victoria Harbour from the close of one sealing season to the opening of the next. 6. That no vessel -suitable- for tbe North Pacific sealing business, of good average strength and workmanship, can be built at Victoria or any other place in British Columbia for less than 150° dollars per ton. Wages are fully three times as high as in eastern ship-yards, and all kinds of materials cost from two to three times as much as in the east. But for the great cost and risk of brinp-ino- vessels from the east around Cape Horn to Victoria, we could not at all compete with eastern-built vessels in the sealing business. 7. That I have repaired on arrival here nearly all the eastern schooners brought here for sealing and have a good knowledge of what they are worth in this market on arrival here. The average eastern schooner at Victoria is worth about 10 dollars per ton less than the same class of vessel built at Victoria is. 8. That the class of vessels used for sealing has been improving every year of the last ten years, and is still improving. To have first-class vessels, with first-class outfits, is now the aim of all sealing men. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oaths." (Signed) WM. TUBPEL. Turpel before me, a Notary Public duly commis- ^ictoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this Subscribed and declared by the said William T sioned, and residing and practising at the city of ^V 23rd day of December, a.d. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea Notai-y Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) 229: Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Victoria. I, Thomas Harrold, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, master mariner and ship-owner, do solemnly declare:— 1. That I am the owner of tbe sealing-schooner " Aurora," 41 tons, registered at the port of Victoria aforesaid. 2. That I and another man named Adolph Wassburg built the " Aurora" in 1887 and 1888 at Plumper's Pass, in British Columbia. She cost us when completed 6,000 dollars—a few dollars more or less. She is built of Oregon pine; galvanized iron fastenings, but not coppered. I have kept the " Aurora " in good repair, and expended considerable money in strengthening and improving both hull and equipment. 3. That I have never used her for any purpose except fur-seal hunting, for the reason there is nothing else on this coast for vessels of her size and class to do. Except for sealing the " Aurora," like the rest of the fleet of sealers, is next to worthless. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Act respecting Extra-Judicial Oatha" (Signed) THOMAS HARROLD. Subscribed and declared by the said Thomas Harrold before me, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 23rd day of December, A.D. 1892. (Signed) Arthur L. Belyea, A Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia. (Seal.) «<Gi ( 230 ) mm iii VII.—Declarations by Members of the Fur Trade. No. 1. Declaration of Mr. Richard Henry Poland. I, RICHARD HENRY POLAND, of No. 110, Queen Victoria Street, in tiie City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. I was formerly a partner in the firm of Messrs. P.'R. Poland and Son, of 110, Queen Victoria Street, aforesaid, which has been established since 1784. I have lately retired from business ; prior to iny retirement I had been engaged in business for fifty-four years. 2. My house in the course of their business have dealt in very large quantities of seal-skins, and I dm, therefore, I may say, very familiar with these skins. There are three chief classes of seal-skins dealt with in the London market, viz., Alaskan skins, Copper Island skins, and what is known as the north-west catch. 3. As regards the difference between Copper and Alaskan skins, I have always considered that the chief difference was that Alaskan fur was a better quality, that is to say, denser than the fur of the Copper Island seals. This is the difference which makes the Alaskan skins fetch more in the market than Copper skins. The difference in price is also, I think, influenced by the fact that the people responsible for slaughtering the animals on the Pribyloff Islands are more successful and skilled in flaying, curing, and selecting than the Copper Island people. 4. There are also other differences between the Coppers and Alaskans, viz., the difference in colour of fur, the fur of the Coppers being on the whole of a more bronzey-yellow colour than the Alaskan. 5. Any other differences besides those I have mentioned, such as length of the fur and shape of the skin, are very trivial, and hardly noticeable. In fact, I do not consider there is any difference in point of shape at all. 6. In inspecting the shipments made through Messrs. Lampson from the Pribyloff Islands, I have from time to time noticed the presence amongst them of skins which were un distinguishable from Copper Island skins, and also in the same way I have noticed amongst Copper Island consignments skins which are evidently of the Alaskan description. I have also noticed skins in both classes which in a lesser degree resemble the other class. 7. I have never considered at all the question of what regulations are necessary. I have not sufficient information to enable me to form any judgment on the subject, but I should n<">t approve of any regulations which would totally put an end to the north-west catch. This would, in fact, be creating a monopoly in the lessees of the islands, and would, in my opinion, be injurious to the fur trade business. The natural tendency of all monopolists is to lessen the output, and so raise the price in the market. (Signed) R. H. POLAND. Declared by the within-named Richard Henry Poland, at No. 110, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, this 29th day of November. 1892. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Puiest, A Commissioner for Oaths. 'iii ■pll ill No. 2. Examination of Lion Rivillon, on his Deposition sworn on the 2Qth June, 1892, and appearing at p. 589, United States' Case, Appendix, vol. ii. 1. Q. I desire to ask you, Mr. Revillon, for an explanation of certain points which arise on your deposition made in June last. Have you any objection to my doing so ?—A. Certainly not; I have no interest or bias either way, and I desire to put at the disposal of both parties any information 1 have. 2. Q. The first point on which I desire an explanation is as to the statement in your deposition that " you have often heard, and from different sources, that the majority of the north-west skins are the skins of the female seal." As a matter of fact, Mr. Revillon, have you, in the course of your business, to consider the question of sex at all ?—A, No ; we never buy or sell by sex. It is never mentioned in any sale catalogue. We buy in lots, which are made up according to sizes, such as middlings' and smalls, large pups, small pups, &c. 3. Q. Any of these lots, then, may contain both male and female skins ?—A. Yes. 4. Q. The question of sex, therefore, is not an element which you consider in the price, and is one which you never have to consider ?—A. That is so. 5. Q. The next point, Mr. Revillon, is as to the last paragraph of your deposition, of which the marginal note reads: " If pelagic sealing is not stopped Alaska fur-seals will disappear." Does that marginal note fairly represent what you meant to convey ?—A. No, I do not think it does. I did not intend to convey that I was in favour of any particular way of regulating the question. All that I meant to say was, that if what I heard was true I thought some sort of Regulation was necessary for the protection of the seals, kMaaSo. wmmss 231 6. Would not the total suppression of all the pelagic sealing have the effect of giving the Company leasing the islands an absolute monopoly of the business in this class of seals ?—A. This might be so) I do not know. 7. Q. Well, assuming that that would be so, do you think it would be a result that would be beneficial to the fur-seal business ?—A. It depends how the monopoly is managed, but speaking generally, I am against monopolies, and in favour cf a free .market I think monopolies injure the progress of business. We, Le"on Revillon, of No. 135, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, and of No. 79, Rue de Rivoli, in the City of Paris, and. Charles Russell, of No 37, Norfolk Street, in the County of London, Solicitor, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— The above is a correct report of the interrogatories addressed by the said Charles Russell to the said Lifon Revillon, and of the answer of the said Leon Revillon to such interrogatories. And I, the said Leon Revillon, for myself, say that I am the same person as Le>n Revillon a copy of whose deposition made on the 26th June, 1892, appears at p. 589 Appendix of United States' Case, vol. ii; and-1 further say that the statements contained in my answers to the above interrogatories are true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief. And we, the said Leon Revillon and Charles Russell, make this declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of | The Statutory Declaration Act 1835." (Signed) LEON REVILLON. CHARLES RUSSELL. Declared by both the above-named declarants at De Keyser's Royal Hotel, in the City of London, this 24th day of November, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oatlis, No. 3. Declaration of M. Lion Revillon. JE, soussigne, L^on Revillon, negotiant en fourrures, demeurant a No. 77, Rue de Rivoli, Paris, declare solennellement et sincerement ce qui suit:— 1. C'est moi, le susdit Leon Revillon, qui ai signe la declaration portant la date du 26 Juin, 1892, mentionn^e dans le compte rendu de cette affaire aux pages 589 et suivantes du livre intitule, I Appendix to the Case of the United States," vol. ii. 2. En ce qui concerne la difference entre les peaux de phoques ou loutres dites " Coppers," et celles dites I d'Alaska," j'ai toujours ete d'avis que la difference principale consistait en ceci, que la fourrure dite " d'Alaska " etait d'une quality supdrieure, c'est-4-dire, plus epaisse que celle des phoques dite de " Copper." C'est a cause de cette difference que les peaux dites " d'Alaska " se vendent plus cher sur le marche que celles dites de " Copper." Cette difference de prix est aussi influencee, je crois, par le fait que ceux qui font abattre les animaux aux lies Pribyloff ont plus de succes et d'habilite dans le depouillenient, la salaisoti, et le choix des animaux que leurs confreres de "Copper Island." Ilya aiissi d'autres differences entre les " Copper" et les " Alaska," savoir, la difference de couleur de la fourrure, celle des " Coppers " etant generalement d'une couleur un peu plus bronze-jaunatre que les "Alaska." 3. Toutes autres differences que celles indiqudes ci-dessus, telles que la longueur de la fourrure et la forme des peaux sont tres insignifiautes, et a peine a remarquer. En efl'et, je ne suis pas d'avis qu'il y ait une difference de forme appreciable. 4. En' examinant les peaux envoydes des lies Pribyloff par l'intermddiaire de MM. Lampson de Londres, j'ai remarque de temps a autre qu'il se trouvait parmi elles des peaux qu'on ne pouvait pas distinguer de celles venant de " Copper Island," et j'ai egalement observe dans les envois provenant de ' Copper Island " des peaux qui sont en toute apparence de la description de celles dites " d'Alaska." J'ai remarque aussi que dans chaque classe des peaux il y en avaient qui ressemblaient dans un moindre degr^ k l'autre classe. (Signe) LfiON REVILLON. Sign^ et declare par-devant moi, a Paris, le 28 Decembre, 1892. (Signe) G. Austin Taylor, Pro-Consul Britannigue. (Cachet.) No. 4. Declaration of M. Stanislas Rivillon. JE, soussigne, Stanislas Revillon, etabli fabricant de fourrures a Paris, 89, Rue des Petits-Champs, depuis 1857, expert pres des Douanes Franchises depuis de longues annees, et visitant assidument les marches de Londres et les foires Russes et Asiatiques, declare avoir remarque dans les lots de loutres (en Anglais " fur-seals ") exposes et vendus sur le marche Anglais, que tres souvent parmi les diverses especes, soit de " Copper Island " ou " d'Alaska," il y. avaient des types qui diff'^raient de la sorte annoncee. IH8 J 3 O ill 232 Cette difference doit provenir des melanges produits par les migrations de ces animaux d'un point a 1'au'tre. \ En resume, je crois que les phoques ou loutres sont comme bien d'autres especes d'animaux qui &nigrent parfois. soit pour leur nourriture ou pour toute autre cause que j'ignore. «^ S. REVILLON. (Signe; Signe et declare a Paris, ce28 Decembre,1892. Par-devant moi: (Signe) G. Austin Taylor, Pro-Consul Britanniaue. (Cadhet.) No. 5. Declaration of Mr. William Henry Smith. I, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of No. 10, Watling Street, in the City of London, do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of George SmMt and Sons, wholesale furriers. The firm has been in existence for ninety-two years, and I have been a partner of the Arm for upwards of thirty-five years. My firm, as wholesale furriers, buy every year a large number of Seal-skins. We purchase them in the raw state in which they come from the place where they are caught. We have tnem dressed and dyed by some London dresser, and- we then convert them into articles &»r (sale to the public. Having been engaged in this business for the number of years above mentioned, I am lamiliaar. with the different kinds of seal-skins sold. There are three chief classes of skins—Alaskas, Coppers, and north-west catch. The difference between the Coppers and Alaska skins, in my opinion, lies mainly in the length and quality of the fur, tlie Alaska fur beiptg somewhat longer and somewhat denser than the Coppers. The sizes of the Alaska seals, in my opinion, ran a little larger than the Copper. Other differences, if any, .such -as .colour and shape, are trivial, and, in fact, I have not observed them. 2. As regards the sex of the seal, I have never considered this matter at all, and I could not give any estimate as to the proportion of females and males in the north-west catch. The question of sex does not enter into business calculations in any -way. We buy LdCording to the usual sizes given in the catalogue, and commonly known as " middlings " and " smalls," " lai|ge pups," " small pups," &c. 3. I -am of opinion, if the reports I hear and read are correct, that some regulations -are necessary for preserving the seals. What those regulations should be I have not got sufficient information to justify me in giving any opinion. I should not, however, be in favour of any regulations which would altogether pivt an end to the north-west eatch, and which would confine the taking of seals to the islands owned by the Companies, as this, it seems to me, would plaee the control of the fur-seal frade entirely in the hands of those Companies. I think that tlie existence of a monopoly such as would thus 1 >e cieated would not be beneficial to the fur-seal trade. And I make this declaration, conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) WILLIAM HENRY SMITH Declared by the above-mentioned William Henry 26th day of November, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. Smith at the Foreign Office, London, this M No. 6. Examination of Mr. Henry Moxon, of the Firm of Culvervjell, Brooks, and Co., on Ms Deposition sworn in June 1892 for the United States, but which has not been printed in the Appendix to the United States' Case. ■Q. I believe, Mr. Moxon, that you made a deposition at the request of the gentlemen representing the United States in June last ?—A. Yes; I did. Q. Is this a copy of the Declaration you thou made ?—A. It is. Q. Will you please sign it for the purposes of identification .? (Mr. Moxon signed the document.) Q. Who supplied you with that copy ?—A. The gentleman who took my deposition. I forget his name. Q. You are a partner in the firm of Culverwell, Brooks, and Co ?—A. Yes j I am. Q. That firm has been established upwards of seventy years ?—A. Yes. Q. They axe brokers in hides, furs, and skins of various sorts ?—A. Yes. Q. How long have you been personally in business ?—A. About thirty-three years. Q. How long has your firm been connected particularly with the seal-skin business ?• less, of course, since its establishment, but particularly in the case of north-west seals durino- the eight years. Q. That would be from about 1884. You do not do any business in Commander Island A. More or ast s or wm 233 Pribyloff skins ?—A. No, except that I sold the whole of the island catch of 1870 for Messrs. Roths- tMld, to whom it was consigned. Q. Your business is now entirely confined to what is called the north-west catch ?—A. Yes, Q. When did the north-west catch first assume any important dimensions ?—A. In 1886. Q. Will you explain to me, please, wbat, in your opinion, was the cause of the sudden growth of this catch ?—A. Mainly the opening of the London market by the facility for transit of the goods by the Canadian Pacific. Q. How did the opening of the Canadian Pacific open the London market ?—A. It enabled them to consign the catches to brokers direct for sale instead of, as they were formerly compelled to do, -sell on the spot to dealers who of course only gave ruinous prices, which did not yield a large enough profit to encourage pelagic sealing. Q. Then since 1886 it has been the habit of the majority of schooner owners to consign direct to a London broker ?—A. The majority, yes. Q. What are the names of the brokers to wbom they chiefly consign ?—A. My firm have had the bulk of the consignments. Messrs. Lampson have also had a certain proportion, but Messrs. Lampson's consignments are not from the sealers direct, but from dealers who have bought them on the spot from, the schooners. ' 'Q. Have you ever had to consider the proportion of females in the north-west catch ?—A. Not until this question arose, because prior to that no distinction was ever made, either in buying skins or in selling them. They are simply sorted in quality and size, and not for the question of sex. Q Have you, with the view to informing yourself on the question, lately examined any consignments of north-west seal-skins ?—A. Yes, last week; I went carefully through a parcel of 2,000, and came to the conclusion that the percentage of females did not exceed 75 per cent, at the most. -Q. Have-you. ever ,-had to consider the'question of what regulations would be advisable?—f A. "Yes; I have considered the matter a good deal, and recently this year on -visiting the Columbian eoast I made special inquiry into the matter, and the conclusion I have arrived at is that seal killing on the Pribyloff Islands should be absolutely stopped, and sealing confined to the sea. Q. Will you state the reasons why you come to that conclusion ?—A. I think that the seals on their breeding grounds should be undisturbed, and that the grounds themselves should be protected from disturbance of any kind either on shore or by raiding. The one thing essential is to have an absolutely quiet and isolated breeding ground. Q. Have you not heard it-alleged that pelagic sealing is a ■wasteful method because of the number of seals that are wounded and sink before they can be picked up ?—A. I have heard that reported, but the result of my conversation with a large number of old sealers and experienced men in Victoria is quite contrary, and I am convinced that not more than one in seven. is lost. Certainly, a skilled hunter would not lose more. Q. You have also no doubt heard, Mr. Moxon, that pelagic sealing is alleged to be a wasteful method, on the ground that a great number of gravid females are killed ?—A. Yes, I have. Any regulation which would stop this would have my approval, provided there was a corresponding regulation to limit the excessive killing of males on the islands. But as a matter of fact, the number of gravid females killed is grossly exaggerated. In the fall-catch, that is, the catch in July to August, I have examined the skins, and am prepared to say there are none at all. As regards the spring catch, the percentage given includes-female-pups too young to bear. Q. What proportion of the whole year's catch does the fall-catch represent?—A. About one-half. Q As regards the trade generally, Mr. Moxon, do you think they would view with approval the total suppression of pelagic sealing?—A. Certainly not. Q. Why would they not ?—A. Because by that means a complete monopoly in the article would be established. Q. What are the objections to such a monopoly ?—A. That the Company would then have the sole control of the supply of these seals to the world, and could force up and maintain prices to any level they wished by regulating the supply to suit themselves. Q. Have you ever known an instance of the prices being raised in this way ?—A. There is an example in 18*83 before pelagic sealing was an important factor. Messrs. Lampson, on the Catalogue of March 1883, placed a notice in red ink to the effect that catch would in the coming season be reduced by 40,000 -skins ; prices, of course, thereupon promptly rose, and also one can see what can be done in this direction., by comparing the prices in 1889, when the supply was 100,000, viz., 67s. per skin, and 1890 when there were only 20,000, and the price went up to 1465. per skin. Q. In whose hands is the sale and disposal of the Pribyloff and Copper Island catches in this country ?—A. Entirely in the hands of Messrs. Lampson. They.have the monopoly of it and not only the sale and disposal' of them, but also practically the dressing and dyeing cairied on by Messrs. Martin and Co. Q. Are Messrs. Martin and Co. any connections of Messrs. Lampson and Co. ?—A. Yes; Messrs. Martin and Co. were established in business by Messrs. Lampson's capital. Mr. Tiechman, now a partner in Lampson's, was formerly a partner in Martin's, and in point of fact Messrs. Lampson now make no secret of the connection, and in their conditions of sale they state as follows:— " That C. M. Lampson and Co., being partners in the firm of C. W. Martin and Sons, agree to consider any skins placed in the hands of that firm for manufacturing purposes as being still in their own 'custody, on condition, however, that the skins shall not be drawn away from the Cold Store to the Alaska factory until Messrs. C. W. Martin and Sons are ready to commence manufacturing Q. Do they in any way compel purchasers, then, to send their skins to Martin's ?—A. Practically they do ; that is, they offer special inducements, as you see, to people to do so ; and they often sell lots subject to being dressed by Martin's. <# -..ttar 234 m> Iii COUI Q. They appear, therefore to have a considerable hold over the market ?—A. They have ; •se, the north-west catch keeps the balance somewhat, and that is why I think the trade but, of would seriously object to its disappearanc< We, Henry Moxon, of No. 27, St. Mary Axe, in the City of London, and Charles Russell, of No. 37, Norfolk Street, in the county of London, Solicitor, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— The above is a correct report of the interrogatories addressed by the said' Charles Russell to the said Henry Moxon, and of the answers of the said Henry Moxon to such interrogatories. And I, the said Henry Moxon, for myself, say, that I am the same person as Henry Moxon who made a deposition in June 1892 for the United States, but which has not been printed in the Appendix to the United States' Case, a copy whereof, supplied me by the United States' Agent, is now produced as an Exhibit, marked (A). And I further say that the statements contained in my answers to the above interrogatories are true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief. And we, the said Henry Moxon" and Charles Russell, make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of "The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) H. MOXON. Declared by the above-named Henry Moxon, at No. 27, St. Mary Axe, in the City of London, this 30th day of November, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths: (Signed) C. RUSSELL. Declared by the above-named Charles Russell, at the Foreign Office, London, this 30th day of November, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oatlis. Deposition of Mr. Henry Moxon. i MR. HENRY MOXON, being duly sworn, doth depose and say :— That he is 51 years of age, and a subject of Her Britannic Majesty. That he is a member of the firm of Culverwell, Brooks, and Co., which has been established upwards of seventy years in business as brokers in hides, furs, and skins of various kinds, and is still engaged in the transaction of same business. That deponent has been engaged in that business personally thirty-two years, and during the whole of that period has been in the habit of dealing in skins of the fur-seals as broker. That by reason of that fact, he has a general knowledge of the history of the business and character of the • skins coming to market. That for many years last past it is a fact that skins of the fur-seal coming to the London market, have been described under the following main heads:— Firstly. What is known as the Alaska catch, which deponent understands are the skins of seals - caught on the Pribyloff Islands in the Behring Sea. The Copper Island skins, as deponent understands, are the skins of seals killed upon the Russian islands. What are called the north-west cafh are the skins of seals killed, for the most part in the open Northern Pacific, including the Behring Sea. That there are also a small number of skins coming from southern waters which are described as Lobos Island skins, Shetland Island skins, Cape of Good Hope, and Australian skins. That, however, the principal sources of supply are the first three classes above mentioned. That the skins of these three several classes are distinguished from each other in the trade, are of different values, and command different prices in the market. That deponent, by reason of his personal handling of the skins and knowledge of the business, would be able to distinguish the skins of the several catches from each other, and deponent says that the skins of the Copper Island catch are distinctly of a different character from the skins of the Alaska and north-west catches, which last two mentioned are of the same general character, but may be again distinguished from each other by reason of the fact that the north-west skins are pierced with marks of the spear or shot holes, and are also prepared with less care than the Alaska skins by reason of the fact, as deponent understands, of their being flayed and cured on vessels instead of, as in the case of the Alaska skins, being flayed and cured on the islands, where naturally greater facilities exist for flaying and curing than upon the small vessels engaged in catching the north-west seals. In the ordinary course of his business it is not necessary for him to distinguish the sexes of the skins, and that, in his judgment, it would be difficult so to do until after the skins come from the hands of the dressers. That last year nearly the whole of the skins of the north-west catch were sold through deponent's firm, being consigned to his said firm directly by the owners of the schooners engaged in the business from Victoria. The total number of skins of the last year's catch so consigned to deponent's firm, and sold through it, is about 50,000. Last year was the largest collection of skins 235 which passed through the hands of deponent's firm, but prior to last year a smaller number of the north-west skins had been sold through his firm. That_ the business of dealing in fur seal-skin has become an important and well-established industry in the City of London. That the manner in which the business is done is, briefly, as follows:— The skins are consigned to deponent's firm and others, the principal of which is the firm of C. M. Lampson and Co., and are catalogued and sold at two principal sales in each year in the months of January and October, and practically all these sales are attended either by deponent's firm or by the firm of Goades, Rigg, and Co. That the last-mentioned firm sell all the skins consigned to C. M. Lampson and Co. At the sale the principal firms and dealers from all the markets of the world are present, either in person or by their agents; sales are made to them, and being thus purchased the skins are then transferred to dressers and dyers, the principal of whom are the firms of C. W. Martin and Sons, George Rice, and •George. Smith. That after being dressed and dyed, the skins pass into the hands of manufacturers of garments made from skins, and from them again into the hands of, for the most part, dressers and retail merchants. (Signed) H. MOXON. This is the Exhibit marked (A), referred to in the declaration of Henry Moxon, declared before me, this 30th day of November, 1892. (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. ffM jounty of London, furrier, No. 7. Declaration of Mr. Thomas Henry Lnce. I, THOMAS HENRY INCE, of No. 156, Oxford Street, in the solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I carry on business under the name of James lnce. My business, which I inherited from my father, James lnce, has been established upwards of eighty years. I have been myself in the business for forty years. I am a wholesale and retail furrier. I am my own merchant, and I do quite as much wholesale business as retail. 2. In the course of my business I have annually to purchase a considerable number of seal-skins, amounting on an average about.2,000 a-year, and I am therefore familiar with the London seal-skin market, I buy the skins in their wet or salted state. I then have them dressed, dyed, and finished, and eventually have them worked up in my own workshops, and dispose of them to the public and trade. 3. There are three chief classes of skins dealt with in the London market, viz.: the Copper Island skins, the Pribyloff Island skins, and what is generally called the north-west catch. 4. The differences which exist between the Coppers and the Alaskas are, in my opinion, the following:— (a.) There is a sbght difference in the colour, but what that difference is it would be difficult precisely to define. I have never had to concern myself about it for business purposes. (b.) The hair of the Copper skin is somewhat harder and more difficult to remove. The dressers, however, do not make any higher charge for removing it, charging the same for all three sorts of skins. (c.) The fur of the Alaska seal is of better quabty, that is to say, it is closer than the Copper. (d.) The sizes of the Alaska skins, in my opinion, run a little larger than the Copper skins. This is probably due to the flaying and selecting. The above differences are, in my opinion, the only ones whieh exist between Copper and Alaska skins. I do not consider that there is any difference of shape. The differences above referred to vary considerably in different years, and in the trade we account for these differences and variations by the fact that seals on the Commander Islands are killed at different and varying times of the year from the seals on the Pribyloffs. 5. The elements which influence price in favour of Alaskas is, first of all, that they run larger. In the second place, there often remains a few silver hairs, even in carefully dressed Coppers, which the machine does not always remove, and this being hard, they are not so workable. In the third place, the quality of the Alaska fur is better, that is to say, it is closer; and, fourthly, the Alaskas are better flayed and salted. These.' are the only four . considerations which, in my opinion, influence the price. 6. In inspecting parcels of skins from Pribyloff Islands sold from time to time by Messrs. Lampson, I have noticed amongst them skins of seals which I should have thought, had they not been ' there, were from the Commander Island skins, and, in the same way, in inspecting skins of Commander Island seals, I have noticed amongst them skins just like Alaskas, and, of course, in each class 1 have noted skins of the other class, but of a less marked degree of similarity. 7. I have always taken a great interest in the question of the preservation of seal life and regulations, and although I have not got definite information on the matter, I have long believed that some regulations are absolutely necessary. What those regulations should be I do not consider myself competent exactly to say, but I would not approve of any regulations which would affect the north-west catch. It is apparent to me that the abobtion of this catch would leave the whole of the businessin the control of the persons owning the islands, and this, to my mind, would be injurious to the fur trade generally. [118| 3P ;-!:l I ii »# I Hi iii mm mm ifl 23G 8. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." m-nr^o tx MBS (Signed) ±J±Oo. n. jInoji/. Declared at the Foreign Office, London, this 3rd day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oatlis. No. 8. Declaration of Mr. Sydney Poland. I, SYDNEY POLAND, of No. 170, Oxford Street, in the county of London, furrier, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I carry on business under the name of " Nicholay and Son." I inherited the business from my father. The business has been carried on for upwards of a century. I buy the skins in the raw state at the London sales, and have them dyed and dressed, and then manufactured into articles in my workshops for sale to the pubbc. I have had twenty-four years' experience in the business. 2. I personally attend to the buying of the seal-skins required for my business, and I am, therefore, familiar with the London seal-skin market. 3. There are three chief classes of seal-skins sold in the market, viz., Coppers, or skins coming from the Commander Islands ; Alaskas, or skins coming from the Pribyloff Islands; and, thirdly, what are known as the north-west catch. 4. As regards the difference between Alaskas and Coppers, in my opinion they are of an exceedingly trivial nature, and consist of the following:— (a.) The fur of the Alaska skins is a closer, denser, and harder fur, and in our business is found to wear better than the Coppers. (b.) Alaska skins are, in mj opinion, a little broader than the Copper Island skins. 5. These are the chief differences. I have heard it said that there was a difference in colour, but I have not to consider this in my business, and, in point of fact, have really not noticed it. The differences I have detailed above are the differences which make the difference in price. 6. In examining Alaska consignments from the Pribyloff Islands sold by Messrs. Lampson, I have noticed among these skins which, in my opinion, were absolutely undistinguishable from Copper Island skins, and in the same way I have found among skins consigned from the Copper Islands skins which were undistinguishable from Alaskas, and of course also many skins in each class which in a less degree resembled the other class. 7. In their dressed and finished condition it is exceedingly difficult, and to my mind impossible, to distinguish an Alaska from a Copper, and I assert that if half-a-dozen of each description manufactured into jackets were put before any dealer, however experienced, he would find it impossible to tell one from the other. 8. I have never considered the question of regulations at all, but I should not like to see any regulations enforced which would have the effect of putting an end to the north-west catch. I think if there are any regulations at all they should be all-round regulations applied to both sets of islands as well as the north-west catch. I think that at the present moment the north-west catch helps to- balance the market, and if it were put an end to it would create a monopoly in the hands of the owners of the islands, and this, I think, would be veiy injurious to the fur trade generally. 9. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) SYDNEY POLAND. Declared at No. 170, Oxford Street, in the county of London, this 5th day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 9. III Mil If ill iliil Declaration of Mr. Francis Arthur Lansdell. I, FRANCIS ARTHUR LANSDELL, of No. 190, Oxford Street, in the county of London, furrier, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. I am the manager of the firm of George Poland and Son, of 190, Oxford Street, in the county of London, furriers. This business has been established over a century. The firm buy at the annual sales in London such seal-skins as they require for their business, and then manufacture them into articles which are disposed of to the public. In the course of business Messrs. George Poland and Son have to purchase a considerable number of seal-skins every year. I purchase on their behalf, and I am, therefore, familiar with the London seal-skin market. 2. There are three chief classes of seal-skins sold in the market, viz., Copper Island skins, Pribyloff Island skins, and what is commonly called the north-west catch. 3. I have carefully considered the question of what differences exist between Pribyloff Island skins, generally known as Alaskas, and Commander Island skins, generalSaiown as Coppers, and in my opinion the differences are as follows:— t.SSmtKn'i tTT^mj mi&sm miasm 237 (a.) That the fur of Alaska skins is closer and' denser than the fur of the Commander Islands skins. (b.) The sizes of the Alaska skins run somewhat larger than Coppers. 4. The above two differences are to my mind the only differences that exist, and they are the differences which affect the commercial price, for we consider in the trade that Alaskas are better on account of the greater closeness of the fur. 5. I have found among the Alaska consignments sold by Messrs. Lampson skins which it would be impossible for me to distinguish from Copper Island skins were it not for the fact that they were in the Alaska catalogue, and also among Copper Island consignments I have found in the same way Alaskas. 6. I have often considered the question of regulations, and I am of opinion that regulations should be introduced for the preservation of seal life, and for the regulation of the north-west catch, such as a close season, or some such arrangement, if satisfactory and efficient reguktions of this nature should be introduced which would carry out the object in view. I should not be in favour of the suppression of the north-west catch, as the result of this must, of course, be to create a monopoly in the lessees of the islands, which, in my opinion, would not be beneficial to our business generally, or which, as a business man, I would oppose. 7. And I make this declaration conscientiously bebeving the same to be true, and by virtue of | The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) F. A. LANSDELL. Declared at No. 190, Oxford Street, in the county of London, this 5th day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. f . No. 10. Declaration of Mr. Tom Simpson Jay. I, TOM SIMPSON JAY, of Nos. 163, 165, and 198, Regent Street, in the county of London^ solemnly and sincerely, declare as follows:— 1. I carry on business, and have done for the last twelve years, under the name of the International Fur Store. My business consists in buying the skins in their raw salted condition at the annual sales held by Mr. Lampson and others in the City, and when these skins have been dyed and dressed I have them worked up in my workshops into articles which are disposed of in due course to the public. I personally conduct the purchase of skins needed for my business, and I am therefore acquainted with the seal-skin market. 2. There are three chief classes of skins sold in the London market: Commander Island skins, Pribyloff Island skins (generally known as Alaskas), and what is commonly called the north-west catch. 3. Alaska skins are undoubtedly the most valuable, and fetch the highest price. In my opinion the reason of Alaskas fetching a higher price is chiefly due to the fact that the name is known by the pubbc. The puhhe have got it into their heads that Alaskas are the best description of seal-skin furs. They do not know seal-skins of other names. This, in my opinion, is the chief cause of their commanding a better price. The difference of price is also to some extent no doubt due to the fact that the fur of the Alaska seals is on the average of better quabty. By better quality I mean that the fur is denser and closer. There is nothing else which I am aware of to make the Alaskas more valuable than the Coppers. 4. There are also other differences which exist, but which to my mind do not affect the price, as, for instance, the difference of colour, the Copper skins on the whole, presenting a sbghtly more tan-like appearance than the Alaskas. 5. In inspecting consignments from the Pribyloff Islands sold by Messrs. Lampson I have repeatedly observed amongst them skins which were to my mind undistinguishable from skins from the Copper Islands; and in the same way, in inspecting consignments from the Copper Islands, I have noticed amongst them a considerable quantity of skins which I could not have distinguished from Alaska skins. I should not like to say what the percentage of these skins would be, but I should think that 25 to 30 per cent, was probably a fair average. 6. I have never considered what would be the proper measures to be taken to preserve seal bfe, and I have no suggestions to offer on the point, but I certainly would be much opposed to any scheme which would put an end to the north-west catch. In my opinion this catch is a very important element in keeping the balance of the market, and its suppression would result in serious injury to the fur trade generally, and to the pubbc. 7. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of "The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) TOM SIMPSON JAY. Declared at No. 223, Regent Street, in the county of London, this 7th day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. 11 IS ii 238 No. 11. Declaration of Mr. George Boulter. I, GEORGE BOULTER, of Montreal, in the Dominion of Canada, and temporarily of 35, Queen Street in the City of London, England, fur manufacturer and merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of Silverman, Boulter, and Co., of Montreal, Canada, fur manufacturers and merchants, and I am at present visiting England in connection with my business. The firm has been established since 1872. I have had personal experience in the fur business for twenty-eight years. In the course of business my house have to purchase annually a considerable number of sealskins, and I am therefore familiar with the seal-skin business. 2. The three best known descriptions of seal-skins are (a) the Alaskas, which come from the Pribyloff Islands; (b) the Coppers, which come from the Commander Islands; and (c) what is known as ■ the north-west catch. 3. I have carefully considered what difference there is between Alaskas and Coppers. In my opinion the only diflerence is that the wool of the Alaskas is slightly denser, and therefore we find in practice wears longer than Coppers. This statement is only true speaking of Alaskas on the Whole, because I have found in the manufacturing that at least 35 per cent, if not more, of Copper furs are quite equal in density to the best Alaskas; in fact, I will undertake to say that no man in the trade, no matter how long his experience, could honestly say that he could distinguish, when they have been dressed and dyed, between a first-class Alaska skin and a first-class Copper skin. 4. The difference in value between the two skins depends very largely upon the fact that Alaskas have got a name in the market, and have been the standard skin for many years, and the public have got to know the term " Alaska" just as they know the brand of manufactured articles, and they are prepared to pay for the name just as in other articles. 5. I cannot speak with authority on any difference there may be in colour, because my experience is chiefly confined to skins in the dressed and dyed state, but from what I have seen I consider, although there may be a difference taking the average of a large number, that the difference is trivial. I feel sure that if any skin was selected from an Alaska consignment I could match it from a Commander consignment, and vice versd. 6. In my opinion, for the preservation and regulation of the catch some regulations should be introduced, such as a close season or some suchlike plan, but I am not prepared to offer any definite suggestion in the matter. I should, however, strenuously object to any regulations which would put an end to the north-west catch. In my opinion its suppression would lead to a monopoly, and the 'entire seal-skin trade of the world would be in the hands of the lessees of the islands, and the tendency of all monopobsts is in their own interests to lessen the output, and raise the price against retail dealers and the pubbc. 7. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) GEORGE BOULTER. Declared at No. 35, Queen Street, in the City of London, this 12th day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. V-i-ri. Jf RSKt mm No 12. fifta i- ■;-.<»' mw pi Declaration of Joseph Politzer. I, JOSEPH POLITZER, of No. 35, Queen Street, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of Messrs. Phillips, Politzer, and Co. The firm has been estabbshed since 1874. I have personally had an experience of twenty-six years in the fur business. In the course of my business I have annually to purchase for my firm a very large quantity of seal-skins, and I am, therefore, acquainted with the seal-skin market. 2. There are three chief classes of skins dealt with in the market, viz., (1) Alaskas, or skins which come from the Pribyloff Islands ; (2) Coppers, or skins which come from the Commander Islands; and (3) north-west catch. The Alaska skins always fetch considerably more in the market than either of -the other two skins. The reason, in my opinion, for this is that the name of the " Alaskas " is so much better known to the pubbc than any other kind, and also the quality of the Alaskan fur is better on the average than that of the Coppers. By quabty I mean the fur on the Alaskan seals is denser and closer, and, therefore, is found to wear better. It is what I would describe as a stronger wool. These are the matters which influence the price, but the price is also, I think, influenced in favour of the Alaskan skins by the fact that the sizes run somewhat larger in Alaskas, and the handbner appears to be much more carefully done than in the case of Coppers. I think, however, that the fact which I have mentioned of the name being better known affects the price more than anything else because as a matter of fact, it is quite impossible to distinguish a high-class Copper from an Akska'when made into a garment. The cleverest expert in the trade would not attempt to do so. 3. There is also a sbght difference of colour, but this is very trivial, and in no way enters into the HP" 239 question of price. The colour also to a great, extent varies in different years. I have noticed in inspecting the consignments from the Pribyloff Islands skins (sometimes as many as 30 or 40 per cent.) which were perfectly undistinguishable from Copper Island skins, and in the same way in inspecting consignments of skins from the Commander Islands I have noticed skins which were similar to Alaskas, and of course in both classes I have found skins which in a lesser degree resemble the other class. 4. Although not a naturabst, I have always taken a great interest in the seal question, and have read everything I could upon the matter so as to inform myself, and I have always held tii3 opinion that tbe seals frequenting both sets of islands interbreed with each other. 5. The differences which I have mentioned above I have always considered arose either from a difference of temperature or from the handling on the respective islands. I am confirmed in the opinion that tbe density of the fur is due to the climate by the fact that I have observed in certain seasons the fur of Coppers and Alaskas to vary, and to be much denser than in others, and this I attribute to the fact that the weather in that particular season had been more severe. It is well known to furriers that the furs of the same animal killed at different times of the year or at different places in the same country differ somewhat in the density of their fur. 6. I have considered the question to some extent of regulations, and I certainly think that some regulations of pelagic sealing are absolutely necessary. What they exactly should be I have not precise enough information to enable me to form an opinion, but I certainly would not be in favour of the total suppression of pelagic seabng. The north-west catch forms a most important element in the preservation of the seal industry in this country, and in the balance of the market. Should this be put an end to it would leave a monopoly in the hands of the persons for the time being leasing the islands, who would have it in their power not only to control the markets at their will, but, if they so desired it, to remove the entire industry away from England elsewhere. This, I think, would be a dangerous thing to the fur trade generally. 7. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of "The Statutory Declarations Act, 1835." (Signed) JOSEPH POLITZER. Declared at No. 35, Queen Street, in the City of London, this 12th December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. Declaration of Mr. William Halsey, of the Hudson's Bay Company. I, WILLIAM HALSEY, of No. 1, Lime Street, in the City of London, fur broker, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. I act as broker for the Hudson's Bay Company. As such broker, it is my duty to receive and catalogue all furs sent from Canada and tbe Hudson's Bay Territories by the agents of the Company there, and, in due course, to sell them in the London market by public auction. The average annual value of the skins and furs which the Company dispose of in this manner amounts to about 250,000/. Among the skins shipped to the Company are comprised every year a certain number of seal-skins, but not nearly to the same extent as in former years, the average for the last ten years being about 750 skins. 2. By reason of my deabng with so many skins and furs as aforesaid, I am familiar with the skin and fur market in London. 3. The seal-skins sent home by the agents of the Company are part of what is commonly known as the North-west catch. The Hudson's Bay Company have never had to consider what percentage of this catch was composed of female seals. Tbe question of sex is one that never arises in deabng with the skins on the London market. Seal-skins are never classified for sales or any other purposes, so far as I know, by sex. Tbe usual mode adopted is that of standard sizes, commonly known as " Middlings," " Middlings and Smalls," " Large Pups," " Middling Pups,"." Small Pups," &e. I am not aware that sex in any way enters into the question of price. 4. Speaking generally, it is a fact well known to those engaged in the fur business the same animals taken in different localities, under different conditions of differently for commercial purposes. 5. As an example of this, I may mention that at the Hudson's Bay Company's last fur sales, marten skins from eastern districts of Hudson's Bay were sold at 40s. and 43s., whereas those from more western districts realized but 17s. 6d. and 18s., and those from McKenzie River in the far north 14s. 6d. per skin. Beaver also from the same districts reabzed 62s., 45s. 6d., 47s., and 33s. 6d. respectively. 6. The above comparisons of price have been made between No. 1 skins from each district in all cases. Such differences of value depend on differences of size, quality, and colour. 7. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) WM. HALSEY. Declared at No. 1, Lime Street, in the City of London, this 15th day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. . that skins of climate, are valued [118] 3 Q 240 III ill IBi W'B No. 14. Declaration of Mr. Benjamin Franks Slater. 1, BENJAMIN FRANKS SLATER, of No. 43, Newgate Street, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of Slater and Co. My firm are successors to Messrs. Flanders and Co., and the business has been established for twenty-eight or twenty-nine years. Our business consists in purchasing seal-skins in the raw state, and having them dressed and dyed at ope of the London dressers and dyers, and subsequently worked up in our workshops into articles with which we supply the trade in this country and in America. I personally superintend the purchasing of the seal-skins on behalf of my firm, and I, therefore, am familiar with the seal-skin trade in London. 2. There are three classes of skins chiefly sold, viz., Alaska skins from the Pribyloff Islands, Copper skins from the Commander Islands, and what is commonly known as the North-west catch. 3. I have carefully considered the question of the differences between Coppers and Alaskas. In my opinion, the chief difference is that the Alaskas produce a fur which is somewhat denser than the Coppers—or, rather, I should say, that the Alaska furs, on an average, are denser than the Coppers, because we frequently find Coppers which are quite equal in density to Alaskas. Another difference is that we find amongst Coppers a certain percentage of skins upon which the hair is Somewhat hard and difficult to remove, and the removal of which leaves the fur in a somewhat Weaker condition. I also in my experience have found that the Alaska skins are better handled than the Copper iskins, that is to say, that we do not find amongst them so many cut or hacked skins as we do in the Coppers. 4. The above are the chief elements which affect the question of price. I also think that the fact of the name of " Alaska" being well known to the pubbc has an .influence on the price. The pubbc know the name, and ask for it just as for the brands of manufactured goods. 5. In examining consignments of skins from the Pribyloff Islands at Messrs. Lampson's warehouse, I have often found a considerable percentage of skins which were quite undistinguishable from Coppers; and in the same way, in inspecting the Coppers I have noticed a considerable percentage which I could not distinguish from Alaskas, and, of course, a certain number in each class which, in a lesser degree, resemble the other class. 6. It is always a matter of considerable difficulty even for an expert to distinguish Alaskas from Coppers, and I will undertake to say that if 100 raw skins, composed of 50 of Alaskas and 50 of Coppers were put together, there is not an expert in the trade that could separate them correctly. 7. I have not considered the question of regulations, and do not desire to offer any opinion upon it, but I certainly would not approve of any regulations which would have the effect of giving the lessees of the islands the monopoly of the business. This, I think, would be extremely injurious to the fur trade. 8. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." Declared at 43. Newgate Street, in the City of London, this 15th day of December, 1892. (Signed) B. F. SLATER. Before me: (Signed) Waltfr B. Priest, 10s A Commissioner for Oaths. Jilt II fill rail No. 1£ Decla? ution of Friedrich August Gustav Weber. I, FRIEDRICH AUGUST GUSTAV WEBER, of No. 6, Newgate Street, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. I am a member of the firm of Ensor, Weber, and Co., wholesale furriers. The firm has been established for twelve years. I have personally had an experience in the fur trade of about twenty years. My firm in the course of their business annually purchase at pubbc sales and elsewhere about 5,000 seal-skins, most of which we have dressed and dyed by some London dyer and dresser, and have them subsequently manufactured in our workshops into articles which we dispose of to tbe trade. I conduct, on behalf of my firm, the purchasing of the skins, and therefore I am very famibar with the seal-skin market 2. There are three chief classes of skins, viz., the Alaskas which come from the Pribyloff Islands, the Coppers which come from the Commander Islands, and what is commonly caUed the North-west catch. 3. As regards any difference between the Coppers and Alaskas I have carefully considered this question, and, in my opinion, the chief difference is that the fur of the Alaskas is on an averaoe denser than tbe Copper Island skgs. This is the difference which, in my opinion, chiefly makes Alaskas fetch more than Coppers. There is no doubt also that the price is somewhat influenced by the fact that the name of the Alaskas is better known to the pubbc than any other kind of seal-skin. 4. The differences I have mentioned above are the chief differences. I have heard it alleged that 241 there is a difference of colour, but it is very slight, and in some years the Coppers have actually'been lighter than the Alaskas. I am aware of no other differences. 5. In inspecting consignments of Alaskas I have frequently observed a considerable percentage of •Skins which Were undistinguishable from Commanders, and in the same way in inspecting Commander .skins I have observed a large percentage of skins which were undistinguishable from Alaskas, and, of course, also a large number of skins in each class which in a lesser degree resemble the other class. 6. The difference between the two skins is very difficult to distinguish except to one skilled in the business, and I venture to say that even an experienced expert.would have great difficulty in -separating correctly, say,-a package of 100 skins made up in equal proportions of dressed and dyed Coppers and Alaskas. In fact, in my opinion, he could not do so. 7. I should be very strongly opposed to any arrangement which would-leave the monopoly of the seal-skin business entirely in the hands of the lessees of the islands. I think that this would be interfering- with the trade, and exceedingly injurious to it; but I also am of opinion that some regulations are necessary for the regulation of the North-west catch. In fact, if it came to be a choice between a monopoly and an unregulated North-west catch, I should be in favour of the monopoly hi spite of its great disadvantages. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declarations Act, 1835." Declared at No. 6, Newgate Street, in the City of London, this 15th day of December, 1892. (Signed) F. A. G. WEBER. Before me: Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 16. Declaration of M. Felix Jungmann. JE, soussigne, Felix Jungmann, negotiant en fourrures et pelleteries, demeurant aux Nos. 106-108, Rue Montmartre, et au No. 1, Rue de Ciery, a Paris, declare solennellement et sineerement ce qui suit:—- 1. Ma maison est etabbe depuis plus de seize ans. J'exerce la profession de fourreur en gros et en detail. Dans le cours de ses affaires ma maison s'est occupe du commerce de peaux de phoques ou loutres en des quantites considerables; je connais done bien cette espece de marchandises. J'achete sur la place de Londres les peaux dans l'etat vert ou sale. Je les fais teindre et apprSter, et enfin je les fais dresser dans les ateliers dependant de ma maison, et les vends ensuite aux particuliers et dans le commerce. 2. II y a trois categories principales de ces peaux, savoir: celles dites "Coppers," provenant de. ^'Copper Island," les "Alaskas,"provenant des lies Pribyloff, et ceUes ordinairement connues comme " la prise du Nord-Ouest 3. Quant aux differences qui existent entre les " Coppers" et les "Alaskas " elles sont, selon mon avis, les suivantes :— (a.) II y a une petite difference de couleur, mais je n'ai jamais'eu & m'en occuper. (b.) La seconde et principale difference consiste en ce que la fourrure des " Alaskas " est d'une meilleure quabte, ou plus epaisse que les " Coppers." C'est cette difference qui porte sur le prix en faveur des " Alaskas." (c.) Toutes autres differences que celles ci-dessus mentionnees, telles que la longueur de la fourrure et la forme des peaux, sont tr£s insignifiantes et a peine k remarquer. Je ne crois pas, en effet, que la forme varie. 4. En visitant les envois de peaux des lies Pribyloff vendues de temps a autre par la maison Lampson, j'ai remarque des peaux de phoques que j'aurais cru de provenance du " Copper Island," si je les avais vu ailleurs, et de m§nie parmi les peaiix venant de " Copper Island," j'ai observe quelques- unes qui ressemblaient exactement a ceUes dites " d'Alaska." En outre, j'ai remarque. dans chaque categorie des peaux que ressemblaient a l'autre espece, mais d'une maniere inoins frappante. (Signe) FELIX JUNGMANN. Signe et declare par-devant moi, a Paris, ce 28 Decembre, 1892. . (Signe) G. Austin Taylor, Pro-Consul Britannique. (Cachet.) I No. 17. Declaration of M. Emile Hertz. I, EMILE HERTZ, fur and skin merchant, of 11, Rue Dieu, Paris, in the French Republic, declare as follows:— _ 1. I am a partner in the firm of Emile Hertz and Co., and the same person who signed the -declaration dated 23rd June, 1892, reprinted at page 587 and following of the " Appendix to the Case of the United States, vol. ii," and therein called in error " Emin " Hertz. 2. In my deposition before the Secretary of the United States' Legation at Paris, above mentioned, I declared as follows:— I iiii! ill III 242 • I That I can distinguish readily the source of production of the skins when the latter are m their undressed state." ■' , i . 1®$* ,, . ,-, , T At the request of the Representative of Great Britain I declare m addition thereto that I have from time to time seen among the consignments of Alaska seals offered for public sale by Messrs Lampson and Co., of London, skins resembbng Copper Island skins, and among the- consignments of this latter sort skins resembling the Alaska kind, but I bebeve it to be impossible to affirm absolutely that these doubtful skins belong to one or other of these two localities. (Signed) jiMILE HERTZ. Sioned and declared at Paris aforesaid, this 29th day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) G. Austin Taylor, British Pro-Consul at Paris. (Seal.) No. 18. Declaration of Emile Grebert. JE, soussigne, Smile Grebert, negotiant en fourrures, demeurant a Paris, et y exer^ant au No. 48, Rue de 1'Arbre-Sec, declare ce qui suit:— 1. Je suis associe de la maison E. Grebert et Grison, successeurs de l'ancienne maison "J. B. Grebert- Borguis " etabhe a Paris depuis le ler Mars, 1890, et fondee depuis 1818. 2. Dans le cours de son commerce ma maison achete chaque annee un grand nombre de peaux de phoques ou loutres (en Anglais "fur-seals"). Je connais done bien cette espece de peaux. Je m'en approvisionne aux ventes annuelles, qui ont beu k Londres chez MM. Lampson et Cie., soit k l'etat vert ou sale. Je les fais preparer dans mes atebers pour les vendre ensuite au pubbc et dans le commerce. 3. Quant a la question de la difference entre les peaux dites " Copper " et celles dites " d'Alaska," je suis d avis que la difference principale consiste en ce que la fourrure d'Alaska est d'une quality superieure, c'est-&-dire qu'elle est plus epaisse que celle des phoques des '• Copper Islands." L'abatage, le depouillement, et la salaison sont beaucoup mieux fait et le choix est plus soigne aux Hes de Pribyloff qu'aux Copper Islands. Les details que je viens de signaler ont pour effet de faire vendre les " Alaskas " k des prix plus eieves que les " Coppers." Toutes autres differences, qu'elles soient de la couleur, ou de la hauteur de la fourrure, et la forme de la peau, ne sont qu'inappretiables. En me rendant compte des peaux d'Alaska raises en vente par la maison Lampson j'ai souvent remarque parmi ces peaux un prorata considerable que, si je les avais vu ailleurs j'aurais pris pour des " Coppers," et de la meme faijon j'ai trouve dans les lots de " Coppers " un certain nombre de peaux se ressemblant beaucoup k des " Alaskas:" aussi, dans les deux categories de peaux j'ai souvent trouve quelques-unes qui se rapprochaient, mais dans un nioindre degre, & cebes de l'autre categorie. (Signe) fi. GREBERT. Signe et declare k Paris, ce 29 Decembre, 1892. Par-devant moi: (Signe) G. Austin Taylor, Pro-Consul Britanniaue. (Cachet.) No. 19. Declaration of M. Adolphe Haendler. I, ADOLPHE HAENDLER, of No. 35, Rue de Lanery, Paris, in the French Repubbc, fur merchant, declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of " N. Haendler et Fils," which has been estabbshed for twenty years. The said firm succeeded to that of Moritz, which had previously existed for many years at Leipzig. 2. In the course of business my said firm purchases annually large quantities of seal-skins varying in number from 5,000 to 10,000 every year. These skins are purchased by my said firm in the raw state at the public sales in London by Messrs. Lampson and Co. We then have the skins dressed in London and dyed either there or in Paris. The dressed skins are subsequently sold to the trade. 3. There are three chief classes of skins dealt with in the trade : 1st, Alaskas from the Pribyloff Islands ; 2nd," Coppers " from the Commander Islands; and 3rd, those commonly called the North- West catch. 4. The chief differences, in my opinion, between " Coppers " and " Alaskas " is the quabty or the thickness of the fur. The Alaska fur is on the average denser than the Coppers. The selection of the animals on the Pribyloff Islands is better and the sizes run larger. The above-mentioned differences are the cause of the Alaskas fetching a higher price than Coppers. 5. In examining consignments of Alaskas sold by Messrs. Lampson and Co., I have frequently noticed among them a considerable percentage of skins which had I seen them elsewhere I should have taken for Coppers j and in the same way on inspecting consignments of Coppers I have found a certain £."' .'m 243 percentage of skins resembling Alaskas, and in both classes skins which in a lesser degree resembled the other class. (Signed) ADOLPHE HAENDLER. Signed and declared at Paris aforesaid, this 29th day of December, 1892. Before me: (Signed) G. Austin Taylor, British Pro-Consul at Paris. (Seal.) No. 20. sole mnly I, OSWALD EYSOLDT, of No. 12, CoUege Hill, in the City of London, fur merchant, sc and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of Messrs. Eysoldt and Co., fur merchants, carrying on business at No. 12, College Hill, in the City of London. My firm commenced business seven years ago, and carry on the same business that was previously carried on by Messrs. Marcus and Co., a firm which had been established for about twenty-five years. 2. I have had personal experience in the seal-skin business for seventeen years. In the course of business I purchase seal-skins at Messrs. Lampson's and other sales. These skins I have dressed and dyed, and I dispose of them to the English trade. In addition to this, as agent for foreign houses, I purchase and have dressed and dyed a large quantity of seal-skins every year. 3. There are three chief classes of seal-skins dealt with in the London market, viz. (1) Alaskas, which come from the Pribylof Islands; (2) Coppers, which come from the Commander Islands ; and (3) what is commonly known as the North-west Catch. 4. Of these three, the Alaskas are the most valuable, and command considerably higher prices. There are several reasons for Alaskas fetching a higher price than the others, the following being the ._. O O J: * O O principal ones, viz. (1) the quality of the Alaska fur is superior to tbe quabty of the Copper fur, that is to say, that it is denser and closer; this circumstance I have always attributed to the difference of cbmate and food ; (2) the Alaska skins run larger than the Copper skins, which I always considered resulted from the Alaska seals,as a ride,being better fed,and therefore fatter or larger than the Copper seals. The above differences are the only differences which affect price, and are due, in my opinion, to difference of climate and food. There is also (3), taking the average of skins, a slight difference of colour, the Coppers being more brownish than the Alaskas ; but this is not-always the case, as I have seen Alaskas which were as brown as Coppers, but this, of course, has no influence upon the question of price. 5. In consignments that I have inspected from the Copper Islands, sold by Messrs. Lampson and Co., I have noticed a certain percentage of skins which, had I seen them elsewhere, I should have considered them Alaskas, and in the same way I have found skins amongst Alaska consignments that I have inspected which resembled the Coppor description. It is a matter of considerable difficulty to say what is the exact percentage I have so noticed, but I think it would be a safe estimate to say that, in the Copper consignments, I have found from 25 to 30 per cent, which resembled Alaskas, and in inspecting Alaska consignments about the same percentage of skins which resembled Coppers. 6. I have to some extent considered the question of regulations, and I am of opinion that sufficient regulations should be introduced upon the islands and at sea to insure the preservation of seal life as a whole, but I should strongly oppose any regulations which would have the effect of absolutely suppressing the North-west Catch. The North-west Catch forms a most important factor in the market, and tends to regulate the price. Were the North-west Catch suppressed, it would place the monopoly in the hands of the persons leasing the islands, who would have it in their power to control the market, and, if they wished, remove the trade from Great Britain. This, I think, would be dangerous to the fur trade generally, and principally to the London fur merchants. 7. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835. (Signed) OSW. EYSOLDT. Declared at No. 12, College Hill, in the City of London, the 4th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner to administer Oaths. No. 21. . I, HENRY FRIEDEBERG, of No. 96, Watling Street, in the City of London, fur and skin merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am the sole partner in the firm of H. Friedeberg and Co. My firm was established in the year 1873. Prior to that time I had previous experience in the fur trade in the office of my father, the late Mr. A. Friedeberg. My business consists in purchasing skins in their salted and raw condition. I then have them dressed and dyed by some London dresser and dyer, and subsequently worked up in my workshops into garments, which I dispose of to the trade. I also annually sell to the trade a considerable number of dressed and dyed skins. 2. There are three chief classes of seal-skins: (1) the Alaskas, which come from the Pribyloff Island' [1)81 o ft Eii im 244 (2) the Coppers, which come from the Commander Islands; and (3) what is known as the North-west Catch. Of these, Alaskas are the most valuable. As regards the difference between Copper and Alaska skins, I consider that the chief differences are (1) the denseness of the wool; (2) that the Alaska wool is shghtly higher than the wool of the Copper seals; and (3) the sides of the Alaska skins are, in my opinion, on the average, richer m fur than the sides of the Copper Island skins. I do not call to mind any other differences between the two classes. The differences which I have mentioned are the differences which influence the price in the market in favour of Alaskas. I also think that in some degree the price is influenced by the fact, that the name of the Alaskan seals is much better known to the pubbc than any other seals. 3. In the course of my business, it is not necessary for me to consider the question of sex in any way. The skins are never bought or sold by sex, nor is it mentioned in the catalogue; but speaking generally, I think if I were given, say, 100 skins, I could, as to the larger sizes, distinguish with more or less accuracy between males and females, but in the smaller sizes I would not be able to distinguish the sex. 4. In inspecting shipments made through Messrs. Lampson and Co. from the Pribyloff Islands, I have always noticed a considerable percentage of skins which, had I seen them elsewhere, I should have considered were Copper Island skins, and in the same way, in inspecting consignments of skins from the Copper Islands, 1 have noticed a certain percentage of skins which resembled the Alaska description. It is a very difficult matter to say definitely what this percentage would be, but, speaking roughly, I shoidd say from 20 to 40 per cent. 5. I have never given much attention to the question of regulations, and I do not feel myself competent to offer an opinion on the subject; but I should not be in favour of any regulations which would totally suppress the North-west Catch In my opinion this forms a very useful and important factor in the London market, and its disappearance would be decidedly an injury to the trade. Its disappearance, I think, would result in the price of seal-skins being so high as to be out of the reach of ike ordinary consumer. 7. And I make this declaration, conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) H. FRIEDEBERG. Declared at No. 96, Watling Street, in the City of London, this 5th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) WALTER B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. if No. 22. I, HORATIO CREAMER, of No. 40, St. Paul's Churchyard, and No. 9, Old Change, in the City of London, fur manufacturer, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of Messrs. J. and H. Creamer, fur manufacturers. I have been personally engaged in the fur-seal business for upwards of twenty years. In the course of our business my firm purchase large quantities of seal-skins in their raw or salted condition at the sales of Messrs. Lampson and Co. and others in London, and these skins we have dressed and dyed by some London dresser and dyer, and we then manufacture them in our workshops into articles which we dispose of to the trade. We also sell to the trade annually a certain quantity of seal-skins which are merely dressed and dyed. 2. There are three chief classes of seal-skins: — (1.) The Alaskas, which come from the Pribyloff Islands ; (2.) The Coppers, which come from tbe Commander Islands; and (3.) What is known as the North-west Catch. Of these, AJaskas are the most valuable. The chief reasons which influence the price in favour of Alaskas are the foUowing:— (1.) The quabty of the Alaskan fur is much superior on the average to the quality of the Copper fur, that is to say, it is, as a rule, denser and thicker, and it has been found by experience to wear better. (2.) The size of the Alaskan skin is, on an average, also larger than the size of the Copper skin. This is probably due to some extent to the selection and handbng on the islands. 3. I am not aware of any other differences between the two classes of skins. If there they are of a very trivial nature. I do not consider there is any material difference in shape are any, 4. In inspecting all the consignments made from the Pribyloff Islands of Alaska seals through Messrs. Lampson, I have always noticed a certain percentage of skins which, had I seen them amongst the Coppers, I should certainly have taken them for Coppers, and in the same way in inspecting skins from the Copper Islands, I have noticed a certain percentage which resembled the Alaskan description. It is a difficult matter to estimate what this percentage would be, but, in my judgment, it would be from 15 to 20 per cent, certainly not more. In the dressed and dyed state the percentage would be increased to more like 40 per cent, or more. 5. I am of opinion that if 100 raw skins—50 Alaskas and 50 Coppers—were put together, there is not a man in the trade who could accurately separate them. 6. I am sigongly of opinion that some regulations should be made applicable to the islands and the sea.with the view to preserving the seal industry, such as a close season, or some kindred scheme. I should be opposed to any scheme which would have the effect of entirely putting an end to the (North-west Catch. It appears to me that if a certain number of male seals can be killed on the islands without risking the future supply, a proportionate number of females could be killed without arisk, and, to my mind, this could be done with perfect safety. —m [ 245 I am also opposed to the entire suppression of the North-west Catch, because it would have the •effect of placing the monopoly in the hands of the lessees for the time being of the islands, who could, if they wished, remove the whole of the seal-skin industry away from this country. 7. And I make this declaration, conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue of ••'The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) H. CREAMER. Declared at No. 40, St. Paul's Churchyard, in the City of London, this 6th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 23. I, WILLIAM CHARLES BLATSPIEL STAMP, of No. 38, Knight-rider Street, in the City of London, fur and skin merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— I am the same person as William Charles Blatspiel Stamp who made the declaration dated the 14th day of June, 1892, and which is printed at p. 574 of vol. ii of the Appendix of the United States' Case. 1. I am a member of the firm of Blatspiel Stamp and Heacock, and carry on business as fur and skin merchants at the above-named address. My firm has been established since the year 1818. I have personally bad an experience of upwards of thirty years in the fur and skin business. In the course of their business my firm purchase annually very large quantities of seal-skins, so that I am familiar with these skins. 2. As regards the difference between Alaskas and Coppers, in my opinion they are the following:— (i.) The fur of the Alaskas is, on the average, closer and denser than the fur of the Coppers. (ii.) There is a difference of colour between the fur, but this is only very sbght, and varies in different years, sometimes the Coppers being lighter, sometimes the Alaskas. (ni.) The skins of the Alaskas, on the whole, run larger than the skins of the Coppers, probably through being better handled and selected. (iv.) There is a larger quantity of undergrowth of the hair in Coppers, which is probably due to the fact that the skins are taken more or less out of season, when they are beginning to approach the stagey condition. (v.) The above differences are the only differences which I can recall. They are the differences which affect the question of price, particularly the last-mentioned feature as to the presence of the undergrowth of hair. This hair is troublesome to remove, and some particles of it must remain, and causes the fur to feel harder. 3. In my opinion, there is no absolute line of demarcation between the Copper Island skins and Alaskas, and in inspecting the consignments made each year from the Pribyloff Islands through Messrs. Lampson and Co., I have found a certain percentage of skins which were fac-similes of Copper Island skins, and in the same way, in inspecting consignments of Copper Island skins, I have seen skins which, had I seen them elsewhere, I should have classed them as Alaskas, and also a certain number of the intermediate degrees of similarity. The quabties of the skins vary greatly in different years; some years the Coppers approach in quabty very closely to tbe Alaskas. 4. Referring to the statement made in my said former declaration, that " I should not be surprised nor feel incbned to contradict an estimate of upwards of 90 per cent, of female skins in the North-west Catch," I say that whilst it is possible with tolerable accuracy to separate female from male skins in the larger sizes, as regards the smaber sizes of seals under the age of 2 years it is a matter of great -difficulty, and often of impossibility, to determine sex. In the course of our business it is never necessary for us to consider this question. 5. A noticeable feature about the consignments from the Pribyloff Islands has been that, while formerly the consignments were entirely composed of male skins, of late years from 1883 up to 1890 female skins have appeared among them each year in increasing numbers. 6. I have frequently considered the question of regulations, and my opinion is that a close season or some such like arrangement should be introduced, both on the islands and at sea, and I think also that some sanctuary or isolated breeding-ground should be established which should at all times be free from disturbance. I am not in favour of the suppression of the North-west Catch. In my opinion, this would neither be just nor practicable. It would not be just, because I consider that the Canadians' have got a right to catch the seals frequenting the sea adjoining their own shores, and which feed to a large extent on the food-fishes there found, provided they do so in a proper manner. I think it would be impracticable, because tbe only effect of entire prohibition would probably be to cause the Canadian schooners to register under the flags of other nations. 7. I am of opinion also that the North-west Catch is a very important element in the market in keeping the price of the articles within the reach of the ordinary consumer. 8. And I make this declaration, conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue of "The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) W. C. BLATSPIEL STAMP. Declared at No. 8, Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, this 10th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. ■Mm 'MM 2i6 No. 24. I, SIGMUND APFEL, of No. 7, Aldermanbury Avenue, in the City of London, fur and skin merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as fobows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of Apfel Brothers. My firm are merchants in furs of all descriptions. My house has been estabbshed for upwards of fifty years at Leipsic and Mannheim, and during the last twenty-three years we have had a branch house in London. 2. My firm in the course of their business annually purchase large quantities of seal-skins, and I am therefore famibar with the seal-skin market in this country. 3. There are three chief classes of seal-skins dealt with in the London market: (1) the Alaskas, which come from the Pribyloff Islands; (2) the Coppers, which come from the Commander Islands ; and (3) what is known as the North-west Catch. As regards the difference between Alaskas and Coppers, in my judgment the only differences are that the Alaska fur is closer and denser than the Copper fur, and the skins are better handled on the Pribyloff Islands than on the Commander Islands. There are no other differences that I am aware of, and these are the differences which make the commercial difference in price. The question of price is also greatly influenced by the following circumstance, viz., that the name of the Alaskas is so much better known than the name of the Coppers, not only to the pubbc, but to the trade. The result of this is, that foreign houses who cannot send a personal representative to attend the sales, instruct agents, and as they cannot personally inspect the skins they give orders to their agents to purchase Alaskas in preference to Coppers. English houses on the spot buy more usually Coppers, because they know by selecting certain lots they get just as good value and at a cheaper rate owing to the absence of foreign competition for them. 4. In inspecting the Copper consignments made each year to Messrs. Lampson, I have found in some years as much as 33 per cent, of the skins which were quite as good in quality, and were quite undistinguishable from Alaska seal-skins, and which, had I seen them elsewhere, I should have classed as Alaskas, and in the same way in inspecting Alaska consignments, I found an equal percentage of skins which in the same way resembled Coppers. 5. I should be very much opposed to the abobtion of the North-west Catch. I have always held the opinion that the reports as to the diminution in the seal herds was greatly exaggerated. I also object to the abobtion of the North-west Catch, because I consider it would practically, if abolished, ruin our trade. It would throw us entirely into the hands of the persons, for the time being, leasing the islands, who could control the trade in the market just as they liked. This, I think, would be very disadvantageous. 6. In inspecting consignments of Alaska skins in recent years, I have from time to time noticed that the number of female skins had very much increased, and in the last few years in which the 100,000 skins were taken, I personally noticed a very considerable percentage of female skins. Female skins began to make their appearance about 1883 in this catch, and have increased in numbers each year since reaching, as I have said, a very considerable percentage in 1884. 7. In examining the consignments of the North-west Catch, I have always noticed, and during the past two years especially, an increasing number of skins which showed neither spear nor shot marks, and which appear to be identical with Alaskas. These are attributed by the trade to the results of raids on the islands, which have been made either with connivance of the Company, or through the islands not being properly protected. 8. I have not sufficient information to enable me to form an opinion as to what regulations are necessary, but I should most strongly object to the suppression of the North-west Catch. 9. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) SIGMUND APFEL Declared at No. 7, Aldermanbury Avenue, in the City of London, this 11th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. Mi UHti'i JM mi? No. 25. I, GEORGE RICE, of Nos. 32, 33, and 40, Great Prescot Street, in the City of London, dresser and dyer, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am the same person as the George Rice who made a deposition on behalf of the United States, which is dated the 15th day of June, 1892, and appears at p. 572 of the United States" Appendix, vol. ii. 2. I was formerly in the employ of Messrs. Oppenheim and Co., the well-known firm, who were atone time the sole importers of Alaska skins. When this firm ceased to carry on business I was with the firm of Messrs. Martin and Teichmann, who at that period dressed and dyed a considerable part of the Alaskan catch. 3. Up to 1878 I never remember having seen amongst the Alaska catch any female skins. In that year for the first time I noticed the appearance of a few female skins, which I at once drew to the attention of the firai. In the fobowing year there were also a few of these skins, but what percentage or what number, I cannot at this distance of time recall. Since that period I have always noticed' amongst the Alaska catch a certain percentage of skins which were female, and which percentage has slowly increased, and amounted to in my opinion (at a rough guess) in 1889 to from 10 to 15 per cent y^isssw* 247 4. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of "The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) GEO. RICE. Declared at No. 40, Great Prescot Street, in the City of London, this 13th day of January, 1893. - Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 26. I, DAVID WOTHERSPOON, Junior, of No. 60, Cheapside, in the City of London, furrier, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. I am a member of tbe firm of D. and J. Wotherspoon. My firm are wholesale furriers, and have been estabbshed for nearly 100 years. I have had a personal experience in the fur business of twenty-five years. I am also a member of the Zoological Society, and have always taken an interest in natural history, and have read all I could upon the subject, although I am not a professional scientist. 2. In my opinion the difference between Alaskas and Coppers is very trifling, and the animals are of the same species. The differences, such as they are, are as follows:— (1.) The quality of the fur is closer or denser in the case of the Alaska than the Coppers, and is also, in my opinion, of a more silky nature. This difference is probably due to the difference of climate and food. (2.) The sizes of the skins from the Pribyloff Islands are on the whole larger than those from the Copper Islands, showing that the selecting and handling on Pribyloff is bettor. There are no other differences that I know of between the two kinds. (3.) The wool perhaps is somewhat paler than in Alaskas, although this is not invariably so, 3. It is to my mind impossible to separate animals into different categories by reason of these differences in the skin. The Copper and Alaska skins when dressed and dyed are absolutely undistinguishable, and even in their raw state they are exceedingly difficult to separate with certainty. To my mind there is no absolute line of difference between the two; for instance, in inspecting lots of Alaska skins one always finds a certain percentage of skins which resemble Coppers, and in the same way inspecting Coppers, a certain percentage which, if seen elsewhere, would be classed as Alaskas. 4. I have no definite opinion on the subject of regulations except that I should like to see the killing of grey and black pups prohibited. I should object to the suppression of the pelagic catch on the ground that, in the first place, I think it would be an injustice to the Canadians, and, in the second place, I think it is a most useful factor in the fur trade and its disappearance would be most injurious to our business. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of "The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) DAVID WOTHERSPOON, Junior. Declared at No. 60, Cheapside, in the City of London, this 13th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths, No. 27. I, HARRY BORRAS, of No. 18, Old Change, in the City of London, merchant and furrier, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. I am a member of the firm of Robert Boiras and Sons. My firm has been estabbshed about fifty years. In the course of their business my firm annually purchase a large number of seal-skins. They are bought in the raw or damp state, and we have them dressed and dyed by some London dresser and dyer, and subsequently have them manufactured in our workshops into garments, which we dispose of to the public and the trade. 2. I have read the declaration of Mr. Richard Henry Poland made on the 29th day of November, 1892, and I agree with it in every particular. 3. And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) HARRY BORRAS. Declared at No. 18, Old Change, in the City of London, this 13th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. [118J 3 S mWm ml.&ffla 248 iii If il No. 28. 1 HOWARD VYSE, of No. 76, Wood Street, in the. City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declarersfollows:- || | ^ || M The fi h been estabnshed for about eiohty years. In the course of our business we annually purchase a large quantity of eal-sMns'fo the raw salted condition. These we cause to be dressed and dyed by some firm of dressers and dyers in Loudon, and subsequently have them manufactured in our workshops into articles which we dispose of to the trade. _,,,-, t H nnti. j e 2. I have read the declaration of Mr. Richard Henry Poland, declared on the 29th day of November, 1892, and entirely agree with it in every respect. 3 As reoards the Alaska catch, in former yeajs this was entirely composed of male skins, but latterly I have noticed amongst them a certain percentage of female skins, which have increased a little m more recent years. It is very difficult to form anything like an accurate estimate ot what this percentage is. In my opinion, it is about 10 per cent. mm'**** # 4. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue ot " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." ^^..^ _TTrc,,, J (Signed) HOWARD VYSE. BSSfipi Declared at No. 76, Wood Street, in the City of London, this 14th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oatlis. No. 29. I, JOHN SHOOSMITH.. of No. 40, Great Prescot Street, in the City of London, solemnly and sincerely declare:— 1. I am managing clerk to the firm of George Rice, the well-known dyer and dresser. 2. The firm of George Rice have been established upwards of twenty years. The firm do as large a business as any in the trade. 3. In my opinion, the capital sunk in permanently in the seal-skin industry in London—that is, the capital invested in plant—is about tbe sum of 100,000^.; but, of course, a considerable portion of this plant, should any change take place in the trade, could be turned to other uses. 4. As regards the number of persons exclusively engaged in the business, I should say in London there were about 200. There are, of course, a great many more persons through whose hands the skins also pass, but these are not solely occupied with seal-skins. The 200 persons I have mentioned might also do other work, but as a matter of fact they don't; when there is no seal-skin work for them they are idle. This is because they earn good wages, and when work is slack they prefer doing nothing. (Signed) JNO. SHOOSMITH. Declared at the Foreign Office, before me, this 16th day of January, 1893. (Signed) E. F. Day, A Commissioner. IIP No. 30, I, RICHARD DIXON, of No. 19, Edmund's Place, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I was formerly a partner in the firm of Richard Dixon and Co. My firm has been established about thirty years. My firm have annually to purchase large quantities of seal-skins, and I am thus familiar with the seal-skin market. Besides purchasing seal-skins in the market, my firm have from time to time been large importers of seal-skins. My firm imported considerable quantities of seal-skins shortly after the cession of Alaska, and before the establishment of the Company 2. I have carefully considered the question as to the difference between Coppers and Alaskas They are as follows:— (1.) The Coppers are, as a rule, a little paler in colour, but sometimes the Alaskas are paler. (2.) The Alaska furs are much better in quabty, that is to say, tbe wool is denser and closer, but as to this, a considerable percentage of Coppers are quite equal to Alaskas^and a stiU larger number in some years very nearly approach Alaskas. (3.) As regards size, perhaps the Alaskas are a little larger as a parcel. These are the only differences I remember, and they are the ones which affect the question of price. 3. In inspecting consignments of Pribyloff .skins I have invariably found a large percentage which were undistinguishable from Coppers, and in the same way in inspecting Coppers I have found a large percentage which were undistinguishable from Alaskas. I could not offer any opinion as to the amount of the percentage, but it would be considerable. 4. I do not consider myself qualified to give an absolute opinion on the subject of regulations, but I consider there ought to be a close season, or some arrangement which would put an end to the killin" of gravid females. Subject to this, I would not be in favour of the suppression of the North-west c^KSS 249 Catch, because, in the first place, I think it would injuriously affect the market prices and create a monopoly in the business, which I think would not be beneficial to the trade generally. 5. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) R. DIXON. Declared at No. 19, Edmund's Place, in the City of London, this 16th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 31. I, HERBERT SHELLEY BEVINGTON, of No. 28, Cannon Street, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am the same person as the H. S. Bevington who made a declaration at the request of the United States' Representative on the 26th day of April, 1892, and appearing at p. 551 of the United States' Case Appeudix, vol. ii. 2. In my opinion at least 25 per cent, of the skins found amongst Copper Island skins are undistinguishable from Alaskas, and in the same way at least 25 per cent, of the skins found amongst Alaskas are undistinguishable from Coppers. In both consignments I have noticed also a considerable quantity of skins which in a less marked maimer resembled the other class, but I consider the bulk can be distinguished. pfll 3. As regards the Alaska Catch, I have during the last four or five years noticed amongst them a smaU quantity—say from 10 to 15 per cent.—of female skins. 4. As regards regulations, in my opinion it is essential that the North-west Catch should be properly regulated. I am not, however, in a position to say exactly what these regulations should be I am not in favour of its total suppression. I am of opinion that the North-west Catch is a useful element in the market, and I think the trade would object to its disappearance. Its total suppression, in my opinion, would tend to create a monopoly, and place the whole business in the hands of the persons for the time being owning the islands, and this I should object to. 5. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of I The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) HERBERT SHELLEY BEVINGTON. Declared at No. 28, Cannon Street, in the City of London, this 16th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 32. furrier and skin I, AUGUSTUS ALLHAUSEN, of No. 35, Carter Lane, in the City of London merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. I am a member of the firm of Allhausen and Co. My firm has been established seventeen years. I have had personal experience in the fur trade of over thirty years. My firm each year purchases a large number of seal-skins. They purchase as many, if not more, than any other house in England for manufacturing purposes ; I am therefore familiar with the seal-skin market. 2. I have considered carefully the question of the differences which exist between Copper and Alaska skins. The chief difference is undoubtedly the density or quality of tbe fur, the Alaskas being of a better quality. The size also of the Alaskan skins run larger than Coppers. The Alaskas are also better flayed, cured, and handled than the Coppers. These are the only differences of which I am aware, and they are the only differences which affect the question of price. In my opinion, there is no absolute line of difference between the Coppers and Alaskas. We find amongst each class of skins a considerable percentage which resembles the other, that is to sav, that in inspecting the consignments of skins from the Pribyloff Islands there are found a large percentage which, if they were seen elsewhere, would be classed as Copper skins, and in inspecting the Copper consignments there is a considerable percentage which, if found elsewhere, would be classed as Alaskas. 3. There is another feature in relation to the Alaska skins, viz., that they, for the most part, are entirely composed of male skins. Of late years, that is to say, from the year 1883 or 1881, I have noticed amongst this consignment a certain percentage of female skins, which percentage has increased in later vears. 4. I have to some extent considered the question of regulations, and I am opposed to the suppression of the north-west catch, but I consider regulations should be made to insure its being il Hi mm mm ill ill sff y lilt I Www 260 conducted in a regular and proper manner, such as the mstitution of a close season and the prohibition of the use of rifles. , I think the disappearance of the North-west Catch would be a serious loss to the fur trade. Without this catch the entire seal business would be in the hands of the lessees of the islands, who could control it entirely as they wish, and this I think would be a very dangerous state of affairs. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." 11 i wMm (Signed) AUG. ALLHAUSEN. Declared at No. 37, Carter Lane, in the City of London, this 16th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. iff mm *\T«. OO JNo, 56 ■Mwm mm iSi If mm. I, HENRY POLAND, of No. 110, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, fur and skin merchant, do solemnly and sincerely declare as foHows :— 1. I am a member of the firm of P. R.,Poland and Son, of No. 110, Queen Victoria Street aforesaid, which has been estabbshed since 1785, and I have been engaged in the fur trade for over twenty-two years. 2. I have besides taken a deep interest in natural history, and have made a special study of the fur-seal and other fur-bearing animals, and have also pubbshed a book on " Fur-bearing Animals" treating on these subjects. 3. I consider that to a skibed expert the difference between Copper Island and Alaska fur-seal skms can readily be distinguished, but that in the subsequent processes of dressing, dyeing, &c, such distinctions disappear to a great extent. 4. That the chief distinguishing difference between the Copper Island and Alaska skins bes (taking of course an average year) that the Coppers are more of a yellowish brown than an average Alaska, although I have known one year when the Alaskas were lighter in colour than the Copper Island skins; I think it was the year in which the new Company—the North American Commercial Company—was formed, that is, 1890. 5. Further, I admit that amongst the Copper Island' catch there is a certain percentage of skms which are for the most part undistinguishable from the Alaska (or Pribyloff Islands') catch, although that percentage would be difficult to ascertain. At a guess I should say that it was not more than 30 per cent, but of course the fur of some of these would be less dense. 6. I have also noticed in the Alaska catch that there are in some particular years skins which are undistinguishable from Copper Island skins, and this fact is borne out by the opinion of the late Mr. Charles Cobins, a web-known dresser and a good authority on seal-skins, to whom I am indebted for many important particulars in the fur-seal business. 7. The next difference between Copper and Alaska skins is the quabty. By this I mean density of fur. Density, of course, signifies a greater number of atoms of fur on the animal. This is undoubtedly the chief commercial difference between the Copper and Alaska types. Alaska skins are denser in fur, or better in quabty, and the value is consequently greater. 8. I am not aware of any other differences. I do not consider that the fur of the Alaska type is appreciably longer, or that the shape of the skin differs. 9. In the last few years excepting 1892 I have observed a larger and increasing number of female skins taken in the Alaska catch. Some years ago a female skin could not be detected. 10. That in the differences I have observed between the Alaska and Copper Island seals there are not the sbghtest grounds which would lead one to infer that they were a distinct species, the variations of climate, food, &c, would be, in my opinion, sufficient to account for the differences I have mentioned. 11. In saying this I speak from the point of view of a naturabst, as well as from that of a merchant, and 1 am of opinion that the seals from the Pribyloff' Islands must often migrate to the Commander Islands, and vice versd. A seal would soon lose the differences in the changed surroundinos. In natural history they are one species, the northern fur-seal. 12. As regards what is generaby known as the " North-west Catch." I consider that, on the whole the proportion of females to males taken is from 75 to 80 per cent.; in " grey pups " and " extra small pups " the proportion would be 50 per cent. In the large sizes the proportion, on the other hand would exceed 80 per cent. 13. I have made certain suggestions as to regulations to preserve seal bfe in my previous depositions on the United States' Case. I have not all the materials which would enable me to speak positively, but I certainly think that some regulations, such as a close or partly close season or some kindred arrangement, should be introduced. 14. I am not in favour of the suppression of pelagic seabng for two reasons: (1) it would partially close the open market, and (2) would interfere with the right of sealers to fish in the high seas. 15. By partiaby closing the market, I mean that it would leave the monopoly of these classes of seals in the hands of the persons leasing the islands, and it would give an undue advantage to the lessees of the Pribyloff Islands and this 'I hold would not he beneficial to the trade generally to 251 And I make this declaration conscientiously bebeving the contents to he true, and by virtue of P The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) HENRY POLAND. ^ Declared at No. 110, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, this 16th day of January 1893. Before me: (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 34. LUDWIG FELSENSTEIN, of No. 1, Edmunds Buildings, Jewin Street, EC, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— ■ 1. I am a member of the firm of Felseiistein, Brothers, who carry on business in London, Leipzig, and- Fuerth (Bavaria). The firm has been estabbshed sixty-one years. Wm have carefully considered the amount of capital employed in England in connection with the seal-skin business. I don't think it exceeds more than 600,000/' at the very most. 3. I have read the declarations of Mr. W. C. Blatspiel Stamp, made on the 10th January, 1892, and the declaration of Mr. Sigmund Apfel, made on the 11th January, 1892, and I say that I agree with what they say in every respect; and I would like to add that, in my opinion, the continuance of the North-west. Catch is of the greatest importance to our business. I believe the creation of a monopoly in the lessees of the islands, which its suppression means, would raise the price of seal-skins, and put them out of the reach of the ordinary consumer. Moreover, the North-west skin is very highly appreciated by a large section of the buyers on account of its extreme softness and silkiness. (Signed) LUDWIG FELSENSTEIN. Declared at the Foreign Office, London, before me, this 16th day of January, 1893. (Signed) E. F. Day, Commissioner. No. 35. I, WESLEY MARSHALL, of No. 30, Friday Street, and formerly of Nos. 58 and 60, Aldersgate Street, in the City of London, fur manufacturer, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of W. Marshall and Co. My firm has been established for twelve years. I have personally had an experience in the fur trade of about twenty-three years. My firm, in the course of their business, annually purchase at public sales and elsewhere a considerable quantity of seal-Skins, most of which we have dressed and. dyed by some London dresser and dyer, and have them subsequently manufactured into articles which we dispose of to the trade, and I am familiar with the seal-skin market. 2. I have read the declaration of Mr. Richard Henry Poland, made on the 29th day of November, 1892, and I agree with tbe statements therein contained in every particular. 3. And I make this declaration conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue of " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) WESLEY MARSHALL. Declared at No. 30, Friday Street, in the City of London, this 17th day of January, 1893. Before me, (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 36. I, JULIUS RICHARD THAU, of No. 6, Great St. Thomas Apostle, Queen Street, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as foUows:— 1. I am a member of the firm of Hoffmann and Thau. The firm has been estabbshed since the year 1883, and prior to that year, and from the year 1878, the business was carried on under the style of " P. W. Hoffmann." I have personaby had an experience in the fur trade of seventeen years^ My firm, in the course of their business, annually purchase at pubbc sales and elsewhere a, quantity of sealskins, most of which we have dressed and dyed by some London dresser and dyer, and subsequently we dispose of them to the trade. I conduct, on behalf of my firm, the purchasing of the skins, and I am therefore, famibar with the seal-skin market. 2. I have read the declaration of Friedrich August Gustav Weber, made on the 15th day of December, 1892, and I agree with the statements therein made in every particular. [iisj 3 T stffiffl in III 252 3. I am not in favour of the total suppression of the North-west Catch, and should be very strongly opposed to any arrangement which would leave the monopoly of the seal-skin business entirely in the hands of the lessees of the islands. 4. And I make this declaration conscientiously bebeving the contents to be true, and by virtue ot " The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) JULIUS RICHARD THAU. Declared by Julius Richard Thau at No. 6, Great St. Thomas Apostle, in the City of London, this 17th day of January, 1893. Before me, (Signed) Walter B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 37. I, HENRY MEYERS, of No. 150, Cheapside, in the City of London, furrier and skin merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:— 1. I am the sole partner in the firm of J. and H. Meyers. The firm has been established since 1872. I have personally had an experience in the seal-skin trade of twenty years. My firm in the course of their business annually purchase a considerable quantity of seal-skins at pubbc sales and elsewhere. These we have dressed and dyed by some London dresser and dyer, and have them subsequently manufactured into artities which we dispose of to the trade. I conduct the purchasing of the skins, and I am therefore very familiar with the seal-skin market in London. 2. I have read the declaration ol' Mr. bichard Henry Poland, declared on the 29th day of November, 1892, and I agree with the contents thereof in every particular. 3. I should be very strongly opposed to any arrangement which would leave the monopoly of the seal-skin business in the hands of the lessees of the islands. I think this would be interfering with the trade, and exceedingly injurious to it. I am decidedly of opinion that some regulations are necessary in regard to the North-west Catch, but what these regulations should be I have not sufficient information at my disposal to enable me to form an opinion. I should, however, not be in favour of the total suppression of the North-west Catch. 4. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of I The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) HENRY MEYERS. Declared at No. 150, Cheapside, in the City of London', this 18th day of January, 1893. Before me: (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. No. 38. I, ABY ULLMANN, of No. 3, Edmund Place, Aldersgate Street, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as fobows :— 1. I am connected with the firm of Jos. 1'llmann, of No. 3, Edmund Place aforesaid. The firm have also establishments at New York and at Leipzig. The firm has been in existence for thirty-eight years. I have personally had an experience in the fur trade of six years. 2. My firm import a considerable quantity of North-west Coast skins, and purchase at public sales Alaskas, Coppers, and North-west Coast skins. I conduct the purchasing of these skins on behalf of my firm, and I am therefore familiar with the seal-skin market in London. The skms so purchased we have dressed and dyed by some London dresser and dyer, and subsequently we supply the trade both here and abroad. 3. The Alaska skins as a rule are much better in quality. By quality I mean that the hair is denser than that of the Copper Island skins. This, in my opinion, is the reason why Alaskas are more valuable than Coppers. 4. I have often considered the question of Regulations, and I am of opinion that some are necessary, but what these Regulations should be I have not sufficient information at my disposal to enable me to form a judgment; but I should certainly not be in favour of the suppression of the Northwest Catch, because I consider it would be very prejudicial to the fur trade generally. 5. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of "The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) ABY ULLMANN. Declared at the Commercial Sale Rooms, Mincing Lane, in the City of London, this 19th day of January, 1893. Before me: • (Signed) Henry B. Priest, A Commissioner for Oaths. MMK*. 253 No. 39. I CHARLES ALFRED SUGDEN, of No. 12, Aldermanbury, in the City of London, fur merchant, solemnly and sincerely declare as follows :— 1. 1 am the sole partner in the firm of C. A. Sugden and Co. The firm has been estabbshed for thirty-six years.: for twenty-six years as Sugden, Son, and Nephew, and for the last ten years as C. A. Sugden and Co. I have personaby had fifteen years' experience in the fur trade. My firm, in the course of their business, annually purchase a considerable quantity of seal-skins at pubbc sales and elsewhere, and I am therefore familiar with the seal-skin market in London. 2. I have read the declaration of Mr. Richard Henry Poland, made on the 29th day of November 1892, and agree with the statements therein contained-in-every way. 3. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the contents to be true, and by virtue of ' The Statutory Declaration Act, 1835." (Signed) CHAS. A. 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Total of " Alaskas " in each Catalogue. 48,418 Number of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. Total of all kinds included in Catalogue. Total of Alaskas for the Year. }■ 50,450 J. 40,146 j 61,895 | 53,106 V 40,268 «! 28,814 50,349 49,155 48,110 40,045 1,214 60,038 39,520 59,657 -j f 38,660 J i ( 50,009 J 14,756 | 57,754 45,339 73,626 26,895 75,558 | 24,459 J 80,119 f U n 51,836 -j 59,949 20.301 79,812 21,974 C. I. 1,518 Lima, &c. 671 Lima 28,290 C. I. 3,449 Washed 189 N. W. C, dry 3,502 N. W. C. 1,002 Lima 254 C. I. 192 Pat. 2,141 N.W.C.,dry,&c. 268 N. W. C. 178 Lima 24,241 C.I. 2,302 C. H., &c. 2,012 S. G. 1,662 C. H. 120 Lima 33,219 C. I. 3,026 R. I. 1,143 C. H. 2,367 N.W.C.dry, &c. 423 A., washed 2,4U8 N. W. C. 657 L. I., &c. 641 S. G. 580 Pat., washed 25,380 C. I. 1,530 R. I. 414 C. I. 65 S. G. , 2,435 S. S., dry 17,674 C. I. 1,940 R. I. 21 N. W. C. ■ 80 N. W. C. 191 S. S., &c, washed 27,117 C. I. 3,320 R. I. 2,195 N. W. C, &c. ' 1,207 Lima (?) 1,209 N. W. C. 38,879 C. I. 3,852 R. I. 1,393 N. W. C. 1,056 C. H. N. W. C, &c. C. H. m C. Percentage of Total of Small Sizes to Total of Alaskas • for the Year. Year. 1,832 676 441 I 19.992 -i 80,959 45,202 7,018 3,301 384 205 11 929 C. I. C. H. R. I. W. C. S. G. N. W. C. W. C. 504 C. H., &c. 39,337 7,422 4,193 1,467 554 6,291 595 591 3 C. I. C. H. R.I. Jap. N, W. C. N. W. C. C. H. w. c. S. S. 3 U Yea d Skins, [xlty, &C 1883 1884 I8S5 18S6 Total Small Sizes for the Year. 22 1887 36 1888 94 1889 77 1890 42 1891 2 11 1892 . •• i I 46,265 -j 1 57,015 •{ I I 48,033 61,317 68,988 69,920 79,621 11,948 10,534 2,533 936,629 Total of "Alaskas" in each Catalogue. Number of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. 19,237 ,617 { 61 15,742 73,793 -j 1 I 28,114 -j 79,637 19,871 102,295 104,059 100,016 100,037 20,994 4,158 13,494 7,554 4,106 R. I. 36,951 C. 1. 2,946 C. H., &c. 942 N. W. C. 790 Jap. 400 W. C. 2,022 N. W. C, &c. 209 C. II. 26,664 C. I. 2,037 R. 1. 5,112 C. H. 764 Jap. 2)9 N. \V. C. 613 C. H. 6,866 N. \V. C. 49,078 C. I. 3,644 R. I. 2,804 C. H. 1,148 Jap., J 331 N. "W. 132 C. H., C. &c. 41,764 C. I. 6,716 Jap. 1,832 R. I. 1,537 N. W. C. 1,714 N. W. C. 3,525 N. W. C. 898 Jap., &c. 255 Cal. 8,491 N. W. C. 512 Jap. Total of all kinds included in Catalogue. ■ 65,3721 I | 63,798J 50,588" i 81,272 Total of Alaskas for the Year. Percentage of Total of Small Sizes to Total of Alaskas | for the Year. 80,854 89,535 107,751 104,059 100,016 1,741,372 57*22 63-68 44-58 122,166 50-19 66 -30 69-91 79-59 56-91 59-68 33-53 53 '79 1S83 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 If' m m, im n London, and showing Percentage of Skins which could not percentage Total Total of of Total of Number of Skins of of all kinds North-west Small Sizes Total of North-west other Classes included in included Coast Seals to Total Year. Catalogue. in for of Total Small Coast Seals Catalogue. the Year. North-west tid Skins, Sizes for the Year. in each Coast Seals lulty, &c. Catalogue. for the Year. 1£ 23 } 59?{ 1,800 1,182 214 Washed, &c. [ 2,014 1,182 | 2,982 20-02 1873 .. 1 I 3,502 < 1,214 A. 1,002 Lima 254 C. I. I > 6,164 ) | 1* - 3,474 -j 192 Pat. y 7,010 49-56 1874 •• [ 1,955 - 186 Various, mixed, dressed, &c. 1 2,141 29 j 1 1,553 !;:^|| 1,553 j II .. I 920 < 1,436 - 84 A. 709 C. H. -1 > 2,229 y 2,216 41-52 1875 16 780 I 780 J "] f i 38,660 A. 33,219 C. I. 3,026 11. I. 1 1 186 2,210 - 1,143 C. H. 423 A. washed - 78,838 1 157 N. W. C. washed, 1! y 3,040 1 stale J y 7,767 39-14 1876 25 793 152 Washed stale 945 i 55 2,356 . m 2,356 1 r 50,009 A. ] • * i 1 J L 2,408 < 657 L. I., &c. 611 S. G, 580 Pat., washed V 54,295 I .} J 98 1 1 2,016 | 3,667 775 181 Washed, &c. 3,84S 775 | 4,442 45-38 1877 14 1 f 1,169 235 Washed, &c. 1,404 1 ». 1 2,905 ,, 2,905 j > 16 V 1,909 -j 264 603 ,, 264 603 {• 6,821 1 27 99 1878 •• J I 1,830 »•;«■■-. 1,880 1 • • 1 1,763 • f 116 C H. 26 S. S. | 1,905 -\ 1 2 45 17 !• 5,515 <| 1 2,703 3,769 1,646 •• 2,703 3,769 1,646 I 11,090 49-73 1879 • • 1 J I 1,209 - 75,558 A. 1,207 Lima | 77.974 6 J 105 1 r 1,334 f 24,459 A.' 1,334' 1 14 1,393 < 38,899 C. I. 3,852 R. I. > 69,639 1,056 C. H. 712 ,. 712 *9 1 1 1,433 1,220 1,044 1,662 C. H. 248 Aust. 813 Aust. 3,095 1,468 1,857 1 8 y 8,723 <[ | 1 | 1,745 - 1,589 f 615 S. h. 403 C. H. f 80,119 A. } 2,763 1,589 i- 83,068 y 15,227 j 57-32 1880 37 1,449 - 383 N. W. C, washed 676 C. H. 441 W. C. 21 2,770 •• 2,770 4 J | 538 • • 538 1 J 14 1 f 1 1,828 - 1,491 902 Jap. 15 S. S. | 2,745 1,491 1 12 f- 6,108 «j 1,526 3,845 171 C H., &c. 1,526 4,016 1- 11,656 52-40 1831 61 J I 2,966 •• 2,966 J W jk HfljS KS Yea Odd Skins, Faulty, &c. 18821 1883 1884 1885 1S8&| 1885 1881 10 14 163 5 1 127 24 13 157 2 6 60 37 21 41 140 38 43 50 Total Small Sizes for the Year. 1- 12,756 i Total of North-west Coast Seals in each Catalogue. Number of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. y 2,338 -i y 1,868 S ,390 -i 15,598 y n,i4o 513 554 275 5,577 5,871 6,294 942 ^ 1,819 518 614 6,866 521 2,141 I 331 - 1,221 j 1,537 4 1,005 2,155 7,566 1,714 2,071 25,606 j 2,871 5,781 3,525 1,804- 479 536 11,891 | 5,800 i 2,281 8,491 j 2,068 974 C. H., &c. 84 W. C. 39,337 C. I. Total of all kinds included in Catalogue. 19,992 4,193 7,422 A. R. I. C. H. 1,467 Jap. 2,486 C. H. 700 West Aust. 78,959 A. 595 C. H. 591 W. C. 3 S. S. 1,576 ] j- 72,965 J 36,951 19,237 4,106 2,946 790 400 61,567 209 203 C. I. A. R. I. C. H., &c. Jap. W. C. A. C. H. N. W. C, washed. 1,793 Washed, stale. 73,793 A. 613 C. H. C. and washed, 889 N. W. C. H. • &c. 28,114 A. 49,078 C. I. 3,644 B, I. 2,804 C. H. 1,148 Jap. &c. 567 C. H. 6 W. C. 19,871 A. 41,764 G. I. 6,716 Jap. 1,832 R. 1. 909 C. H. 167 Jap. 1,035 Cal. .02,295 A. 1,109 Washed and pieces, &c. 104,059 A. 878 Jap., &c. 255 Cal. 2,761 5,577 6,571 86,442 y 65,372 63,798 518 2,407 81,272 521 3,030 85,119 1,794 71,720 1,005 3,231 8,601 104,009 2,071 25,606 3,980 5,781 108,717 1,846 183 Crozet Island 662 ,. 536 2,042 Jap. 1,302 C. H. } 15,235 245 C. fl. 120 S. S. | 6,165 2,850 Jap. 5,131 100,016 A. 512 Jap. 1 109,019 565 Jap. 2,633 Total of North-west Coast Seals for the Year. 1- 19,089 J 1 y 3,279 8,001 3,693 16,048 39,629 [ 31,546 Percentage of Toial of Small Sizes to T. tal of North-west Coast Seals for the Year. 66 -82 71*00 74 -49 50-58 46-05 39-36 35-31 Year, 1882 1883 1884 1885 188S 1887 1888 * Odd Skins, Faulty, &c. } Total Small Sizes for the Year. Total of North-West Coast Seals. 92 i 8 } 58 29 25 47 52 1 58 33 29 213 248 117 369 24 97 38 38 66 ■ 15,087 -j 15,127 719 2,100 3,479 Number of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. Total of all kinds included in Catalogue, Total of North-West Coast Seals for the Year. 1,460 Chile. 487 C. H. 16 South Aust. 11,182 17,506 • 8,354 ,, 2,166 10,080 93 Falkla 7,800 ■ 482 3,298 Jap. 464 j 466 C. H. 59 Mixed 820 1,362 Jap. 16,097 j 1,010 L. 1 390 Jap. 3,511 J 278 Jap. 119 Aust. - 18,900 | 9,366 3,582 279 3,471 380 17,039 13,090 7,454 | 19,973 410 522 632 j 7,276 16,174 J, 1,7* *1,625 Behring Sea. 1,874 L. I. 529 C. H. 254 Jap. 5,629 Jap. 1,396 L. I. 204 C. H. 119 Aust. 6,603 Jap. 607 C. H. 252 Jap. 136 S. S. 1,731 CD. 897 Jap. 2,193 C. G. H, 279 C. H. 1,007 Jap. 4,348 Jap. 1,826 C. I. 834 S. S. 593 C. H., &c. 2,470 L. I. 82 Aust. 17,074 719 2,116 3,479 8,354 2,259 10,080 11,098 482 989 2,182 17,497 3,908 13,648 3,582 279 10,700 499 23,642 ■ 42,025 Percentage of Total of Small Sizes to Total of North-west Coast Seals for the Year. Year. ■ 29,171 J V 35-90 1889 38'33 1890 14,0 10,082 19,973 410 522 3,104 8,283 - 26,327 1,7* 47,207 37-08 1891 - 54,229 363,131 34'85 41-87 1892 fine in quality to be included in the North-West Coast quantity. Remarks. iper Island; A., Alaska; N. W. C, North-West Coast j Jap., Japanese; R. I., Robben t; L. I., Lobos Island; S. S., South Sea; S. G., South Georgia; S. L., St. Louis; I., Cape of Good Hope; Aust., Australian. phich have been put through a first process, and those placed separately in the present land goods. en dried in the air by the hunters, without- any salt being used. Larger quantities of the year 1873. small parcel of salted or dry skins has been omitted on account of the sizes being too ossification. sd that "Extra Extra Small Pups" were included in the "Extra Small Pup " size in 1889 in the Alaska description. I these Tables only include those skins offered for public gale in London. There is no teals from San Francisco and British Columbia have been sold privately from time to fertained. pen included those skins of intermediate colouring approaching the Japanese sort. The irrectly vouched for by captains of vessels engaged in seal-fishing. m (Signed) P. R. POLAND and SON. Lrger Sizes" and" Smaller Sizes," in Table I, has been drawn through the centre of t Sizes." I" Large Sizes " and " Small Sizes," has been drawn so as to show what skins are too liott, p. 46. Also Appendix, Table to letter from Messrs. Lampson, vol. ii, p. 262.) 5* *m "-WU^ff "* \ ( 261 ) Letters from Messrs. Lampson. Gentlemen, \ 64, Queen Street, London, December 21, 1892. TVE are in receipt of your favour of the 16th instant, and in reply to your inquiry regarding the classification of salted fur-seal skins, we have the pleasure to inclose" herewith a Table showing the measurements and average weights of the three principal kinds offered at our public sales. In explanation of these, we would point out that, in assorting fur-seals for size, we are guided mainly by the measurement, but we do make some allowance for the weight, i.e., if a skin, although having the. proper measurement, is exceptionally heavy, it would be classed in the size above, and if exceptionally light, in the size below. Tou will notice that the Alaska skins, viz., those from seals taken on the Pribyloff Islands, and shipped formerly by the Alaska Commercial Company, and since 1890 by the North American Commercial Company, are assorted on the largest pattern. The Copper Island skins, viz., those from seals taken on the Komandorsky Islands, and shipped formerly by Messrs. Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippens, and Co., and since 1891 by the Eussian Seal-skin Company, are assorted on a somewhat smaller pattern, being narrower. The North-west Coast skins, viz., those from seals taken at sea either in the North Pacific or Behring Sea, are assorted on a still smaller pattern, being still narrower than the other kinds, more particularly towards the heads. As regards the nomenclature of the various sizes, you will understand that the " wigs " are the largest skins; 1 middlings" the next; " middlings and smalls " form the intermediate size between the ■ middlings " and the " smalls," and although the name of " middlings " and " smalls " might lead you to expect two sizes, it refers to one only. Then follow " smalls," " large pups," and so on to the I extra extra small" and " grey pups," of which a proportion is found in the North-west Coast seals. The Alaskas and Coppers do not, as a rule, contain any of these smallest sizes, nor any " wigs." We are unable to answer your inquiry as to in " what class in the sale catalogue would be placed a skin classified on the islands as, say, a 7-lb. skin," as we do not know whether the classification you mention refers to the skins as taken from the animals, or after they have been cured and salted ready for shipment. The process of curing and salting must of necessity add to the weight. As far as the Alaska and Copper skins are concerned, the weights of the different sizes vary but very little from year to year, as the natives who flay the seals leave on the skins about the same quantity of blubber, and use about the same quantity of salt; but with regard to the North-west Coast skins, the weights at times differ considerably, according to the quantity of blubber left on the pelt and the quantity of salt used in curing. Generally speaking, we have noticed for some years past that more and more blubber has been left on this class of skins, and you will notice that the average weights of the larger sizes of this season's take are even greater than those of corresponding sizes in the Alaskas and Coppers. There is no fixed rule as to sizing fur-seal skins, and we give you the measurements and weights of skins as assorted by us. Other' houses, when assorting fur-seals, are most likely to have their own standards, probably differing somewhat from ours. Sir George Baden-Powell, K.C.M.G., M.P., &c, and Professor Dawson, the Foreign Office. Yours truly, (Signed) C. M. LAMPSON and Co. 1 [U8] 3 y 262 o w. xn q O ^3 CD HA -+» ■*« »o *>■ *^ © <-H CO a> rH t* 2 <U o *fd -# CM r-t O o en 00 t*» t*» CO C3 ^ l-H r-H rH r—* <h o ^ fl -d *)* «*■ Hn njoo < o ^ O o GO t-» ^J« CJ o o CO t>- cs ^ CO -cj -cm CM CM (M r"1' 1-1 EJj u t> CO M a M J2 00 Hfff) H* r** M'S, H OS o z, to N l>- o J7) co »o CO CI '.<o ^ O »0 O ^ •<* CO CO CO CO CM OJ (N (3 3 a N O O CO So CO CM Ol O pH eo O o rH bO *s * -^ CO T)< ^H O CO CO iCi ^ CO CO te" ^ CO <N 1—» '_H P^ n i - * • 3 c _a - o r-4 CO rH CO rH ■—' # U Q) o • * C"4 CM CO O 31 Cv CO ■ • •!■* «* q r—1 t—1 r-H i-H o* *S 03 Wr+ -"f^M *** Hf 44« *H rt . "r^ o 1^. ■»r CO ca o o a * * CO CM CM <N 04 <N <N • rn ^ p. o o JS C" -* he Ci CO Ci oo >o CO 0 « * * "'fl* ■^ CO CO CO CO CI • • N o t- o C^l CO to O i—( "~J ■"' rH !S> CO f—. CO 'r* to lO lO t>. r—1 r-t P- J -o ■ s c _-^ . 1 CO CO r-t *n o CO CO o • CO CM o o o 00 i-^ rH • r^M H-f 'cm CO lO o • CO CO 6) OJ OJ C4 CJ whr Wf* c^A Vie* ou -^ • a o CO CTJ 00 iO CO o , 41 CJ • * « *<* CO CO CO CO CO • • __ ts T4 0) CO o <M tO 0 60 ^ "3 en • • CO rH o CNi l^- CO ■^ * M fe pO rH rH (fi K B| H | <D U> 00 « rt a. 2: </J p. tn •-o "tf s* »3 H 9 #bp CO bO CO (0 Cu ^ tl Ph 02 CQ J? ^ bO bo CO 0 bo £ a H a> bO S ""S T3 ™ 0> ™ " CO w T3 T3 C3 o o J CO ^ § 3 CQ C/3 M w »>4 V -_y , . ^ ; v —;~v— a in 1 38 h4 m a 1 CO '"■II 263 Dear Sir, 64, Queen Street, London, January 13, 1893. Eeferring to our interview on the 11th instant, I have since endeavoured to obtain information as to the quantity of fur-seal skins received by the late firm of J. M. Oppenheim and Co. from the old Eussian Fur Company between the .years 1864 and 1868, when Messrs. Oppenheiin's contract, expired. "Without being able to give exact figures, I am inclined to believe that the quantity which I stated in my deposition given to the United States' Commissioner as 20,000 skins in 1864, gradually increased annually, reaching in 1868 as many as 50,000 skins. I should add that these were exclusive of the 10,000 (more or less) dry skins received by Messrs. Oppenheim-every year. I beg now to inclose herewith corrected and supplemented statement, showing not only the quantities of salted fur-seal skins received by my firm from the Alaska Commercial Company and North American Commercial Company during the years 1870 to 1892, but also showing when these skins were disposed of by my firm at public auction. I was sorry to find that the statement attached to my deposition was not sufficiently clear, as it might lead one to suppose that the quantities up to the year 1886 referred to the numbers sold, whereas they referred to those received by my firm, but not entirely disposed of in the same year in which they arrived. You will also please notice that the regular catch of 1890 consisted of 20,994 .skins, and was disposed of in October 1890. My firm also received in this year 4,158 skins, taken, previous to the expiration of the Alaska Commercial Company's lease, by the natives for food, but shipped by the North American Commercial Company, and these were sold in January 1891. The • 1891 catch, erroneously given as 4,158 skins, really amounted to 13,494 skins, and was, as you will notice, sold in that year, whereas the 1892 catch, amounting to 7,554 skins, had not been taken when my deposition was made. Yours truly, (Signed) EMIL TEICHMANN (of the Firm of Charles Russell, Esq., C. M. Lampson and Co.). Behring Sea Arbitration, Foreign Office. [118] 3 Z 264 Inclosure to Letter of January 13, 1893. Salted Alaska Fur-Seals sold in London. Catch of— 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 Skins, 9,965 100,896 96,283 103,724 99,150 99,634 90,267 75,410 99,911 100,036 100,161 99,921 100,100 75,914 99,994 99,874 9.9,947 99,949 100,037 100,031 20,994 4,158t 13,494 7,554 Skins sold. 5,962* 4,003 33,439 27,399 40,058 56,470 39,813 63,511 40,213 59,809 39,341 60,949 38,685 51,511 14,320 24,406 33,533 41,877 73,705 26,206 75,556 24,480 80,122 20,039 79,850 20,071 80,079 20,021 60.043 15,871 71,871 28.123 79,987 19,887 99,947 99,949 100,037 100,031 20,994 4,158 13,494 7,554 Date. November 3, January July December April December March November March November March November March November March November March October March October March November March October March October March November March November March October November November October October January October November 1871 13/1 1871 1872 1872 1872 1873 1873 1874 1874 1875 1875 1876 1876 1877 1877 1877 1878 1878 1879 1879 1880 1880 1881 1881 1882 1882 1883 1883 1884 1884 1885 1885 1886 1886 1887 1888 1889 I 1890 1891 1891 1892 Total Skins sold. 43,404 123,927 103,324 100,018 100,290 90,226 72,259 115,582 101,762 104,602 99,889 100,150 80,064 87,742 108,110 119,834 99,949 100,037 100,031 20,994 17,652 7,554 Year. 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 18-8 1889 1890 1891 1892 * Taken before the Alaska Commercial Company's lease commenced. t Taken for food by the natives before the Alaska Commercial Company's lease expired. London, January 13,1893, (Signed) EMIL TEICHMANN (of the Firm of C. M. Lampson and Co.), 265 Memorandum of Mr. G. Gleadowe, of the British Treasury Department, on the general Condition and Character of the Canadian Sealing Fleet. IN April and May 1892, by direction of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, I visited Bricish Columbia with the object of inquiring into the amount of damage sustained by the Canadian schooner owners by reason of the modus vivendi of 1891 having been put in force after the commencement of the sealing season. In the course of my inquiries I personally inspected a considerable number of the sealing fleet, and came in contact with a lirge number of schooner owners, captains of vessels, and others engaged in the industry, and I, a \ far as possible, made myself acquainted with the sealing industry and the men engaged in it. As a body, the schooner owners have impressed me very favourably. Some of them are old sailors who have invested their savings in a schooner, and sail with her themselves, but the majority are men engaged in trade, who have fitted out schooners as they would invest their money in any other speculation. The earlier sealers were mainly men of the former class. As regards their nationality, I went out under the impression that I should find that many were not British subjects. I found, however, that there is very little foundation in fact for this impression. Even the mortgagees are, in nearly every case which has come under my notice, British subjects. As regards the schooners, I was much impressed with the excellence of the way in which, as a general rule, they are built and found in every respect. Compared with craft of a similar tonnage in other industries, they are expensively fitted out, and everything about them appears good, more like a yacht's than a fishing boat's. No doubt in many cases boats that would serve the purpose well enough could be got for a smaller sum than these schooners have cost, but the competition for skilled hunters has been so great, and the trade so profitable, that a sealer thought nothing of spending a few extra hundreds or even thousands of dollars to obtain a vessel so built and fitted out as.to attract the best and most successful men. The cost of building a vessel in British Columbia is very high, and many are built or bought in Nova Scotia, and brought round the Horn in the winter, so as to be at Victoria in time to refit for the spring sealing. This is no trifling voyage for a 50 or 70 ton schooner, and everything must be of the best to secure the success of the venture. Even so, a vessel so obtained comes cheaper than one built locally, but many owners have preferred to pay a higher price and employ local labour, in this way also insuring their vessel being ready for a fulL season's fishing, which in the case of a schooner coming round the Horn in the winter cannot be reckoned on. I have seen in several cases the bills showing the whole cost of the construction and fitting out of a schooner, and while I cannot but consider the cost of some very high, it is difficult in such cases to appraise the value at any lower figure. The best and most lasting vessels come from the eastern States of Canada or America, or from Yokohama or some other port in Japan. These are built, as a rule, of hard wood, and may,last for thirty or forty years, or even more. At the same time, the cost of building a vessel in thg East or in Japan is appreciably less than it is at Victoria or Vancouver, where labour is both .dear and inefficient.. The wood used for shipbuilding at these ports is either Douglas spruce, or, in a few cases, cedar, both of which are soft woods, whose durability is very doubtful, especially in seas where the .teredo .abounds. The following list of schooners, as to which I made inquiry, shows, the date and place of' building:— Built. Schooner. Place where Built. Built. Schooner. Place, whei e Bu It. 1891 •Ainoko .. .. Yokohama. 1886 •Walter A. Earle San Francisco.. •Vancouver Belle ' Vancouver. 1885 •Annie E. Paint.. Nova Scotia, *Eliza Edwards (St.) Ditto. Viva .. • .. Ditto. *C. D. Rand Ditto. 1884 E.B.Marvin .. Ditto. •Beatrice .. •• Ditto. •Geneva .. ., Ditto. •May Belle Victoria. Sapphire .. .. Ditto., •Carlotta G. Coii. .. ' Ditto. •Oscar and Hattie .. Ditto. •Labrador .. • • Vancouver. 1883 Teresa San Salvador. 1890 •Thistle (St.) Ditto. Ocean Belle Nova Scotia. 1889 Minnie .. .. , Victoria. Annie C. Moore Newfoundland, Sea Lion ,. Ditto. Penelope .. Yokohama, •Hesperus .. •Otto .. : Vancouver. 1882 ' . P. Sayward .. .. Victoria. N'-va Srotia. 1877 Walter L. Rich j Maine, U.S.A. 1888 Aurora .. ; Mayne Island, B.C. •Laura.. San. Juan. C. H. Tupper .. Venture .. .. Nova Scotia. Beatrice (Shanghae) .. Yokohama. Vancouver. 1875 Mary Taylor .. .. Utsalady, U.S.A.. •Umbrina .. .. Nova Scotia. 1872 Wanderer .. . • San Juan.. •Carmolite .. Vancouver. 1869 Winifred .. .. . Whatcom, U.S.A 1887 Triumph .. Nova Scotia. 1868 Ariel .. Nova Scotia. 1886 Maggie Mac .. .. Ditto. 1863 Mary Ellen .. .. San Francisco. •Rosie Ohlsen .. .. ' Oregon, U.S.A. Not known Katherine and Ethpl Not known. •MaudS. Nova Scotia. (American) 4ft $ So far as I could ascertain, the schooners marked with an asterisk include all those which were either quite new or newly fitted out for the sealing industry. As regards the average cost per ton, it is very difficult to form an accurate estimate, the value of the schooners differing greatly, some costing in their original construction as low as 53 dollars per ton, others as much -as 145 dollars per ton. I think, however, that the average would be about 106 dollars per ton for hull, spars, sails, and rigging, and exclusive of outfit, &c. I do not mean they would be worth these values to sell, for many are built specially for the purpose of the trade, with accommodation for twenty or thirty men, which practically takes up the whole space below, and they are all fitted in a way which would be out of place in an ordinary fishing or trading -schooner, but I do not think for sealing purposes vessels equally well built and found could be obtained for a less price. The men employed on a schooner are paid, some by fixed wages, some by commission, or " lay," on the skins taken, and some by both. Thus the cook and seamen are generally paid wages only (and those high wages, from 30 dollars to 50 dollars a-month besides board, &c.) ; the hunters, whether white or Indian, are paid by lay only, the amount of which varies from 1 dol. 50 c. to 3 dol. 50 c. a skin, or even more, the average being ahout 3 dollars. Hunters are paid according to their real or supposed efficiency, and there is considerable competition amongst the different owners to get the best men. In point of lay, there is no great difference between the rates paid to Indians and to white men, and a good hunter may easily make from 1,000 dollars to 1,500 dollars in a season. The Indians used to be less particular than the Whites about their victualling, but now all, whether White or Indians, expect everything to be of the best, and, to judge from the bills which I have seen, they can enforce their wishes in this respect. The captain and mate are paid mainly by wages, but ha.ve also often, in addition, a small lay on die ^kins taken. A captain often gets 30 dollars a-month, and 25 cents, or even 50 cents, on every skin taken by the schooner; and the mate as a rule has 40 dollars or 50 dollars a-month, and a lay on every Skin taken by the stern boat, whidh is specially in his charge. Where no lay is given, a captain will get higher wages, in some cases as much as 100 dollars a-month. In a few cases the seamen have a lay of a few cents a skin besides their wages. A captain often commands the same schooner year after year, and I have seen cases in. which the crew and hunters re-engage in the same vessel in consecutive years; but, as a general rule, the end of the voyage is the end of the man's connection with the ship, and if he goes sealing again, it is far more likely that he will go in another schooner than in the old. In many cases, the enforcement of the modus vivendi deprived the hunters of their only means of livelihood, and I cannot but fear, from what I heard from the Indian Agent at Victoria, that very great distress resulted in many of the Indian villages up the coast from the prohibition. The number of Indians employed in the industry is considerable, being less than one-third of the whole. I found widespread dissatisfaction among all engaged in the sealing industry at the enforcement of the modus vivendi. The schooner-owners went indeed so far as to propose and enter into some preliminary negotiations for the transfer of the whole Canadian sealing fleet to the German or Italian flag. *Hm frZM- *PH gf, l<^& '**^ ; mmWrnrnmLt** m 1 >. \ C' 255 ) Table I.—Abstract op Catalogues op ALASKAN Seal Public Sales, showing Number OF DIFFERENT SlZES SOLD ANNUALLY IN LONDON , and the Percentage of Small and Large Sizes. Year, Date of Catalogue from which information taken. ALASKAN SEALS. Numher of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. Total of all kinds included in Catalogue. Total of Alaskas for the Year. Percentage of Total of Small Sizes to Total of Alaskas for the Year. Larger Sizes. Smaller Sizes. Total of " Alaskas " in each Catalogue. Year. Wigs. Large Middlings. Middlings. Middlings and Smalls. Smalls. Large Pups. Total Large Sizes for the Year. Middling Pups. Small Pups. Extra Small Pups. Extra Extra Small Pups. Grey Pups. Black Pups. Odd Skins, Fiulty, &c. Total Small Sizes for the Year. 1873 J Apr. 8. Dec. 9. CM. Lampson and Co. 37 13 .. 30 455 1,655 5,060 1,922 6,201 5,434 11,338 7,855 13,673 L 53,623 4 9,334 13,201 9,652 8,816 3,919 2,378 •• { 375 580 163 smaller } ••' • • • • - 1 48,418 4 40,146 | 61,895 j 21,974 C. I. 1,518 Lima, &c. 671 Lima | 63,6381 62,566 J 102,041 47-45 1873 ' Mar. 13. 33 13 • • .. 134 1,594 1,805 5,279 7,464 -| ( 9,260 9,954 4,555 « » • a • • • • 1 r 40,045 -j 28,290 C. I. 3,449 Washed 189 N. W. C, dry 3,502 N. W. C. 1,002 Lima 254 C. I. 192 Pat. ■ 71,973"! 1874 ■ Sept. 9. 13 ,3 . • 3 .. • • 3 • « \ 50,847 -j | 8 9 »• • » 1,191 *4 y 50,450 • 1,214 ■ 8,305 • 101,297 49-80 1874 2,141 N.W.C.,dry,&c. -. Nov. 18. 3, 3, .* •• 200 3,144 6,387 11,155 13,679 1 14,109 9,759 1,605 *« • • •• •• -p V 60,038 j 268 N. W. C. 178 Lima 1 60,424 1875 4 Mar. 3. Nov. 23. 33 31 . - 33 3, .. •• • * 44 1,469 1,027 2,875 2,691 6,263 9,215 8,913 13,574 \ 46,071 4 10,370 17,419 8,243 12,374 1,387 3,313 a * •• • • • • • • I 53,106 4 39,520 4 59,657 j 24,241 C.I. 2,302 C. H., &c. 2,012 S. G. 1,662 C. H. 120 Lima I 68,075 T | 61,439J 99*177 53-55 4875 1876 - Mar. 24. 3, ,3 . . •• 145 1,918 4,814 7,784 9,038 ■ 48,401 . 8,372 5,412 1,177 • « •• •• * • ■ 40,268 • r 33,219 C. I. 3,026 R. I. 38,660 i 1,143 C. H. 2,367 N.W.C.,dry,&c. 423 A., washed i 2,408 N. W. C. ■ 78,838"! ■ \ 88,669 45-41 1876 . Nov. 30. ,3 t3 . * .. 46 1,363 846 9,579 12,868 V. 13,376 9,752 2,179 • • • • • • « • . 50,009 4 657 L. I., &c. 641 S. G. 580 Pat., washed y 54,295j f Mar. 19. 31 33 .. 68 ,, 398 395 3,286 3,554 1 f 3,704 2,592 496 • • 249 < * 14 ] r 14,756 | 57,754 J 25,380 C. I. 1,530 R. I. | 41,666-] 1877 4 Nov. 23. Jl >» •• •• •• 1,655 5,224 14,060 15,056 > 43,696 4 13,050 7,199 1,510 • ■ a a •• • * l 28,814 4 414 C. I. 65 S. G. , 2,435 S. S., dry I 60,668J 72,560 39-74 1877 f 17,674 C.I. 1 1S78 4] Mar. 26. 31 13 .. •• • • 1,537 5,593 9,515 10,748 l 68,616 J 8,912 5,285 1,286 " { 1,477 974 smaller } ••: 12 ) r y 50,349 4 45,339 4. f 1,940 R. 1. 21 N. W. C. 80 N. W. C. J- 64,9741 118,965 42 -32 1878 I Nov. 15. ,3 >* • • .« • • 535 5,252 14,961 20,475 J I 19,859 11,458 1,086 • • •• •• •• 73,626 i 191 S. S., &c., washed [■ 73,897J 1879 -1 Mer. 18. Oct. 29. 33 31 * • « 31 .. t • • • 596 406 2,027 4,635 5,386 15,977 5,504 18,767 I 53,298 -j 6,309 21,029 6,006 13,507 1,041 1,237 • • • • • » • • • * 26 • • i 49,155 4 26,895 J 75,558 | r 27,117 C. I. 3,320 R. I. 2,195 N. W. C, &c. '1,207 Lima(?) 1,209 N. W. C. 38,879 C. I. I 59,521"| | 77,974J 1 102,453 47-98 1879 - Mar. 8. 33 33 . - 3 •• 96 1,240 3,656 5,204 -\ r 6,523 6,831 906 .. a. • * • • 1 r ■ 48,110 4 24,459 4 3,852 R. I. 1,393 N. W. C. y 69,639~) 1880 ■ Nov. 26. 33 33 •• 44 • ( 1,735 10,783 17,311 16,396 ■ 56,468 -j J I 17,247 13,170 3,430 • • • • •• I 80,119 4 1,056 C. H. 1,832 N. W. C, &c. 676 C. H. 441 W. C. J L I 83,068 j 104,578 46 -00 1880 - f 45,202 C. I. 7,018 C. H. 1 i 76,472-] f Mar. 28. 33 33 .. •• •• 340 2,340 5,198 4,474 } f 4,317 3,274 358 .,. • • • • - 1 f 20,301 - 3,301 R. I. 384 W. C. 1881 ■ • 48,277 -j I ■ 51,836 «j 205 S. G. 11 N. W. C. j [ | 81,245 J 100,113 51-78 1881 - Nov. 1. ,3 1) 111 «. 2,035 5,577 12,243 15,954 21,753 20,044 2,088 . a " • * a . J I 79,812 j 929 W. C. 504 C. H., &c. f Mar. 27. 13 3, • ' 46 ... 379 1,490 2,758 3,922 } f j 5,619 5,370 408 * • • • *• -^ r r i 19,992 ■{ I 80,959 4 39,337 C. I. 7,422 C. H. 4,193 R. I. 1,467 Jap. 1 j- 72,965"| j 1 1882 - ■ 41,002 -j • 59,949 -l 554 N, W. C. 6,294 N. W. C. 100,951 59-38 1882 - Oct. 31. 33 33 .. 212 + i .. 3,277 5,300 8,930 14,688 I 23,926 21,012 2,577 .. 1,037 .. •• J t 595 C. H. 591 W. C. 3 S. S. l 88,442 [118] • 3 V ( 256 ) Year. 1883 1884 1885 18S6 1S87 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 ALASKAN SEALS. Date of Catalogue from which information taken. Mar. 19. C. M. Lampson and Co. Oct. 31. Mai-. 31. N'ov. 19. Mar. 30. Nov. 2. Mar. 19. Oct. 27. Nov. 8. Nov. 6. Oct. 30. Oct. 27. Jan. 23. Oct. 26. Nov. 24. 33 33 >, 33 31 11 Larger Sizes. Wigs. 100 83 78 Large Middlings. Middlings. 89 60 133 29 Middlings and Smalls. 500 902 5!) 7 250 252 1,319 495 1,177 696 177 221 659 1 8 Smalls. 1,411 2,223 1,107 1,915 2,355 8,186 2,505 6,484 Large Pups. 454 2,767 6,931 4,094 16,658 27,154 3,133 4,005 7,117 4,753 13,283 28,643 2,254 8,950 23,142 2,318 9,297 18,302 2,133 7,020 11,042 12 3,032 5,343 37 285 467 172 2,311 3,837 312 2,252 2,457 4,065 14,464 3,778 15,846 Total Large Sizes for the Year. 34,589 Smaller Sizes. Middling Pups. I I y 32,520 \ J { 59,718 60,849 35,071 30,096 20,416 9,046 7,118 5,021 5,206 19,722 5,155 24,215 9,960 20,144 5,205 30,803 35,585 36,655 26,481 7,984 1,019 4,697 2,076 Small Pups. 5,252 13,379 2,432 21,650 7,272 9,093 1,601 17,051 24,784 29,208 33,811 3,851 1,446 2,209 399 Extra Small Pups. 348 833 130 1,252 478 1,080 205 3,849 4,426 3,963 18,731 71 879 249 58 Extra Extra Small Pups. Grey Pups. •• { 521 22 Black Pups. 869 656 smaller 1,457 1,481 1,100 smaller 3,761 396 smaller } ■•'. 724 Odd Skins, Faulty, &c. 22 36 94 77 42 2 11 Total Small Sizes for the Year. r i 46,265 -j r I ■ 57,015 •{ I I 48,033 61,317 4 68,988 69,920 79,621 11,948 I 10,534 4 2,533 Total of "Alaskas" in each Catalogue. 19,237 ,617 { 936,629 61 15,742 4 73,793 j Number of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. 4,106 R. I. 36,951 C. I. 2,946 C. H., &c. 942 N. W. C. 790 Jap. 400 W. C. N. W. C, C. II. Total of all kinds included in Cutalogue. 2,022 209 &c. 28,114 79,637 19,871 102,295 104,059 100,016 | 100,037 20,994 4,158 13,494 7,554 26,664 C. I. 2,037 11. 1. 5,112 C. H. 764 Jap. 2)9 N. W. C. 613 C. H. 6,866 N. W. C. 49,078 C. I. 3,644 R. I. 2,804 1,148 331 C. H. Jap., &c. N. W. C. 132 C. H., &c. 41,764 C. I. 6,716 Jap 1,832 ~ 1,537 1,714 N. W. C R. I. N. W. C. 3,525 N. W. C. 898 Jap., &c. 255 Cal. 8,491 N. W. C. 512 Jap. f 65,372"| I y. \ 63.798J 50,538 | 81,272! y 85,119' Total of Alaskas for the Year. J 79,769. 71,720" 104,009., 108,717 I 109,019 100,037 20,994 4,158 13,494 7,554. 80,854 89,535 107,751 122,166 104,059 100,016 100,037 20,994 17,652 7,554 1,741,372 Percentage of Total of Small Sizes to Total of Alaskas for the Year. 57'22 63-68 44-58 50-19 66-30 69-91 79-59 56-91 59-68 33-53 53-79 Year. 1S83 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 f ; - ( 257 ) - • Table II.—Abstract of Catalogues of NORTH-WEST COAST Se al Public Sales, showing Number of different Sizes SOLD ANNUALLY IN LONDON, AND SHOWING PERCENTAGE OF SKINS WHICH COULD NOT POSSIBLY, J3Y REASON OF THEIR Size, be Skins of Bearing Pemales. NORTH-WEST COAST SEALS. Percentage ' of Total Total Total of of Year. Date of Catalogue from which Large Sizes. Small Sizes. Total of Number of Skins of other Classes included in of all kinds included North-west Coast Seals Small Sizes to Total Year. Information taken. North-west Coast Seals in each Catalogue. Catalogue. ' for the Year. of North-west Coast Seals for the Year. Wigs. Middlings. Middlings and Smalls. Smalls. Large ^ PuPs- Pup irge and iddling 3 (mixed). Middling Pups. Total Large Sizes for the Year. Middling and Small Pnps (mixed). Small Pups. Extra Small Pups. Extra Extra Small Pups. Grey Pups. Old Skins, Fruity, &c. Total Small Sizes for the Year. in Catalogue. lo.'S <s Mar. 12. Nov. 12. Culverwell ,, .. Hudson Bay Company. (Dry).. 3 176 a . **215 514 213 •• 1,052 207 1 2,385 ■[ •• 234 182 '43 ■•• 115 *23 | 597 ■[ 1,800 1,182 214 Washed, &e. 2,014 1,182 | 2,982 20-02 1873 /■ ' 1 (- 1,214 A. ] 1 Sept. 9^ C. M. Lampson and Co. a. 94 .. 557 503 .. 393 26 420 423 • * 1,081 .. 3,502 < 1,002 Lima 254 C. I. y 6,164 | 1874 - ■ 3,536 - - 3,474 - 1 192 Pat. J y 7,010 49-56 1874 Sept. 9. 33 33 (Dry).. 71 • • 314 429 .. 278 ..; 227 459 a. 177 a. j 1 „.. J 186 Various, mixed, dressed &c. X 2,141 1 . Nov. 6. Hudson Bay Company. 12 * * 330 " 303 •• 248 . 106 205 •.• •' 321 29 ) I 1,553 •■• 1,553 j . 1875 \ Sept. 9. C. M. Lampson and Co. a . 66 56 163 269 98 194 1 1,296 4 .. 251 172 .. 167 .. I 920 \ 1,436 - 84 A. 709 C. H. | 2,229 I 2,216 41-52 1875 Dec. 10. Hudson Bay Company 5 • * 127 60 111 147 J 1 •• 228 »• '• 86 16 J 1 780 •• 780 J f % (■ ' 38,660 A. - "> 33,219 C. I. | 3,026 11. I. i Mar. 24. C. M. Lampson and Co. (Dry) 40 190 •• 220 242 •• 294 1 1 •• 638 3£2 •* 18 186 2,210 - 1,143 C. H. 423 A. washed 157 N. W. C. washed, - 78,838 1876 - - 4,727 4 - 3,040 \ stale , 7,767 " 39'14 1876 Aug, 31. 13 11 (Dry) 1 9 ♦ ». 64 345 ., 216 .. 87 55 .. ,. 25 j 793 152 Washed stale 945 Nov. 3. Hudson Bay Company. 9 174 .. 561 491 •• 415 .. 403 139 "• 109 55 | 2,356 ' 50,009 A. 2,356 1 Nov. 30. C. M. Lampson and Co. 11 • « .. 298 592 *« 564 J 71 329 133 .. { 380 25 black pups } •• 1 i 2,408 - 657 L. I., &c. 6(1 S. G. > 54,295 .. J I J I 580 Pat., washed J J 1.8Y7 { Mar. 19. Nov. 7. 31 »> Hudson Bay Company. (Dry) 1 3 61 57 46 • • 267 159 885 137 87 531 142 | 2,426 j 261 456 119 811 64 '• 163 43 98 1 | 2,916 | 3,667 775 181 Washed, &c. 3,84S 775 l 4,442 45-38 1877 ' Mar. 22. C, M. Lampson and Co. (Dry) 8 18 , # 124 240 198 1 f 55 233 263 ,. 16 black pups 14 1 ( 1,169 235 Washed, &c. 1,404 1 July 23. ,» 13 133 ., 1,129 802 288 78 255 76 .. 144 '• 1 I 2,905 •• 2,905 j 3878 - Sept, 3. Oct. 4. Hudson Bay Company. a, 13 1 * 8 3 9 " 7 34 31 80 58 104 I 4,912 - • • 90 219 44 46 , # 29 87 1 16 ■ 1,909 -j 1 264 603 * * 264 603 \- 6,821 ( 27-99 1878 Oct. 30. Goad Rigg .. • { 309 large mids. 307 mids. } - 536 175 307 J I •« 108 65 . " 70 ! •" J I 1,830 .. 1,880 1 J - Aug. 29. C. M. Lampson and Co. 124 96 •• 142 79 91 ■( 112 •■• '• { 969 146 ex. small 4 black pups }j" f 1 763 j 116 C' H- ' i,/Od ^ og S. S. | 1,905 ~ 1879 ■ Sept. 5. Sept. 5. ,J 3 1 Dyster, Nalder .. 2 136 353 •• 679 484 506 1,032 13 355 692 - 5,575 ■ •• 532 347 82 304 * • 398 510 2 45 j- 5,515 -j 2,703 3,769 •" 2,703 3,769 - 11,090 49-73 1879 :. Oct. 10. Oct. 29. Hudson Bay Company. C. M. Lampson and Co. o # 23 3 157 • • 329 5 274 i :: 264 6 130 " 452 1,195 17 • • 1,046 1 , 20g f 75,558 A. J- [_ 1>Zm I 1,207 Lima 1,646 } 77.974 it r Mar. 5. 31 31 (Dry) 2 « • 11 25 93 84 79 321 423 # # 191 105 "1 f 1,334 , , 1,334 1 r 24,459 A. I 69,639 j Mar. 8. 13 ,a 104 94 3 234 222 190 53 161 1 . a s 1 1 316 black pups }, » 1,393 - 38,899 C. I. 3,852 R. I. 1,056 C. H. June 11. Dyster, Nalder .. # , ,, 41 96 54 , # 53 58 ,. 410 . . 712 .. 712 July 12. C. M. Lampson and Co. , # 54 ,, 186 149 *37 152 15 97 444 . . 290 9 1,433 1,662 C. H. 3,095 July 12. Dyster, Nalder 1 79 ,, 122 149 124 ,, 111 132 , • 502 ,. 1,220 248 Aust. 1,468 July 27. 11 aa • • •, 79 .. 195 209 187 • • 163 121 .. 90 .. 1,044 813 Aust. 1,857 I860 4, Aug. 19. C. M. Lampson and Co. .. 32 .. 197 267 251 y 6,499 - .. 226 281 •• { 368 115 black pups } 8 - 8,723 -j l'7ib 1 403 C. H. X 2,763 - 15,227 . 1 57-32 1880 Oct. 6. Dyster, Nalder .. 7 101 •• 319 272 166 '•• 268 296 •• 160 •• ! 1 1,589 - 80,119 A. 1,589 "I Oct. 26. C. M. Lampson and Co. 18 9 ■ • 41 37 18 61 61 36 •• { 1,099 . 32 black pups } 37 1,449 « 383 N. W. C, washed 676 C. H. 441 W. C. l 83,068 Oct. 26. Hudson Bay Company 7 39 •'• 385 669 414 .. 481 327 •• { 424 3 black pups } 21 2,770 •• 2,770 , Oct. 26. 33 31 (Dry) 3 86 •• 63 88 34 J •• { 260 small and ex. sm. pups } " •• •• 4 i 538 .. 538 J " Mar. 11. Culverwell ,. .. 11 122 ,, 211 387 454 ' # t 398 231 a . .. 14 ] f ^i 9^ | 2,745 " . Aug. 5. C. M. Lampson and Co. # t t, 132 171 208 36 379 324 , . 241 ,, 1,491 .. 1,491 1881 J. Aug. 26. Dyster, Nalder .. ,, 54 ,, 199 298 *24 243 - 5,548 - % # 390 222 ,. 96 ,. !• 6,108 <{ 1,526 .. 1,526 ■ 11,656 52-40 1831 j Sept. 13. C. M. Lampson and Co. .. 28 .. 451 540 6 477 • • 815 1,101 •a { 415 269 3 black pups }' 12 3,845 171 C. H„ &c. 4,016 I Oct. 28. Hudson Bay Company. 8 25 262 648 589 J L • a 689 412 61 J 2,966 2,966 J Year 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 Date of Catalogue from which Information taken. 1888 Jan. 20. C. M. Lampson and Co. Mar. 27. „ „ June 27. „ » Oct. 23. Hudson Bay Company. Oct. 23. Dyster, Nalder Oct. 31. C. M. Lampson and Co. Mar. 19. „ ., Oct. 31. Oct. 31. Hudson Bay Company . Mar. 21. C. M. Lampson and Co. Nov. 19. Nov. 26. Hudson Bay Company . Mar. 19. C. M. Lampson and Co. Mar. 30. „ July 30. „ a, Mar. 19. ,, „ Mar. 25. ,, „ June 24. „ ,, Aug. 31. „ ,, Oct. 27. „ Dec. 13. Hudson Bay Company . Jan. 25. C. M. Lampson and Co. Mar. 17. „ ,, Aug. 3. „ ,, Nov. 8. „ „ Dec. 12. Hudson Bay Company. Jan. 25. Culverwell .. Jan. 31. C. M. Lampson and Co. Feb. 3. Jnno 20. „ „ Aug. 1. „ „ Nov. 6. „ „ Nov. 20. Culverwell .. ( 258 ) NORTH-WEST COAST SEALS. Large Sizes. Wigs. 79 2 21 33 (Dry) 6 3 20 (Dry) 42 10 (Dry) 10 31 59 (Dry) 43 (Dry) , 23 22 2 37 3 Middlings. 1 143 241 43 14 5 4 131 41 52 large mids. 167 mids. 63 10 7 77 23 7 39 29 10 Middlings and Smalls. 22 196 18 67 133 53 }'• 057 99 113 5 136 348 199 483 Smalls. 25 16 7 541 662 315 39 32 109 4 71 59 39 246 408 57 158 107 28 96 133 413 1,129 184 28 4,403 391 617 378 216 111 19 1,168 1,609 619 1,318 47 Large Pups. 36 28 10 938 812 344 61 321 47 321 30 110 479 1,692 325 55 6,254 459 1,076 546 597 123 71 2,460 1,475 520 1,350 611 Large and Middling Pups (mixed). 15 35 11 21 Middling Pups. 43 46 623 971 425 132 209 116 102 643 84 326 55 333 42 76 459 2,108 398 37 4,996 309 1,152 598 361 80 161 3,688 1,164 405 1,267 691 Total Large Sizes for the Year. - 6,333 ■ 941 2,041 1,825 Middling and Small Pups (mixed). 8,658 ■ 24,031 - • 20,406 - 13 13 57 31 19 24 13 26 34 10 Small Pups. 74 92 936 1,392 1,642 281 252 95 200 1,653 76 615 172 47 213 250 1,385 ,297 58 4,312 351 877 559 440 70 83 2,522 789 296 1,278 571 Small Sizes. Extra Small Pups. 21 41 941 617 1,084 54 367 26 1,657 37 415 40 114 72. 374 389 290 3,339 550 729 553 185 18 57 1,360 277 123 982 119 Extaa Extra Small Pups. 68 858 428 971 562 29 418 17 41 684 Grey Pups. 198 120 smaller 321 243 1 black pup 1,281 87 extra small 608 566 small 2,461 3 black pups 274 black pups 823 129 29 black pups 2,055 75 172 922 472 smaller 212 black pups 338 1 black pup 641 15 black pups 36 949 72 256 206 54 small 162 55 15 27 1,007 16 Odd Skins, Faulty, &c. 10 14 163 5 1 127 24 13 } ■■ 157 2 60 37 21 41 140 38 43 50 Total Small Sizes for the Year. 12,756 Total of Noith-west Coast Seals in each Catalogue. 2,338 5,960 7,390 15,598 y 11,140 - 513 554 942 -j 1,819 518 614 6,866 | 521 2,141 r 331 - 1,221 | 1,537 4 1,005 2,155 j 7,566 1,714 2,071 25,606 j 2,871 5,781 3,525 1,864' 479 536 11,891 | ,800 1 ,281 ,491 j 5. 2,281 2,068 Number of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. 974 84 39,337 19,992 4,193 7,422 1,467 C. H„ &c. W. C. C.I. A. R. I. C. H. Jap. Total of all kinds included in Catalogue. 2,486 C. H. 700 West Aust. 78,959 595 591 3 A C. H. W. C. s. s. 36,951 C. I. 19,237 A. 4,106 R. I. 2,946 C. H., &c. 790 Jap. 400 W. C. 61,567 A. 209 C. H. 203 N.W.C., washed. 1,793 Washed, stale. 73,793 A. 613 C. H. 889 N. W. C. and C. H., washed, &c. 28,114 A. 49,078 C. I. 3,644 B. I. 2,804 C. H. 1,148 Jap. &c. 567 C. H. 6 W. C. J 19,871 A. 41,764 C. I. 6,716 Jap. 1,832 R. 1. 909 C. H. 167 Jap. 1,035 Cal. 102,295 A. 1,109 Washed and pieces, Sec. 104,059 A. 878 Jap., &c. 255 Cal. . 183 Crozet Island 2,042 Jap. 1,302 C. H. 245 C. H. 120 S. S. 2,850 Jap. 100,016 A. 512 Jap. 565 Jap. 1,576 V y 72,965 2,761 5,577 6,571 86,442 65,372 63,798 518 2,407 81,272 521 3,030 85,119 1,794 71,720 1,005 3,231 8,601 104,009 2,071 25,606 3,980 5,781 108,717 1,846 662 536 15,235 6,165 5,131 109,019 2,633 Total of North-west Coast Seals for the Year. 19,089 3,279 8,001 3,693 16,048 39,629 31,546 Percentage of Total of Small Sizes to T-tal of North-west Coast Seals for the Year. Year, 66 '82 1882 71-00 1883 74-49 1884 50-58 1885 46-05 1886 39-36 1887 35-31 1888 ( 259 ) Year. 1889 -j 1890 Date of Catalogue from which Information taken. 1891 ■! 1892 ■ Feb. 1. C. M. Lampson and Co. Mar. 26. Hudson Bay Company. July 4. Culverwell .. Aug. 23. C. M. Lampson and Co. Oct. 30. „ „ Oct. 30. Anning and Cobb .. Oct. 30. Culverwell .. Jan. 28. C. M. Lampson and Co. Mar. 19. Hudson Bay Company June 23. C. M. Lampson and Co. July 30. „ „ Oct. 27. Oct. 27. Culverwell .. Jan. 23. C. M. Lampson and Co. Jan. 23. Culverwell .. Mar. 12. Hudson Bay Company Mar. 20. CM. Lampson and Co. Mar. 20. Culverwell .. Oct. 26. „ Oct. 26. C. M. Lampson and Co. Jan. 20. „ „ Jan. 20. Culverwell .. Jan. 25. Hudson Bay Company Mar. 24. „ „ ' Mar. 31. C. M. La mpson and Co. Nov. 1. Culverwell .. Nov. 24. O. M. Lampson and Co. Nov. 24. Culverwell .. ., NORTH-WEST COAST SEALS. Wigs. 33 6 5 42 18 46 29 103 8 26 5 13 » • 120 52 44 79 1 2 17 47 76 11 ■ ^ ■■, *e. Large Sizes. Middlings. 25 11 5 6 23 39 619 3 1 18 259 23 3C6 4 56 112 17 46 76 1 6 11 175 85 29 Middlings and Smalls. 1,118 "88 302 244 10 10 1,184 349 65 2,269 532 617 . 7 33 • • 1,156 Smalls. 3,658 164 208 468 1,062 272 1,774 1,523 52 77 79 3,145 569 1,641 599 59 232 75 4,210 1,918 1,672 1,954 95 75 104 1,043 3,646 Large Pups. Large and Middling Pups (mixed). 193 3,521 219 540 417 1,043 489 3,555 1,643 102 66 107 2,809 857 1,939 1,041 46 275 73 3,664 1,922 1,452 3,932 96 173 98 1,898 3,238 400 Middling Pups. Total Large Sizes for the Year. 292 14 162 • « 25 3,080 76 499 332 883 434 1,808 1,694 55 66 100 2,533 646 2,048 980 42 356 47 2,377 1,898 1,519 5,271 64 32 125 2,065 3,052 426 26,938 -| 17,992 1- 29,701 - - 35,329 Small Sizes. Middling and Small Pups (mixed). Small Pups. 20 43 305 45 45 60 2,107 156 626 538 973 494 1,719 1,494 101 50 8 2,877 700 1,924 535 66 449 55 2,305 1,874 1,035 4,595 105 59 130 1,395 2,659 483 Extra Small Pups. 1,162 59 222 937 950 299 521 1,033 98 70 147 2.560 383 1,148 116 18 504 1,037 2,338 790 2,913 18 28 61 456 1,649 221 Extra Extra Small Pups. 253 5*53 982 81 137 60 166 777 158 Grey Pups. 415 18 2 black pups 28 *57 1,766 270 smaller 40 32 44 40 black pups 64 2 black pups 39 •• 11 781 763 59 { 73 1 black pup 76 1,270 962 153 9 546 13 74 { 24 6 50 1 1 black pup 132 } Odd Skins, Faulty, &c. Total Small Sizes for the Year. 92 8 58 '*6 *29 25 47 52 1 58 '33 29 213 248 117 369 24 97 38 38 66 15,087 ' Total of North-West Coast Seals. 15,127 j 719 2,100 3,479 8,354 2,166 10,080 Number of Skins of other Classes included in Catalogue. - 11,182 ■ 17,506 - 18,900 • 9,366 3,582 279 3,471 7,454 j 19,973 410 522 632 j 7,276 r 16,174 -j 1,78 1,460 Chile. 487 C. H. 16 South Aust. 93 Falkland Is. 3,298 Jap. 466 C. k. 59 Mixed. 1,362 Jap. 1,010 L. I. 390 Jap. 278 Jap. 119 Aust. *1,625 Behring Sea. 1,874 L. I. 529 C. H, 254 Jap. 5,629 Jap. 1,396 L. I. 204 C. H. 119 Aust. 6,603 Jap. 607 C. H. 252 Jap. 136 S. S. 1,731 C. H. 897 Jap. 2,193 C. G. H, 279 C. H. 1,007 Jap. 4,348 Jap. 1,826 C. I. 834 S. S. 593 C. H., &c. 2,470 L. I. 82 Aust. Total of all kinds included in Catalogue. I 17,074 719 2,116 3,479 8,354 2,259 10,080 } 11,098 482 989 2,182 } 17,497 } 3,908 Total of North-West Coast Seals for the Year. 13,648 3,582 279 10,700 499 23,642 14,085 10,082 19,973 410 522 3,104 8,283 26,327 1,788 42,025 j ■ 29,174 Percentage of Total of Small Sizes to Total of North-west Coast Seals for the Year. 35-90 Year. 1889 47,207 54,229 363,131 38'33 37'08 34-85 41-87 1890 1891 1892 Dry North-West Coast Seals not included in the large Table, being differently- sorted by the Hudson Bay Company. Date of Catalogue. Wigs. Large. Middling. Small. Odd Skins. Total. Sept. 1,1873. Hudson Bay Company ., Dry 17 301 309 239 25 891 Aug. 31, 1874. „ 12 298 171 309 1 791 „ 30, 1875. „ „ „ 17 296 188 812 38 1,351 Mar. 13, 1876. „ „ „ 5 107 110 92 2 316 Aug. 28, 1877. „ „ „ 12 246 376 171 8 813 Sept. 2, 1878. „ „ 13 a a 345 266 274 27 912 „ 1,1879. 31 a. 203 226 469 . 20 918 Probably corresponding in the large Table to Wigs. Smalls and Middlings. Large and Middling Pups. Small and Extra Small Pups. 110, Queen Victoria Street, London. [-118] * These skins were too fine in quality to be included in the North-West Coast quantity. Remarks. Coj per 11 In the above Tables, C. I. denotes Island; Cal., California; W. C, West Coasj; Pat., Patagonia; C. H., Cape Horn; C. G "Washed and dried" skins are those Tables may mostly be looked upon as second '■'Dry" skins are those which have b these skins were offered for public sale before In the above statistics, occasionally a mixed, or the quantity too insignificant, for cl Before the year 1887 it will be noticed the North-West Coast description, and before Attention is also drawn to the fact that doubt that more or less important parcels of time, the sizes of which are thus not to be as In the North-West Coast catch have exact source of these can only be absolutely cc Island; A., Alaska; N. W. C, North-West Coast; Jap., Japanese; R. I., Robben ; L. I., Lobos Island; S. S., South Sea; S. G., South Georgia; S. L., St. Louis; ., Cape of Good Hope; Aust., Australian. hich have been put through a first process, and those placed separately in the present 1 and goods. een dried in the air by the hunters, without any salt being used. Larger quantities of the year 1873. small parcel of salted or dry skins has been omitted on account of the sizes being too issification, that "Extra Extra Small Pups" were included in the "Extra Small Pup" size in 1889 in the Alaska description. these Tables only include those skins offered for public sale in London. There is no seals from San Francisco and British Columbia have been sold privately from time to tained. b. :en included those skins of intermediate colouring approaching the Japanese sort. The rrectly vouched for by captains of vessels engaged in seal-fishing. (Signed) P. R. POLAND and SON. N.B.—The dividing line between " L; what would be ordinarily classed as " Middlin The dividing line in Table II, between small to be those of bearing females. (See 10th Census of United States, Elliott, p. 46. Also Appendix, Table to letter from Messrs, Lampson, vol, ii, p. 262.) ,rger Sizes" and" Smaller Sizes," in Table I, has been drawn through the centre of 5 Sizes." " Large Sizes " and " Small Sizes," has been drawn so as to show what skins are too Banrfelms.^tflicttors, etc. CABLE ADDRESS;- TURS1D. { BEDFORD MCNEILL. CODES { [ WESTERN UNION. | 6600. TELEPHONES \ 66OI. 6602. zMr-u?A<&rteJ <?Lttyve^zJaiAAer;ryV. w. jy/< ItMir: t'/rt/'/J ///KM?. ROYAL BANK CHAMBERS. COR. HASTINGS AND HOMER STS. Feb. lfth. 1914 F.N.Howay Esq., Judge of the County Court, New Westminster, B.C. Dear Judge Howay, On my return I find your of the 26th.JUlJtl». I have about 1J> volumes complete of the case before the B.S.Tribunal, including the report of the -.--^.-— - .- e.e:. , ~~~*^ ^>»-*-.-- arguments. The volumes make considerable weight, I have brought them to my office as it occurred to me that possibly you could arrange for some friend to take them over in his motor on any convenient day. Kind regards, Yours sincerely, ML. l^^'- C.H.T. A.M.
Includes a note by previous owner. Other Copies: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/26645619
Legislative proceedings
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Bering Sea controversy
Appendix to counter-case of Her Majesty's Government. Vol. II
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