130 



U. S. BUREAU or FISHERIES 



The following list shows the names of the villages along the coast of 

 British Columbia and the number of canoes sealing from each place : 



Cloose 



Bamfield Creek . 



Ucluet 



Carmanah 



Clayoquot 



Kilismoot 



Ahousat 5 



Refuge Cove 2 



Hesquiat 6 



Nootka Hound S 



Quatsino Sound 4 or 5 



The Indians of these villages held a conference, through representatives, and 

 agreed among themselves not to use illegal methods in catching seals and. 

 furthermore, to report any of their own people who violate this agreement. 

 The conference was fostered by Canadian authorities. Fisheries Officer JIc- 

 Cloud, at Clayoquot, who has charge of enforcing the sealing laws and treaty 

 along the west coast of Vancouver Island, and who inspects all sealskins taken 

 by the natives, states positively that the Indians of British Columbia are not 

 taking seals illegally. He states he is confident that no white men are en- 

 gaged in sealing along the Vancouver coast because of the difficulty experienced 

 in disposing of the skins and the fear of being seen and reported by the In- 

 dians. The exclusive rights bestowed upon the natives of taking sealskins has 

 awakened within them a protective spirit with respect to seals, and they are 

 ever on the alert to report any vessels they may suspect of taking seals illegally. 

 During the time occupied on this patrol the Snohomish traveled 3, 730 miles, 

 boarded 66 vessels and assisted two vessels in distress. 



Unalga. — The Unalga was engaged on seal patrol from April 15 to May 17, 

 1923. The patrol was begun at Dixon Entrance and continued to Yakutat, 

 Alaska. From May 1 until the seal herd in its migration northward had 

 passed beyond this area the patrol was carried on between Yakutat, Alaska, 

 and Prince William Sound, as far west as Kodiak, Alaska. It was learned 

 from the deputy collector of customs at Sitka that native Indians had taken 

 23 fur seals. It is understood that the natives do not use the seals for food 

 or the skins for clothing, as has been their custom, but take the seals for the 

 purpose of selling the skins. This traffic in sealskins, it is reported, has 

 become a commercial enterprise among the natives. As the natives are no 

 longer dependent upon sealing as a livelihood it is believed that the privilege 

 with respect to sealing, extended them by law, could be withdrawn without 

 injury to them. * * * The commanding officer of the Unalga conferred 

 with the authorities at Cordova with regard to pelagic sealing, killing of sea 

 otter, and concerning depredations on fox farms. The officials so interviewed 

 had no complaints to make in this respect. The commanding officer of the 

 Unalga reports that no seals were sighted after May 4 off Yakutat Bay and 

 to the westward as far as Kodiak Island and back to Cross Sound. Fishermen 

 of the boats boarded since April 25 reported sighting no seals. As it was be- 

 lieved that the seal herd had passed to the northward beyond the Unalga' s^. 

 cruising area the patrol was discontinued on May 17, and the cutter returned 

 to Juneau. 



While engaged on this patrol the Unalga traveled 2.971 miles, boarded 9 

 vessels at sea and 52 in port, and sighted 118 seals. All seals thus sighted 

 were along the 100-fathom curve, which would indicate that the seal herd in 

 its migration northward does not venture outside or to a great extent inside 

 this curve. It is believed, however, that the seals obtain fish as their food 

 along the edges of the banks. No seals were sighted west of Yakutat Bay as far 

 as Kodiak either by the Unalga or by the Algonqtiin. This would indicate 

 that the seal herds travel across the Gulf of Alaska from about 20 miles off 

 Yakutat Bay to the southward of the banks of Kodiak and to the westward 

 thereof. No seals were seen by the Unalga after May 4. The commandins; 

 officer reports that there were no sailing vessels of the old two-masted 

 schooner type, such as in earlier years were used by the Japanese and others 

 prior to the convention between the United States. Groat Britain. Japan. 

 and Russia. 



Algonquin. — On April 15, 1923, the Coast Guard cutter Algonquin sailed 

 from Seattle, Wash., with orders to patrol from the entrance to the Straits 

 of Juan de Fuca, following the seal herd ar.d kee]>ing a sliarp lookout for 

 poachers, cruising as far ns ITngii, with particular attention in tlie early 

 part of the cruise to the regions between Dixon Entrance and Yakutat; to 

 base on Latouclie for fuel and to continue the patrol in the Gulf of Alaska 

 and to "^he westward as fur as Unga until the latter part of May, when slie 



