SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE. 275 



stated to have seen or said or heard or done was unnoticed or unobserved 

 by the witness testifying - in the negative. If, therefore, the sworn tes- 

 timony of reputable persons is produced extending the area in winch 

 the female seals have been observed in quest of food, preference must 

 be given to them rather than to those witnesses whose opportunities 

 may not have been the same or whose powers of observation may not 

 have been equal. Where witnesses testify positively that they hare seen 

 and killed seals over 100 miles from land, can they be truly said to be 

 contradicted as to the fact by men who say that they have never seen 

 them more than 60 miles from the shore? 



Peter Anderson (Appendix to Case of the United States, Vol. II, p 

 312), a seal-hunter, agrees with Mr. Webster, who is quoted by the 

 British Commissioners. He says: 



A large majority of the seal taken on the coast and in Bering Sea 

 are cows with pup in the Pacific Ocean and with milk in Bering Sea. 

 A few young male seal are taken in the North Paeific Ocean, from two 

 to three years old. Have never taken an old bull in the North Paeific 

 Ocean in my life. A few yearlings have been taken by me, but not 

 many. Used no discrimination, but killed all seals that come near the 

 boats. The best way to shoot seal to secure them is to shoot them in 

 the back of the head when they are asleep with their noses under water. 

 Have never known any seal pups to be born in the water nor anywhere 

 else in Alaska outside of the Pribilof Islands, nor have I ever known 

 fur-seal to haul up anywhere on the land except on the Pribilof Islands. 

 Have taken females that were full of milk 00 miles from the Pribilof 

 Islands. 



John Armstrong (Appendix to Case of the United States, Vol. II, p. 1), 

 who had been during many years agent of the Alaska Commercial Com- 

 pany and lived for the whole of ten years upon St. Paul Island, observed 

 that very few seals go out to sea to feed during June, July, and August, 

 except females and some of the younger seals. He adds: 



I am asked whether the seals copulate in the water. It is a question 

 that is often discussed at the island, and neither the scientific observ- 

 ers nor the unscientific are able to agree about it. I have seen seals 

 in position when it seemed to be attempted, but doubt whether it is 

 effectually accomplished. If it were, I think we should see pups some- 

 times born late and out of season, but such is not the case. 



Kerrick Artomanoff (ibid., p. 99) worked on the sealing grounds 

 for the last fifty years. His deposition is well worth reading. It 

 may be found at page 99. He accounts for the decrease in the 

 number of seals since 1874 by the destruction of the females. He 

 states that in 1887 and 1891 the rookeries were covered with dead pups. 

 In his sixty-seven years' residence oil the island he never saw anything 

 like it before. No sickness was ever known among the pups or seals, 



