PELAGIC SEALING THE SOLE CAUSE — OPINIONS. 313 



Opinions — Indian Hunters. 



Page 179 of The Case. 



Fur-seals were formerly much more plentiful, however, but of late 

 years are becoming- constantly scarcer. This is, 

 we think, owing to the number of vessels engaged J *£\ AleMndr ^ et al -> 

 in hunting them at sea. 



Fur-seals were formerly observed in this neighborhood in great num- 

 bers, but of late years they have, been constantly 



diminishing, owing to the large number of seal- ^4 Apokohee et aL ' 

 iug vessels engaged in killing them. 



I have noticed that seal have decreased very rapidly in the last three 

 years, owing to too many schooners engaged in 

 sealing along the coast of Alaska and Bering Sea. Adam A y° nkee > P- Lm - 



The seal are not near as plentiful as they used to be. The cause of 

 the decrease is, I think, too many schooners hunt- 

 ing them off Prince of Wales Island and around Maurice Bates, p. 277. 

 Dixon s Entrance. 



Seal are not as plentiful on the coast as they used to be. They have 

 been decreasing very fast the last few years. I 



think this is caused by the indiscriminate killing Wilton C.Bennett,p. 356. 

 in the water. 



Seal are getting very scarce. I think the cause 

 of the scarcity is too many people hunting seal. Edl ™rd Benson, p. 277. 



Seals were very plenty in the straits and around the cape until about 

 six years ago, when the white hunters came in 

 schooners and with shotguns and commenced to Bowa-chup, p. 376. 

 kill them all off, and now there is none in the 



straits, and we can not get but one or two where we used to get eight 

 or ten. They are very shy and wild and are decreasing very rapidly. 



White hunters came in here about five or six years ago and com- 

 menced shooting the seals with guns, since which 

 time they have been rapidly decreasing, and are p e ter Brown, p. 378. 

 becoming very wild. When we hunt seals with 



spears we creep upon them while asleep on the water and spear them. 

 A few years ago my people would catch from eight to ten thousand 

 seals each year; now we get only about one thousand or less. * * * 



Seals used to be very numerous along the coast about Cape Flattery, 

 and no decrease was ever noticed in their numbers until soon after the 

 white hunters came around here — about seven years ago — and com- 

 menced shooting them. Since that time they have decreased fast and 

 have become very shy. 



They were formerly much more plentiful than 

 now, which is owing, we believe, to the number of 299'°* Canetak et al '' p ' 

 vessels engaged in killing them at sea. 



