142 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



killed outright, the seal is seldom lost. After a short time the body 

 generally begins to sink; but "an Indian killing or badly wounding a 

 seal is pretty safe to get it." He has seen three seals shot, and two 

 of them left floating till the third one flred at was picked up. 



545. The Indians spoken to were unable to give a percentage ratio of 

 seals lost when shot, but in order to reach some conclusion on this point, 

 with regard to these particular Indian hunters, those who had lately 

 killed considerable numbers of seals were specifically questioned Avith. 

 the following result: 



Hunter No. 1. — In the hunting season of 1891 got 21 seals; lost none. 



Hunter No. 1. — In the season of 1890 got 38 seals; lost 3 in additiou. 



Hunter No. 2. — In the season of 1890 got 37 seals; lost none. 



Hunter No. 3. — In 1889 got 126 seals; lost none. 



Hunter No. 4.— In 1889 got 90 seals; lost 3 in additiou. 



The Haida seldom ship as hunters in sealing schooners, but the two 

 last-mentioned catches were made in connection with a schooner on 

 which these hunters were engaged, and most of the seals got were taken 

 in Behring Sea, "too far from shore to see the land." They are noted 

 here as indicating the skill of the Haida hunters. 



540. Chief Edeusaw explained that long ago, when ships first began 

 to come to buy sea-otter skins (in the latter years of the last century 

 and earlier years of the present century), his people were well ofl", get- 

 ting plenty of good clothes, &c., in exchange for these skins. When 

 the sea otter became very scarce the trading vessels ceased to 

 94 come, and for many years the Haida were very poor, and had to 

 return to the use of skin clothing. Their condition has, however, 

 improved again in later years, partly because of the money they are able 

 to obtain for the fur-seal skins, partly on account of the growth of other 

 industries along the coast in which they can engage. The Haida gen- 

 erally, complain that the continued hunting of the fur-seal has caused 

 it to keep far off shore, and has rendered it so shy, that it is now becom- 

 ing difficult to earn money near their homes by hunting the seal as 

 before. They are, in consequence, obliged to leave their homes in search 

 of other work. 



547. The above notes refer particularly to the northern part of the 

 Queen Charlotte Islands. Special inquiries were not made among the 

 southern Haida tribes. Many years ago there were numerous village 

 communities scattered along the outer west coast of the islands, but 

 these have gradually abandoned this coast, and coalesced with the large 

 communities of the eastern coast. It is, therefore, now difficult to 

 obtain facts respecting the outer coast, where, however, in connection 

 with the sea-otter hunting, many fur-seals were doubtless formerly 

 killed. The Haida eat the flesh of the fur-seal, and esteem it highly. 



548. TsMmnan. — The princii^al fur-seal hunting station of theTsliim- 

 sian tribes proper is upon Zayas Island. They hunt in the spring, from 

 this place as a centre, in the eastern part of Dixon Entrance and north- 

 ern part of Hecate Strait. Till about thirty years ago these people 

 never systematically engaged in hunting the fur-seal, though they knew 

 that their neighbours, the Haida, long before this took fur-seals. Each 

 hunting canoe is here usually manned by four persons, and guns appear 

 to have been emi)loyed from the beginning of the systematic hunting 

 by the Tshimsians. Buck-shot, or trade bullets of twenty-eight to the 

 pound, three to six in a charge, are used. Three canoes hunting from 

 Zayas Island in 1890 obtained catches of seventy, fifty, and twenty- 

 eight skins, respectively, during the season. The trade prices paid for 

 these skins on the spot in 1891 ranged from 3 dollars to 3 dol. 50 c. for 



