154 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



wliicli Mv. Milne could quote of the number of vessels enQai»ed in it 

 placed this at thirty-two.* The United States Census Bulletin relating 

 to the same year gives the fur-sealmg and sea-ottei' hunting vessels at 

 twenty. It is probable that though two or three of these vessels were 

 chiefly engaged in seaotter hunting, even tliese occupied ])art of their 

 time in sealing, wliile it is known that most of the fleet was primarily 

 engaged in sealing. In 1890, more than fourteen vessels sailed from 

 United States ports for sealing, but the exact number has not yet been 

 ascertained. In 1801, the number had increased to about forty-two, 



600. The estimated value of the British Columbian sealing fleet with 

 its equipment, as it left port in 1801, was 373,000 dollars. That of the 

 United States fleet in the same year exceeded 250,000 dollars. Accord- 

 ing to the United States Census Bulletin already cited, the value of the 

 vessels engaged in the fur-seal and sea-otter industry in 1880 was 

 152,757 dollars. Dividing this amount by the tonnage, an average ton- 

 nage value for this fleet is obtained of 160 dol. 54 c, while a similar 

 calculation based on the figures for the British Columbia fleet of 1891 

 gives a corresponding tonnage value of about 114 dollars. 



{B.)— Methods. 



601. In what has already been given, the methods of pelagic or sea- 

 sealing have been indicated in a general way. These methods are essen- 

 tially of a very simple character, but the actual jirocedure followed in 

 killing the seals may now be briefly alluded to. The vessels employed 

 range in size from 130 to 40 tons. Taking the sealing fleet of British 

 Columbia in 1891, the average number of canoes or boats carried on 

 each of the small vessels (which are all or nearly all schooner-rigged) 

 is about seven. The average size of the vessels in 1891 was sixty-five 

 tons, and the average number of men (White and Indians) employed on 

 each was in the same year about twenty-two. 



602. The effective hunting strength of each vessel depends on the 

 number of canoes or boats carried, for no advantage is gained by carry- 

 ing large boats, a single hunter being sutticient for each. Various plans 

 are therefore adopted, to enable as large a number of canoes or boats 

 as possible to be stowed on the deck of the schooner. 



603. It is necessary for success, not only that a sufficient number of 

 seals should be fallen in with, or, in other words, that an area of sea- 

 surface rather plentifidly sprinkled with seals should be found, but also 

 that the weather sliould be favourable. In stormy or thick weather 

 sealing is impossible, and the most the sealing master can attempt to 

 do is to stay with the seals. The circumstances being favourable, the 

 boats or canoes are launched and manned, and set out in different direc- 

 tions from the schooner in such a way as to cover as great an area as 

 possible. The schooner has only to keep to leeward of the boats, so 



that these may the more easily rejoin her at the close of the day. 

 103 604. Seals thus met with upon the sea-surface are roughly 



classed by the hunters as " sleepers " and "travellers," and the 

 former are of course the most easily approached. Whether in canoes 

 or boats, i)addles are employed in ijreference to oars, as they enable 

 a more noiseless approach to the seals. When a seal is seen, the boat 

 or canoe is quietly but swiftly impelled toward it, till the hunter 

 believes that he has arrived within sure range, when he fires. If killed, 

 as happens in the majority of cases, especially now that the shot-gun 

 has superseded the rifle, the seal may either remain floating upon the 



'Parliamentary Paper [C— 6368], London, August 1890, p. 362. 



