REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 241 



They first appear going south ahoiit the middle of December, and disappear going 

 north ahoiit tlie end of May in each year. 



Tlie fur-seals are most numerous duriug the mouths of January, February, and 

 March. 



2. No; occasionally a last year's pup is fouud, aud during April and May many 

 iemale seals have been killed with young so near birth that they have been taken 

 from the old seals and have lived, can swim about, and have been raised by Indians. 



The Indians all state that the mother seals go far north to give birth to their 

 young; that seals are born on shore faraway. 



3. No such places known to the Indians of this district. 



4. Indian tradition makes fur-seal very numerous long ago, but the i)resent genera- 

 tion of Indian hunters think that they have been the same as now for at least twenty 

 years. 



During last spring (the Indians think) the seals were as numerous as ever, but few 

 were caught owing to continued rough water. 



I inclose a letter from West Husou, Esij., a man well acquainted with the Bella 

 Bella Indians and their hunting work, which disproves the statements originating at 

 Bella Bella that the fur-seal bring forth their young amongst the kelp beds inQueeu 

 Charlotte's Sound. 



I have, &c. (Signed) C. Todd, 



Indian Aycnt, I^orth-west Count Atjcncy. 

 Dr. Dawson. 



Letter from Mr. A. W. Huson, iticloscd bi/ Mr. C. Todd. 



Bella Bella, B.C., August 17, 1891. 

 Dear Sir: As per request I have made several inquiries at China Hat and at this 

 ])lace regarding breeding places of the fur-seal, but tiud that none of the natives 

 know of any breeding rookeries of the fur-seal in this part of British Columbia. 

 Some say the seals have their young off shore in kelp patches, then others say they 

 bring forth their ])ups on the outlying rocks along these shores, but none of the 

 natives ever saw their pupping places; most of them say the mother seal goes a long 

 way off to pup. 



Mr. Clayton says he is liositive that the fur-seal do not bring forth their pups on 

 this part of the coast. 



Respectfully ^ ours, 



(Signed) A. W. HusoN. 



J. Todd, Esq. 



Extract from Letter from Mr. A. TV. Huson, dated Victoria, B. C, October 16, 1S91, and 

 addressed to Dr. G. M. Dawson. 



The fur-seal come into Queen Charlotte Sound early in December, and are mostly 

 all females in pup. A little later on the grey pu])s make their appearance close iu 

 shore if the weather is l>ad, so that the natives kill many of them iu sight of their 

 vilhiges, and on oue occasion, some twenty years ago, a great swarm of grey pups 

 ascended to the very head of Knight's Inlet so thick that I knew of one native kill- 

 ing sixty in one day. , However, this was an exception, it was in the month of March, 

 and the young seal seemed to be falling in and feeding on the uluchan that always 

 ascend Knight's and Kingcome Inlets. 



Nearly every winter fur-seals, both fild aud young, are to be seen in about the 

 waters of Queen Charlotte Sound, coming in iu December and leaving again about 

 April. 



The number usually killed by the natives depends on the weather. 



I have traded in as high as 600 skins from the natives of Nawitti iu one year. 



There are no rookeries about the north end of Vancouver Is'and that I know of. 



The natives say the females go off into the kelp patches to bring forth their young. 



Extracts frovi Letters to Dr. G. M. Daivson from Mr. J. TV. Mackay. 



Under date of the 13fch November, 1891, Mr. Mackay writes as follows: 



"The ohl Indian hunters of the Sougees, Sooke, and Clalan bands often informed 



me that in their younger days fur-seals ami sea-otter were in the habit of landing in 



great numbers at the Race Rocks, 11 miles from Victoria; they also fre(iuented the 



(jJulf of Georgia. I have bought fur-seal skius from the Seshahls who inhabit the 



B S, PT VI IG 



