REPORT OP BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 295 



Before A. R. Milne, Collector of Customs, Victoria, B. C, January 2S, 1S92. 



Captain William Petit, present master and part owner of the steamer "Mischief," 

 having been sworn : 



1. Q. {Mr. Milne.) — Captain Petit, how many years have you been engagedin seal- 

 ing? — A. Six years, Sir. 



2. Q. Continuously. — A. Yes, Sir. 



3. Q. What vessels did you command? — A. In 1886 I commanded the "W. P. Say- 

 ward," in 1887 the steamer "Grace," in 1888 the schooner "Sapphire," and in 1889, 

 1890, and 1891 the "Mary Taylor." 



4. Q. Have your catches during these six years been reasonably successful in com- 

 parison with other vessels? — A. About an average. 



5. Q. You have sealed south of Cape Flattery, have you not, and followed the seals 

 along the coast of British Columbia and into Behring Sea? — A. Yes. 



5*. Q. During last year, to your observation, were the seals ajipareutly as plenti- 

 ful from the coast to Shumagin Islands as they were in previous >ears? — A. I found 

 them more plentiful last year than I have any year since 1886, that is, Cape Flattery 

 north. 



6. Q. How did you find them in Behring Sea? — A. I found them there in Behring 

 Sea as plentiful as in former years. 



7. Q. Are the seals now more frightened or more timorous than they have been on. 

 account of more vessels, or from any other cause? — A. I have seen no material dif- 

 ference. 



8. Q. In shooting seals, what is your experience? — A. My experience is that unless 

 a seal is mortally wounded — hit in the head or in the region of the heart — the shot 

 does not appear to injure it. 



9. Q. Do you believe that a seal, when shot, and not mortally wounded, does not 

 sink, or seeks some place to die — a rookery, or some such place? — A. No, Sir; a 

 wounded seal will not alter its course in the slightest. It will move along as before, 

 its wound healing rapidly. 



10. Q. What do you consider the vital part of a seal? Where do the hunters gen- 

 erally aim for? — A. For the head or the heart; it depends upon the position of the 

 seal, but usually the head. 



11. Q. What is the distance at which you shoot seals? — A. It depends upon cir- 

 cuinstauces. 



12. Q. Are more seals shot while sleeping than in motion? — A. There are more shot 

 8leei>ing, Sir. It is my opinion that the larger proportion of seals are shot while 

 sleeping. The seals taken by the Indians are nearly all killed while sleeping. 



13. Q. What is the shooting distance? — A. It depends upon circumstances ; 10 to 20 

 yards for sleepers, and a little more, 10 to 30 yards, for travellers. 



221 14. Q. You have seen the hunters and Indians approach even nearer than 10 



yards, have you? — A. Yes, I have seen them approach to within less than 10 

 feet. 



15. Q. When seals are vitally wounded, say in the head, will they move far from 

 the position in which they are shot. — A. No, Sir. 



16. Q. They are likely to die right there, are they? — A. Yes, Sir. 



17. Q. And they will not sink? — A. With few exceptions, such as when a seal is 

 shot and thrown backwards, thus allowing the air to escape out of its mouth. 



18. Q. Will you state your opinion, Cai)tain Petit, of the proportion of seal lost 

 by sinking after being shot? — A. My personal experience during last season with 

 white hunters would not exceed 5 per cent., and with Indians in former years I 

 doubt if it amounts to even 1 per cent. The reason of this percentage in favour of 

 Indians is because they were caught with a spear, and consequently could not get 

 away. 



19. Q. Have you ever seen a seal shot while sleeping sink. — A. I have never known 

 one to sink. 



20. Q. Then you are clearly of the opinion that seals will not sink for some time 

 unless thrown backwards ?— A. I am. When they do sink, even to 10 or 15 feet, they 

 can be reached with the gaff. 



21. Q, When the hunters return to the vessel at night, do they usually discuss 

 their day's proceedings, and particularly mention the loss of seals, when such loss 

 occurs? — A. Yes. 



22. Q. Then, Captain Petit, you conscientiously adhere to the statement that the 

 loss by sinking of seals hit will not exceed 5 per cent. ? — A. I certainly do ; but there 

 are seals hit and not mortally wounded, and these escape, but they are not "lost," as 

 they are quite as vigorous as before, because their wounds heal very rapidly. I have 

 often found shot in the skin. 



23. Q. What is your opinion of the proportion of females to males killed during 

 the last hunting season? — A. Last year, out of my catch of 765, 1 had only 18 females 

 carrying young— not quite 2^ per cent. Of course, as in other seasons' catches, 



