REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 297 



51. Q. During the ycnr, did you licar from any source tliat any Canadian vessels 

 had raided the seal islands or any of them? — A. No, Sir; I never heard of any British 

 or Canadian vessels, not during the past year, or any year I have been engaged in 

 sealing. 



52. Q. Captain Petit, do you helieve any of the stories that are told about the 

 "Geo. R. White," the "Daniel Webster," and the "MoUie Adams" raiding these 

 islands? — A. Yes, Sir; I believe those rejiorts. 



53. Q. These were all American vessels, were they not? — A. Yes, Sir, 



51. Q. During the last two years, it is reported that the American schooners "J. 

 Hamilton Lewis," formerly the British schooner " Aida," and the "City of San 

 Diego," raided the Copper Islands? — A. Yes, Sir. 



55. Q. Do you believe that is true? — A. I do, Sir; and also in 1886 or 1887, the 

 American schooner " Ijook-out " raided the Pribylotf Islands, so that the history of 

 raiding the seal islands is peculiarly American, and solely by American schooners 



56. Q. Was not the British schooner "Aida'" seized by the American Governmeat 

 and sold? — A. Yes, Sir. In 1887, and renamed the " J. Hamilton Lewis." 



57. Q. Is not this same vessel, the "J. Hamilton Lewis," the same vessel as was 

 seized by the Russians this year, in the vicinity of Copper Island? — A. Yes, Sir; and 

 served her right too. 



58. Q. If any of the Canadian vessels had raided either the American or Russian 

 seal islands, your long experience in the sealing lieet here would have insured your 

 beiug aware of it? — A. Yes, Sir; I should certainly have heard of it — learned it from 

 hunters, masters, or seamen. Ifc would have been sure to have leaked out. 



59. Q. Is it your opinion that ship-masters or ship-owners have been most care- 

 ful in instructing their masters or captains to avoid any interference whatever with 

 the seal islands? — A. I have served with different owners, and I have been iustructed 

 to carefully avoid approaching the islands within the international limit. In fact, 

 all the sealing I have conducted has been done outside at least of the 20 miles from 

 land. 



Mr. Milne. — That will do. Captain Petit. Thank you rery much. 



(Signed) William Petit, Master. 



Sworn to before me, at Victoria, British Columbia, this 23rd day of January, 1892. 



(Signed) A. R. Milnk, Collector of Customs. 



Before A. B. Milne, Collector of Customs, Victoria, B. C, January 22, 1892, 



Captain Wentworth Evelyn Baker, present master of the Canadian schooner "C. 

 H. Tupper," and formerly master of the schooner "Viva," of Victoria, being duly 

 sworn: 



1. Mr. Milne. — How many years have you been engaged in sealing. Captain Baker ? — 

 A. Four years. 



2. Q. What Canadian schooners have you commanded during those four years? — ■ 

 A. The schooner "Viva." 



3. Q. During the four years have you been more than reasonably successful as a 

 seal-hunter? — A. Yes, Sir. 



4. Q. How many white men would your vessel usually carry? — A. Twenty-three, 

 all told. 



5. Q. You have hunted all along the coast, and also every year in Behring Sea? — 

 A. Every year except 1891. During last year I was always outside of the line of 

 deuuircation between Russian and American waters. 



6. Q. During last year, to your observation, were seals as plentiful along the coasts 

 to Shumagiu Islands as they were the year before? — A. In some places I found 

 them as plentiful ; in others I found them more plentiful. In some places where I 

 never found any before I found them last year, and I found none where I had pre- 

 viously found some. 



7. Q, Then, Captain Baker, you think there is no material difference, on the aver- 

 age, during the four years? That is to your observation? — A. I should say, to my 



observation, there was no material difference. 

 223 8. Q. Your coast catch last year was equal to that of former years, was it? — 



A. It was equal to the first two years, and better than the third year by almost 

 as many more skins, having 698 skins in 1890, and in 1891 I had 1,260 skins. 



9. Q. Owing to the number of vessels, do the seals appear to be more timorous? — 

 A. Well, I did not find them so, except in some places. It is a great deal owing to 

 the position in which you find them. 1 found that the nearer the coast the wilder 

 they are, and the further at.sea you go they don't seem to be any wilder than pre- 

 viously, I think that what makes them wilder along the coast is the increase of 

 traffic, steamers and so on being very numerous. 



