298 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



10. Q. It is said tliatseal travel in groups of females aiul gronps of bachelor bulla 

 and young bulls — not mixed. Is that so? — A. I have always i'ound it so. 



11. Q. So you think that the number of male or female seals caught would de])end 

 entirely upon the schooner falling in with groups of males or females? — A. Entirely. 



12. Q. How is that? — A. It is much harder to keep the run of females than of the 

 males or barren cows. Females with young appear to be much more timid, and when 

 you get among them and commence shooting, they disappear very quickly, and show 

 only the nose and eyes above water when travelling, and do not expose their bodies 

 as much above the water as the bulls and barren cows do, as if the maternal instinct 

 to preserve their young was apparent. This fact is well known to all seal-hunters. 

 I have often been in a group of cows with pups during the afternoon, and at night 

 they would all disappear, and, apparently from maternal instinct, they will travel 

 away as quickly as possible. 



13. Q. Do you consider it more difficult to shoot females, so little exposed as they 

 are, than males? — ^A. It is decidedly more diflicult, x>articularly on the coast. 



14. Q. You have observed a number of barren females? — A. Yes; quite a [ ? ]. 



15. Q. How do they travel? — A. Usually by themselves, or mixed with bulls; I 

 have never found a cow with pups among the bulls. 



16. Q. Have you any idea what the percentage would be of the number of barren 

 cows to the number of seals caught? — A. I could not say exactly, but the percentage 

 is considerable. 



17. Q. What is the accepted theory among the sealers as to the barrenness of 

 cows? — A. I don't know as I have heard of any theory — unless they are like other 

 animals. 



18. Q. When you speak of barren cows, you mean those who have been more than 

 one season barren? — A. Yes; because before that they are called pups. The barren 

 cows are those who are old enough to have pups, but didn't. 



19. Q. You are quite of a clear opinion, then. Captain Baker, that there is a con- 

 siderable percentage of barren cows? — A. Yes, Sir. 



20. Q. Are there more seals shot whilst sleeping than in motion?- A. Yes, Sir; my 

 experience has been that there are more seals shot whilst sleeping, and that is the 

 experience of most of my hunters, by their report. 



21. Q. What do you consider the vital part of a seal? — A. The head or the heart, 

 or in the neck. 



22. Q. Do your hunters prefer to shoot the seal in the head? — A. Yes, Sir; on 

 account of preserving the skin, and also that, the moment the seal is shot in the head, 

 the head sinks and the wind cannot escape. Then, if the seal is not killed, the shot 

 will stun it, and its head will drop below water, so that it cannot sink. 



23. Q. What is usually a safe shooting distance? — A. For sleeping seals the dis- 

 tance would be about 10 yards, and for travelling seals the distance would be about 

 10 to 30 yards. 



24. Q. Considering that the seals are shot in the head, and the greater portion 

 whilst sleeping, will you state the proportion of seals lost, as compared with those 

 hit, in sealing? — A. The proportion is very small, because, as the usual distance for 

 shooting is al)out 10 yards for a sleeping seal, we most always kill them instantly, 

 and being so near the seal — even if they are inclined to sink — they are gaffed before 

 they have time to sink. If they even did sink 15 feet, say, we could catch them, as 

 when sinking they go very slowly. The only time I know of when a seal is likely 

 to sink is after it has been chased around in the boats and winded, then shot again, 

 so as to be thrown backwards, allowing the wind to escape from its mouth, when it 

 sinks tail first. Every boat is supplied with a long pole, about 15 feet, and a spear 

 and gaff' on the end, so that we can reach that distance. It is very seldom that a 

 seal will get away. I would say, therefore, from personal experience that the per- 

 centage of loss, as comijared with those hit in sealing, would not exceed 3 per cent. 

 Last year I killed, myself, on the coast, fifty-five seals, and out of that number I 

 lost only one by sinking. 



25. Q. As a general thing, is the percentage of loss more now than it was four 

 years ago, or is it smaller? — A. From personal experience, I think about the same, 

 and from the reports of the hunters I should judge it was the same, as they all report 

 their experiences on their return to the vessel each night, and when a seal is lost it 

 is always spoken about. From a record kept by hunters daring two voj'ages the 

 aggregate loss by each hunter is shown, and the percentage is not greater, on an 

 average, than 3 per cent. 



26. Q. How many hunters do you usually carry? — A. Six; and I hunted myself. 

 The ship's company consists of twenty-three persons. 



27. Q. What size shot do you use in shooting seal? — A. No. 2 buck-shot or "S" 

 Canadian shot; and the guns are of the very best material and very expensive, cost- 

 ing from 70 to 100 dollars. 



28. Q. What do you think is the proportion of females to males in the number 

 killed in the different months of the fishing season? — A. I don't know, I am sure. 



