EEPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 299 



It depends upon circumstances. My experience last year was very largely on tbe 

 bull side on the coast; that is, the proportion taken were largely male seals. I can 

 conscientiously say that it must have been three bulls to one female, and I had a 

 larger number of seals than any other vessel on the spring catch. 



29. Q. In the Behring Sea, to your observation, were the males or females in the 

 prei)ouderance? — A. My exjierience is that they are very much as they are on the 

 coast. Sometimes I would meet with groups of all bulls, and again with groups of 



all cows. 

 224 30. Q. While in Behring Sea last year what would be your usual sealing 



distance from the land? — A. I was not in Behring Sea last year, but in pre- 

 vious years it would be from about 30 to 90 miles from land. The usual distance is 

 about 60 miles. Sometimes we are inside of that, sometimes outside of it. 



31. Q. I^ast year, I understand you to say. Captain Baker, you were not in the 

 Behring Sea on the American sidef — A. No. 



32. Q. Do I understand you to say that on the Russian side the same observations 

 will apply to the habits and shooting of seal as on the coast? — A. Precisely the same 

 as to their grouping and habits. 



33. Q. During the four years that you have been sealing, Captain Baker, I would 

 like you to state explicitly if you saw or heard of any Canadian vessels raiding the 

 American seal islands?— A. No, Sir. To my knowledge I have never heard of any, 

 and I have every reason to believe that there has never been any Canadian schooner 

 raiding any of them. 



34. Q. If anything like this had happened, you would have heard of it? — A. Most 

 certainly I would have. 



35. Q. You have never heard any information of any of our sealers conniving ^o 

 raid the seal islands? — A. I never did. 



36. Q. Two years ago it was reported that some American schooners had raided 

 seal islands. Did you hear such a report? — A. Yes, Sir; I heard a report that cer- 

 tain American schooners had raided these islands. The "Geo. R.White," "Daniel 

 Webster," " MoUie Adams,' and for two years the "J. Hamilton Lewis," have been 

 raiding the Copper Islands on the Russian side, and it is reported that the American 

 schooner "City of San Diego" also raided the Copper Islands last year. 



37. Q. You have heard of the German schooner "Adelo " raiding these islands? — A. 

 Yes; in 1889, with poor success. These illegal acts meet with the strong disappro- 

 bation of every Canadian sealer. 



38. Q. And if Canadian sealers had done acts of that kind, you think it would 

 most certainly have leaked out? — A. It most certainly would have. 



39. Q. You are quite satisfied, then, that not a single Canadian schooner at any 

 time has raided the seal islands? — A. Not to my knowledge. I don't know of one 

 single case. 



40. Q. What was your entire catch last season? — A. 1,991 for the whole season. 



41. Q. Giving your opiuion in confidence, what is your opinion of the seals on the 

 coast and in Behring Sea? Are they decreasing or increasing? — A. From my expe- 

 rience, I have not seen any decrease, but I have noticed also that they change their 

 grounds from time to time, and where you find them this year you may not fijul 

 them the next. This was very remarkable during the year 1890, for the seals were 

 all found to be eastward of Pribylotf Islands, while in former years they were found 

 to the westward. 



42. Q. When did you find them to the eastward of St. Paul's Island? lunderstand 

 you to say that you found them very numerous? — A. More so than I ever did before. 



43. Q. Have you any opinion to otfer as to the return of the seals to the coast last 

 year? — A. I have no direct opinion, but certainly the seals were more plentiful on 

 the northern coast last year than the previous years. 



(Signed) W. E. Baker, Master. 



Sworn to before me, at Victoria, British Columbia, this 22nd day of January, 1892. 



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



January 19, 1892. 



Clarence Nelson Cox, master of the schooner "E. B. Marvin," of Victoria, 

 examined by Collector Milne : 



1. Q. What vessels have you commanded on this coast and in Behring Sea, Captain 

 Cox? — A. I have been two years master of the " Triumph," and one year mate of the 

 "Sapphire" with my brother. 



2. Q. This makes your fifth or sixth year? — A. This makes my fourth year. I was 

 in Behring Sea so late last year; that is probably why it may seem I have been out 

 oftener than others. 



