306 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



61. Q. Do you tliiuk there were any more female seals shot than males last year? — 

 A. No; I think there were more males shot; in fact, I think that since I have been 

 engaged in the business there have been more males killed than females. 



62. Q. What months liave you noticed more females than males? — A. In the months 

 of March and April there are more females than at any other time. There are more 

 females killed during those months than tliere are any other time. 



63. Q. Have you ever heard of any of the Canadian vessels poaching on the seal 

 islands? — A. I never did; I would have heard of it if there had been any. I have 

 heard of the American raiders; but I do not know of a single Canadian vessel 



raiding a seal rookery. 

 230 64. Q. If a seal is sinking, does it go quickly or sloMy? — A. If it is not too 



far away it can always be secured, as it does not go too quickly to get it. 

 (The above having been read to the said George Roberts, he corroborates and sub- 

 stantiates all of the foregoing statements.) 



(Signed) George Roberts, Hunter. 



Sworn to before me at Victoria, British Columbia, this 18th day of January, 1892. 



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



Richard Thomson, hunter on board the schooner "Annie E. Painter," being duly 

 sworn, says: 



40. Q. How long have you been engaged in sealing? — A. I have been engaged as 

 a hunter for two years. 



41. Q. Were the seals as plentiful last year as they were the previous year, to your 

 observation? — A. Yes; I believe they were. 



42. Q. Were the seals apparently harder to approach than they were in previous 

 years? — A. No; I can't say that I saw any difterence. 



43. Q. How do the seals generally travel? — A. As a rule the biills travel separately, 

 and quite a distance apart generally. 



44. Q. What is your experience in hunting as to the number of seals lost after 

 being hit? — A. I should think from 3 to .5 per cent, would cover all. 



45. Q. What is the usual manner in which seals are lost? — A. Well, if the seal is in 

 a certain position and shot so as to allow the air to escape, the seal will be lost. As 

 long as the head sinks below the water first, the seal will not sink. Tliey very 

 rarely sink in any case. 



46. Q. You carry a spear on a gaff, don't you? — A. Yes; it is carried to spear the 

 seals when they are going down. 



47. Q. From your experience in sealing, you consider that from 3 to 5 per cent, 

 would cover the total loss of seals, after being shot, through sinking? — A. Yes. 



48. Q. When you shoot a seal at a distance, and do not shoot them in a vital part, 

 they make off, do they? — A. Yes. 



49. Q. You don't consider that lost, then? — A. No; we don't consider the seal lost 

 unless it sinks. 



50. Q. Have you handled more males than females during the past two years? — 

 A. I should say more males. 



51. Q. Have you any idea of the proportion of males — would there be two males 

 to one female? — A. I should say from 70 to 80 per cent., or about three males to one 

 female. 



52. Q. In what months do you consider that there are most females killed? — A. 

 During the months of April and May. There are apparently more females, but not 

 as many as males. 



53. Q. You have never known of any Canadian schooners raiding the seal islands, 

 have you? — A. I have never heard of a Canadian, but I have of the American. 



54. Q. During the time that you have been to Behring Sea, you would have heard 

 of it? — A. I would certainly have heard of it. 



55. Q. You have always sailed out of this port? — A. Yes, Sir. 



(The above having been read over to Richard Thomson, he corroborates and sub- 

 stantiates the same.) 



(Signed) R. Thomson, Hunter. 



Sworn to at Victoria,, British Columbia, before me, this 18th day of January, 1892. 



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



