318 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



Q. Do you say that bad you uot been forced out of Bebriiig Sea tbat you would 

 Lave bad an excellent catch? — A. I certninly would have had a good catch. 



Q. Then you consider that having been ordered out of Behring's Sea last year that 

 it has been a serious linancial loss to you? — A. It has been a great loss to me and a 

 very great hardship. 



Q. Have you ever heard of a British vessel, during the years th;it you have been 

 engaged in the sealing industry, raiding, or attempting to raid or take seals in any 

 way on the Pribyloff or seal islands in Bebring Sea? — A. I have not at any time bearil 

 of any British vessel taking any seals from the seal islands. 



Q. If any vessel had attempted to do so you would have certainly heard of it? — A. 

 I certainly would; for I am acquainted with all the principal sealing men sailing 

 from this port. 



(Signed) Abel Douglas. 



Sworn before me, this 16th day of February, 1892. 



'"'Signed) A. R. Milne, Collector of Customs. 



Victoria, B. C, February 20, 1892. 



KE SEALING LN PACIFIC OCEAJM AND BEHRING SEA. 



Laughlin L. McLean, present master of the Canadian schooner " Favourite," of 

 Vietorta, British Columbia, and master of the same vessel for the past seven years, 

 personally appeared, and being duly sworn, in reply to the following questions doth 

 depose and say : 



C^. Captain McLean, you have been master of the ''Favourite" during the past 

 Beven years? — A. Yes; for seven years. 



Q. You have been reasonably successful in the sealing industry? — A. Yes; I have. 



Q. You have had every opportunity of observing the seals and seal life? — A. I 

 have had every opportunity. 



Q. What number of men compose your crew usually?— A. From thirty to thirty- 

 two men, all told. 



Q. How many Whites and how many Indians ? — A. Seven Whites and about twenty- 

 five Indians compose my crew. 



Q. Have had Indian hunters every year?— A. Every year but one, that was 1887. 



Q. Do you prefer Indians to Whites for hunters?— A. I do. 



Q. Were the seals to your observation as plentiful last year as former years? — A. 

 They were more plentiful. 



t^. Were they as plentiful on coast? — A. Yes. 



Q. W^ere the seals as plentiful in Behring Sea as in former years? — A. In my expe- 

 rience I have never seen the seals as plentiful in Behring Sea. 



Q. Did the seals in Behring Sea appear to be more timorous?— A. No; they did 

 not ; but appeared quite tame. 



Q. From your long experience, what do you consider the proportion of seals lost 

 as compared to the whole number that are hit in pelagic sealing? — A. I would say 

 with Indians about one in ten, and with good white hunters about 5 per cent. 



Q. Have you observed in any mouths more females than males? — A. No; but I 

 think there are more males in the month of April on the coast. 



Q. Did you have more males than females in the coast catch? — A. Yes; I had 

 more males than females on the coast. 



Q. What percentage of males to females did you have in Behring Sea last year 

 and any year? — A. About half and half, and every year about the same. 



Q. Did you notice that the females taken in Behring Sea had delivered their 

 young? — A. Yes; they had all their young some time before that. They give up 

 their young about the end of July. We never get them with pup after July. 



Q. What proportion of females taken in Behring Sea are barren? — A. About 5 

 per cent. 



Q. Do you ever find yearling or grey pups in Behring Sea? — A. No ; we never find 

 them. 



Q. Do you find brown pups (2 or 3 years old) in Behring Sea?— A. We find a few; 

 not many ; occasionally one or two. 



Q. From your long observation, do you think that the females taken in Behring Sea 

 have remained long enough with their pups so that they care for themselves on the 

 land ?— A. Yes, I do. 



Q. You mean by barren cows those that have not borne that year? — A. Yes, I do. 



Q. In Behring Sea do they all travel together, that is, males and females?— A. 

 They are pretty well mixed up. 



