EVIDENCE OF DECREASE. 171 



long way for seal now, and often return after two Along the coast. 

 or three days' hunt witliout any."^ George 

 Skultka, chief of tlie Hyda Indians at How- 

 kan, says: ''There are no seals left now; they 

 are most all killed off."^ Chief Frank, Second 

 Chief of the Kaskan Indians, states that "fur seal 

 are not as plenty as they used to be and it is 

 hard for the Indians to catch any," and closes his 

 testimony with the words, "there is one thing 

 certain, seals are getting scarce."^ Thomas 

 Lowe, a seal hunter belonging to the Clallam 

 tribe, Vassili Feodor, a native hunter of the vil- 

 lage of Soldovoi in Cooks Inlet, and many other 

 Indians living along the coast from the Straits 

 of Juan de Fuca to Cooks Inlet, make the same 

 assertion.^ That this decrease, in respect to 

 which the evidence is so unanimous from every 

 point of observation, was not caused by any 

 change in the methods employed on the islands 

 has already been shown by the testimony of 

 numerous reliable witnesses, who prove that 



1 Vol. II, p. 303. See also Chief Thomas Skowl, Vol. II, p. 300; 

 Smith Natch, Vol. II, p. 299; Nashtou, Vol. II, p. 298; Kobcrt 

 Kooko,Vol. II, p. 296. 



- Vol. II. p. 290. 



« Vol. II, p. 280. 



^ Alfred living. Vol. II, p. 387; Circus Jim (Neah Bay), Vol. II, p. 

 380,381; W^eckenuncsch (Barclay Sound), Vol. II, p. 311; Martin 

 Singay (Sitka Bay), Vol. II, p. 268; Kinkooga (Yakutat Bay), Vol. 

 II, p. 240; Mike Ketliusduck (Sitka Bay), Vol. II, p. 262; Eclion 

 (Shakan) Vol. II, p. 280; Simeon Chin-koo-tin (Sitka Bay), Vol. II, 

 p. 257. 



