182 DECREASE OF THE ALASKAN SEAL HERD. 



White sealers, females," adding that if continued the seal herd 

 Avould soon be exterminated.^ Alexander Mc- 

 Lean, the well known sealing- captain, accounts 

 for the decrease as being the result of killing the 

 female seals in the water, and there is no chance 

 for the seals to increase because so many vessels 

 are going into the sealing business.^ Daniel 

 McLean attributes the decrease to " killing off 

 the females."^ He is supported in this statement 

 by H. Harrasen, a seal hunter of many years' 

 experience;* Niles Nelson,^ Adolphus Sayers,* 

 and others engaged in the same occupation.' 

 William Hermann, who has been a seal hunter 

 for more than a decade, says: ''I think they (the 

 seals) are decreasing on account of their being 

 hunted so nmch."^ William Mclsaac says: *'I 

 think there are so many boats and hunters out 

 after them that they are being killed off; they are 

 hunted too much."^ William H. Long, a captain 

 of a sealing vessel, takes the same view of the 



iVol.II,p. 44L 

 sVo].II,p. 437. 

 3Vol.n,p.444. 

 ■•VoLII, pp.442,443. 

 "VoL II, p. 470. 

 6Vol.II,p.473. 



6Vol.II,p.473. 

 "> Peter Collins, Vol. II, p. 413 ; James Kieriian, 

 tavc Isaacson, Vol. II, j). 440. 

 eVnl IT 11. 44fi. 



Vol.II,p.450;Gu8- 



8 Vol. II, p. 446. 

 9Vol.II,p.461. 



