202 PELAGIC SEALING. 



Canadian testi- and Capt. W. Cox, of the scliooiier Triumph, 



mony, 



and that " they also mentioned (among other 

 things) that two-thirds of their catch consisted of 

 female seals, but that after the 1st July very 

 few indeed were captured 'in jnip.'"^ 

 Tcs timo n y of Herman Liel^es for thirty-five years eng-ao-ed in 



American furriers. ^ ■ j o o 



the seal-skin industry, and the largest purchaser 

 of the skins brought -into Victoria, British Co- 

 lumbia, by sealing vessels,^ says that he *' has 

 frequently requested the captains of poaching 

 vessels sailing from the port of Victoria and other 

 ports, to obtain the skins of male seals, and stated 

 that he would give twice as much money, or even 

 more, fo? such skins than he would pay for the 

 skins of female seals. Each and all of the cap- 

 tains so approached laughed at the idea of catch- 

 ing male seals in the open sea, and said that it 

 was impossible to do it, and that they could not 

 catch male seals unless they could get upon the 

 islands, which, except once in a long while, they 

 were unable to do in consequence of the restric- 

 tions imposed by the United States Government; 

 because, they said, the males were more active, 

 and could outswim any boat which their several 

 vessels had, and that it was only the female seals 

 who were lieavy with young wliicli could be 

 caught."' 



>3 



1 British Blue Book, U. S. No. 1 (1891), C-62.53,p. 17. 



2 Vol. II, p. 513; l$ntisli Blue Book, U. S. No. 1 (1891), C-6253, 

 p. 80; Vol. 11, p. 561. •' Vol. II, p. 512. 



