SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



perpetuation, and in 18{)1 it had assumed such proportions as to cause 

 serious alarm. The natives making the drives first discovered this 

 trouble, then special agents took note, and later on J think almost e very- 

 one who was allowed to visit the rookeries could not close their eyes or 

 nostrils to the great numbers of dead pups to be seen on all sides. 

 In company with Special Agent Murray, Captain Hooper, and Engineer 

 Brerton, of the Concin, I visited the Keef and (iarbotch rookeries, St. 

 Paul Island, in August, 1891, and saw one of the most pitiable sights 

 that I have ever witnessed. Thousands of dead and dying pups were 

 scattered over the rookeries, while the shores were lined with emaciated, 

 hungry little fellows, with their eyes turned toward the sea uttering 

 plaintive cries for their mothers, which were destined never to return. 

 ]s umbers of them were opened, their stomachs examined, and the fact 

 revealed that starvation was the cause of death, no organic disease 

 being apparent. 



The greatest number of seals taken by hunters in 1891 was to the 

 westward and northwestward of St. Paul Island, and the largest num- 

 ber of dead pups were found that year in rookeries situated on the 

 western side of the island. This fact alone goes a great way, in my 

 opinion, to confirm the theory that the loss of the mothers was the 

 cause of mortality among the young. 



After the mother seals have given birth to their young on the islands 

 they go to the water to feed and bathe, and I have observed them not 

 only around the islands, but from 80 to 100 miles out at sea. 



In different years the feeding grounds or the location where the greater 

 number of seals are taken by poachers seem to differ; in other words, 

 the seals frequently change feeding grounds. For instance, in 1887, the 

 greatest number of seals were taken by poachers between Unamak, 

 Akutan Passes, and the seal islands, and to the southwestward and east- 

 ward, in many cases from 50 to 150 miles distant from the seal islands., 

 In the season of 1890 to the southward and westward, also to north- 

 west and northeast of the islands, showing that the seals had been scat- 

 tered. The season of 1891 the greatest number were taken to northward 

 or westward of St. Paul, and at various distances, from 25 to 150 miles 

 away. 



On my cruise to St. Matthews and Unamak Island we did not discover 

 any seal within 25 or 30 miles of those islands, nor do I know of or believe 

 that the seals haul out upon land in any of the American waters of 

 Bering Sea except at the Pribilof Islands. If the seal life is to be 

 preserved for commercial purposes the seals must be protected, not 

 only in the Bering Sea, but in the waters along the Pacific Coast from 

 the Aleutian Passes to the Columbia River. 



WASH. C. COULSON, 

 Captain, United States Revenue Marine. 



Deposition of Thomas F. Morgan, agent of lessees of Pribilof and 

 Commander islands. 



STATE OF CONNECTICUT, 



New London County -, **: 



Thomas F. Morgan, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am the 

 person described in and who verified two certain affidavits on the 5th 

 day of April, 1892, before Sevellon A. Brown, notary public, in rela- 

 tion to the habits, management, etc., of the fur seals. 



