246 OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



tlio cost of building, outfitting, and furnishing sealing vessels, and also 

 in relation to the wages paid or the "lay" of the crew, the probable 

 profits for the future, and their experience with the sealing fleet in the 

 past few years. The following is the substance of these various con- 

 versations, from notes made at the time when they were held, together 

 with the names, occupations, and experiences of my informants, which 

 notes are substantially correct transcripts of the conversations, all of 

 which took place in the city of Victoria between October 14th, 1892, 

 and November 16th, 1892. 

 Captain D. Morrison, who was mate on the sealing schooner Willie 

 McGowan, this year, stated to me that sealing boats 

 8 ubs?Ln f ce Ws and cost $100 apiece when new, and that it costs from $7.00 

 to $10.00 per month for subsistence per man. 

 Captain Sieward, owner of the sealing schooners Bora Sieward and 

 Mascot, and who has had seven years' experience in 

 cost of Dora sie- the sealing business, stated that his provision bill for 

 a crew of twenty-five men on the Dora Sieward was 

 $1,200 for a cruise of seven months. He further stated that steam 

 vessels for sealing purposes were very poor property and that not one 

 in the fleet has ever paid expenses since it was built. He also said 

 that the Bora Sieicard is 99 tons register, that she is new and 

 first-class and cost $14,000 all equipped and outfitted for a seasou's 

 cruise. Kegarding the coasting trade of sealing ves- 

 ^coasting trade un- se ] s during the months of October, November, Decem- 

 ber, and January, Mr. Sieward said " It would not pay 

 and there was nothing in it." He further stated, that Carne & Munsie 

 (grocers, shipowners and outfitters of vessels) told him on October 31st, 

 1892, that they would agree to furnish groceries, supplies, etc., for an 

 Indiana less ex en Indian crew for one-half what it would cost to fit out an 

 Bi^e Than^whYtes equal crew of white men ; that they had had both white 

 (Capt. sieward). am | i nc [i an C rews on their vessels, and that an Indian 

 crew was not over half the expense of a white crew. He also said 

 that Indians furnished their own canoes and canoe outfits. 



Captain McLain, master of the sealing schooner Favorite, made me 

 the following statements: 



I have employed both white and Indian hunters; Indians are now as expensive 



as white hunters ; they want everything and plenty of it. Five 



Indians as expen- or s j x y eara a g j could feed them on molasses, rice, or anything, 



McLafn)!^ ' aP ano - they would be satisfied. Then it did not cost much to feed 



them. They are always paid by the skin and furnish their own 



canoes and spears. Formerly they did not use the gun but very little, preferring 



the spear ; but now they use the gun mostly. The cost of feeding a white crew is 



from $7.50 to $8.00 per month to the man. $2,000 will cover everything for a crew 



of twenty-five men for an eight months' cruise. 



Captain Pinckney, master of the sealing schooner Henrietta, stated to 

 me: 



Provisions for a cruise of seven to eight months for a crew of twenty-three to 

 twenty-five men will cost about $1,600 to $1,800; this also includes 

 Cost of equipment, ammunition. Indians furnish their own canoes and are paid so 

 much for each skin, but receive no wages. They are sometimes 

 given $10.00 each bounty money to get them to go North. We give them bread, 

 rice, sugar, and potatoes. The sealing season begins about March 1st and closes 

 from August 1st to September 1st ; generally aim to get home by the first of Sep- 

 tember. 



Captain McDonald, mate on the sealing schooner Favorite in 1892, 

 stated : 



„ . , It does not cost over $8.00 per month per man for food. I am 



Cost of provisions. conMent $2<00 a week win J feed a mun ^ elL 



