TESTIMONY OF JAMES G. SWAN. 287 



and not killed by shooting from fishing vessels?— A. No; I have no 

 statistics to refer to. 



Q. At what age is the seal's skin valuable? — A. Two years. 



Q. Are there one year old seals in these schools? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Are they ever shot ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Isthataloss — all those that are killed at one year's age? — A. Those 

 that are killed are a loss, of course. 



Q. And those that are wounded at one year of age? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. When a female with pup is killed there is a loss of life not only of 

 the female herself, but of the pup also? — A. That is true. 

 . Q. There are two losses ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. So that this method of shooting seals at sea must necessarily be 

 very destructive, and a great many more seals must be destroyed than 

 are taken? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. So that the economical way would be to take them at the rook- 

 eries, where they could be selected and killed? — A. It would be eco- 

 nomical if it could be shown that it was for any particular benefit to the 

 public. 



Q. Leaving that question aside, if it were true, as claimed by Mr. 

 Elliott and some others, that these seals that come up our coast are 

 bound for the rookeries, which are situated on these small islands; that 

 they are easily destroyed when approaching the islands, so that the seals 

 might become so scarce that the rookeries would be valueless in a few 

 years if it was open to all to take and shoot at pleasure, would or would 

 it not be better to prevent the killing of seals, or to allow them to be 

 destroyed by indiscriminate killing at sea, and the waste of seal life by 

 the methods which are used to capture them? — A. They might estab- 

 lish regulations by which they would be preserved in going through 

 Ounimak Pass. 



Q. Are those points frequented by sailors ? — A. They are, according 

 to Mr. Elliott's statement. 



Q. You do not speak from personal experience? — A. No. 



By the Chairman : 



Q. Is it your opinion that it would be for the public interest to have 

 all seal life destroyed? — A. I don't know; I don't think that such a 

 thing could be done. 



Q. I wish to know whether you think it should be done? — A. No; I 

 do not think so. 



Q. Captain Jacobs seems to think that the seal is so destructive of 

 food-fish, and the sealskin being only a luxury, that it would be better 

 to have all the seals exterminated? — A. I think if they were all lost 

 the world would not be any the worse for it, any more than if all the 

 ostriches were killed, the world would be no worse off, except in that 

 case the ladies would not get any plumes for their hats, and in the 

 former case they would not get any coats. 



The Chairman. That system would have to be extended a long way 

 before the world would get rid of luxuries. Every man would not draw 

 the line at the same point. 



Senator Hale. We could get along without salmon, probably? 



The Witness. And without beef. 



By Senator Pugh : 

 Q. You clo not think it is of any importance to prevent the destruc- 

 tion of seals? — A. I do, on the islands, but not on the outside, because 

 the proportion of seals that are destroyed is a very small fraction of 



