RELATING TO BRITISH CLAIMS. 345 



Value of vessel and outfit. 



W.P. Sayward $5,000 



Grace 8,000 



Anna Beck (old) 6,000 



Dolphin : 7,000 



Ada '. 5,000 



Sealing in Bering Sea practically closes the latter part of August. 

 The sea becomes so rough and there are so few days 

 that we can lower boats that it does not pay to remain se a S e on ng Sea 8ealins 

 any longer. We go direct to our home ports, for there 

 are no seals in the North Pacific to huut at that time of the year. The 

 number of seals caught by one vessel, or the average number caught 

 by a number of vessels, has no particular bearing on gealin aventure 

 the catch of another vessel or what such vessel might 

 have caught in a given time. One vessel may be lucky and another 

 unlucky. Sealing, like whaling, is a venture, and while one may do 

 exceptionally well, another may do very poorly. This has always been 

 the case in the sealing business. 



Charles Lutjens. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 22nd day of October, A. D. 

 1892. 

 [seal.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary Public. 



Deposition of Alexander McLean, sealer (master). 



State of California, 



City and county of San Francisco, ss : 

 Alexander McLean, being duly sworn, deposes and says: 

 I am thirty-three years of age, and a master mariner by profession. 

 I reside at San Francisco, and am a citizen of the 0ccu ation 

 United States. I have been engaged in hunting the 

 fur seal in the Bering Sea and North Pacific for the 

 last ten years. Have been owner and part owner of Ex P enence - 

 vessels engaged in the business. Was one of the first to enter Bering 

 Sea and engage in pelagic hunting of seals. Have been one of the most 

 successful of all of those engaged in the business. Have been in Ber- 

 ing Sea every season, except the last three, since 1882. The hunting 

 season begins in Bering Sea the fore part of July and 

 ends the last of August. I entered Bering Sea three a **^ s Sea 8ealin s 

 years in succession on July 4th, and usually came out 

 August 25th, at which time the season practically closes. There are 

 so few days after that when the weather will permit successful hunting 

 that it does not pay to remain in the sea any longer. On leaving the 

 sea the latter part of August all vessels make for their home port, for 

 there is no seals to hunt at that season of the year in the North Pacific. 

 I am acquainted with nearly every vessel engaged in 

 the business of catching seals ; and the number of skins Seahn£ a venture - 

 taken by one vessel or a certain number of vessels is no guide to the 

 number that might be taken by another vessel. So much depends 

 on finding the herd and keeping with it in its journey along our 

 coast to Bering Sea that while one vessel may be fortunate in this 

 respect another, equally well manned and with the same number of 



