188 TESTIMONY 



the Bush at tlie time and place of seizure, and they too were sent to Sitka. 

 All tliese vessels reported tliere, except tlie Ullen and San Jose, going 

 to San Francisco,- and the Albert Adams, to Victoria, British Columbia. 

 I again sailed from San Francisco, the 3rd of July, 1888, and entered 



E redBorino-sea ^^^''^S" ^^''^ about the ICth of the samc mouth. Owing 



onng.ea. ^^ ^^^ large numbcr of vessels seized in 1887, very few 



sealing vessels entered Bering Sea to take seals in 1888, and I made 



,, . . .oo. no seizures. I only saw two vessels in the sea during 



No seizures in 1888. .-, , n ^ ■ ■• J_^ t •, <■• tt- j. • 



that season, one of which, the Jvanita, at Victoria, 

 British Columbia, was engaged in taking seal at the time we sighted 

 ^^.^^ her, which was August 5, in latitude 54° 38" north, 



longitude 166° 54" west. In 1889 I again sailed from 

 San Francisco for Bering Sea on June 1, and arrived at Unalaska 

 June 16. Began cruising in the sea eight days later. I hereby ap- 

 liend to and make a part of this affidavit a table marked B, giving 

 the names of the vessels seized by me in Bering Sea while violating 

 the laws of the United States in relation to the taking of fur-bearing 

 animals, together with the date of seizure, nationality, rig, tonnage, 

 haiUng port, master, managing owner, latitude and longitude in which 

 seized, and the white men and Indians on board at the time of seizure, 

 the number of sealskins and weapons on each vessel seized. In nearly 

 every case of those vessels named in Table B, they had boats out en- 

 gaged in sealing. All of them Avere ordered to go to Sitka, but none of 

 them reported there, all goingto their homeports. The Blade Diamond, 

 the Minnie, and the Fathfi7ider\\ere each placed in 

 Black Diamond. charge of a special United States officer, who protested 

 Minnie. in vaiu agaiust the noncompliance with the instruc- 



I'athfinder. tious givcu to procccd to Sitka. The Minnie in spite 



of the officer on board continued sailing in Bering Sea 

 until August 17, and secured during that time 478 sealskins. 



I hereby append to and make part of this affidavit the number and 

 names of vessels fitted out for sealing boarded and ex- 

 seiziuesii, 1889. j^j^jjg^j ^y ^^ j^ Bering Sea or the waters of Alaska 

 Territory during the sealing season of 1889, together with the date of 

 such boarding, nationality of the vessel, rig, tonnage, hailing port, 

 master, owner, latitude and longitude, white men and Indians on board, 

 seal skins and weapons found. The last three columns of said table are 

 incomplete, from the fiictthat the officers boarding failed to get definite 

 statements on these points. They were not seized, because evidence 

 was wanting as to their having actually sealed in Bering Sea. During 

 these three years I had frequent conversations with the masters and 

 crews of sealing vessels in relation to open-sea sealing. From these 

 conversations, and also from my own observations, I make tlie follow- 

 ing statement in relation to pelagic sealing: The weapons used by seal 

 hunters are rifles, shotguns, and spears. The Indians 

 eapons. ^^^ spcars, and a canoe contains two Indians, the fore- 



mast thus armed. The white hunters use principally shotguns, but in 

 some cases the rifle. A boat contains a hunter and a rower and a 

 steerer. Whenever a seal comes within gunshot range, the white 

 hunter fires at it. If killed outright, the seal sinks almost immediately 

 and in nearly every case is lost. When so wounded 

 Seal sinks If kiued. ^^^^^ .^ -^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^|j^^^ j^ gocs iiito a " fluiTy," aiid 



th e boat bein g pulled up rapidly, it is gaffed and dragged on board. The 

 gaff used by seal hunters is about 5 feet in length. 



It is very hard to estimate the luimlier lost of those shot, but I should 



fiife judge an expert hunter would lose certainly from 40 



^^^ '^- to 60 per cent, and a hunter not pai'ticularly expert 



