TAKEN ON OR NEAR KADIAK ISLAND. 219 



We all have an iutiinate knowledge of the coast of Alaska from Ka- 

 diak to Unalaslui, and know of no fur-seal rookeries 

 other than those on the seal islands of Bering- Sea. PHbUof isilnds!^' "° 

 We have never seen fur seal pups of the same season's 

 birth in the water at sea, and do not believe it possible rups can be reared 

 for them to be successfully reared except on a rookery. *'"^^' °° ^^o^i^ery. 

 Tliere is no way of distinguishing the sex of fur-seals (except large 

 bulls), in the water at sea, nor do hunters ever make 

 any effort to do so, but on the contrary kill all seals .^indiscriminate kiii- 

 they can indiscriminately. 



Fur seals have decreased very rapidly during the last five years, and 

 we believe it is due to the large number of vessels en- ^^^^ 

 gaged in hunting them at sea. 



Knowing that pelagic hunting is the cause of the decrease in fur-seal 

 life, we are in favor of its entire and absolute suppres- 

 sion and prohibition in order that said fur-seal life may ^^^ProMbition necea- 

 be saved from extermination. 



Vassili Chichinoff. [In Eussian]. 



Timothy Demidoff. [In Eussian]. 



Simeon Eiesoff (his x mark). 



Alamphy Pestikoff (his x mark.) 



Prokopy Nankook (his x mark). 



Peodoee Anutak (his x mark). 



Evan Grinoff. [In Eussian], 



Feodore Grinoff (his x mark). 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 13th day of April, 1892. 



Joseph Murray, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of Julius Christiansen, sea-otter hunter [master), residing on 

 Kadiali Island. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Julius Christiansen, being duly sworn, deposes and saith: I reside 

 at St. Pauls, Kadiak Island, Alaska, and have lived in 

 the Territory for the past ten years. I am an otter ^penenco. 

 hunter by occupation, and the owner of a schooner engaged in that 

 pursuit. 



Last year (1891) I hunted for seals at sea. We first met them in the 

 region of Prince William Sound, and followed them to the vicinity of 

 the Barren Islands off Cooks Inlet. I used a shotgun almost exclusively 

 last season, and lost about one-third of all fur-seals ^ 



shot. Of those secured, the larger i)art by far were fe- jority'oftiiose*secured 

 males, and the majority of these were pregnant cows, pregnant females. 

 It is impossible to distinguish the sex of the fur seal in the water at 

 sea, and no effort was made to do so. We killed all fur- iji^igcriminate 

 seals indiscriminately. Fur-seals when shot dead, sink iscrmuna e. 



almost immediately, I never knew of fur-seal pups Bornoniyonarook- 

 bemg born anywhere except on a rookery, and do not ery. 

 believe they can be successfully raised under other con- Rookery only o n 

 ditions. Neither have I any knowledge of a fur-seal Pribiiof islands. 

 rookery existing anywhere except on the seal islands of 

 Bering Sea. 



J. Christiansen, 



