TESTIMONY TAKEN IN COOK's INLET. 225 



have reskled for the past twenty-two years, during- which time it has 

 been my duty to collect and otherwise handle furs and skins of all de- 

 scriptions for the aforesaid comi)iiny. I have observed that fur-seals 

 first appear in the neighborhood of Cook's Inlet in 

 small schools about the middle of Aj)ril, coming- from Experience. 

 the southward, and increase in numbers until the Mi-Tation 

 latter part of May, traveling along the coast of the 

 mniidand from the eastward to the westward, but uever ^ ^I'pear at coot 

 entering Cook's Inlet above Anchor Point. They cross ' "''°'" ^^'"' ^^• 

 the entrance of the inlet and appear off the mainland agaiu in the vi- 

 cinity of Cape Dong-lass. Seal hunting commences about the region of 

 Prince William Sound, Alaska Territory, early in Aj)ri]. 

 Native hunters secure about one-third of all fur-seals "^asteofhfe. 

 killed at sea, while in my belief white hunters secure even a less num- 

 ber in proportion to those killed. In pelagic sealing no distinction is 

 made by hunters as to the sex of the seals, the killing 

 being done indiscriminately. It is not possible to dis- ^"'i'^^™^"''^*^- 

 tinguish between the male and female seals at sea even if a hunter so 

 desired, and this is the reason why pelagic seal hunting will soon result 

 in the total extermination of the species. 



I do not know of, and have never heard of, fur-seals 

 landing at any point but the seal islands of Bering piSf i^iauTj^ ™ 

 Sea. 



I have noticed in recent years a great decrease in seal life, which I 

 attribute to the fact that they have been so persistently 

 pursued and systematically slaughtered by pelagic fur- ^crease. 

 seal hunters. After twenty-two years' experience in Alaska in the 

 fur business I have no hesitation in saying that if the fur-seal species 

 is to be saved from extinction all pelagic seal hunting- 

 must cease, as it is absolutely necessary that the female s,Jy°^"^'^'*''' ""^^ 

 fur-seal should be allowed access to a rookery, in order 

 safely to deliver her young. 



M. Cohen. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8th day of April, 1892. 



Joseph Murray, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



neces- 



Deposition of Metry Monin, Nicoli Noojook^ iStephan ToocliyJc, Alexy Ma- 

 hagalx, TvImu Ivanoff, Alexander Kamlook, Peter Chara.shool; Htepltan 

 Apavelook, Alexy Abakee, ^S^meon Tanapee, Nieoli Kashagalx, Tekan 

 Koolcew, Pavel Abanyngaiv, and Peter Abangac, native fur-hunters at 

 Fort Alexander, Cook Inlet. 



HAEITS. 



Metry Monin, ^STicoli Xoojook, Stephan Toochyk, Alexy Mahagak, 

 Tekan Ivanoff, Alexander Kamlook, Peter Charashook, . 



Stephan Apavel(X)k, Alexy Abakee, Simeon Tauapee, ^^pent'ice. 

 Nieoli Kashagak, Tekan Kookew, Pavel Abanyngaw, and Peter Aban- 

 gac, being duly sworn, depose and say : That we are natives of Alaska, 

 and reside at the settlement of Fort Alexander, Cook's Inlet. Alaska 

 Terri-tory. We are, by occupation, hunters of fur animals, excepting 

 the fur-seal, and have been engaged in this pursuit all our li^es, chiefly 

 in this neighborhood. The fur-seals usually ap|)ear 

 about Cook's Inlet early in the month of May. They coa^ftariyTMay? 

 were formerly Ibund in this region in great numbers, 

 2716— VOL II 15 



