TAKEN IN cook's INLET. 229 



Deposition of Iran Alexandrojf and Fcodor Balastoff, priest and chief, 

 respectively, ofnaiires at ISoldovoi, CooWs Inlet. 



IIABIT.S: DECKEASE. 



John Alexaudroft' and Feodor Barastoff, being duly sworn, depose 

 and say: We are respectively the priest and chief of the natives at 

 the settlement known as Soldovoi, on Cook's Iijlet, Alaska, and have 

 lived in the iinmediate vicinity all onr lives. We are, by occupation, 

 hunters of all fur-bearing animals, excepting the fur- 

 seal. We have had no experience in hunting fur-seals, ^ipenence. 

 because we are informed that it is unlawful. Our occupation does not 

 take us below the entrance to Cook's Inlet, in a line from Cape Eliza- 

 beth on the peninsula to Cape Douglass on the main- ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ 

 land opposite. In the latter part of June and the first iniet^?aupr^ parrot- 

 part of July a few straggling fur-seals are seen about J'lieaudarstofjuiy. 

 the entrance to the inlet, but the actual time of their appearance is un- 

 certain. Fur-seals were formerly much more plentiful, 

 however, but of late years are becoming constantly ^'^^'^ea^'e of seals, 

 scarcer. This is, we think, owing to the number of vessels engaged in 

 hunting them at sea. We have never heard of, and 

 have no knowledge of, fur-seal pups being born else- Pribiiof isLmds/ "° 

 where than on the rookeries of the seal islands in 

 Bering Sea, nor do we know of any rookeries other vlimlTmAuAs^ °° 

 than those above mentioned. Ko fur-seals are ever seen 

 in Cook's Inlet above Anchor Point. We believe that Prohibition neces 

 in order to permanently preserve fur-seal life pelagic ^^^^' 

 hunting should be stopped. 



Ivan Alexandeoff. 



Feodor x Barastoff. 



mark. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 9th day of April, 1892. 



Joseph Murray, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of Ivan Canetalc, Michaeler Balaslioff, Nicoli Inloo, Saear Ba- 

 lashOj[f, Kicoli N'iooU, Senear Eolyah, ani Nicoli Inloo, jr., native fur 

 hunters on Goolcs Inlet. 



PELAGIC sealing. 



Ivan Canetak, Michaeler Balashoff, ISIicoli Inloo, Sacar Balashofif, 

 Nicoli Nicoli, Sacar Rolyah, and Mcoli Iidoo, jr., being duly sworn, de- 

 pose and say: We reside at the settlement known as ^. . 

 Soldovoi, on Cook's Inlet, Alaska, and have lived in the ^penence. 

 immediate neighborhood all our lives. We are, by occupation, hunters 

 of all fur-bearing animals, excepting the fur-seal, which we do not hunt 

 because we have been told it is unlawful. In the latter ^ 

 part of elnne and the first part of July, while engaged of jumf about^Cooks 

 in hunting, we have observed fur-seals about the en- ^"^***- 

 trance of tlie inlet, passing to the westward; but have never seen any 

 Above Anchor Point. They were formerly much more Decrease 

 plentiful than now, which is owing, we believe, to the 

 number of vessels engaged in killing them at sea. We have never 

 known of fur-seal pups beingborn elsewhere than on the ^^^ ^^^^, ^^ pj.;. 

 rookeries of the seal islands in Bering Sea. Neither biiofisiands. 



