232 TESTIMONY 



^ Fur-seals sink almost invariably in less than tlsree minutes after be- 

 ing killed, and f^ravid cows mueli quicker. 



They should be a])proached from tlie lee side quietly, and picked up 

 as soon after being struck as possible in order to secure them. 1 am 



decidedly of the opinion that fur-seal life has cousid- 



ecreaso. erably decreased of late years, and believe it is due 



principally to pelagic sealing. I have never heard of, nor have no 



knowledge of fur-seal pups being born elsewhere in 

 PribXf is^auds'^ °° t^^® northern hemisphere than on the rookeries of the 



seal islands of Bering Sea. Neither do I know of any 

 other rookeries than the aforesaid. It is my opinion, that for the proper 



preservation of far-seal life all pelagic hunting should 

 3^™^'^'"^" "^*'^'- be prohibited and stopped absolutely, as I think the 



female seal should have access to a rookery in order 

 safely to deliver her young. 



A. J. Guild. 



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



Joseph Murray, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition ofEohert Michaelsen, miner and prospector, residing at Soldo- 

 voi, Gooli's Inlet. 



Eobert Michaelsen, being duly sworn, deposes and saith : I reside at 



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



lived in the Territory for the past ten years, chiefly at settlements 



along the coast between Sitka and Cook's Inlet. I am a miner and 



prospector by occupation, and have never had any ex- 



Expenence. perieuce iu sealing. I have become well acquainted 



with the coast while engaged in my business of prospecting, traveling 



along it in a canoe and entering all bays, inlets, streams, etc., between 



the points above mentioned, and am positive that no 



No rookeries along i-Qokerics cxist iu that rcgiou. In Cook's Inlet the water 



is very muddy above Anchor Point, and I have never 



known fur seals to be seen beyond it. Below that ])oint 



No seals seen above ^ few stragglcrs are occasiouaHv obscrvcd, but never 



Anchor Pomt. , , ^p ^ , j_ j_- ^ ' 



more than two or three at a time. 



Egbert Michaelsen. 



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



Joseph Murray, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of John W. Smith, agent of North American Commercial 

 Company, at Soldo voi, CooJvS Inlet. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



John W. Smith, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I reside at 



the settlement known as Soldovoi, on Cook's Inlet, 



Experience. Alaska. I havG lived in the Territory for the past 



