TESTIMONY TAKEN IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. 



Deposition of Nicoli Gregoroff et al. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Nicoli Gregoroff, Peter Aduiigaii, Pavel Shimeakiu, Aiiton Kalislini- 

 koff, Avakoon Ivalisliiiikoff, Mirou Alinian, Tiiiiofe Cliaylia, Afaiiasse 

 Malick, Marka Koosche, Giorgi Agooklook, Gregory Aogay, Makar, 

 Clioomovitsky, Yakoff Abakoo, and Evan Clioomovitsky, being duly 

 sworn, dei)Ose and say: We are natives of Alaska, and reside at 

 Port Etclies, Prince 'William Sound, Alaska, and have lived iu 

 the Territory all of our lives. We are hunters of fur- 



xpcri*Dce. beariug animals, and are well acquainted with the 



coast line of this region. In the latter part of March a few fur seal 



. T, • usually first make their appearance in Prince William 



Appear in Prince ^ ^-^ ^ j_ i^ , -j^ i • .i i ^.j. j. j. 



William Sound in lat- Souud, and are most plentitul m the latter part ot 

 ter part of March. April. They are mostly large males, very few females 

 being taken, and those only towards the close of the season in the latter 

 part of May. Very few females taken in this region but are pregnant. 

 We use tire-arms (rifles and shot-guns) principally, and hunt in bi- 



darkas. We have never seen fur-seal pups of the same 

 ^_ Pelagic birth impos- ggasou's birth iu the water or on patches of floating 



kelp, and do not think they could be successfully raised 

 -„ Koo'^ories only on uucfer such couditious. Neither have we any knowl- 



Pribilofl Islands. , „,. ., „ „ ii- i. 



edge ot the existence of any fur-seal rookeries, except 

 those on the seal islands of Bering Sea. 



We have no way of distinguishing fur-seals in the water at sea, as to 

 whether males or females, and do not try to do so; but 

 _ indiscriminate kill- j^ji] all wc caii indiscriminately. Large seals sink rap- 

 "'^' idly, while the smaller ones float a few minutes. Fur- 



Decrease, seals have decreased in numbers of late years, and w 



believe it is due principally to the large number of 

 vessels hunting them at sea. We think that for the 

 Prohibition neces ])roper preservation of the fur-seal species, all pelagic 

 ^'^''^" hunting should be stopped absolutely. 



Nicoli Gregoroff [In Eussian]. 

 Peter Adijngan (his x mark). 

 Pavel Siiimeakin (his x mark). 

 Anton Kalishnikoff (his x mark) 

 Avakoon Kalishnikoff (his x mark). 

 MiRON Aliman, (his x mark). 

 TiMOFE Chayha (his X mark). 

 Afanasse Malick (his x mark). 

 Marka Koosche (his x mark) 

 Giorgi Agooklook (his x mark). 

 Gregory Aogay (his x mark). 

 Makar Ohoomovitsky (his x mark). 

 Yakoff Abakoo (his x mark). 

 Evan Ciioomovitsky (his x mark). 

 234 



