TAKEN AT OR NEAR SITKA, 265 



Have never Ivillctl but few old bulls in iny life. The only seal tbat can 

 be distinguislied in the water is the old bull, which can be told by its 

 size. Everything in shape of seal that comes near the boat are killed 

 if possible, regardless of sex. Seal, when instantly killed, will always 

 sink quick. I always shoot seal in the head when jiossible. Seal are 

 not nearly as plentiful as in former years; have noticed pg^^ease 

 the decrease in the last three or four years. Think 

 the cause of the decrease is the great number of schooners sealing 

 in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. Have „ , . , . „ 



, -, n 1 • n -J.! i J.1 ^o pelagic birth. 



never heard of pups being born m the water or on the 



land along the coast of Alaska. Have never known of t, i .^i * 



lur-seals hauling uj) on the land on the coast ot haul up on the alw- 



Alaska, but have heard that they haul up on the Pribi- ^"^coast. 



lof Islands. I think if schooners were prohibited from sealing in the 



open waters of Bering Sea and the North Pacific 



Ocean, seal would again become plentiful along this 



coast. 



his 



George x Lacheek. 



mark. 



George Kastrometinoff, 



United States Court Interjyreter. 



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



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of Capt. A. W. Lavender, special Treasury agent on St. 

 George Island. 



pelagic sealing. 



Personally appeared before me, Capt. A. W. Lavender, w^ho being duly 

 sworn, dei)Oses and says: I am 49 years of age, a citizen of the United 

 States, and a resident of Scotland, South Dakota. I ^^ erience 

 am now, and have been for two years past, employed ^penence. 

 as special agent of the Treasury Department, assigned to duty as agent 

 in charge of St. George Island. While in Unalaska in September, 1891, 

 awaiting transportation to San Francisco, I had an opportunity to ex- 

 amine personally the seal catch of the steam-sloop 0/m7- ^, „ 



7 1-1111 1 J. <> -. 1 Challenge, \%Q\. 



lenge, whicJi had been warned out oi the sea, and was 



undergoing repairs at the harbor named. The catch ^^^^^^ j^ Berino- 



amounted to 172 skins, which were all taken in Bering sea. 



Sea at various distances from the seal islands, and of 



this number only three were those of male seals, one Three male seals 



of these being an old bull, and the other two being 



younger males. 



A. W. Lavender. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 7th day of June, 1892. 

 [seal.] C. L. Hooper, 



Notary Fuhlic, District of AlasJca. 



