TAKEN AT OR NEAR SITKA. 267 



one reason for the decrease, and tliat is tliey are hnnted too mncli in the 



ox^en waters. Have never known pnps to be born in tbe 



water or on the coast of Alaska or on the ishmds ad- n^o pelagic Wrth. 



jacent thereto, and I have spent 5 years on the coast of 



Alaska. Have never known or heard of seal hanling coxst°°* ^^"^ ^^ "" 



up on the islands or main coast of Alaska, other than 



on the Pribilof Islands. Have seen a few pnps in Cordova Bay late in 



December, where tliey were driven by strong southeast gales prevailing 



on the coast at that time. Think if all pelagic sealing 



was stopped the seal would become plentiful again. If Protection. 



they keep on hunting them they will soon be exterminated. 



J. D, McDonald. 

 Witness : 



A. W. Lavender. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 12th day of April, 1892. 



A, W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of James McKeen^ sealer {master). 



PELAGIC sealing. 



James McKeen, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I reside at 

 Sitka and am by occui)ation a seaman and seal-hunter. 

 Have been engaged in catching seals the last five years, xpeiience. 

 most of the time as captain of a schooner. Have seen and taken the 

 first seal off Cape Flattery. When seal are taken off 

 Cape Flattery, Indian hunters were employed, who ^^^ "'°' 

 used spears. Farther west, the shotgun was used. No seal are lost 

 that are struck with spears. With a shotgun about 50 per cent are 

 lost. About all the seal taken are females with young. ,, ,, . 



„ „ -, . .-, J. K X- Mostly females With 



Very few young male seal are seen on the coast. A tew young taken. 

 yearlings are caught, mostly femnles. Sex of seal can 

 not be told in the water. We use no discrimination . imiiscriminatc kiii- 

 and kill all seal that come near the boat. Seal are not ^^°' 

 shot in any particular place; shoot them in the head jje^reaso 

 if possible, if not, in the body. Seal are not as plenti- 

 ful on the coast as formerly. Have noticed the decrease in the last 

 three years ; caused , I think, by the indiscriminate kill- ^^ peiao^ic birth 

 ing of female seal. Have never known any pups to be '"' 



born in the water, or elsewhere outside of the Pribilof ^^ j^j^ ,,^,,1 up ft 

 Islands. Have never known any fur-seal to haul up on coast. 

 the coast anywhere, outside of the Pribilof Islands. I 

 think that all pelagic seal hunting in Bering Sea should Protection. 

 be stopped, or the seal will soon become exterminated. 



James McKeen. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me tliis 6th day of April, 1892. 



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Spceial Agent, 



