268 TESTIMONY 



Deposition of Martin Singay, scaler. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Martin Singay, being duly sworn, deposes and says: Am about 58 



e ienc years old. Born at and reside in Sitka and am by occu- 



^^'^"''°*^*^ pation a liunter. Have hunted seal every summer and 



deer every winter since I was a small boy. Have never been in Bering 



Sea. Have Imnted seal off Sitka Sound, where they first make their 



Mi-^ration appearance about April 15, and remain in greater or less 



igra ion. miuibers till the last of June. In early days I used the 



spear, but now I use tlie shotgun and rifle exclusively. When I used 



a spear none were lost tliat were struck. When shotgun is used nearly 



50 per cent are lost; when rifle is used a still larger percentage is lost. 



Tiie last three years about half the seal^; I have killed 



pi^'kuiwi"'^^"^ '^'"' were females with pup. A few male seals and yearlings 



have been killed by me. Have killed butfour large bulls 



^Indiscriminate kill- j^ ^]^q ^.^g^^ j^^y^^y. ygars. I cau iiot tcll thc scx of a scal 



in the water, but shoot everything that comes near the 



boat in shape of a seal. Seal have become very scarce the last few 



.T-.T-ti years. Too many white men are engaged in killing 



o pe agio 11 1. ^Qr^l^ li^ever known or heard of pups being born in the 



water, but have heard of them being born on the Pribilof Islands. 



Never knew of any fur-seals to haul up on the land 



ASsCiVoTt. ""^ °° along the coast of Alaska. I think that if S('hooners 



were stopped from sealing in Bering Sea and the North 



Protection. Pacific Occan seal would again become plentiful. 



Lis 



Martin x Singay. 



mark. 



Witness to his mark: 



George Kastrometinoff, 



United States Court Interpreter. 



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



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of Jack Sltlca, sealer. 



PELAGIC SEALING — MIGRATION. 



Jack Sitka, being duly sworn, deposes and says : Am 50 years old* 

 Was born and reside in Sitka. Am a hunter by occupation. Have 

 hunted seal every season since I was a boy. Seal first make their 

 appearance about April 15 off Sitka Sound, and disappear about July 



1. When I was a boy the spear and arrow was used 



Experience. ^^^ sealing, but HOW the shotgun and rifle are used 



exclusively. No seal were lost when struck with spear or arrow. Fully 



50 i)er cent of seal shot with shotgun are lost and a much larger per 



cent are lost when shot Avith a rifle. Most of the seals 

 feSs kiUeT*'"'''"'* t'll^en are cows with young. I think they are taken 



because they are more tame and less active and more 

 easily approached. A few male seal are taken, their ages being from 



