TAKEN AT OR NEAR SITKA. 269 



one to fonr years. A few yearlings are taken . A very few old bulls have 



ever been taken by nie; tlie last three or four years 



have taken but tliree old bulls. Hunters use no dis- .^indiscriminate kiii- 



crimination, but shoot everything- that conies near 



them. Tlieir sex can not be told unless in the case of an old bull, 



which is distinguislnible by its size. When seal are shot as soon 



as they put their heads above water, they sink immediately and are 



hard to secure. Always shoot seal in the head when possible. If 



not possible to shoot them in the head, then I shoot them in the most 



exposed part of their bodies. Have noticed a large de- 



crease in seal the last three years, caused I think, by 



pelagic sealing in Bering Sea and the North rnciflc Ocean. Have 



never known pups to be born in the water or anywhere t,t , ■ ,• , 



1 -1 iT -XT 1 i' 1X11 No pelagic Iiirtli. 



else on the coast. Never known tur-seals to haul u]) on Do not Caui up on 

 the hind. Have heard that they do haul up on the ^'^^^' 

 Pribilof Islands. I think the schooners should be pro- 

 hibited from sealing in the North Pacific Ocean and ^™t'='="°n- 

 Bering Sea. If that was done, seal would become plentiful along the 

 coast. 



liis 



Jack x Sitka. 



mark. 



Witness to his mnrk: 



George Kastrometinoff, 



United States Court Interpreter. 



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



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent.- 



Deposition of Michael Thll-ahdaynahJcee, sealer. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Michael Thlkahdaynahkee, being duly sworn, deposes and says: Am 

 about (iO years old; born at and live in Sitka. Have 

 been a seal hunter all my life. Have first seen and i^^'pprionce. 

 killed seal off Sitka Sound about April 15, and dis- 

 appear entirely about July 1. When I was a young Migration. 

 n)an the spear and arrow were used, but of late years the shotgun and 

 rifle are used exclusively. Very few seal were lost when struck with 

 spear or arrow, but when seal are shot with shotgun over 50 per cent 

 are lost. A much larger per cent are lost when seal are shot with rifles. 

 Most of the seal taken by me Avere cows ^^'ith pui). 

 The cows are less active, sleep more, and are more <• ^"st'y pregnant 



•1 1. 1 A f 'iii'i ,1 lemales taken. 



easdy captui"ed. A few male seal have been taken, 



from 1 to 4 years old. But very few old bulls have ever been taken by 



me. Have killed a few yearlings every year. All seal are killed that 



come near the boat, regardless of their sex. I never ^ ,. 



look to see whether I have killed a male or female seal j^^'^'^^^'^^^'^te kiii- 



until I have the seal dead in the boat. Seal have been Decrease 



growing scarce along the coast the last four years. 



Think there are too many schooners engaged in sealing in the North 



Pjicitic Ocean and Bering Sea. Have never known 



pups to be born in the water, or on the land elsewhere ^^ ^''^'^ ^""*''- 



than the Pribilof Islands. Have never known any 



fnr-seals to haul up on the land or on the coast else- coa^t.""* "^ °" 



