TAKEN AT OK NEAR SITKA. 273 



on the rocks of the coast anywhere. Have heard they i)„ ,, , 



are born on the Pribilof Ishmds. Have never known coas"."" "*"' "'"'" 



fur-seal to haul np on the coast on anywhere else out- protoction 



side of the rribih)f Islands. Think that all pelagic 



seal-hunting should be stopped in Bering Sea in order to keep the seal 



from being exterminated. 



EuDOLPH Walton. 

 Subscribed and sworn to before me this 7th day of April, 1891. 



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury agent. 



Deposition of Charlie Wanl; sealer. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Charlie Wank, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am 30 years 

 old. Was born at and reside at Sitka. Am by occu- 

 pation a seal hunter. Have been catching seal most Exptricuco. 

 all my life. First seal are seen and taken by me ofi' . 

 Sitka Sound. When I was a boy seal came in to the sound very close, 

 but now I have to go a long ways to get them. Seal do not stop ofi:' 

 the sound long, but are constantly on the move north 

 and west. The spear was used in early days, but now ^'g'-ition. 

 seal have become scarce and shotgun and rifle is used exclusively. 

 When the spear was used no seal were lost. Now a great many are 

 lost when shot with a shotgun and rifle. Most all seals 

 taken are females with young. They are less active,^ tak^n^premant""'*^^^ 

 sleej) more, and are easier captured. What few male* 

 seals are taken are 1, 2, 3, and 4 years old. Quite a number of year- 

 lings arc taken, mostly females. The sex of seal of same age can not 

 be <listiiiguished in the water. The only seal that can be distinguished 

 is an old bull. We use no discrimination in seal hunt- 

 ing; everything is killed that comes near the boat, .^^indiscriminate km- 

 Pelagic hunters have become so plentiful and seals have 

 become so wild that we are obliged to take long shots at them. When 

 seal are killed dead they sink almost instantly. All seal are shot in 

 the head when it is possible to do so. Have noticed jy^^.. . 

 the seal are decreasing very last, particularly the last 

 four years, caused by the indiscriminate killing of seal by schooners 

 in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering ^^ ^^^^.^ ^.^^^ 

 Sea. Never have known of pups being born in the ° ^^ ^^''^ 

 water, nor elsewhere on the coast of Alaska. Have never known of 

 any seal to haul \i\) on the land or on the coast of 

 Alaska. Have heard that they do haul up on the th^coaft.'"'"'"' ""^ "° 

 Pribilof Islands. Think if all i)e]agic seal hunting 

 was stopped, the seal would increase along the coast 

 and become plentifiTl once more. 



his 



Charlie x Wank. 



mark. 



Witness to his mark: 



George Jvostrometinopf, 



United States Court Interpreter. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 7th day of April, 1802. 



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 

 271(i — vol II 18 



