TAKEN AT OR NEAR SITKA. 275 



secure them, as they have become very wild. When the spear was 

 used very few seal were lost. About 50 per ceut are lost when shot 

 with shotgun. A larger per cent are lost when killed with a rifle. Al- 

 most all seals taken are females with pup ; they are less 

 active, sleep more, and are more easily taken. Quite a pregnant females"''''" 

 large number of yearlings are taken, mostly females. 

 During my life I have taken over 100 bull seals. The sex of seal 

 can not be told in the water. No discrimination is used . . 



in seal hunting; all seal are killed that come near the j^^^ '^^^"■"•'latekiu- 

 boat. The only seal that can be distinguished in the 

 water is an old bull. When a seal is shot dead he sinks at once. Seal 

 are always shot in the head whenever it is possible to do ^ 

 so. Have noticed the seal are decreasing very fast, '^'^'"ease. 

 owing to so many schooners hunting seals in the waters of the North 

 Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. Have never known or 

 heard of pups being born in the water nor on the coast ^''^''^"' ''''■^''• 



of Alaska outside of the Pribilof Islands. Have never known of any 

 fur-seal to haul out on the land on the coast of Alaska. 

 Have heard of them hauling out on the Pribilof Islands, Ai^^kan coasl""* "" 

 but have never been there. I think if all pelagic seal 

 hunting was stopped seal would soon become plentiful 

 on the coast. 



his 



Michael x Woo.skoot. 



mark. 



George Kostrometinoff, 



United States Court interpreter. 



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



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Ayeiit. 



