TAKEN AT NICHOLAS BAY. 301 



examined tlie yearlings as to sex. Have never killed an old hnW in my 

 life. Can not tell the difference between a male and a female in the 

 water. Kill everything that comes near the boat, re- 

 gardless of sex. Seal are becoming very scarce since . Jndisr.wminato kui . 

 the white man began hnnting them in schooners, and 

 luinting seal by white man mnst be stopped or the seal i^'^creaso. 

 will soon be all gone. Have never known any imps to No pohigir, birth. 

 be born in the water or on the land in any part of 

 British Oolnmbia or Alaska. Have never known any ,""""' '''"'1 "'' "" 



ill! 1 ^1 i. '•^'■iskan coast. 



tur-seal to lianl np on the land anywhere on the coast 

 of Alaska or British Columbia. 



his 



Billy x Williams. 



mark. 



Witness to his mark: 



J. M. POTTEE. 



A. W. Lavender. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 11th day of May, 1803. 



A, W. Lavender , 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of Fred. Wi'son. sealer. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Fred. Wilson, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am 23 years 

 old; was born at Howka; am a hunter by occupation; have hunted 

 fur-seal the last eight years; have always hunted in Dixons Entrance 

 and off Prince of Wales Island in May. The seal all disappear oflt 

 Prince of Wales Island in June; I don't know where . 



they go, but think they go north. Have always used 'sration. 

 the shotgun for killing seal. Sometimes I lose one and sometimes 

 two out of ten that I shoot with a shotgun. Think 

 that most of the seals I have taken were females with ^.^j^*^^** "f.^tho seals 

 pup. Have also taken some two and three year old nlaeL P^'^suant 

 males and some yearlings. ISTever killed but one old 

 bull in my life. Everything in shape of a seal that comes near the 

 boat is shot. I can't tell the difference between a young cow seal. Seal 

 have become scarce the last there or four years, and 

 the cause of it is, I think, the indiscrinn'nate killing i^ecrease. 

 of seals in the water. I have never beard of pnps being born in the 

 water or on the land anywhere onthe coast of British ^^ ^^^ .^ 

 Columbia or Alaska. Have never known or heard of ^veagw 

 any fur-seal hauling up on the land anywliere on the ^^ ^^^ ,,^^,,^^p ^^ 

 coast of British Columbia or Alaska. I think that all coast. 

 vessels should be prohibited from hunting seal in the 

 water, to give the seal a chance to increase again. If Protection. 

 something is not done the seal will soon be all gone 

 and will soon be as scarce as the sea otter. 



his 



Fred, x Wilson. 



mark. 



Witness to his mark : 

 J. M. Potter. 

 A. W. Lavender. 



Subscribed and sworn to before mc this 11th day of May, 1S02. 



A. W^. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



