TAKEN ON VANCOUVER ISLAND. 311 



Deposition of Francis VerbeJce, residing at Port Angeles, Washingto7i, 

 Roman Catholic priest, in charge of mission in village of Ghapies. 



Francis Verbeke, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that lie 

 is a Roman Catholic priest, in charge of Roman Catho- 

 lic mission in village of Chapies, on Todgers Cove. He Eelrlase!**^'"^' 

 has resided in Chapies four winters. He has never 

 seen or heard of seals inside Barclay Sound. They are all found out- 

 side. Last year was a very bad season. The Indians think scarcity 

 of seals is due to the method of hunting them adopted by the whites, 

 by which the seals are scared away. He has never heard of seal breed- 

 ing here and has never seen any seal. Witness states he is only white 

 resident of village. 



Rev. F. Yerbeke. 



Sworn to and subscribed before me this 21st day of April, 1892; and 

 I further certify that the foregoing affidavit was read to Francis Ver- 

 beke and that he fully understood the same. 

 [l. s.] Oliver' Wood, 



JJ. S. Commissioner for the District of Washington, 



Residing at Fort Townsend, 



Deposition of Weclcenunesch, Indian chief of the village of Mchulet. 



HABITS. 



Weckenunesch, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is a chief 

 of the village of Mchulet (Barclay Sound), and a resi- 

 dent of this village. He states that fur-seal do not ^^pe"«'i'=«- 

 come in close to shore in this locality, and are never 

 found on land. Seals are caught off" the coast at from oifcSt!""'**'''''"^"^ 

 5 to 20 miles. They do not breed in this locality, and 

 nothing of the kind is known in the memory of the oldest inhabitant. 

 Formerly the Indians hunted them for food, but nowadays white men 

 and Indians hunt them for their fur, and they are rai)idly diminishing 

 in number. Heretofore the natives have always used 

 canoes, but the white men hunt them from schooners, ^^ ® ° *^" 

 use firearms, and get about two out of five. Last year there were fewer 

 than ever before. This season the natives caught about 

 one-half as many as last. In his opinion the seals will ^crease. 

 soon be exterminated, and in three years there will be no more sealing, 



Weckenunesch (his x mark). 

 Attest : 



E. T. Witherspoon. 



W. C. Herbert. 



Makeshow, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is a resident 

 of this village and that the evidence given by Weckenunesch is true. 



Makeshow (his x mark). 

 Attest: 



E. T. Witherspoon. 

 W. 0. Herbert. 



