TAKEN AT VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 325 



observG'il in the skins that the size of the teats shows either an advanced 

 state of pregnacy or of recent delivery of yoniig. To my knowledge, 

 and fi-om conversation with otliers, I can state posi- joecrease 

 tively that seals have decreased rapidly in nnmbers olf 

 the Pacific coast in the last five or six years. A schooner nsed to 

 secnre from 700 to 1,400 skins for a spring catch, whereas now, with 

 all the improved appliances of arms and vessels, the largest catch is 

 less than 500. 



The boat-steerer is supposed to be the most intelligent and compe- 

 tent man on the boat, as he has charge and bears the same relation to 

 the boat that the captain does to a vessel. A very 

 large nnmber of shots are thrown away. In the case ^^^'^^ "^ '''"™''"^- 

 of the Thistle, in her voyage of 1891, she brought in but 

 9 skins, while her hunters had fired away 260 pounds of shot. She 

 had poor hunters. 



E. M. Greenleaf. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me, at my office in Victoria, British 

 Columbia, this 20th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1892. Wit- 

 ness my hand and seal of office. 



[l. a".] Levi W. Meyers, 



United States Consul at Victoria, British Columbia. 



Deposition of Arthur Griffin [sealer], boat puller and steercr. 



pelagic sealing. 



Dominion of Canada, 



Victoria, British Columbia, ss: 



Arthur Griffin, being duly sworn, deposes and says: My age is 24 

 years, and am by occupation a seafaring man and re- 

 side at Victoria, British Columbia. On February 11, Experience. 

 1889, I sailed from Victoria, as a boat-puller, on the 

 sealing schooner J.ne?, Buckman, mavSter. She carried ^^'^ei,ish9. 

 six hunting boats and one stern boat, and had a white crew, who use 

 shotguns and rifles in hunting seals. We began sealing off' the north- 

 ern coast of California and followed the sealing herd northward, cap- 

 turing about 700 seals in the IsTorth Pacific Ocean, two- 

 thirds of which were females with pup; the balance nanrcowa!'^^ preg- 

 were young seals, both male and female. We entered 

 the Bering Sea on the 13th July, through the Uuimak Pass, and cap- 

 tured between 900 and 1,000 seals therein, most of 

 which were females in milk. We returned to Victoria m^^s^*^^ milking fe- 

 on 31st of August, 1889. 



On January 10, 1890, I sailed from Victoria as a boat-steerer, in the 

 schooner /6'e« iiow, Magason, master, and proceeded to ,, ^. ,^,.„ 

 San Francisco, where we fitted out tor sealing; trom 

 there a month later we went sealing. Our vessel carried a white crew, 

 five boats, each boat manned by three men. We captured about 300 

 seals from San Francisco to Cape Flattery, by the use of shotguns and 

 rifles. We returned to Victoria about Ayjril 1. 



I went out sealing again the same year on the B. B. Marvin, IVIcKiel, 

 master. I shipped as a boat steerer. We had a Avhite ^ ^ Marvin isoo 

 crew and seven boats, and used shotguns and rifles ' "'""' 



