TAKi^N AT VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 331 



Nearly our whole catcli iu the Bering Sea, after the r. . , • t, • o 



„ , ^ V , 1 X- 1 1 1 11 i> Catch m Bering Sea 



first of July, each year were females, aiKl nearly all ot mostly miikino cows. 



them in milk, and had evidently given birth to their ^ft'^*=g^^|^^j.°^ '''''^ 



young but a short time before. The milk would run 



out on the deck as we skinned them. The Indian hunters with spears 



would not wound or lose but very few seals that they struck, but the 



ordinary white hunter will, on an average, lose over 



half that he kills and wounds. We try to take the seals ^^^^l^l '^""*'''' ^""'^^ 



when asleep on the waters, but the hunters are usually 



paid a certain sum for each seal taken and they try to 



kill everthing without reference to age, sex, or condi- .^Misciiminnto km- 



tion. 



I do not think that they haul up on the land on the 

 coast and I have never known of anyone taking a 

 young seal on the coast that was born that year, nor 

 do we catch any cow seals on the coast that have given birth to their 

 young that year. 



James Jamieson. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me on this 23d day of April, A. 1). 

 1892. 

 [SEAL.] Levi W. Myers, 



United States Consul. 



Do not liaul 

 coast. 



BeimsHlon of J. Johnson, sealer {saUing master). 



PELAaiC SEALING. 



J. Johnson, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I reside on Doug- 

 las Island, Alaska. I have spent six years of my life 

 sealing. I have been sailing-master of the schooner Experience. 

 San Diego, the Penelope of Victoria, the Ada under 

 the Germau Hag, the Boscoe of San Francisco. Have penefopr' 

 been either master, mate, or hunter on all these ves- f^|^*„^ 

 sels. Have first struck the seal off the California coast 

 below San Francisco in January, and followed the seal ^^^ 

 to Bering Sea, which we entered about July IGth. ^^'^ ^'^^' 

 Have always used a shotgun for taking seal. About 40 i)er cent shot 

 with shotgun are lost. When the rifle is used, a larger per cent 

 is lost. A large majority of the seal taken on the 

 coast are cows with pup. A few young males are taken, feSJ."^' pregnant 

 the ages ranging from 1 to 5 years. Once in a while 

 an old bull is taken in the Korth Pacific Ocean. I use no discrimina- 

 tion in killing seal, but kill everything that comes near 

 the boat in shape of a seal. Always shoot seal in the .^i»i'^iscr""iiiate tin- 

 back of the head if possible. Sometimes seal are shot 

 in the shoulders and wound them ; then they can not get away. I never 

 have seen a pup born in the water, nor have I ever 1,^0 peia^dc imtu 

 seen one born on shore outside of the Pribilof Islands. 

 Never knew any seal to haul up on the land on the coast elsewhere 

 than on the I'ribilof Islands. The maiority of seals killed in Bering 

 Sea are females. I have killed female seals 75 miles Nuriu" females 

 from the islands that were full of milk. If hunting kuied"'"" ^^^ 



