TAKEN AT VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 333 



up two Iiidiau hnuters and two cauoes, besides wliicli we had a sealing 

 boat aud two other ordinary boats. On Thursday, July 30th, we left 

 Vancouver Island, making- toward Bering Sea by way of the Fair- 

 A\ eather Ground and Portlock Bank, which are the late spring sealing 

 grounds. The first seal sighted vf as August 4th, longitude 136° 32' west, 

 latitude 52° 46' north. 



During the days following August 4th, the cauoes were lowered, but 

 their search for seals was fruitless. On August 14tli, before entering 

 Bering Sea, a seal was speared by the Indians off Marmont Island, 

 which was bearing NW. ^ W. 35 miles. We entered the sea at 6:30 

 p. m. ou the 22d day of July [August] and at 9 o'clock -^ , ^ 



ii „ „ . V 1 x" X 1 • ji T> Entered sea Julv 



the tollowmg morning we got our first seal in the Ber- 22, i89i. 

 iug. It was shot by one of the white men in a boat, catch in the sea. 

 We were at this time about 25 miles west by north of 

 Nortliwest Cape ou Ilnimak Pass. On the same day 4 other seals were 

 shot, and 3 not recovered. Two sank, and the other escaped badly 

 wounded. The following day the captain shot 2, losing 1, and the 

 other boat brought 1 seal ou board. On the 25th of August we were 

 125 miles southeast of St. George Island. The Indian hunters were 

 out all day, aud brought iu 3 seals, the white hunters getting none. 

 The captain informed me that day that the previous year he had taken 

 in this locali4:y 148 seals in one day, and that one of his hunters got 38 

 and lost 40, which he shot. The next day the two boats and canoes were 

 out, aud the captain brought back 1, but had shot and lost 6 others, 

 1 of which sank. The other boat reported that they shot 7, but all 

 sank before they could get them, the water being so colored with blood 

 that it was imjiossible to see the bodies sufiiciently to recover them 

 with the gaff. The two ludiaus brought back 10 seals, all speared. 

 Out of the number taken on board 4 were full of milk. On the 27th 

 the Indians brought in 2 seals, and the captain 1, which were all they 

 had seen. On the 20th 17 seals were taken; the cai)tain got 3, having 

 lost 4, killed or wounded. The other boat brought in 3, having lost 2, 

 and the cook shot 1 from the schooner's deck. Out of these, 7 were 

 females, which covered the decks with milk Avhile they were being 

 skinned. 



On August 30th, the two boats got 3 seals, and both reported hav- 

 ing hit and lost several others, but they were unable to tell how many. 

 The following day Ave spoke the British schooner Oscar ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^.^ 

 and Mattie, and her skipper, Capt. Gait, boarded us isgi!"" ""' " "^' 

 and remained to dinner. In a conversation I had with 

 him he states that his season's catch was 1,510 skins, seasons catcu. 

 That on the proclamation forbidding the taking of seals 

 in Bering Sea becoming known, the schooners which had escaped being 

 warned by the U. S. S. Thetis at Alitak Bay at once made for the Prib- 

 ilof Islands, to catch all they could before receiving the official warning. 

 This statement accounts for so many vessels having been warned near 

 the islands which previous to the mod as virandi being declared they 

 had refrained from ajjproaching, because they feared being seized. 

 The same day, after a chase of an hour, we were seized j^gj^ed 

 by the U. S. S. MoMcan. The total catch of seals at 

 the time of seizure was 48, and at least 20 were females, the. majority 

 of which were in milk. All the seals were taken from 120 to ISO miles 

 frnm St. George Island. I am convinced that at the ^yasteotiife 

 very least Avhite huiiters lose 50 per cent of the seals 

 they liit, and probably the majority of those wounded will ultimately 

 die. All killing of seals in the water must of necessity be indiscriminate 



