TAKEN AT VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 349 



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

 1892. 

 [seal.] Levi W. Myers, 



United iStates Consul, 



Deposition of Fred Smith, sealer. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Fred Smith, being duly sworn, deposes and says: Was born at and 

 reside in Victoria. Have been a seal-liuuter for the 

 last three years on the Winifred, Sea Lion, and Mascot, -^pei'ence. 

 British schooners, and the American schooner Challenge. J^ini/red, sm Lion, 

 Have huuted seal in Bering S'ea and the Pacilic Ocean. ^''""''' ^'«'«''"^«- 

 Have seen and taken seal off Cape Flattery in March. They are con- 

 stantly advancing up the coast. I followed them into 

 Bering Sea wherethey arrive about July 1st. Always ^^'^ ^^^' 

 use a shotgun exclusively for taking seal. I think about one- third 

 of the seal shot with shotgun are lost. A very large majority of the 

 seal taken in the North Pacific Ocean are cows with 

 pup, and the majority of seals taken in Bering Sea are p^,^ant'fem.aie8 ^™ 

 cows with milk. But a very few yearlings are taken, and 

 once in a while an old bull is taken. The male seal taken are between 

 two and four years old. Hunters use no discrimination, 

 but shoot everything that comes near the boat. When J^n^^isciimiixate km- 

 a seal has liis nose out of water and you shoot him, he 

 will sink at once, and if you shoot a seal and he turns his nose out of 

 the water, he will sink immediately and is hard to secure under those 

 conditions. Have never known any pups to be born in -^ j ^ . _ 

 the water nor on the coast elsewhere than on the Prib- " ^^ ^'^^^ 

 ilof Islands. Have never known any fur seal to haul Do not haul up ex- 

 up on the land anywhere on the coast except on the «'^Pt»-P"i>^i«"«i-d-^ 

 Pribilof Islands. I have taken female seals 80 miles off the Pribilof 

 Islands that were full of milk. If seal are not pro- 

 tected in the IS'orth Pacific Ocean and given a chance ^^°<^ection. 

 to raise their young, they must soon be exterminated, for most of the 

 seal killed in the Pacific Ocean are cows with pup. 



F. Smith. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 3d day of May, 1892. 



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of Joshua Sticldand, sealer. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Joshua Stickland, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I reside in 

 Victcnia, British Columbia ; I am by occupation a seal- 

 hunter; have been in the business two years on the Experience. 

 British schooner CTw&Hwa. First struck the seal oft" 

 the Columbia EiVer about February 1. Follow the seal up the coast 



