TAKEN IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 357 



lof Islands. Have never known seal to liaul up on no not haul up any 



wheiT. but '' ■" ' 



"lof Islands 



the coast anywliere outside of tlie Piibilof Islalids/^^^™ ^"* "° ^^"^^■ 



Most of the seal taken in BeringSea by me were cows 



with milk. Cows Avith milk have been talven by me J^^'^^^' '''"^' ^'*^ 



100 miles from the Pribilof Islands. I think that all p. | x- 



pealgic hunting- should be stopped, so that seal would 



have a chance to increase. 



Wilton C. Bennett. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2Gth day of April, 1892. 



A. W. Lavender, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Bepositionof William Bremian, scaler {sailing master, boat stecrer). 

 pelagic sealing. 



State of Washington, 



County of King, ss : 



William Brennaii, being first duly sworn, deposes ajid says: I am 37 

 years of age; was born in London; am by occupation 

 a seafaring man; and reside at Seattle, in the State Experience. 

 of Washington. I have spent the best years of my 

 life in the close study of the denizens of the sea, including seals and the 

 modes of capturing them, such as seafaring men bestow upon matters 

 in which they are interested participants. I first went to sea in No- 

 vember, 180!), and have been connected with shipping matters for 

 twenty-three years. Passing my examination as second mate in Lon- 

 don in 1874, I went to Australia, thence to China and Japan, remaining 

 in Japan several years. In April, 1881, I went as _^^^^.^ ^^^^ 

 sailing master of the Dutch schooner Lottie, Ans Oster- " ''"' 

 son, master, to hunt otters and seals aronnd the Kurile Islands. We 

 arrived at Skotan about May, and hunted otters until the middle of 

 September, then went back to Skotan to fill up with wood and water. 

 Meeting two schooners tliere an agreement was made 

 to work together and raid Robben Island for seals. The j^^'^l *"^ Rob bin 

 Lottie being old and unseaworthy, it was decided that 

 she should remain in port and I should remain in charge of her and 

 look after all skins. Tlie Lottie'' s captain, hunters, and best men of 

 her crew were divided among the other schooners. They were away about 

 six weeks, and came back with a good catch. 



We left the JjotHe on the beach, and all arrived safely back in Japan. 



1 Avas nine months on that voyage. 



In March, 1882, I shipped from Japan as first mate in the Russian 

 schooner N'e)no. She was fitted out for hunter, fishing, ^^^^ ^gg, 

 and trading, and carried 5 boats, a steam launch, ''"*''' 



2 canoes, and 32 men all told. We started for the Neva River in 

 Saghalien. On arriving there I went on shore with an interpreter, 

 and the schooner started for Kamchatka. I was Ito fish, or hire men to 

 do so, prospect for minerals for two months (having permit papers to 

 do so), and then devote my time to seals and their habits, with the idea 

 of capturing them. In September I landed on Robben Island with 7 

 Russian soldiers and remained fifteen or twenty days watching seals, 

 and waiting for the Nemo to come, but she never came. The Russians 



