TAKEN IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 365 



of seaman, and I have hunted seals off Cape Flattery for sixteen years. 

 In 1891 I was a hunter on board the James G. Sivan, 

 of Port Townsend, and we went along the coast and ig^*'"** ^- '^'"""• 

 Aleutian Chain to the island of Seuack. We left 

 IS'eeah Bay about May 13, and commenced sealing along the coast of 

 Vancouver, and we finished off' Four Mountain Pass. We made a catch 

 of 128 skins. The U. S. steamer Thetis spoke us on July 3, and our 

 captain, Thomas Powers, said we had 218 skins; bat at that time we 

 had only 118 skins aboard; we took the others after 

 being warned by the Thetis. We had seven boats, but ^J^«™edby the The. 

 \^e had only four white hunters; ten hunters were na- 

 tives from Neeah Bay and Vancouver. 



We used both vshotguns and spears, as occasion required. When we 

 see plenty of seals in sight we use the spear, and when we see only one 

 or two we use the shotgun. Off' Cape Flattery there is hardly a dozen 

 large males taken out of every thousand large seals whose skins are 

 called first class ; all the males taken here are small ones. There is no 

 yvay by which hunters can distinguish sex while the seals are in the 

 water, nor do we aim to do so; the killing is always 

 done in an indiscriminate way. .^indiscriminate km. 



The seals are not so numerous off Cape Flattery as 

 they used to be some years ago, and it is my opinion it ^^^rease. 

 is owing to the constant hunting by so many schooners. I am of the 

 opinion that in order to save the seal from extermina- 

 tion all pelagic hunting in Bering Sea should be pro- es^a™"'''*"'"' ''^^''^' 

 hibited. 



Thomas Frazer. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2d day of May, 1892. 



Joseph Murray, 

 United States Treasury Agent. 



Dejposition of Chad George, scaler. 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



Chad George, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I was born at 

 Neah Bay, and have lived there all my life; am 27 

 years old; have been a seal hunter ever since I Avas a Experience. 

 small boy. Have spent three seasons in Bering Sea. For 

 the last eight years 1 have been engaged as hunter. Si)ent the three sea- 

 sons in Bering Sea on the schooners Alfred Adams and Alfred Adams 

 Lottie. We first find the seal off' Cape Flattery in Jan- Lottie. 

 nary. I followed the seal uj) the coast into Bering Sea, 

 where we arrived the last of June. Have always ^^^^ '°°' 

 used spear for taking seal, and but very few are lost. Most all the seals 

 taken by me were females with pup. Most of the seals 

 killed in Bering Sea have been cows with milk. Have feSsf ^^^ »''''«"«!!* 

 never taken a bull seal off' the coast of Washington, 

 but have taken a few farther north. A few young males are taken off 

 the coast of Washington. Can not distinguish the sex 

 of seal iu the water, but spear everything that comes ._ indiscriminate kiii- 

 near the boat, regardless of sex. Seal have decreased ° 

 on the coast very fast the last four years. The reason ^crease. 



