TAKEN IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 3G9 



seal off San Francisco in February, and followed tlieunip the coast as far 

 as Sluuiiakin Islands, wliicli we reached the last of June. 

 The seal "all disai)i)eared iVom there at this time. The ^''«™*"'"- 

 shotiiiin is used ailtogether for taking- seal. About .');5.\ per cent of the 

 S(ni] shot are lost. We use no discrimination in kilhiig seal, but shoot 

 evx'rything that conuis near the boat. Quite a num- 

 ber of yearlings were taken. About 50 per cent of t he .__J,"''i«>^'-i,uiuatc luu- 

 seals taken by nu>, have been cows with pup. JScver 

 killed but one old bull in my life and that was near . onoiiaif prognant 

 ]vodiak Island. Took quite a number of young nuiles, '"""^''''^• 

 J should thiidc two and three year olds. Hunters always shoot a seal 

 in tiie head when tiuiy can <h) so. If we can't shoot them in the head 

 Ave shoot tlumi in the clu^st if possible. What seals we have seen 

 tliis year are very wild and hard to get at. Tlie (;ause of their being 

 Avild is the indiscriminate shooting of them in the water. I have never 

 seen any pups born in the water, nor have I ever heard ^, , • , . <, 



,. ■/•Ill- Jill 1 • IS'oiicLigjc buUis. 



ot any tur-seal hauling u]) on the land anywhere in 



Alaska. I have not seen a fur-seal within 5 miles of the hind along 



the Alaskan coast. 1 think there should be a closed season established 



some part of the year, so they c(nild have a, rest, as the i..„(,.(,oi 



constant hunting of them in the open waters is soon 



going to desti'oy them. 



ALF YOIIANSION. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this ILMh (hiy oi" May, 1892. 



A, W. Lavender, 



United l^iiates Treasury Agent. 



Deposition of Jumes E. Leumai, scaler {master). 



PELAGIC SEALING. 



James E. Lennan, being duly sworn, deposes and saith : I reside at 

 I'oii Townscnd, State of Washington, and am by oc('n|)ation nuisterand 

 l>ilot of stcaiii vessels in the waters of the Pacilic 

 Octean coastwise to the leering Sea. J have had eight- Exiurionce. 

 een years' experience in the waters of Alaslia, ami am 

 well acciuainted witii the Northwest Coast from San Francisco to Attn 

 Island, including Jlering Sea and its coast line. 1 have sailed as mas- 

 ter of trading and supply vessels for a^ number of years 



,, 1 -^ , . , 1 ' ' .....r- , ,-1 ScliooiKU- ^,1887. 



m Alaska, and in the year iSSt was master ol a seal- 

 ing schooner clenring from Victoria. We had eight canoes and sixteen 

 West coast Indiaji hunters, who used siK'ars and shot- ^, . 

 guns, the lormer almost entirely, however. ()\ all the 

 liir-seals struck in the entire season by both imi)]e- secured more than 

 ments more than two-thirds were actually secured, the ^^l^hapear. '"°''^y 

 i^reatei' pro])orti()n of losses resulting fiom the use of 

 I he shotgun. We lelt Vancouver Island on the 1st of June, and on the 

 !>th of the same month, wh(;ii off liaraiiofl Island, put over the hunting 

 c inoes for the first time. We stayed with the main 

 lu rd of the seals until the2()th of June, following them ;„H|tTdiugS!L'"^ 

 along the coast to the vi(;iuity of Cape St. Flias, where 

 we left them and stood aciross to tlie entrance to Akutaii Pass, occa- 

 sionally taking a few fui'seals. 

 271G— VOL II 24 



