384 TESTIMONY 



Dej90sition of Jeff Davis, Malcali Indian, sealer. 



pelagic sealing. 



State of Washington, 



County of Clallam, ss: 

 Jeff Davis, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am about 24 years 

 of age, and am a native Makah Indian, and reside on the reservation at 

 the Neah Bay Agency, in the county of Clallam, State of Washington, 

 United States of America. I am a hunter and fisher- 

 Experience, man. Since 187C I have been engaged in hunting seals 

 most of the time in large canoes, each canoe carrying 

 three Indians, who used spears. I sat m the middle of the canoe and 

 Avas known as the paddler. The one who sat in the stern steered the 

 canoe, and the one in the bow was the hunter. Years ago, in the Avinter 

 time, seals were plenty in the Straits of San Juan de Fuca, and I have 

 hunted and helped to catch them up the Straits as far a Pysht, which 

 is about 37 miles from Cape Flattery. Of later years they have quit 

 coming in the straits and we do not hunt for them there any more. I 

 also used to hunt seals in canoes up and down the coast from Cape 

 Flattery. In those days there were a great many seals along the coast. 

 They traveled in little herds of from ten to fifteen each, and we could 

 sometimes cree^) up on them when they were asleep on 

 Success with the ^j^g water and spear one or two before they got away. 

 ^^*^'^'^" We usually secured all that we hit with the spear. 

 About 10 or 12 years ago we began to hunt seals in schooners, and ven- 

 tured farther out in the ocean and sealed for greater distances up and 

 down the coast. I have sealed as far south as the Columbia River and 

 as far up the coast as the north end of Vancouver Island. 

 I have hunted seals in the Bering Sea for one season only. I went 

 there in the schooner James G. ISwan in 1880. Most of 

 James a.swan, 1889. the seals that we captured there that season were cows 

 giving milk. I do not know where their i)ups were. I 

 never caught any gray pups in the sea. I have been 

 Mo.^tiy milking fe- out Sealing ou the coast this spring in a schooner that 

 "^^^^^- carried ten canoes, with two hunters to each canoe. 

 We were out three days and caught 5 seals. If we had been out 

 that long six or eight years ago with the same crew, we would have 

 taken between 60 and 100 seals. Seals are wild and 

 Decrease. ^^^ ^^^^^ ,^^^ havc becomc vcry scarce. I think the 

 reason for this is that they have been hunted so much by white hunters 

 who use firearms. I have never killed any cows giving milk along the 

 coast, and I do not think there is a place along the coast 

 co?st."°* ''""^ "^ "" where seals haul out and breed. They do not give birth 

 ^. to their young in the water or on the kelp. Most of the 

 No pelagic birt 1. gggj^ caught OR the coast are females with pups in 

 them, the balance are mostly young seals, both male and female. I 

 never saw a black pup on the coast, and this year I have seen but very 

 few yearlings. 



Jeff Davis. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me on this 27th day of April, A. D. 

 1892. 

 [SEAL.] Clarence P. Brown, 



Notary Puhlic in and for the State of Washingtoii. 



