TAKEN AMONG THE MAKAH INDIANS. B93 



English laiio-uage well, and can interpret tlie Chinoolc and Indian lan- 

 guages. During- the last eight yi ars I have been engaged in buying 

 and Jiaudling seal-furs for my employer at Neah Bay, I assort the furs 

 into different classes and qualities and usually divide them into four 

 grades — first, second, third, and fourth. 



The first-class is composed mostly of the skins of full-grown cows. 

 I distinguish the skins of males from those of cows because the skins 

 of the cows have white whiskers and those of males 



bhick whiskers. Classes of skins. 



The second class 1 place the skins of younger seals that are 2 years 

 old and over. They all have black whiskers, both male and female, 

 except perhaps a few seals, whose whiskers are beginning to turn 

 white. 



The third-class I place the skins of all seals that are less than 2 years 

 old, excepting the gray pups. 



The fourth-class I put the gray pups. 



The third and fourth classes are about half male and half female. 

 About one-third of all the skins taken here are graded as first-class 

 skins, and are mostly female skins. In former years the Indians would 

 take a greater x>r<>P<>i'tion of pups than they do now. I know this be- 

 cause of the skins that are offered for sale now. In the 

 schooner James G. Swanihis, year the Indians captured I'ecrease. 

 198 skins, and among the whole lot there were only 2 skins of pups. 

 The seals taken far off the shore are larger than those caught near the 

 coast or in the straits. There are not as many seal 

 skins offered for sale now as in former years, an"d last James G.swan,\%^i. 

 year our people caught less than one-eighth of what 

 they used to i^rior to 1886. 



CiiESTOQUA Peterson. 



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

 1892. 

 [seal.] Clarence P. Brown, 



Notary Fuhlic in and for the State of Washington. 



Deposition of John Tysum, Mal-ah Indian (sealer). 



habits. pelagic sealing. 



State of Washington, 



County of Clallam, ss: 

 John Ty sum, being duly sworn, deposes and says : I am about 29 years 

 old. I am a native Indian of the Makah tribe ; I reside 

 on the reservation at the Neali Bay Agency. I am by Experience. 

 occupation a hunter and fisherman. I have been en- 

 gaged in hunting seals ever since I was old enough. In 

 1889 I entered the Bering Sea in the schooner Jam es G. '^'''^'' ^- ^^««'^889. 

 8wan. I was never there betore, nor have I been there 

 since. About two years ago I began to hunt seals with ° ^^^ '"" '"^' 

 the shotgun, but I have always carried a spear inmy canoe, and frequently 

 use it. 1 have sealed up and down the coast in canoes between De- 

 struction Island and the north end of Vancouver Island. In latter 

 years I have gone seal hunting in schooners that carried Indian canoes. 

 Generally each canoe is manned by three Indians, one of which carries 

 a si^ear. When a seal or a school of seals are sighted the canoe is low- 



