TAKEN IN SAN FRANCISCO. 425 



Be it remembered tliat on the 2d day of MarcL, 1892, at my office, 

 434 California street, in tlie city and county of San Francisco, State of 

 California, before me, Clement Bennett, a notary jiublic in and for said 

 city and county of San Francisco, State of California, duly appointed 

 and commissioned to administer oaths, etc., personally appeared Lutlier 

 T. Franklin, who, being first duly sworn, testified as follows: 



Deposition of Luther T. Franldin, sealer. 



PELAaiC SEALING. 



Luther T. Franklin, having been duly sworn, testified as follows: 

 The Notary : 



Q. What is your name, age, residence, and occupation? — A. My 

 name is Luther T. Franklin; age, 35; residence, at present, Oakland; 

 occui^ation, seal-hunter. 



Q. Are you a citizen of the United States'? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. What State are you a resident of? — A. State of California. 



Q. Have you been engaged in catching seals in the Pacific and Be- 

 ring Sea? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. For how long a time have you beeu so engaged? — A. Three sea- 

 sons. 



Q. Do you know of what sex the seals were that you Experience. 

 have taken in the Pacific and Bering Sea? — A. The 

 majority of them are females. Last year I killed 72, and out of the 72 

 there was only 3 males. 



Q. What percentage of the skins you have taken 

 were cows?— A. About 90 to 95 per cent. J^^.J" ^^ p*"^ ^°"* 



Q. What percentage of the cows you have taken 

 were with pup? — A. All that are killed in the Pacific ^^^ „, > or imikm<- 

 are with pup, and those that are killed in the Bering ' ^*''^' "' '"' '"'^' 

 Sea have been delivered of pups on the islands and are with milk. 



Q. When does sealing commence in the Pacific, and when does it 

 end? — A. Sealing commences in the Pacific about the beginning of 

 February, and ends about the 1st of May. 



Q. AVhen does sealing commence in the Bering Sea, and what date 

 does it end? — A. Sealing commences in the Bering Sea about the 1st of 

 May, and ends about the last of September. 



Q. What percentage of seals are taken, compared to those yon de- 

 stroy in doing so ? How many do you get of those yon shoot ? — A. That 

 depends upon the hunter. The general average is about 35 ^^ 40 per cent 

 35 to 40 are taken out of 100 that are killed. taken of those killed. 



Q. Is it not a fact that when you first started in the business and was 

 inexperienced in hunting, that you, like all other beginners, destroyed 

 a much larger proportion than you now do? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Are the seals you shoot at mostly asleep on the water, or awake? — 

 A. Mostly asleep. 



Q. Do you shoot at them while breeching? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Have yon ever seen any vseals born in the water? — A. No, sir. 



Q. In your opinion, is it possible for them to be born p^j^^j^ ^^^.^^^ j„j 

 in the water? — A. No, sir; it is not possible. po.sslwl!" 



Q. Do you know of any place where seals land, out- j^^„^, „, ^,,„y,, 

 side of the seal islands? — A. I do not; except m the fall, islands in the fau. 

 they land on the Aleutian Islands. 



