444 TESTIMONY 



Q. What ijerceutage of tliem are cows'? Suppose you catch 100 seals, 

 Ninety per cent fe- l^i^^^ ^auy uialcs woulcl you liave amoiig them?— 



males, mostly with A. About 10. 



^"^^' Q. What percentage of tlie cows taken are with 



pup? — A. The females are mostly all with pup, that is, up until the 1st 

 of July. 



Q. In your opinion, are any of the pups born in the 



i.suX.^°™ "°^^ "" water or anywhere else out of tlie seal islands?— A. I 



have never seen any. 



Q. Have you ever found any seal pups in the Pacific that were 



younger than those born the year previous? — A. JSTo, sir; I have never 



seen any. 



Q. Have you iioti(^ed any decrease in the quantity of 

 animals in the last few years? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. To what do you attribute the cause? — A. Kill- 

 ^''''''^- ing off the females. 



Q. If sealing continues as heretofore, is there any danger of exter- 

 minating them? — A. Yes, sir; they will all be exterminated in three 

 years, and there Avill be no more sealing. 



Q. Do you think it is absolutely necessary to pro- 

 ^^protootion ueces- ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ j^ ^j^^ Bering Sea?— A. Yes, sir. 



Q. It is also necessary to protect them in the Pa- 

 cific? — A. Tlie Pacific is a large ocean, and they do not go in large bands. 

 Tliey go singly and in i)airs, so that there is not a chance to kill so 

 many of them in the ocean. In the Bering Sea they are in bands, and 

 they go onto the islands and are concentrated in a small place. 



Q. Are seals generally shot with a rifle or shotgun? — A. With a shot- 

 gun. Some with a rifle; mostly with a shotgun. 



iau and Alas ^^" ^'^ ^''^^^^^ opiuiou do the scals ou the Russian side 

 kau'slaiTdo not mtn- intermingle with those on the Pacific side? — A. No, 

 g^®- sir; I do not tliink so. They are difiterent seals in my 



opinion. 



Q. If the cow seals are to be protected in the Bering Sea what months 

 do you consider it would be necessary to prohibit any being taken? — 

 A. From the 15th of June until the season finishes; that would be the 

 first snow. The ])ups do not leave the islands on the first snow, but 

 when the second snow comes they leave the islands. They ought to be 

 protected until the second snow; that is, in ISTovember. 



Q. Did you ever kill any cow seals that were in milk, that had given 



birth to young and were in milk? — A. Yes, sir; I have, in Bering Sea. 



^ Q, How far from the seal islands were they? — A. 



from 20 "to eo'mUe's Sixty luilcs ; all the way from 20 to 60 miles; off St. 



from islands. Gcorge and St. Paul. 



Q. Do you know of anything else that would be interesting in regard 

 to the question ? — A. I think the seals ought to be protected. I think 

 the custom-house should not clear any ships either in the British Colo- 

 nies or the United States for sealing in the Bering Sex; that is, if 

 they want to protect them. I would like to see the islands protected 

 from raids, and the Bering Sea also. 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss: 



I, Clement Bennett, a notary public in and for said city and county 



do hereby certify tliat the witnesses in the foregoing depositions named, 



were by me duly sworn to testify the truth, the whole truth, and nothing 



but the truth; that said depositions were taken on the 1st day of Feb- 



