480 TESTIMONY 



breed in tlie water. I never saw any seals on the land as we went 

 along the coast. I think on the first voyage when I was in the San 

 Diego we were in the Bering Sea abont a month and a lialf, but when 

 I was on board the C. G. White we did not go in the Bering Sea at all. 

 1 do not know what distance we were from the islands of St. Paul and 



St. George. I do not know much about the particular 

 Defrease^' habits of the scals except that they go north in summer 



and south in winter. 1 think the seals are decreasing 

 in number all the time, because there are more vessels out hunting after 

 them and are killing off the female seals. 



Cyrus Stephens. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 4th day of April, A. D. 1892. 

 [seal.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary Public. 



PELAaiC SEALING. 



Be it remembered that on the 24th day of February, 1892, at my 

 offlce, 434 California street, in the city and county of San Francisco, 

 State of California, before me, Clement Bennett, a notary public in and 

 for said city and county of San Francisco, State of California, duly 

 appointed and commissioned to administer oaths, i)ersonally appeared 

 Gr. Sundvall, George Ball, and William Henson, who, being first by me 

 duly sworn, testified as follows: 



Capt. G. Sundvall having been duly sworn, testified as follows: 



The Notary : 



Q. What is your name, age, residence, and oc-cupation? — A. My 

 name is Gustave Sundvall; I am 37 years of age; oc- 

 Expenence. cupatiou, sca captaiu, and am residing at present at 



Oakland, Cal. 



Q. Are you a citizen of the United States? — A. I am. 

 Q. Wliat State are you a resident of? — A. I am a resident of the 

 State of California. 

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

 ^ ing Sea, and for how long? — A. I have been engaged 

 eagKseaniK. m catcMng scals iu the Pacific and Bering Sea for a 

 number of years. 



Q. Do you know of what sex the seals were that you have taken in 



the Bering Sea? — A. Females. 

 ^,. ^ ^ ,. Q. W^hat percentage of the skins you have taken were 



Ninety per cent le- "^ ^ » . i , r>/r i. 



males. COWS? — A. About 90 per cent or more. 



Q. What i)ercentage of the cows you have taken 

 nant"^ """''" '^' ''"^^" wcrc with pup ?— A. Well, I should judge about two- 

 thirds, anyhow. 



Q. When does sealing commence in the Pacific, and 

 Sealing season. yf\xQn docs it eudf— A.^It bcgins the 1st of January, 



up to about the 1st of July. 

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

 does it end ? — A. From the 15th of July until the 1st of November. 

 Q. What percentage of seals are taken compared to those you destroy 

 in doing so; in other words, how many do you actually 

 got out of those you shoot? — A. I guess we get hardly 

 two-thirds of wliat w© shoot. 



