TAKEN IN SAN FRANCISCO. 501 



tion, which was for in excess of the real vahie. I append the real value 

 as compared with Mr. Milii's estimates, and also a copy of Miln's re- 

 port made Angust 17, 1889, sworn to before A. L. Belyea, esq., Vic- 

 toria, British Columbia, and forwarded to the governor- general of Can- 

 ada. 



As a sealing schooner is only engaged one-third of her time in the 

 Bering, the other two-thirds being spent in the west coast sealing, fi.sh- 

 ing, otter hunting, or some other business, only one-third of the fleet's 

 value can properly be said to be invested in the Bering sealing busi- 

 ness. The actual cash investment of all the Canadas in this traflflc is 

 therefore one-third of $136,750, or the insignificant sum of $45,585.33, 

 and even that would not be lost if the traffic were stoi)i)ed. 



OUTFIT, ADVANCES, ETC. 



Both Miln's valuations and my own include the cost of the sealing 

 outfit. The value of an outfit for sealing depends upon 

 the size of the schooner, the number of men and boats ^'°'* ''*°"*^*- 

 she carries, and whether or not they are Indians. As you will see by 

 one of the tables appended, there were this year 383 Indians and 261 

 white men employed on sealing schooners fitted out in Victoria, and 

 where white men are employed, the schooner carries boats of American 

 nmke, has her hunters armed with riHes and shotguns, and carries all 

 told a crew of 4 men to each hunting boat. The men are engaged in 

 this way: The hunter wdio shoots the seal has two men in his boat to 

 row him, making 3 men actually in the boat, and a few hands are left 

 on board the schooner to handle her. Thus, a schooner having a crew 

 of 20 men all told, would have 5 boats and 5 hunters. The cost of the 

 outfit is, for such a schooner: 



Five boats costing in San Francisco, ^Ylle^e tliey are all buik, $100 each $500 



Five Marling rifles, at $35 175 



Five shotgniis, at $o5 J75 



Two extra guns 70 



Salt for seal skins 200 



Five thousand rounds amnuinition for gnns and rifles 125 



Provisions for twenty men four months, at $8 per head per month 640 



Insurance, one-third of year I75 



2,060 

 EXPENSES OF A TRIP. 



■ing are, for ^ 



' ExpensPS of 



The expenses of a sealing trip in the Bei 

 a four months' cruise: 



Captain, wages, at $100 $100 



Ten seamen, at $35 per month 1^ 4O0 



Fi ve ordinary seamen or boys, at $20 per month 400 



Paid to hunters, at $2 per skin, 1,600 an actual average 3, 200 



5,400 



Total expense and outfit 7, 4G0 



As the hunters are paid by the skin, the expenses would be more if 

 the catch was larger. The expense of a six-boat schooner would l)e 

 proportionately greater as it would be if the cruise was nuule longer. 

 Miln's estimate in his report to the governor-general of Canada, is 

 based on a longer cruise in a large schooner, and is no doubt a fair 

 estimate. 

 StiU the actual expenses of a schooner can not be figured accurately 



