594 APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



females; more than half were barren cows. I have been examining all 

 the seals taken by me this year. 



I think the percentage of cows to bulls and of barren cows to those 

 in pup was about the same during the past two years as it was this 

 year. 



I liave seen a few females — a very few — in milk south of the Aleutian 

 Islands; never saw a young pup. I don't think that cows go farther 

 than 40 miles from Pribyloff Islands for food, probably not 30. I found 

 a few seals all the way across from the Pribyloff Islands to Copper 

 Island two years ago, but not many, and on the way home we saw them 

 here and there all the way from Attu Island to San Francisco. 



Last year I entered the Sea by the 172ud Pass, and again found a 

 few seals all the way to Copper Island. Coming home we went to Vic- 

 toria from Attu, and found a few seals all the way. I believe that 

 seals go from one side of the Behring Sea to the other, as some 

 45 years when seals are very abundant on the Alaskan side, and a 

 large catch would be expected in Behring Sea, it would not be 

 made, and it would be found that a great many seals would be taken 

 on the Kussian side, although there had not been more than usual on 

 the coast there. 



I learned from a hunter on the " Theresa " last year that a large band 

 of seals had been met with 280 miles north-east from Copper Island, 

 travelling towards Copper Island. This was in the early part of July. 

 Two different hunters — W. ¥. Upson and George Ball, of San Fran- 

 cisco — have told me that about fifteen years ago they had seen seals 

 hauled out on Attu Island. They were then hunting sea-otter. 



Seals are very much more abundant this year than ever before, and 

 are of a larger and better class. I have seen twice as many this year 

 as in previous years. 



I have seen seals cohabiting in the water, the male on top of the 

 female, she being almost out of sight, sometimes quite so. I saw this 

 this year as early as the last week in May. 



Seals are very much harder to get now than formerly; if three or 

 more are together, one is always on the watch, and all will probably 

 get away, 



(Signed) Geo. F. French. 



Port Etches, June 17, 1892. 



Declaration of Wallace M. Christian. 



I, Wallace M. Christian, of the city of Victoria, now a hunter on the 

 "Ocean Belle," declare that this is my first year's experience as a 

 sealer. 



I have this year killed seventy-three seals, and of these lost one. I 

 don't think that I wounded more than three or four that I did not get. 

 One or two of these might have been badly enough wounded to die. 



I shoot at a sleeping seal when 15 or 20 yards away, and at a travel- 

 ling one when about 60 or 70 yards away. When a seal is instantly 

 killed it will sink at once, but out of those I got I had only to gaff two 

 to keep them from sinking. Saw no barren females among those I 

 killed. Found seals in bunches of from three to eight or ten ; they are 

 harder to get when that way than when alone. 



I have opened seals' stomachs and find more with squid in their 

 stomachs than any other kind of fish. I have seen salmon and cod in 



