598 APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



west of tlie Pribyloff Islands. I went across to the Eiissian side of 

 Belirinc; Sea last year. I did not see seals often after I passed longi- 

 tude 174° except one 5 or 6 miles off Attn, This was about the 19th 

 July. On the return trip to Victoria 1 saw no seals. 



Seals are as jjlentiful this year as I have ever seen them, and not 

 harder to get, 1 think. My hunters are all green hands, but do not 

 lose more than the per cent, given above. 



(Signed) H. F. Steward. 



Port Etches, June 18, 1892. 



Declaration of Captain G. F. Dillon. 



I, 0. r. Dillon, at present captain of the sealing-schooner "Minnie," 

 declare: 



That I have been sealing every season since 1885, including that year. 

 My first two voyages were on the ''Mary Ellen" and another, part of 

 the next year in the " Bustler," then on the " Dolphin," then hunter and 

 mate on the " Walter L. Rich," mate and hunter in 1889 in the " Sylvia 

 Handy," in 1890 in the "Penelope," and since then master of the 

 " Minnie." 



I have been out with hunters who use spears and those who use guns. 

 No seals are lost when speared, and from the whole of my experience I 

 would estimate that not more than 5 per cent, of the seals that are shot 

 and killed are lost. 1 never kept an exact count until this year and last 

 year. Last year I killed about thirty seals, and this year seventeen, 

 and lost none. We shoot at sleeping seals when they are about 12 

 yards away, and at travelling seals all the way up to 75 or 100 yards if 

 a rifle is used. Even at that distance the seal is generally got. If it 

 is going to sink it will sink at once. I have shot as many as five seals 

 before picking them up, and all floated. Seals float all the way from 

 a few seconds up to an indefinite time. I sealed for the first time this 

 year about 60 miles south-west of Cape Flattery about the 20th April, 

 and got five seals; afterthatlputintoBarcIay Sound, where I remained 

 two days. I then went north to Queen Charlotte Islands, lowering canoes 

 twice off Cape Cook, where forty seals were got. I had an Indian crew 

 this year. Seals were found to be scarce along Queen Charlotte Island. 

 I was there about the 10th May. I then went north, hunting two days 

 off Sitka, where seals were scarce also. I got thirteen one day and fif- 

 teen another. From that place I kept north until oft" Mount St. Elias, 

 where seals were found pretty plentiful. My best catch was made 

 there. The seals were travelling to the westward very fast, and were 

 very wild. Between these hunting-grounds and this place a few seals 

 were got, but not many. I have taken 470 seals so far. 



When among the main body of the seals they are generally found in 

 bunches of from two or three to twenty. They are a great deal harder 

 to get when in bunches than when they are alone. Formerly, when 

 seals were found in bunches they could be approached, and one at 

 least, and sometimes more, could be got; now it is almost impossible 

 to get any. 



Early in the season the sexes keep separate, and the majority are 

 bulls ; later on they are nearly all females. Grey pups generally travel 

 together. 



I have opened seals and found in them nearly all kinds of fish that are 

 found on this coast, including squid and small devilfish. 



