APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 615 



11. I gave evidence this summer on tlie United States steamer " Cor- 

 win," at Sitka. I told liim pretty near about tbe same as this lam tell- 

 ing now. I was not sworn to what I said, I only signed my name. I 

 told him I thought the sea ought to be closed till about the end of July, 

 and then let us go in. I think that killing seals on the rookeries is 

 more destructive to seal-life than killing at sea. 



12. Indian hunters use guns more now than they used to. 



13. I don't think seals are decreasing in numbers: on the contrary, 

 I saw more seals at sea this year than in any other of the six years I 

 have been out sealing. 



And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the 

 same to be true, and by virtue of "The Act respecting Extra- Judicial 

 Oaths." 



(Signed) George Dishow. 



Signed and declared by the said George Dishow before me, the Under- 

 signed, a Notary Public duly commissioned, and residing and practising 

 at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, this 19th 

 day of October, A. D. 1892. 



(Signed) Arthur L. Belyba, 



Kotary Public. 



Declaration of Otto Buchholz. 



Canada, Province of British Golumhia, City of Victoria, 



I, Otto Buchholz, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British 

 Columbia, master mariner, do solemnly declare: 



1. That I have been fur-seal hunting on the Pacific Coast three years : 

 in 1890 as navigator of the schooner " Minnie," and in 1891 and 1892 as 

 master of the schooner " Sea Lion." 



2. This year I hunted myself at spare times in fine weather. I got 

 48 seals, and lost 6 that I shot at. Of the G, I lost 2 by sinking; the 

 other 4 were wounded and escaped. I don't think any of the 4 wounded 

 afterwards died. 



3. I never saw a dead seal floating on the water, but I have known a 

 few seals to be got by my hunters that had old shot in them, generally 

 between the skin and blubber. 



4. Sleeping seals are shot at by me when within at least 15 yards, and 

 " travellers " at about 25 to 30 yards ofl\ 



5. Last year and this year I saw large schools of seals along the 

 coast from 47° 30' northward. This year I saw a greater number of 

 schools of much larger dimensions than last year, and over the whole 

 course of my voyage saw at least ten times as many seals as ever before. 

 On the 15th January, 1892, 25 miles off Cajje Flattery, I saw the largest 

 school of seals I ever saw anywhere. They were in bands over an area 

 of 15 square miles. The sea was fairly alive with seals. There were 

 heads everywhere. We lowered our boats, but the sea was rough, and 

 the boats had to return in a short time, the wind having increased to a 

 strong gale. 



6. In my experience I have generally noticed old bulls travelling by 

 themselves, younger bulls and cows generally together, and the 2-year- 

 old pups together, but sometimes all the ages of both sexes are found 

 together. 



7. The more scattered the seals the better chance to get them. When 

 in schools they are hard to get, being generally awake and on the move. 



