640 APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Declaration of Theodore Magnesen. 



Dominion of Canada, 



Province of British Columhia, City of Victoria, 



I, Theodore Magnesen, of the city of Victoria, in the Province of 

 British Cokimbia, make oath and say: 



Tliat I liave been sailing from this port four years — as navigator one 

 year, and three years as master of sealing schooners. I never bunt 

 myself. 



This year, when off Sitka, on the "Walter A, Earle," my vessel was 

 boarded by a Lieutenant from the United States revenue-cutter 

 "Corwin," who asked me to come on board that vessel in his boat. I 

 said tliat I did not like to leave my vessel, but would answer the 

 questions he would ask me. He then asked me some questions. The 

 principal question was about the number of seals that sank. I told 

 him between 4 and 5 per cent., and I believe he took down 5 per cent. 

 I know there is not more than tbis, for several of my hunters keep 

 connt of the seals they lose by sinking. He asked me how I had found 

 the seals as regards numbers. I told him 1 had seen as many as otiier 

 years, and when he asked whether 1 had taken more males than 

 females, I told him more males. I think he took that down. He asked 

 me how it was that they had taken so few seals on the "Oorwin," and 

 told me that they had so far only got one young one. This was about 

 the 15th April, I think. He said they could not get seals, and he did 

 not know what was the matter. I don't think there was anything 

 more said. Just then a seal was taken near the ship, and he got the 

 carcase. It was a male, and I then told him that we were getting 

 mostly males. He did not ask me to allow my hunters to be examined. 

 Had he done so, I would willingly have allowed them to be examined. 

 He didn't ask me to sign a paper; he just took down what I said. 



In 1889 I was navigator on the " Minnie" when she was seized by the 

 "Kush." In 1890 I was master of the schooner " Sea Lion," and in 1891 

 and 1892 was master of the " Walter A. Earle." I was every year in Beh- 

 ring Sea nntil this year, and this year was on the Copper Island side. I 

 think in Behring Sea we get more females than males, and on the Eussian 

 side the sexes were about equally mixed. As I came home I saw quite 

 a large number of seals south of the Aleutian Islands in September. 

 This was a little to the westward of the 172nd meridian, and from 20 

 to 50 miles from the islands. I did not notice, and do not believe that 

 there is any difference between the seals, unless it is that they are darker 

 in colour on the Russian side. 



If the seals were protected on the islands and in Behring Sea, there 

 would be no danger of exterminating them. 



I have seen seals cohabiting in the the water, and have heard my 

 hunters say that whenever there is a large body of seals with the sexes 

 mixed this will be seen. 



I never had difficulty in locating my position within a few miles when 

 in Behring Sea, no matter how thick the fog was. 



I would like to say again that more male seals were got on fhe coast 

 than usual this year, because the females are getting wilder and harder 

 to get, besides, they keep travelling. The last three years I had over 

 1,000 skins for my coast catch each year, and two-thirds of them were 

 males. Off IMount Edgecumbe I struck in with a large body of seals 

 on the last day of March. 



