TIO APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Deposition of William Broicn. 



State of California, City and County of San Francisco, s.s. 



William Brown, of Marzovia, Alaska, liaving been duly sworn, 

 deposes and swears: 



1. Am a hunter and trader, and liave been following that vocation 

 for the past fourteen years. 



Was agent on the Island of Ounalaska for the Western Fur and 

 119 Trading Company for three years. I was agent for the Alaska 

 Commercial Company at Marzovia from 1883 to 181)1. 1 own 

 and sail the schooner "Mary Brown." 



2. From long residence on the Aleutian Islands I am ftimiliar with 

 the habits of the seal, as they migrate to and from the Behring Sea 

 through the various passes in the Aleutian Islands. 



3. Have seen seals coming south through the passes as late as the 

 10th January, and these would be for the most part yearling pups, but 

 have occasionally seen large ones as late as that date. Have seen large 

 numbers of those pups killed in the vicinity of the passes in November 

 and December by natives and others. 



4. In 1879, in the bays of the Island of Ounalaska, I remember the 

 natives getting 1,300 seals. These were sold to the Trading Companies, 

 part of which I bought for the Western Fur Company at 50 cents a 

 skin, and to my knowledge they are taken in this way every year. At 

 Marzovia, where I live, they catch from 300 to 400 every year, and of 

 these 300 or 400 not more than half-a-dozen would be large ones, but 

 near those passes further to the westward the percentage of large ones 

 would be much greater. 



5. I would estimate that the number of seals yearly caught in this 

 way would be 2,500. The reason that there are not more larger ones 

 taken is that they go directly through the passes, whereas the smaller 

 ones are obliged to, seek shelter in the bays amongst the islands in the 

 neighbourhood of those passes. 



6. Three years ago I left San Francisco about the middle of February, 

 and sailed in the schooner " Olga" directly to Alaska, and never saw a 

 seal from San Francisco to Unimak Pass, and this year (1892), sailing 

 on the 28th February to the same place, and as nearly as possilDle over 

 the same course, saw seals every day. I had seals killed from my 

 schooner 30 miles south of Sannakh Island as late as the 3rd July this 

 year. During my fourteen years' residence on those islands and main- 

 land of Alaska I have not noticed that the seals have diminished in 

 numbers. In good weather for sealing they seem as plentiful as ever. 



7. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been i^romised 

 me, in consideration of making this statement, which I have read over 

 and found correct. 



(Signed) William Brown. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 25th day of November, A. d. 

 1892. 

 [seal.] (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Fublic. 



